OLD SOUL MILLENNIAL OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

After reviewing the pros and cons of opening a retail location, Brandi Rockwell says she and her husband, Justin, decided to give it a try. 

By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times

It has been two years since Brandi Rockwell opened her small business in Panora at 107 North First St., across the street from the Panora Library. Yet, the business name, Old Soul Millennial, has been around since 2016.

Rockwell attended classes in Jamaica until the Panorama Community School District was formed when she was in third grade. She graduated from Panorama in 2009. 

She has had an interest in vintage items since she was a child and credits her grandmother, Shirley Donovan, with sparking that interest. 

“Grandma used to work at Twice Nice, a secondhand and consignment store that was located where Guthrie County State Bank is now. I have distinct memories of that building, browsing all the inventory throughout the different rooms,” Rockwell says. “As a kid, it felt like a giant museum and treasure hunt all wrapped into one. It was always a treat for me to get to pick out a book or toy.”

As she got older, Rockwell had classmates who thought it was important to wear only name brand clothing. 

“I’ve never wanted to dress like everyone else,” she says. “I remember my mom taking me to Goodwill to shop. I enjoyed piecing together outfits and browsing unique home décor. It wasn’t until years later that I learned thrifting was more of a financial necessity. I could get my hands on just enough name brand items to be deemed normal by my peers, while mixing in unique pieces to put my own spin on things.”

Rockwell says, ultimately, having the secondhand option was a lifesaver for her. 

“I’ve come to understand I was thrifting before thrifting was cool,” she says. “What started off as a means of survival quickly turned into an identity and something I’m super passionate about.”

How did Rockwell come up with the name for her business? 

“I often felt like the word millennial was cast in a negative light. It seemed as if all millennials were lumped into a category, and we were all the same,” Rockwell says. “I’ve been referred to as an old soul most of my life. Combining old soul and millennial felt like a great way to describe myself while taking back some power.”

Brandi and her husband, Justin Rockwell, have two children who attend Panorama Community Schools. Charlotte is 12 and Emmett is 8 years old.

Charlotte was a newborn when Brandi first started buying items she would later sell.

“Babies grow out of their clothes so quickly,” she says. “I realized I could buy Charlotte gently used designer clothing at a fraction of the price, then resell once she outgrew it for what I had paid.”

At the same time, Rockwell was going to garage sales and estate sales. 

“I was buying things like clothing and toys and home décor our family could use but also finding things I thought I could resell at a profit,” she says. “It was a way for me to stay home with my baby, who was wearing cute clothes, and also make some money.” 

Rockwell says selling online worked for quite a while. 

“I was selling and shipping items,” she says. “Local people wanted to pick up things at my house, which was OK. But, eventually, the items I had for sale were taking over our home. Plus, I’m a people person, and I like to decorate and make themed vignettes. Not being able to display the items I wanted to sell was sucking the joy out of it.” 

After reviewing the pros and cons of opening a retail location, Rockwell says she and Justin decided to give it a try. 

“I like being my own boss,” Brandi says. “I have the flexibility to be there when the kids need me and do what I enjoy doing.”

Rockwell says the merchandise in her store ranges from vintage to modern and used to new. 

“I want to have something for everyone and at a price point that works for everyone,” she says. “We have clothing and accessories for all ages. We have both vintage and modern home décor plus functional items for the home. We also have toys, books, music, movies and more.”

When the business first opened, Rockwell was buying things at garage and estate sales to offer in her thrift boutique. She also took in some merchandise on consignment but later ended that practice because of the extra time and paperwork involved. 

She does have one consignment vendor. Her aunt, Emily Donovan, has a display case where her locally produced Lighthouse Honey and other products are available. 

Rockwell doesn’t buy items directly from sellers, but she does take donated items, which can be delivered during business hours.

“People would say they have been hauling around a box of items in their car they planned to take to Goodwill and asked if I’d take it instead,” she says. “Or, I would get a call about a house at the lake being torn down and asked if I’d like to see if there is anything I could use.”

The more she said yes, the more calls and donations she received. 

“This started by word of mouth,” she says. “Now I get calls after estate sales or garage sales to give me a chance to pick up items for the shop. I’m blessed to have this support in the community.”

The increase in donated items over the last year spawned an idea for a second family business. 

“We had a lot of inventory in storage in the back room and some items in the shop that weren’t moving,” Rockwell says. “Justin is really good at sorting and organizing overflow inventory. We’ve been to stores in larger cities where everything is in large bins for customers to dig through. He came up with the idea of doing something similar.” 

Bin There opened in early August in a building on Highway 44, just around the corner from Old Soul Millennial. Instead of bins, Justin uses tables and shelves to display inventory. Store hours are Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“When he first opened, everything was $4 on Wednesday, and the price dropped each day until everything was $1 on Saturday,” Brandi says. “That led to some people not coming in later in the week because they thought all the best stuff would be gone. We don’t want people to think this is just garage sale leftovers. We want people coming in with the idea they are on a treasure hunt.” 

In October, a new pricing structure was set. All furniture is $4, electronics are $3, clothing, purses and shoes are $2, and home décor and toys are $1. Four media items also are $1. Once a month, there is a $5 “stuff a bag” sale. 

Brandi says customers sometimes shop in Justin’s store before he sends them her way, and vice versa. 

“I also get customers who say someone in another business in town suggested they come shop with me,” she says. “There’s nothing better than a small town where everyone works together.”

In that same spirit, Rockwell finds ways to give back to others. When she gets a bed, she gives it away rather than selling it. When the volunteers at 3C’s, the Children’s Clothes Closet in Panora, need children’s clothing in a particular size, they can “shop” her clothing racks and take what they can use. When it is time for high school prom or homecoming, she welcomes young women to shop for a dress at no cost. 

Old Soul Millennial is located in two adjacent buildings, both with apartments on the upper levels. A street-level door between the two buildings opens to a stairway to the apartments. When the business opened, it was located just in the building to the north.

“One day, we were trying to hang something on the wall, and it sounded like there was a hollow space on the other side,” Rockwell says. “We started wondering if there might be an opening between the two buildings.”  

Rockwell told the building owner she could use more space and asked if they could cut a hole in the wall to see what was there. He agreed. 

“We found a painted door that was nailed shut. Once we got it open, we saw it would give us access to the building to the south,” Rockwell says. “The owner agreed to let us create an opening so customers can move between both buildings. We had the north building for our first year and added the space in the south building our second year.” 

The two buildings are for sale. 

“We’ve been busier this year than our first year, with more people discovering us,” she says. “We would love to stay here, so we hope any buyers will be investors who appreciate having the space already rented. We are buying the building where Bin There is located, so we have a backup plan, but we hope to stay here.”  

Through the fall and winter months, Old Soul Millennial is open each Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rockwell says she tries not to go to the shop on Sundays and spends Monday and Tuesday doing a reset.

“We put new items out every day, but those two reset days give me a chance to update display spaces with new items and rearrange existing items to draw more attention to what’s already on the floor,” she says. “We have customers who come in on a regular basis to see what’s new. I want to make sure everyone feels welcome and has the chance to find something they like.” 

The two Rockwell businesses use Facebook to bring in new customers and keep regular customers apprised of new merchandise, special deals, store hours and more. 

“I list items on Facebook so people can shop from home,” Brandi says. “But I still want people to come to the store because I can’t possibly sell it all online.”