272: Rebroadcast: From Social Media Account to Retail Store - Luke & Natalie Freeman of Freckled Hen Farmhouse

Summary Welcome to the Startup Junkie's podcast!   For this holiday season, we are rebroadcasting an episode that was an absolute joy to record. Our regular host, Jeff Amerine, was joined by the former executive director of Startup Junkie Foundation, Haley Allgood. They had the opportunity to sit and chat with Luke and Natalie of Freckled Hen Farmhouse, a shop that began as a social media account and transformed into a retail store. Through featuring products during an at-home renovation, Luke and Natalie started what would be a fantastic functional and sustainable home goods and gifts store on College Avenue in Northwest Arkansas. You will want to visit this store as Christmas is quickly approaching!    Thanks for tuning in!      Shownotes (1:40) Introducing Natalie and Luke Freeman (2:10) From Farmers to Freckled Hen Farmhouse Shop (6:06) Curating the Merchandise (5:14) Utilitarianism and Beauty (9:20) Credibility of Suppliers (10:59) The Next Five Years (14:48) Financing Without Savings (18:25) Physical Location Vs. Online Store Growth (23:06) How to Invest Your Time Well as an Entrepreneur (26:14) Wrap Up     Links Jeff Amerine Haley Allgood Luke Freeman and Natalie Freeman Freckled Hen Farmhouse     Quotes "It's really grown into something that's more than a gift store, it's a one-stop shop for people buying meaningful gifts for people they love, and also a place for people to find items that inspire them to live a well-lived meaningful life." (8:45) - Luke Freeman    "I feel like maybe my end goal is not necessarily a retail store, but it's always been building community." (12:47) - Natalie Freeman    "We rented a cabin for a weekend and sat down and hammered out the business plan. We disconnected, no wifi. It was just us pencil and paper writing out this inspiration, this idea that had come to us." (15:39) - Luke Freeman   "[On creating an online business first.] So just knowing that we're only going to grow as our customer requests, I just think it's a better business decision for us." (20:53) - Natalie Freeman   startupjunkie.org wlj.com