From high school to college, a local woman grows her business
CHILLICOTHE— Starting a small business is no easy task neither is graduating high school and moving away for college. However, one local woman, Abbey Sims-Clark, has done both over the recent years as she started and grew Stoned LLC and moved to North Carolina for college all at the same time.
Growing up Sims-Clark thought owning and running a business would be cool but always thought that it was only something you could do after going to school and getting a business degree. It wasn't until 2021 while attending Chillicothe High School that she took a deeper look into what it takes. While she knew it would not be easy she gained a better understanding of the process and realized that running a business is something that she could do.
The physical makeup of the rocks is what originally drew Sims-Clark's interest to gemstones. It wasn't till later that she started to learn about the healing spiritual side of them and how they can be used. She took time to learn about how different cultures use each crystal.
"There is a ton of learning involved in all of this," said Sims-Clark. "Which I love."
After researching and talking to several businesses around town about her product Sims-Clark was able to land a shelf at the Totem Supply Co. She would later get a job at the store where she was able to help people learn about the crystals. She was also able to attend craft shows and vendor markets. These gave her the chance to talk with interested customers, something she said she enjoyed.
"I got to feel what it is like to communicate and talk with my customers and get to know them," said Sims-Clark. "Which was a whole other aspect that I loved about having a business."
Her business gave her an outlet for her passion and allowed her to focus on something other than school. She said it was a place for her to get away from the college essays and scholarship applications, instead, she could invest her time not something she loved and that was meaningful to her.
"It was a really nice outlet for me," said Sims-Clark.
While attending college in North Carolina Sims-Clark had to adjust to taking a step back from her business as she was now unable to interact with customers and see what items were selling. She now had to rely on shop owners and her family to help her as she ordered new pieces. While it took time to adjust she has learned how to manage from a distance.
The store has also encouraged her to take different classes while in school to explore more about geology and archeology. Currently her intended major is environmental science but she has been getting more involved in the earth and ocean science field. These other classes help her gain a better understanding of the gems and rocks.
With Totem closing down this year Sims-Clark was able to move her products to Dauntless Roots to continue selling locally. She said she hopes to continue to steadily grow her business as she continues school. While her own brick-and-mortar store is not out of the realm of possibility she would like to stay selling in local shops that highlight small entrepreneurs as she enjoys shopping in stores that highlight small vendors. She is also looking into getting a spot at a local store near her school to be able to have that outlet while she is not in Chillicothe.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: From high school to college, a local woman grows her business
