Today we’d like to introduce you to Brynne Mellon Bailye Colbert.
Hi Brynne Mellon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We, Brynne Mellon & Bailye Colbert, started our business in December of 2018. Bailye had attended an auction in STL, our first one knowing we intended on buying the quilts to try to resell them. Before, the buying and collecting quilts was just a hobby. We had some experience in soaking and washing quilts, but only for use in our homes. After that first Thornhill auction, we sold each quilt and the company evolved. First, we sold on other platforms. Second, we pretty quickly grew our Instagram following and built our own website to do weekly quilt shop updates. We have now been doing shop updates and running Whippoorwill Quilts for 7 years, this month!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been bumps in the road. We think that is a part of anything in life, especially small business. About a year after starting our business – in 2019 – Devin (Brynne’s husband) took a job all the way in Maryland, not even a few months later Brandon (Bailye’s husband) took a job in Arkansas… this was a huge change for 4 people who were all born and raised in Missouri. With both of us moving our families, we were not sure if we would be able to run the business so far apart. We gave it a shot anyways, and it worked out well for us. We had to figure out how to manage the vintage inventory & fulfillment in two states and make sure we were never bidding against each other in the same auctions. haha! We settled into our new routine, and it worked out nicely. There have been plenty of other hiccups along the way, but the two of us have never faced a problem we did not think we could solve, together.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We are what most people would call “Vintage Resell” — we specialize in antique and vintage quilts, as well as collectible textiles (ie: flour sacks, feed sacks, NOS fabrics, etc). Occasionally we come across some unique collections, like quilting ephemera — think 1930’s KC Star newspaper clippings with quilt patterns and instructions — and we do not hesitate to add those unique quilting collectables to the shop too!
We also think that some people are really interested in the fact that we are twin business owners, as well as stay at home entrepreneurs. We not only run our small business from our homes, but we care for our 6 young kids simultaneously. (we each have 3 kids of our own). We are most proud of the fact that we have been able to build a successful business while raising our children and supporting our husbands’ careers too! We are so thankful that we have been able to do this for our families, and have some flexibility in our schedules, during some of the most influential years of our kids’ lives.
What we are most proud of for our business, is also what sets it apart. We put our families first and I think our customers genuinely love to watch our families grow while supporting our small business. They know they are receiving a unique, vintage piece — while also knowing a purchase from the quilt shop directly impacts our lives.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
It is difficult to sum up something so big in your life into one lesson, but it would probably be to try your best to find a silver linings in each day and to also celebrate the small victories too. With personalities like ours, it’s easy to focus on the not so pretty parts of the business, because you want to fix/perfect them, but that can become a negative cycle. Focus on the good stuff each day too and celebrate it. And by that we mean something as simple as making sure you acknowledge it to yourself, or in our case to each other, in a positive way. A simple text saying, ” Hey – I’m proud of us for getting through this hard day!” to your twin sister (& business partner) can go a long way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whippoorwillquilts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whippoorwillquilts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whippoorwillquilts
- Other: https://www.linktr.ee/whippoorwillquilts
