Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hunter Hyatt . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hunter, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Our mission with The Country Pedaler is to bring authentic vintage home decor and upcycled treasures. We strive to upcycle and restore items that would otherwise be thrown away or given up on.
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 background and context?
When I was 14, I got my first summer job working as a custodian at a local university. I wouldn’t say I liked it. I hated it not because I was cleaning toilets but because I hated working under people and being told what to do all the time. I wanted to have passion for my work and have a say in what happens in my workplace. That summer Job ended in July 2016 and in August of 2016 my mother and I put our heads together and decided to start a vintage business. I had grown up hearing stories of my grandparents’ vintage business and how my mom grew up traveling to different antique shows and I loved the idea. My mom is really the one who pushed me and has been by my side through the entire process. We both dove into the vintage business head first and decided to just learn as we go. We started signing up for vintage fairs and markets with our first one being in September 2016. We sold everything but the clothes off our backs at that first market. It was a hit. From there it’s almost gone by in the blink of an eye. I have fallen in love with staging vintage items and selling them online through our Instagram and Facebook. The business has gained a semi-large following on social media. I have worked with so many other amazing vendors. We have grown so much in the past 7 years. I’m no longer just the little girl selling painted tables and cute vintage knick-knacks. I’ve graduated and moved into the bigger items. We recently had the opportunity to relocate to Kings Mountain, NC, and are in the process of opening up a store. I am thrilled with how far I have come and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Being such a young entrepreneur has had its challenges at some times. I was 14 when we started the business so I was just going into high school and having to maintain a social life, work-life, and keep up my good grades all at the same time. At first, many show promoters and other vendors did not take me seriously. I had one show promoter laugh in my face when I told him that this was my business. I learned that actions speak louder than words and would just do my best to act professionally and run my business to the best of my ability to show the doubters that ya, I’m young, but I pack a powerful punch and won’t back down. I’m 20 now and have gained the respect and admiration of many amazing vendors. I’m still working every day not to let my age fool people and show them I am the real deal.
How’d you meet your business partner?
My business partner is my mom! She has been such a big supporter of everything I’ve done and is always there to keep my head level. More recently my husband has also come along and we will keep how I met him off this article but he is such a big help to the business. He is always there for the heavy lifting and he even got to man the booth alone for the first time a few months ago!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710821189662476
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecountrypedaler/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecountrypedaler
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCw07bJ68lU1yM2gY_VJpmTw