We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Kline and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole, what do you love most about your work?
I do love my business and what I love about it most is the adventure. I find it so fun to search for specific vintage items in my go to spots and even more exciting to me are the random places that pop up for a search because I never know what I am going to find. Also, since I deal with mostly vintage items, I love the stories that come along with each item and the nostalgic emotion that they evoke from my customers when they find something special to them in my shop.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Part of my business is furniture restoration where I take vintage pieces (mostly small furniture pieces) and give them new life. Since I am not a fan of brown, most of my pieces end up being, pink, aqua or yellow. I incorporate a lot of floral artwork in the shop and I tend to have a ton of vintage dishware because I am obsessed… I try to only carry dish colors that match the rest of my shop unless its just too fun to pass up..
And, we can’t forget vintage Cabbage Patch Kids… These particulars set me apart a bit. I have been in business now for over 17 years and have done many different tasks from opening and closing brick and mortar shops, being a trade show vendor, a permanent in-shop vendor, event producer, mentor and running an online shop. Has it been easy? Some parts more than others however, each part of the business prepares me for the next and I make sure I keep learning, growing, evolving and surrounding myself with positive, like-minded people. I try to put 100% energy and heart into everything I do and I have also learned to keep up with industry changes as to pivot my business when needed. The constant re-inventing can be exhausting at times, so I have learned to rest when I feel like quitting. It’s important to take time to rest, relax and play in order to re-access a situation and gain new momentum.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting AZ I would take her all over! We could head over to Jerome to explore the ghost town, hang out in the vintage shops in Prescott and grab a pan baked pizza from Rosa’s Pizzeria. A tour of the historic Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff would be done as well as a drive through Sedona to see the red rocks. Exploring Phoenix is a must to see all the cool street art, have lunch at Flower Child and grab a cupcake out of the Sprinkles ATM, because why not?! She would also want to head over to the Mekong Plaza in Mesa to eat at Unphogettable and Tea Snow Boba.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For me, support and love for the business come from my family, close friends, industry pals and my sweet customers as they let me be my quirky self as well as challenge me to do new things. I very much appreciate each and every one of them. For mentor-ship, I pick up tidbits from everyone as I participate in a lot of webinars, classes and observe other businesses. However, the person who I intentionally dial into the most is Marie Forleo. I love how she is so transparent, real, quirky, positive and motivating. Her energy is contagious!
Website: www.StrawberryMonday.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strawberrymonday/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrawberryMonday/
Image Credits
Raena Kline