“Don’t worry, none of us really know what we’re doing,” says Carly.

Carly’s my photography friend who tells me to trust my gut and screw the man. In the photography business, “the man” is the all the hype; all the stuff I should be doing to be truly successful. Pinterest boards full of articles like 5 MUST Do Marketing Tools to Grow your Business. Workshops and Photo Field Trips led by hipster photographers from California who lure me into their elite circles by dangling promises to change my life and business for only $9999.99. Free E-books and Pricing Guides filled with secret code that can only be accessed by giving up my email and my soul. Carly says what I’m thinking, what I’m suspecting,

“Don’t believe what you hear, half of us are bullshitting our way through this.”

So when she tells me about Heart Mercantile, the little boutique she and her friend Brittany opened on a whim in October, I’m greedy for a backstory. I too have dreamed of owning my own little store, along with a food truck, a flower stand, a coffee shop…my someday dreams go on and on but my follow through never seems to catch up. I’m curious to know how Carly and Brittany actually made the leap from someday dreaming to their very own doorstep in downtown Dayton.

With stars in my eyes and envy in my heart I go to them like one searching for clues…

Tell me how you both went from being best friends and photographers to small business owners?

Brittany: Years and years ago, once upon a time we were always vintage hunting and we were like, someday we’re going to have a little shop in the District or somewhere and we’re gonna like, sling our shit. At one point a space opened up and we considered it but we were like no way, what if no-one shows up? Then a few years later when my son Mason was 10 months old and scheduled for open heart surgery I had a dream that we owned a store. The logo on the door was an anatomical heart and it was down here in the District. I was excited and I called Carly but we forgot about it pretty quickly.

Because of the baby?

Yeah because we had too much shit to do. Mason had his surgery like a week later and Carly was busy with her photography and so we were like yeah, someday.

Six or seven months ago I’m walking down to Press to get a coffee and I see a for rent sign and I’m like, oh shit. I call my husband and we see the place later that night and no one had pulled the trigger on it yet. I was like whatever, we’ll figure it out, we’ll work backwards. We had the money. It was all done on a handshake.

I called Carly and told her I had rented a space in The Oregon District and she was like, what in the hell are you talking about?

Carly: I about had a panic attack!

Brittany: Yeah she was in shock. She was like what are you gonna do? What are you gonna put in the store? How is this actually gonna happen?

Carly: I knew in my head that even if I said no that I would still be doing this with Brittany because that’s just the way things happen. So I had a freakout and then I got over it and got really excited and bought a bunch of shit to sell.

Brittany: A month later we opened. In the course of that month, we painted, we got online and just did a bunch of googling. Like how do we buy things wholesale? How do we get permits? We had no idea what we were doing. Neither of us have any retail experience. We were a nervous wreck. We didn’t get any sleep, we cried so much. The week before we opened Carly and I had a drag-out fight all dramatic style that I still wish would’ve been recorded. (laughing)

Carly: Me too.

Brittany: We just had so much going on. I had mom guilt because I hadn’t been home in a month. Carly’s trying to balance her photography schedule because that’s still going on and it’s October- the busiest time of year for weddings- and we were scared that nobody was going to show up. It was kind of a shitshow.

Did anyone show up?

Brittany: It’s actually been pretty freaking amazing. We weren’t sure what the turnout was going to be like, but since we’ve been open we’ve had regulars, we’ve had community support, it’s been mind-blowing. People come in here and they’re like, I love the feel in here, I love the way it smells, I love that these are local products.

Carly: They’re like, I love your energy.

Brittany: Yeah they love that we know the people who make the products. That we can provide like a whole story for them. People are excited and we’re excited. I never get sick of girls coming in and squealing at something they love. I’m like, yes please.

What would you tell those of us who have someday dreams? 

Carly: You gotta dive in because otherwise you will always be waiting for the perfect time.

Brittany: And there’s never a perfect time…for anything.

Carly: And you know what? If you fail, who cares? You tried to do your dream and you will never regret that.

Heart Mercantile started as a dream in a twenty something’s sleep. Now it’s a brick and mortar store with a sign and a doorstep. Carly and Brittany are as down to earth, unpretentious and hilarious as the merchandise they sell. They remind me that the secret to success is not found in a pinterest board, a workshop or an e-book. It’s not even a secret really, it’s a challenge. And they challenge me by offering to help.

 I share one of my own someday dreams with the girls: to sell propagated houseplants in vintage pots. They love the idea and tell me to bring some in and they will sell them in the shop. I go thrifting right away for colorful pots and cut tiny jade stems off my mother plants. I water the babies and stick them in my kitchen window. Months later, they are still there- I just can’t seem to part with them. As much as I want to share the plants, to sell, market and mass produce them, I think I enjoy them much more when they are mine.

 Maybe I am a dream hoarder and all of my big ideas are really just decorations, filling the edge of my view with tiny buds of what-ifs and who knows and anything possibles. I like to keep them close just in case I might need them…someday.

The difference between Heart and me is as small as a windowsill.

Each week I water the plants and make sure they get enough sunshine. I dust off the waxy green leaves and breathe in the fresh air, grateful for the effortless exchange. Who knows? When the time is right, I might take them of the windowsill and put a price tag on them, but for now, the fun is in keeping them alive. And if for some reason the baby plants don’t make it, I know where I can go to get some more…

In Memory of Charlie.

2011-2016

***Update***

Carly and Brittany must’ve thought my plant store dream was a good one because shortly after our interview, they opened another shop called Luna Gifts and Botanicals. Can you guess what they specialize in? If only I could get paid for ideas…

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