On December 23rd, 2021, I participated in my final vendor event of the year at DeNada artisan boutique. In the midst of the event, one of the owners of the store commented that I should open a store of my own. What a dream! If only I could afford it... She mentioned that her friend, Sammie Vee, had a storefront downtown in which she was renting spaces to small businesses and suggested I give her a call. I was very intrigued but also very unsure if something like that could work out for me--still being so new in my business. It sounded amazing but I put it in the back of my mind and almost forgot about it until...
I was scrolling on Facebook about two weeks later and I saw a post for a grand opening event sponsored by none other than Sammie Vee. Instantly I thought, why did I never call her??? Feeling like I had surely let opportunity slip through my fingers, I quickly messaged her. She stated that she had another boutique also coming in to look at the space but gave me the address and a time that I could stop by. My heart sank as I had almost surely waited too long to reach out. I was very nervous but full of excitement as I drove to the place. Once inside, I was amazed at all the artwork and at the space overall which seemed to be so full of energy! I was soon to learn that energy stemmed from the owner herself who is constantly overflowing with ideas, creativity, and enthusiasm. She quickly sold me on the space and I knew that was the place for me to learn, thrive, and grow.
On January 14th, 2022, that "place", The Hive Studio, had its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony and Ryan Reid Collection was lucky enough to be a part of that and, along with several other women owned small businesses, officially call it home. I am so grateful to be included in this beautiful, collective workspace where so many women small business owners can share ideas and help each other to grow.
You can find my boutique inside The Hive at 9 W. Beauregard, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 am until 6 pm.