Jun 55 min read

Getting Back To Our Roots

Sharing my heart and perspective a little more openly as a small business owner, in a small town, being a wife, mother and person overcoming and uncovering more of who I am each day.

The past eight months have challenged me as a person and small business owner in ways I never quite imagined. My husband and I knew from the wisdom offered to us by friends who have been down this road before, that opening a full time brick and mortar was not going to be easy. Even with ten years in business online and elsewhere, it has been just that - not easy. We have been learning so much in the midst of challenges in both life and business, learning to be flexible, adjust when necessary, to bend but not break, and above all to not give up or lose hope on our dream.

So much of life is trusting in the process. Allowing the seasons to be what they are, while we learn and grow along side them. We face many storms in life, some hit harder than others, and they may even last longer than we anticipate. Our community has shown up for us in so many beautiful ways throughout this journey. Close friends and family, even strangers who just happen to walk in at just the right moment. Sharing words of encouragement, affirmation, and assurance that we are doing what we are meant to do right here in this season. We have met travelers from distant places coming from all over the state, country and world. So much of this journey has been a door opening, and then taking that step forward. Taking a risk, and saying yes. The right people find their way into the story.

As a mom, living this unique perspective of life is shaping me in ways I maybe didn't want or expect. I would be lying if I said everything is exactly as I had planned stepping into this, I mean is it ever in any circumstance? Ultimately it is good because with each step I am learning and growing more into the person I dream of becoming. If we are willing to say yes to the right things and face those challenges, we might find that we have the courage and light to carry us through it. We might find that it is worth the discomfort it takes to get to where we really want to be. And there is always a way through the storm, we just have to lift our weary head and look up to see it. Sometimes when we are a little too lost, a friend may come along and lift it for us. I have so much gratitude for those who continue to show up for us in the individual ways they do. Having a small business is like putting your heart out into the world. An outpouring of authentic creativity and expressing much of ourselves as best we can. It is uncomfortable, scary, time consuming, exhausting and yet even exhilarating. We are learning, growing, and becoming who we really are throughout it all.

We are telling our story.

It has been such a humbling experience. One that has required me to lay down so many of my own ideas and pick up new ones that spur up from collaborative efforts to keep moving forward. We are blessed to work alongside other incredible small businesses.

I am often reminded of where we come from, and the foundation of where it all started. My own personal journey and story to tell. So much of these last several months I have spent worrying if I am doing the right thing, if I am enough, will people understand, or what if I fail… and then making changes, listening to advice, and pushing myself to evolve, etc...etc... I think somehow in the busyness of this business, having to make changes, and in the pressure of it all, I lost myself a bit. I lost my own creative voice, and unique vision for this big dream of ours. I let fear silence me.

In the midst of the storms that life threw at us, I lost sight of things that once stood so clear. Losing creative vision, resulted in me losing a bit of my artistic joy. Forgetting that we did the thing, and we are living out two big dreams right here and now. It has taken many honest conversations with Ky, good friends speaking life into me, intentional habits of cultivating the life we want, and words of wisdom enabling me to shift my perspective. Thankfully, the weight lightened, storm clouds passed, things cleared up for me. After many months of hard fought clarity, we are joyfully re-focusing on our original vision for this beautiful business we have spent many heartfelt years building. Getting back to our roots, if you will.

The Maple House Collective was founded on all the good things. My life story has played so much into what this business is becoming. A place to slow down, step away and breathe for a moment. Birthed from the idea of nurturing a healthy home, working towards a more sustainable lifestyle in tangible and emotional ways, finding new inspiration in history & old world charm, embracing authentic community, nourishing souls and gathering around the table to sit with one another and our own unique stories. We are re-grounding and embracing our original vision to not get lost in the noise and enjoy the beauty in simplicity.

This is our summer to take back what felt lost.

What does this look like for the store? Well… it might look like us focusing on stocking our beloved housewares, letting some things go that no longer serve us or our customers well, bringing in exciting new items that fit into our renewed sense of vision, and maybe even bringing back some “og” Maple House wares. It might also look like us pouring into the continued growth of our online community which has stood beside us well before we ever had a brick and mortar shop. Slowing down, less frequent but more intentional emails packed with only the good stuff, doing fewer things-better, and continuing to thoughtfully curate our overall brand. Taking deep breaths and doing the thing well.

I want people to feel inspired, excited, seen, and to feel good about the buying choices they make in our shop. A sense of confident familiarity and expectation of what Maple House is all about. We want you to feel welcomed, like you are stepping into our own home.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for choosing to be here, for supporting our small shop, for every way that our local and online communities have helped us grow. We would not be here without you, truly. I am so excited for all that lies ahead, but even for this current season of nurturing our business and making more intentional choices. I know the journey is only just beginning, good things ahead. We hope you will join us.