Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gabriella Tanner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gabriella, appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I was on a road trip when I was inspired to start my business. I had a few hours of driving ahead and since I wasn’t the one driving I knew I didn’t want to waste anytime so I started jotting down name ideas, creating color stories, drafting potential logos, anything to keep my creative juices flowing. I read someone that there’s a short window of magic from when you first have an idea and actually acting on it, before the ” But I need this first” or the “ill do this when’s” start to kick in. if you wait too long the passion dwindles and you keep putting it on the back burner until you forget and repeat cycle. I think with any idea you have the best way to execute is too just start. We have every resource to figure out what to do next at the tips of our fingers and its nothing a quick google search can’t fix.

Gabriella, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Gabriella Tanner, owner of Valley Girls Vintage a time capsule of 60s and 70s groovy vintage. I started my business in the midst of a pandemic while I was bored a seeking a creative challenge. I always loved vintage and fashion. One day I got the idea that I should start a shop and so I did just that. Valley Girls Vintage sells carefully curated and thoughtfully sourced Vintage Clothing from the 60s, 70s and 90s. My brand is for the individuals who like to stand out in a crowd who aren’t afraid to wear bold colors, colorful prints, and clashing patterns. A huge part of why I started Valley Girls was to minimize my carbon foot print a

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have a few lessons I had to learn and unlearn. I’ll share a few.

I recently read something I found so powerful and it goes like this “Somedays I think the problem is that I’m not trying hard enough. Somedays I think the problem is that I’m trying too hard. But maybe, right now the problem is that I keep trying to find a problem. Maybe is there is no problem, and there never was.” The lesson here was, what you seek you will find.

Another lesson I had to unlearn that I now hear people do all the time is speak in absolutes. Absolutes are words and/or phrases like “only”, “never” and “always” etc. example sentence could be. ” Theres always traffic on the highway”. Basically speaking things as a matter of fact. Just because that was your experience once does not mean it’s a reality let alone going to be my reality. It can also be heard when people are unable to do something. You’ll hear ” This always happens, it’s never going to work.” You should also keep in mind that just because someone else can’t do something, it’s still possible you can!”
Use absolutes to your advantage not your demise.

I think there’s something beautifully naive about having a mindset of “Everything always works out for me”. The lesson I learned was to be carefully with the words you choose to use because they will manifest. Words are powerful. Words are spells, that’s why its called spelling.”

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started out selling vintage I looked for local markets in my area to vend at. With local vendors on the rise, It seemed like they were all looking for a market to vend at. Options for markets with openings were slim. I was lucky if I got to vend a market twice a month. I saw a problem and a created a solution. I started my own Market which hosts local vendors . I didn’t want to wait around in the hopes of being chosen for a market. When I talk about this to people I always use this metaphor. Vending at markets is like a chess game. You either wait around for a match in someone else game or you buy your own board and start your own game. I didn’t like the feeling of waiting around to be a pawn in someone else game, I wanted to play. I wanted the crown.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @valleygirlsvintage & @sundaysbestmarket
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valleygirlsvintage

Image Credits
Photographer: Abby Cummings