We recently connected with Hannah White and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

When we first had the idea to open our shop SecondHand Muse, the name made perfect sense to us! We are artists ourselves and work with other local artists in the area and thought what a clever name! We are offering Art, (someone else’s Muse inspired them to create ) to others for their own enjoyment or inspiration!A “SecondHand Muse Gift Shop! Along with Local art we also sell items we enjoy or are inspired by…such as Crystals, Jewelry, Tarot Cards, Books, Incense, Olis ,ect.. My husband and I thought this such a cool concept and opened our brick and mortar shop in the town we grew up in, noticing that there was nothing of it”s kind and felt local artists really deserved some representation -other than what seemed to be limited to online shopping like etsy or local craft events.
So the SecondHand Muse was born! We stocked our shelves with all manner of art from local artisans,-Art, clothing, jewelry, teas,ceramics,bath and beauty products,sculptures,figurines,instruments, blankets and hats knitted by local Grandmas.. ..Whatever was unique and inspiring to our Muse! There really is so much talent in every town, why would anyone want to buy gifts from big box stores or Amazon when they can support their neighbors,their community and find really cool,local,handmade items?

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We are coming up on our 2nd year in business and have paid thousands of dollars out to local artists for their wares! So much of that money goes right back into our local economy. We don’t really have to go out searching for artists -as now many find their way to us, hoping to get their items on display and for sale in our shop! We put our own hard work, time and inspiration into creating a beautiful space and shopping experience for our customers that they can also, hopefully, feel inspired by! Much of our furnishings have been upcycled, repurposed or refurbished.
We also have gone through great effort to minimize our carbon footprint by using only recycled paper bags, buying from ethical, eco-friendly companies and not relying on imports to fill our shop! We believe there are ways companies and consumers can contribute to helping the planet, while supporting each other!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

We are currently in the process of a major pivot..in the form of a re brand! As I mentioned our Gift shop name the SecondHand Muse,seemed to be a perfect fit to our vision..however it seems no one else has our idea in mind when they hear the name!
Since opening we have had more people come through our door thinking it was a thrift shop, a secondhand store, or just a junk shop! We found ourselves constantly explaining the name, the items we sell, “No we don”t take donations”, “No we don”t consign your used furniture or baby items”..
It is so disheartening when you have people calling and coming in and then turn right back around , saying “Oh! I thought this was something else!”
Potential Customers who are most likely looking for a specific secondhand item that they would rather not buy new and pay full price for,and therefore unlikely to buy anything or appreciate what we are trying to offer them.
Of course,we should have thought of this potential confusion! We, however ,were so caught up in our artistic vision we did not realize what an impact that wording would make on our business. First impressions really do count. Wording counts. You can be creative, but don’t alienate potential customers by giving them the wrong impression of who you are and what you offer.

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

Rather then be discouraged by the feedback,(and the low sales) we decided to use it to help us re brand into something more simple and straightforward …THE MUSE. Don”t know what Muse means? Well that’s one intriguing reason to come in and check us out! If you do know what the Muse means? Then you should come in and meet ours and maybe be inspired!
The Muse represents everything we offer and have described about our journey. The aesthetic of our space also reflects that name.For us,the true vision behind making our dream a reality came from…the Muse. It is so obvious in retrospect,and probably to you,the reader-but when you are first starting to build a vision,sometimes we forget to step away and look at it as an outsider. After all it is the customers you are serving and should keep in mind when building your brand! Not everyone will get what your clever pun means or what your interpretation of a word means. Choose wisely!…and don’t be afraid to change it if it doesn’t quite fit your niche.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://the-secondhand-muse.square.site/
• Instagram: thesecondhandmuse
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecondhandmuse