We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Steward. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below.

Alright, Shannon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I own an eclectic little vintage shop in north Phoenix. I’d always wanted to own a shop of some kind where I had complete control of the vibe, but the thought of buying a bunch of stuff and hoping it would sell really wasn’t an option for me. After having a slew of low paying jobs and with no time to create, knowing my inheritance from my parents would be tons and tons of stuff, I decided to open The Vintage Arizona!

At first I was looking at a small space in downtown Phoenix that had super cheap rent. I wanted to create a space for selling some of the things my dad had collected over the years. I wanted to create a whole vibe, where you’re transformed to another, slightly familiar place. I wanted the music to be curated, I wanted a shop that would be ever changing, I wanted it to feel very different from similar shops.

We decided to look much closer to home. There’s a unique building on Cave Creek Rd that I had driven by a million times, it had sat empty for a handful of years and I wanted to get my hands on it. I think the idea was being manifested for most of my life. I had the money, the product, secured the space and off we went on this adventure.

Shannon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Shannon Steward, the owner of The Vintage Arizona that I run 4 days a week and I’m also a hairstylist a couple days a week! I’d what you’d describe as scrappy, I like working with my hands. I enjoy painting, art of many kinds, picking for goods for my vintage shop, building furniture. Essentially giving new life to old things. The shop I own allows me to encompass all of my talents and side hustles under one roof. I had a small business I had named Penny & Peat selling plants in interesting containers. I have a thing for screen printed tin cans, they’ve been used a lot as vessels for potted plants and they’re a best seller. I had another side business I’d named Fancy Wednesday, I made jewelry out of vintage buttons and sparkles, I sell those at the shop and need to make more, and possibly host a workshop. Workshops are something I’d like to do more of in the future.

We opened about 9 months before Covid happened. That was a scary time for many reasons. It was and still is very important to me that this shop and the salon I work at are safe spaces. We had to pivot during that time to keep afloat, it was very exhausting but we’re still kicking, I just celebrated 5 years in business last week! My intention was to never get as personal as I have with my social media, but I’m a chronic oversharer and I think it’s in my nature to nurture. I’ve developed life long friendships by owning this business. Times are very hard right now but I strive to be a light in the dark. We are nothing without community, and the vintage and art community in Phoenix is really strong. I’m lucky to be a part of it and that’s the main reason I host markets at my building. A couple months ago my friend Christa and I created Misfit Market, an eclectic mix of folks that sell their handmade and vintage wares.

Again, I thrive for The Vintage Arizona to be a safe space for people of all kinds, who at other places might feel uncomfortable. Let’s hunker down in here and talk, like really talk and listen to each other. This place is full of memories, which always lends itself to starting a conversation. I’ve got tons of stories, and look forward to tons more.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’d like to share a couple stories of resilience, I’ll keep them brief but I think they are linked. I touched upon earlier starting and surviving a small business during a pandemic. That was an incredibly scary time for many reasons. I had only been open for about 9 months, we had gotten lucky with social media in the beginning and I attribute that to our survival. I was busier than ever, posting photos of items at the store, and folks were shopping that way. They’d circle a couple things and I’d send an invoice, then do curbside pickup, ship or I’d personally deliver it. People bought gift certificates and would reach out to make sure I was ok. We had to close for 6 weeks, on April 1, 2020, I woke up to an email from the landlord telling me that he would work with me if I was having a hard time making rent. Well. me being me, I told myself I was going to do whatever it took to make sure the rent was paid. And we did for a long time.

Funny as this will sound, that wasn’t the hardest time I had to get through personally or professionally. Covid exposed a lot of what’s wrong with how we cope with things. I had been a high functioning alcoholic for many years. Nightly drinking to cope with this life I’d built. From a distance it looks super cool, and it is a lot of the time. I’ve had random celebrities in my little shop, even day one. A lot of this business is moving boxes, lots of dust, bugs, hot hot car rides. Lots of saying no to people who are also trying to survive. All of this to say, that I finally came to terms that I am an alcoholic on the brink of losing everything I have worked really hard for. I’m 4 months into this new adventure of sobriety, but with that comes a new hope. Hope for the future, wanting to learn, wanting to take in all of this world I have been so afraid of. I don’t know how long I’ll have this sweet little shop, but I’m enjoying it more than I ever have. That is a major win.

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

Much like the inside of the shop, I strive to curate my social media. I got incredibly lucky in the beginning. A well known shop owner and pioneer who was the previous owner of Frances, found out through Instagram that I was opening and attended my soft opening shindig. By her simply taking footage and posting it, I gained several hundred followers in the 24 hours the story was up. That simple act really helped us.

I think it’s very important to try to set yourself apart from what similar businesses are doing. If you’re selling dry goods, take thoughtful photos. Try to stick to a color theme, make sure your photos aren’t blurry. I see a lot of negativity on social media, sure, any business will have its pits and peaks but people enjoy hearing the peaks and it makes them more eager to engage with you. One thing I’ve found that my followers enjoy is to tell the history of an item you’re selling. Those posts tend to get the most engagement. It’s also helpful to set aside a schedule for making content. Consistency is key! My goal for the year is to get better at making videos, and having as much fun as I can with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TheVintageArizona.com
• Instagram: @thevintagearizona
• Facebook: @thevintagearizona
• Yelp: The Vintage Arizona

Image Credits

Presley Woodall