We recently connected with Nikki Stephens and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nikki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights 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.

I’ve always loved fashion. What you choose to wear is an expression of who you are. And it feels good to wear things that you love and that you feel really represent you. My whole life, I was very intentional about my wardrobe. Even in the single digits of being on this earth, I had an opinion about what I would wear. And that intentional curation has never stopped.

I’ve always been told I have a great eye and have always been asked if I’m a stylist or a designer or a store owner. And the answer has historically always been “no, I just love fashion.” But there was always a little dream tucked away in the back of my mind to be a business owner who offers the world a little piece of my passion. And it took me a long time to realize that dream could be a reality. For lots of reasons and for years, I never allowed myself that belief – because of imposter syndrome, fear of failure, fear of putting myself out there, and just the idea that if I couldn’t execute flawlessly out the gate, I shouldn’t do it at all. But at the end of last year, I finally squashed all those nonsense thoughts and decided it was time to just start. It was time to do the thing I’d always wanted to do. So I did and it’s been such an exciting start to what I know will be a long, fun, successful journey.

REVIVE is all about offering a curated collection of goods that will make someone feel their very best. I source everything myself and only put the highest quality products into my shop. My customers are people looking for sustainably sourced, on-trend (but not trendy – aka “fast-fashion”), high quality pieces that are affordable and unique. I specialize in secondhand pieces that feel contemporary, cool and timeless. I’m not in the very (maybe even overly) saturated true vintage market. I want my collection to be filled with items that would easily sit in stores today and when I do pull true vintage pieces, they still read contemporary but with a cool, retro undertone. And I think this is my biggest differentiator in the market – my assortment stands apart from most vintage/secondhand shops. And I’ll never put a piece in my collection just because it might sell – my collection will always be very curated, very intentional, and very REVIVE. It’s never going to be a hodgepodge assortment for sales-sake. It’s a shop with a voice, and people who resonate with that voice will be called to shop with me and will hopefully keep coming back. Just like clothing brands out there with a specific style and aesthetic, REVIVE will always have that too.

REVIVE was just a little seedling dream for years and years, but I’ve finally allowed that dream to blossom into a reality and can’t wait to see its evolution. I’m so excited to meet all the customers that become part of the REVIVE community!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m the Owner + Buyer for REVIVE, an Atlanta-based secondhand shop. My shop offers the highest quality products that have been hand-picked by me. My collection is filled with vintage and contemporary pieces ready for new life, ready for a new home. What I love about my collection is that everything feels very now, even if it’s true vintage. The pieces I pull into the shop could easily sit in store now, but what’s special about these pieces is they’re unique, they’re affordably priced and their purchase is a vote toward sustainably sourcing your wardrobe. I love and stand behind every single piece I put into my shop, and it makes me so happy when someone shops my store and walks away with their new favorite wardrobe pieces. That’s why I do this – to offer amazing pieces that will find their way to the perfect new home and make that person feel great. Because that’s what the right clothes do – they make us feel really good and even more than that, they allow us to express ourselves and to show the world who we are.

I offer women’s clothing and accessories but also just recently introduced menswear as well, which is a really exciting addition! You can always shop my website (reviveshopatl.com) and be sure to follow me on IG as well (@reviveshop.atl) to stay up to date on product drops, upcoming pop-ups, and all things REVIVE. And coming soon, you’ll be able to shop with me IRL anytime at Westside Market’s new Roswell location! Details around that will be announced in early April, but I’ll be located at Booth 118 on “Main Street.” Lastly, I do take on sourcing projects if there’s something specific you’re in the market for. You can email or DM me to get details on how to work with me in that way.

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

Perfectionism was the biggest thing I really had to work to unlearn and release. It’s one of those pesky traits that can be touted as a strength when it really is more of a challenge, or in my case, a flat out hindrance. It’s one thing to want to do your very best and put things out into the world that feel authentic, but it’s another to avoid action altogether because something doesn’t feel “perfect.” I had this need for perfection built into me for most of my life and it was the biggest reason I didn’t start REVIVE sooner. My perfectionism told me I wasn’t ready or shouldn’t do it right now. But that was always just fear getting the best of me. Once I realized that perfectionism was getting in the way, I decided to work through releasing it. It wasn’t serving me and had no place in my mindset anymore. So I decided to just start – to do my best with what I knew at the time and to change and pivot in real time as needed, as opposed to feeling like everything had to be “perfect” every step of the way. Man, what a freeing thing to squash that old, limiting belief and move into a much more empowering space of just doing my very best and leaning into what feels right for me and my business at that time. So I no longer feel the need for perfection. I only ensure things I do feel aligned, and it’s made all the difference in my life and in my business.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes! One of the biggest turning points for me in my business was taking a $33 intro class with Natalia Benson. She is a money mentor, astrologer and conscious business strategist. Her work is the perfect intersection of pragmatic and mystical, so it deeply resonated with me. Her work has helped me overcome imposter syndrome and really step into owning that I am a business owner. Before her work, I would say things like “it’s really just for fun” or “it’s my little side thing.” But now, I speak in bigger, bolder terms because I should. REVIVE is a business I’m growing and am stoked about! It’s a real business with real potential, and I no longer make myself or my business smaller. I am so grateful to have found her work and have done many more classes since that initial one and am even enrolled in a 6-month membership as a way to really dive deep into her work. Her teachings have helped me to make truly meaningful, exciting shifts in my mindset around money and business, and I highly recommend looking into her work if you’re like me and appreciate the combination of practical and magical! Her website is nataliabenson.com and her IG is @natalia_benson.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reviveshopatl.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reviveshop.atl/