Aces of Trades: Clay honors family at Indian Mound Mall's Cricket’s Closet
HEATH – She started a store – and named it to honor her family homestead and her late grandfather.
“I feel like I was just like every other kid,” said Casey Clay. “I had so many dreams. I think my most outrageous was that I was going to play professional basketball.”
“I dreamed of being independent,” she continued. “I did dream of owning my own store when I was a little girl. I found myself enjoying retail as a child. Of course, I had no idea about any of it. My sister and I would always try to have yard sales. Even though the only people that traveled on our road was our family. But we still had fun!”
Today, Clay owns Cricket’s Closet in Indian Mound Mall.
“I didn't know it would be a secondhand shop,” Clay added, “but I couldn’t be happier with the turn out.”
Clay grew up on a small farm in the area that her family calls “cricket valley.” She graduated from Licking Valley in 2008.
“Where I grew up holds a special place in my heart,” she said. “Not only did I have the pleasure to grow up there, so did my mom. And before her, my grandpa.”
Maybe that’s where she inherited an entrepreneurial spirit.
“I’ve worked for myself my entire adult life,” she said. “I had a few jobs here and there, but they never matched my need. I did photography for several years. I absolutely loved it! I focused on wedding and senior photos. But once I had my third child, I realized it really wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore.”
Then came the idea for Cricket’s Closet – in an unusual way.
“My sister, who has 8 children of her own,” Clay began, “called me up one day and said, ‘Are you crazy?’ Naturally, I answered, ‘Yes.’ Anyway, she told me there was an unborn baby that needed a foster family, and she was going to do it. She was scared. She had already gotten rid of anything she needed for a newborn. I said to her, ‘You worry about getting that baby girl and I’ll worry about making sure you have everything you need for her.’”
“I posted the situation on Facebook,” Clay continued. “So many people reached out. We got everything we needed for this baby and more in less than one day! I was blown away. I realized that day I wanted to be able to do something like that for other families. That’s when the idea of a thrift shop came to mind. I knew I couldn’t afford to do it on my own. I had a moment where I almost gave up. I lost my grandpa to a very tragic accident. I wasn’t sure I could go on. But the same day he left I made the decision to continue with my dream. He wouldn’t have wanted me to give up because I’m hurting.”
“I gave the store the name Cricket’s Closet to honor him,” she added. “Cricket isn’t a person like most people think it is. It’s a place – Cricket Valley, where my grandpa grew up.”
The store opened June 1, 2022.
“Casey Clay is a fantastic person, mother, wife, and friend,” assessed co-worker Anika McCanna. “She is so sincere and wears her heart on her sleeve. She goes above and beyond to reach the community, that’s what’s fantastic about Casey. I think what she has here is phenomenal! She is truly a blessing to those around her.”
“At Cricket’s Closet we’re passionate about what we do,” Clay responded. “With this store I’ve met some amazing people and made some great friends! I wouldn’t change any part of it!”
For more
Cricket’s Closet is located in Indian Mound Mall. For more information, look on Facebook.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Aces: Clay honors family at Indian Mound Mall's Cricket’s Closet
