10/21/2026
4 years ago today, we bought dirt.
I only realized it because I was on the phone arguing with the assessor about how much the store's property taxes had gone up since last year (🤯🤬😭)... and realized the timing of it all. It was the date that finally came after months of searching and planning for this dream we had... the day we finally bought the dirt.
Jesse and I have been married almost 18 years, and if there's one thing we're good at, it's betting on each other. And usually, it's big bets we make. We look a little different now. Jesse has more gray hair, and the tired in my eyes seems to be permanent. (He'll blame the gray on becoming a Grandpa in a few months, but I'm pretty sure it started BEFORE Emilie told us she was expecting! 😉)
If you asked my advice on opening a brick-and-mortar store, I think I'd tell you... don't do it. 🙈
But we did. And here's what four years of dirt-turned-store has taught me.
Our neighbors are better than any ad we could run, and half our shelves are stocked because one of you asked, "Do you have...?". We hire for heart, because Jesse can teach you where the bolts are, but not even I can teach you how to care about a customer if you don't already. And not every good idea is a good fit... it's okay to walk away. (Hello, Webster City store... what in the fudge were we thinking?!)
A small-town store only lasts as long as the small town keeps choosing it. Every bag of salt, every paint can, every "just one more bolt" run... it all adds up more than you'd think.
And bet on each other. Bet BIG. Some days that's the only plan you've got... and it's been enough.
So was it worth it? Honestly... ask me next October. This year has been pretty trying, and some days I'm not sure.
But I do know this: every time you grab your furnace filters, birdseed, or that one weird fitting at our store instead of adding it to a cart somewhere else, you're part of the reason the lights stay on. And on the hard days, that's what keeps us going. ❤️
Thanks for betting on us, too. Stop in and say hi... I close the store tonight from 4-7, and I'd love to see you.
— Stacey
