We were lucky to catch up with Gwen Simmons recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gwen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

It was in my mind to open a shop when I first lived in West Texas some 25 years ago. I had fallen flat out in love with this wild and elemental land. The sky always entranced me, and I saw rainbows everywhere in my three years here. On a certain rainy day, I saw a rainbow out my window that appeared to end right in the middle of Fort Davis. I decided on the name Over the Rainbow then and there. Life had other plans for my family though, and it was over two decades before I was able to return to this place I think of as Home.

I’ve owned a retail shop before, and long run an online vintage store, so it seemed natural to start a business here. We had a difficult time finding a location in this small town, but serendipity came into play, helping us to find our present location, and some very good friends in our landlords at the Davis Mountains Rock Shop next door as well. I won’t say anything has come easily in this business I started with two of my adult children, but it is always an adventure. The store, as it turns out, is not really what I envisioned before we opened two and a half years ago, but rather, it has become what it Wants to be.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Over the Rainbow TX is an eclectic retail/gift shop. My two adult children, Gabriel and Gaia, and I opened it two and a half years ago with the intention of providing an outlet for our various skills and passions.

I have a background in retail. I have long curated and sold vintage home decor, and more recently, clothing. I worked in web design and marketing previously, studied design, and still manage some other websites and their social media besides our own. I enjoy curating items both new and vintage, or pre-loved, for the shop.

Gabriel’s background is in retail as well. He studied and has a degree in Information Technology. He is our IT guy, and the Manager of the Shop. He takes care of all of our computer concerns, our online security issues, and the equipment in the store. He also handles our Printing.

Gaia is a graphic artist. She designs cards, stickers, and our store branding materials. Our customers love her designs. She has done some amazing logos, and we look forward to seeing where her talent is going to take both her and our business.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When we envisioned this business, it was as more or less as a community-oriented shop providing and promoting environmentally sustainable and useful products, encouraging and facilitating an Earth-caring and healing lifestyle. I was interested in eco products, seeds, outdoor living (and playing) tools and decor, and a general theme of regenerative living.

It soon became clear to us that the majority of our clientele were tourists, and that they were far more drawn to our quirky and unconventional product choices than our philosophy. We are eccentric individuals, as spiritually passionate as we are about the planet and its plight, so we have shifted gears over time.

We are not, strictly speaking, a Metaphysical Shop, but we maintain an open and all-inclusive attitude towards life in general. We don’t proselytize or promote any particular lifestyle, but we don’t hide our own interests. We have allowed (I feel) the store to become what it wants to be, and that often as not has surprised me. I have found that if you follow the cues provided by customers and your own gut, a business becomes an organic concern, becoming what is needed at any given point. Over time, we have begun to attract an increasing amount of Local Business, and that tells us something as well. We fill a niche, no matter how unlikely it might seem.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

While we don’t have a huge Social Media following, we do have a loyal and growing one. I wish I could say that I have discovered any particular strategies or techniques to quickly build a following, but I don’t, and I have been doing this for a while. I will say that you should never shy away from trying a different or unconventional approach to growing your audience.

Standing out from the crowd is what it is all about. Don’t be afraid to rebrand or redirect either. If your Followers like you and what you stand for, most of them will continue to follow even as you experience your own growing pains and evolution. We have changed tacks at numerous instances, and the audience continues to grow. Gaia is better with videos than I am, so I encourage her on that score. Gabriel has a knack for on the fly and off the cuff humor, as well as being a talented writer. I am the one who watches and analyzes, and I try to use tags and other tools to their best purposes.

I would say that the most important thing is to stay consistent. Keep showing up in their feeds and their minds. And keep it fresh (not always easy). Find your own style and don’t be afraid to let that change either. Be your (best) self, Use trends, but don’t copy them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.overtherainbowtx.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/overtherainbowtx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OvertheRainbowTX/

Image Credits
Gwen Simmons