Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharon Phantha. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sharon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am 100% happier as a business owner. I often think about going back to a “regular” job because of this economy and the ups and downs of small business. But owning my own business has allowed me to operate from home while simultaneously raising each of my four children. The time spent with my children will always be my greatest blessing. And despite the struggles, I am definitely most happiest being a business owner because it has allowed me the flexibility in life that a regular job could never allow. You will never get that time back with your children, and my proudest moments in life have been with my family and not so much in business.

When I think about finding a “regular” job, I think about the loss in output control I would have, and output is the most important thing to my sense of self and duty. Unless you find something that wholly aligns with your intentions, a regular job to me would mean a loss of output control. For me, my small business represents my deepest intentional actions. Sustainable living, sustainable shopping, preservation, those are all intentional actions that I can do that also generates income. I can’t speak for every small business owner, but for me, intentional living is the core of why I am an entrepreneur. The value in your position relies on what is most important to the individual.

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

My love for vintage and art started at a very early age, but it was my role as a mother that led me to start a home-based business so that I could take care of my children full-time. I always had an interest in photography, computers, and writing, so managing an online vintage home furnishing company came kind of natural. I started to amass so many great vintage pieces, particularly peacock chairs and vintage glassware. It then led me to open a sister business in event rentals. From there, the vintage shop and event rentals went hand-in-hand. It’s been over 12 years now. The sustainability and preservation in the product and services I put out is my most proudest work. Every sale and every rental is incredibly meaningful to me and my intentions. My goal is to keep the preservation going and to put the finest things to use for others.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My vintage shop was managed through Etsy for a couple of years until the dawn of the Instagram interior/sellers came to be. At the time, most sellers that I knew listed and advertised solely through their chosen sites (Etsy, eBay, etc.). Because Instagram was photo friendly, I figured advertising in any social media outlet is good for business. I started posting photos of my inventory to tell any potential viewers to purchase it on my site. It led to more styled shots and themed vignettes, then to showing my personal interior spaces. The follower count grew because I found other fellow sellers sharing the same things, and we started growing into a community of vintage sellers and interior enthusiasts. It led to more followers from customers, like-minded interior fans, and even a huge boost from the parent and plant communities. It took years to grow my followers organically, and the one thing that helped the most was consistency. At one point I was posting 3-4 times a day. But after awhile, the burn-out started getting real. Engaging and balancing a consistent presence will help build your community. You don’t have to post numerous times a day, but you should interact with your audience genuinely. Ask them questions. Allow your audience to have a presence in your work. Quality should always come before quantity.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Our home suffered through a fire in 2021, and majority of my vintage treasures and rental inventory was gone. Because my business is dependent on physical assets, it was a tremendous loss both personally and professionally. The moment thereafter I had to decide if I wanted to keep going with my businesses. For the vintage shop side, I knew I could find vintage again as it is abundant, albeit rare and hard to find. But the biggest loss was my rare vintage glassware collection and peacock chairs. They are not easy to find and many were rare and expensive. Without those things, the rental side of my business was obsolete.

The decision came down to either starting a new job/career, or keep going and start from square one. It was a chance to pivot my career, but I ultimately chose to keep going because I absolutely love what I do and it was the passion that kept me going. It was also the thought of starting over and re-doing things right. What started as a pivotal moment ended as a rebirth of sorts. And since then, business has been better than before, with clearer structures and new procedures that has allowed me to flourish more smoothly than before. Sometimes hardships turn into blessings in disguise. You have to follow your heart and take risks if you want to see growth in anything that you do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.whiteelephantco.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/whiteelephantco
• Facebook: facebook.com/whiteelephantco
• Other: IG: @whiteelephantcoevents TikTok: @whiteelephantco
• My vintage store: @sacvintagehaus, 116 K Street, Sacramento, CA.

Image Credits
Cynthia Yang Captures