We recently connected with Sally Leyba and have shared our conversation below.

Sally, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I had always wanted to have an antique store/tea room/quilt shop. I was married for 21 years and unfortunately, he was not very good with money. I never felt like I had the money confidence to start my own business. So I worked many years as a paralegal, administrator for hospital, CEO and graphic designer. I started a side business with a Booth at my local antique shop but Covid put an end to that business. So I pivoted and started posting things on Instagram, which then led to live sales on Instagram. This is the best time of my life and I’m in my retirement years so I really wish I had started earlier. That’s my advice to everyone. Start your dream earlier.

Sally, 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?

I have curated and collected quality antiques throughout my entire life. I’ve learned about antiques from my parents who used to go to farm auctions, and once my dad crawled in the pigsty to get out a brass bed for my mother. I only sell true vintage or true antiques. Nothing vintage inspired so my customers have come to understand that when they come to one of my sales, they’re gonna get the real deal. It’s getting very difficult to locate quality items. I think what I bring to the table that some other sellers may not is the connections in the community. I receive calls constantly from friends and family members about collections they have. This is called a private pick in the reseller industry which is the best!!! The competition at EstateSales and Auctions is heating up as everyone is looking for a side gig. So the private picks are the backbone of my business. I always believe customer service sets me apart also. I feel like if I reimburse someone if they’re not happy that they will always be a customer. The customer comes first with me and I become friends with my customers and actually go visit them.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I am currently sitting at almost 10,000 followers on Instagram. I’ve been a part of Instagram for five years. I think one of the best pieces of advice that I can give New IG sellers is take the time to get to know your customers. Ask about where they live. I ask him what they collect. I ask him what they’re looking for. I keep a list so that when I’m out shopping, I can send them a picture and say do you want me to pick this up for you? I live in the Midwest and we still have real antiques available. A lot of areas of the country do not have the items that we have here in our area. The other thing I do that a lot of people don’t do on Instagram is I do giveaways all the time. I do silly giveaways like I had a glass cloche full of flower frogs. I did a giveaway guess how many flower frogs in the cloche? I had over 1,000 people enter that giveaway. The algorithm of Instagram then works with you and shows your stories and posts more often. I also gain 200 plus followers per giveaway. It’s also a way to say thank you to my customers and followers.

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

So the last job I had was as a graphic designer. I was not schooled in graphic design, but it became evident that being organized and attention to detail was much more important to the position. How I had to pivot was that my boss lied to my face. I don’t condone lying and I had to ask myself if I was going to continue my employment or finally take a risk and quit. I had to take a chance on myself to finally be self-employed at age 63. I took the chance, signed up for Obamacare, and dove in headfirst to IG full-time. I’ve never been happier.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @theshabbycottageict

Image Credits

Sally Leyba