We recently connected with Whitney Mayhew and have shared our conversation below.

Whitney, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Definitely! Being a Small Business owner is one of the hardest things you can do. Especially in this economy. I could work a nine-to five and put in way fewer hours while bringing in more money than I do running a small business, that’s for sure! Then, I wouldn’t have to worry about the rising costs of inventory, utilities, insurance and taxes. I wouldn’t have to deal with the spam phone calls. I wouldn’t have to deal with people trying to spoof my social media accounts. I wouldn’t have to stay up to date with Meta’s constantly-changing algorithms so that my posts are seen by more than two people. I could get my weekends back and actually go on vacation for once. It would be a weight off my shoulders. But, with that being said, owning a Small Business is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It really is. It’s literally an extension of yourself. It’s another one of your children, you continuously pour your love into it and watch it grow. You see a void filled in the community. You use it to give back to help others. You use it to make a difference in this world. And what an incredible difference you can make! Small business ownership is hard. It’s heavy. It’s trying. But it’s worth it.

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

Yes, I’m Whitney Mayhew, and I own and operate Broken Spoke Boutique with my husband, Phil. Our boutique is located in a historic bank that we renovated in the heart of the Sandhills on Valentine, Nebraska’s Main Street. We carry a wide variety of women and children’s clothing, as well as handmade fine jewelry, Fair Trade accessories, natural makeup and skincare, gourmet chocolates and candies, and locally made products.
We sell products from a wide range of incredible people that not only have one-of-a-kind products, but that give back to society to help make our world a better place for everyone—whether it’s working to rescue victims of human trafficking, supporting cancer research, feeding orphans, fighting against domestic abuse, providing clean water to those in need, helping people in impoverished countries—they are people helping people.
In addition to purchasing from these amazing humans, for every online order placed, we plant trees and remove plastic from oceans and waterways. The trees are planted in tree gardens to help farmers with their eroding land, feed their family and livestock, and help to organically fertilize their crops.

About a year ago, we also brought in a carefully curated vintage section as a way of offering a sustainable and unique fashion option that has a way of tangibly reconnecting you with the past. Vintage clothing, accessories, and home decor give you the ability to show off your personality with a fashion sense that sets you apart while reducing the number of items going into landfills. Each piece is unique and one of a kind—a rare item that could very well be the last of its kind. These items were made at a different time in history, before fast fashion, when things were created with superior expertise and built to be passed on instead of falling apart and quickly replaced. It’s been a huge hit with our customers, both in store and online, and I love to see each of these amazing pieces find their new home!

How’d you meet your business partner?

Oh, wow. We were just kids in South Carolina. He sold shoes in the mall, and I loved shopping. We met, fell in love, got married, and started a family. When our daughter was three, we decided it was time for a new adventure. We moved to Nebraska, jobless, homeless, and found out the day after we arrived in this new state that I was expecting our second child. Oh, did I mention that it snowed a foot that same day? We had a name for a foot of snow in South Carolina. We called it “the apocalypse”. I had a job interview lined up, but after discovering that our family was expanding, I decided that it wouldn’t be the best fit. I met a girl who was opening a boutique and needed someone to work the front desk for her. She said that I could work until baby came, and once I was ready to come back, I could bring both kids to work with me. It seemed perfect! After working for her for a year, she asked if I wanted to buy the business. My husband was sold on the idea immediately, but I came from the banking industry and needed to crunch the numbers. After some thought and a little math, I agreed. It wasn’t long after taking over the business that my husband joined me full time. We bought a historic bank, renovated it, moved from our rental space into our new location, and never looked back. Seven years later, we love working together, bouncing ideas off each other, and making this dream work as a team!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Living in a small town is quite the change from city life. Everyone knows everyone. But that’s not a bad thing. Since I buy everything for the shop, I know my products and I believe in them. If you believe in your products, you don’t have to sell them. Your enthusiasm for what you have sells it for you. In a small town, you are only as good as your reputation. When people know you and know they can trust you, it goes a long ways. We have an incredible and supportive community, and I wouldn’t be here without them. They are what make this dream a reality.

And, although our town is small, it’s a bit of a tourist destination. We have a large number of people that come to visit, especially in the Summer for outdoor activities. We have the tallest waterfall in Nebraska as well as the widest. We have a certified “International Dark Sky Place” where people come from around the world to stargaze. We have some of the best golf in the country. People come to camp, boat, fish, and hunt. Because of the tourism, we carry quite a bit of Valentine Nebraska items that we design ourselves in house. People seek them out while in town, and we ship a ton of these items out across the country to people who love this little town!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brokenspokeboutique.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/brokenspokeboutique
• Facebook: Facebook.com/brokenspokeboutique

Image Credits
(c) Phil Mayhew; Broke Spoke Boutique