REAL(ity) RETAIL: “Why I Do What I Do”

New to RetailMinded.com, REAL(ity) RETAIL introduces retailers by sharing their firsthand thoughts, experiences and insight on all things retail from a  first person perspective. Kicking off this series is Krystine Vermeer, store owner of two boutiques in Rockford, Illinois and owner and president of Infinitely Sweeter Inc.  A wife to Paul and mother of three children (Justin 18, Spencer 10 & Isabelle 9), Vermeer opened her first retail store almost four years ago, just three years after designing and creating the Infinitely Sweet clothing line.  Vermeer was selected as the 2012 Business Woman of the Year by the NAPW, and was also ranked #60 in StartupNation.com’s 2010 Leading Moms in Business.

They said I was crazy and they were probably right!”

When I started my retail journey 4 years ago, ‘crazy’ was a word that I heard a lot. Almost everyone I told my plans of opening a new retail store seemed more than willing to tell me that I was simply crazy. Crazy because the economy was failing. Crazy because I was taking on a partner to my namesake business. Crazy for stopping production on my fairly successful ‘Infinitely Sweet’ clothing line to start the retail store. And so many more “crazies” that I can’t even begin to count. However, I knew what my calling was, I knew what my mission was and I was just crazy enough to believe it.

But, you know what? So many times over the past four years I started thinking they were right. This was just CRAZY! My partner quitting just two months into the store opening was not part of my plan. This past winter the Polar Vortex was not part of my plan. I was not counting on my bank cancelling my credit line. I was not counting on my longest employee becoming pregnant and planning to leave soon. I tend to be a very level headed person, emotions are not my strong suit and honestly, they started to win. The time, the hours, the heartache, the emotions, the bills, time away from family, I was missing events with my kids. Let’s face it… I felt a little like I was going crazy.

So why keep doing it? Why do I keep going? Why do most small business retailers keep going? To put it very simply, I do it ‘for the love of the game’.

“When you feel like quiting remember why you started.”

One day, I very simply remembered the above quote. So many times in life it’s so much more about the lessons we learn along the way rather than the immediate gratification that we all as humans crave so deeply.  I started to make myself a mental list of the “why’s”.

I do what I do for my boys.  To be able to teach them the life lesson that sometimes it’s not easy, but quitting is never an option and there is always a way.  I do what I do for my daughter.  To teach her women can make it in business.  That she can be smart and beautiful.  I do what I do for those customers that leave an everlasting impression by sharing their life stories with me.  I do it for the dad’s that are comfortable enough to boutique shop for their little girls in my store.  I do it for the “Kelly’s and Anna’s”, those employees and guests that have become everlasting friends.  I do it for the “Lily’s”, the little girls that come into my store less than a year old and four years later are now pageant winners.  I do it for the sheer joy of loving life and living it right along with every person that comes into my store.

But most of all, I do it because I love it.  I do it to be real and honest and genuine with everyone who I meet.  I do it to show those who I meet that this is life, this is hard, there are definite ups and downs to being a small business owner in 2014, but I will always, always give you my very best.  I am not perfect, not even close, but I LOVE my job and I’d not change it for anything…

And maybe that makes me just “crazy” enough.

Connect with Vermeer at Krystine@infinitelysweet.com and visit www.infinitelysweet.com, as well as visit here Facebook page here. For more REAL(ity) RETAIL stories, visit RetailMinded.com every Monday. Additionally, submit your own REAL(ity) RETAIL story to Sarah@retailminded.com.