Page 116 of Falling into Place
Carly laughed. “I’m not sure those are the same, but I love where your head’s at. It sounds like something I’d like, but the only problem is I’m not sure I’m any good at writing.”
“I read thatGossip Girlfan fiction you wrote in high school, remember? It was top notch.” She wagged her eyebrows. “Spicy, too.”
“You wrote spicyGossip Girlfan fiction?” Brooks echoed. “Can I read it?”
“No.”
“What? Why not?”
“It’s embarrassing!”
“Come on. Please?”
“No.” Carly widened her eyes at Sasha. “Can we move on?”
“Yes, let’s,” Sasha agreed, fairly vibrating with energy. “I’m hoping you’ll pass on that idea anyway, after you hear this one. I’m really excited about it and I think it’s perfect for you. But I know you and you’re probably gonna think I’m out of my mind to even suggest it, so just hear me out, okay?”
Carly and Brooks shared a wary glance. “I’m listening.”
Sasha typed something into the search bar on her computer, and once she’d found what she was looking for, turned it back to face Carly.
It took Carly a few seconds to figure out what she was looking at: the website for Backstitch, a self-described high-fashion resale clothing store based out of Tennessee.
“I know you have a thing about budget shopping,” Sasha said, tone high and cautious like she was afraid Carly might bolt any second. It was too early for that, though, because Carly had no idea what this shop had to do with her job prospects. “And that you love the concepts of resale and consignment to reduce clothing waste. A friend of mine from college was from Nashville, and her sister owns this place. I don’t even remember when, but somehow through the years I ended up following their Instagram account. When I was taking a break from scouring the city for stylist jobs for you, I came across one of their posts, and apparently they started up a franchise model a while back. In the last five years, they’ve opened fourteen stores across the country. Cool, huh?”
Carly clicked on the About Us page and skimmed the summary of the store and the types of merchandise they sold. “It is,” she said, andpointed at one of the photos. “And look at this stuff. It’s so cute ... Gah, look at that handbag! I would totally shop here.”
“Right? Anyway, so I did some research and there’s nothing like this in the OKC Metro. We’ve got thrift stores, of course, and consignment stores, but they have mostly children’s stuff or styles for, um ... the moreseasoneddemographic. But nothing to hit the college-age and young professional demographic, or people looking for higher-end designer pieces but can’t afford the brand-new price tag.”
Carly thought about that for a moment. “You’re right. There’s not really any good resale shops for that kind of thing.” She scoured estate sales and online marketplaces like Facebook and Poshmark for those pieces, but it would be awesome to have a physical location to browse.
“Exactly. It’s an unmet need in the community thatyoucould fill. If you click on that place that says ‘Franchise’—yeah, right there—I mean, look at that. It walks through the entire process of starting your own Backstitch store. Financial requirements to start up, on-site training for new franchisees, and the levels of support they offer from the home store after a new location is up and running. It’s literally everything you’d want to know before starting your own store.”
“Wait,” Carly said, pushing the computer back. “Are you suggesting that I, someone who has never run a business in my life, open up my own clothing store?”
Sasha nodded, unperturbed by Carly’s incredulous tone. “Why not? You’re perfect for this. You’ve got the qualities that can’t be taught—a natural eye and the ability to connect with people. For the business part they literally help you every step of the way. Check out the on-site training program for complete beginners—it’s six months long! On site! It’s basically a mini-internship where they teach you everything from retail and consignment models to purchasing and employee management. And when it’s over, they’re just a phone call away if you hit a snag and need advice.”
Carly stared at the screen and their statement of dedication to sustainability, shaking her head. She had to admit she was curious,but at the same time the idea was completely preposterous. Maybe later—after Sasha left and after she and Brooks spent some quality alone time—she’d sit down with it. Read through the FAQ and check out the pages of some of the franchise stores to see how they were doing. Maybe slide into a DM or two to ask what franchise owners thought about the process and what their backgrounds had been before. Had they all been in retail, or was there someone who’d been able to pull this off without prior experience?
“There’s one more thing,” Sasha said, index finger in the air. “They only run the six-month training program once a year. I called and they had a last-minute cancellation, so there’s an open spot with your name on it. And that friend of mine from college, Riza, has a vacant garage apartment you could stay in. So you wouldn’t need to pay rent while you were there, either!”
Carly put her hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You think I shouldmoveto Nashville for six months?” She shot a glance at Brooks, who’d gone quiet.
“I think you should seriously consider it. Oh, and they need to know by next week.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“Maybe. But you’re intrigued by the idea, I can tell.”
“Of course I’m intrigued, but it’s also ridiculous. It’s impossible. There’s no way I could move for six months.”
“Why not? You don’t have a job.”
“Wow. Okay, what about the cost? I don’t have that kind of money.”
“You’ve got four times that amount in your savings account.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
