It's 60 years.
Connection with customers and the experience we're more about like memories selling memories than traditional annual gift shop.
Lynn Mitchell is an entrepreneur, retailer, and the owner of Mrs. Mitchell's gifts and Mrs. M. Summerhouse. She creates memorable shopping experiences that bring families together while caring forward a multi-generational legacy of creativity,
“hospitality and community. I guess I don't want to keep repeating faith to make it, but as far as my shop I thought, you know what?”
Maybe I can create something that looks like a facade, like a exciting thing. Things that would make customers talk about you, or connect with somebody out there that's, you know, on the fence about getting into an entrepreneurial venture, they don't know. I don't know if I know enough to get into this thing. What would you sell them? Don't be afraid to just... Call internet helpers?
Today, Apple is going to reinvent from home. It's our home off, our town, our weird! The living your legacy podcast, for those who live to leave a legacy. As it's sweet, man, it's awesome though, isn't it? Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Living Your Legacy Podcasts. Today, I am joined by Miss Lin Mitchell.
“Welcome to the show. Thank you very much. How are you feeling today?”
I feel good. Good, good, good. So we're going into your episode of Legacy Makers. I want to kind of preface here with... What is it that you hope that the audience will learn from your story? It's 60 years. We've had the business, a long time. Grandparents, them, parents. I think it's a mix of information and knowledge of not being prepared when I got into the business. For what it entails. We grew up doing it. Our whole lives since we were little. We had to give
shops, and I think as we started, as I started to work with my brother, realizing all the HR, behind the scenes, all the little things they had to happen, it was waiting on customers. And you know, having fun and laughing and being with family, which was a big part of it. So I guess the knowledge of what it takes to run a small business, how much time goes into it, and how to figure out a divide between 14 hours a day, seven days a week feeling like you can't
“go with your ideas and your thoughts. Control is for everybody I think is tough to go with when”
it's your baby. Yeah, I don't think. This is your little creation and you want it to be this
perfect thing. But a big thing for me in business has always been to go with perfectionism, especially
I work in film. So I'm such a film nerd that I always want to be, I need my shop to be perfect, and I have to be this vocal link on this lens at this time of day. And then once I let go of that, it's kind of where you settle into like the reality of like, hey, I'm a human being with life, and this is a business that I care deeply about, but I also don't want to let it run my entire life. Exactly. And I think I found a good balance of what the employees and it's my kids,
cousins, nephews, nieces, we always all work together. So this is that family dynamic, where okay, I'm their boss, but I'm also their mom, or I'm also their auntie, or so finding that balance of being able to be direct and sort of let go and let them have their own creativity, or, you know, whatever they want to do without my criminaging is definitely a challenge as well. My god, mother, who's I'm very close with used to say, oh, Lynne, you just lower your expectations. You'll let
me lie down. I thought, well, that's an interesting way. I don't know. You'll be a pushback on them. Yeah, everybody does, but she was a doer, also. She was, but as far as it was certain things, for house, if she was focused on, you know, doing these projects and working with it, and she wasn't going to worry about her house. So there were certain things we should just let go, and not expect to be super willing to be able to do all that all the time, I guess. So that kind of
worked for me, because I'm always going, going, going, going. I think an interesting part of,
you know, and you mentioned this in the beginning of what your business is, your business has been around for 60 years. And like that's no small feat, right? A lot of small businesses do not last that long. What are some of the keys to having that level of longevity? Is it a part of, you know, having the family involved? Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, the original stores in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. My younger brother runs out one now. We grew up spending winter's school,
normal, you know, rural, Rhode Island in the woods. And then every weekend, and the last day of school, we were driven up to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, two, three hours away, and we just worked. And you know, it was different, different lifestyle than most, most other people had. So for us,
Trying to transition into that was tough.
right? Exactly. Yeah. So it was, you know, we all sort of came and went.
Cousins, there was 20 of us living up there working. I don't think any of us kids necessarily were going to take it over for sure. We all loved it. My older siblings moved on to other careers, or, you know, had a family and it just didn't work out. And then sadly, our mom was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. And our dad was running the stores at the time, and me and my brother, and I didn't really have a plan, let's say. Sort of secretary, the sat in the other,
and it was just sort of, hey, Lenny, you want to go up to the store on the cape and Bob will run the other one. I was like, I guess so. So we kind of just jumped into it. Again, turning, you know, going back to not really know what we're doing, growing up and knowing how to run it and merchandise and all that. So the fact that our grandparents took a risk about that building, like, woman owned way back then was into a state not common, which was cool.
“And I think just the connection with customers and the experience were more about like”
memories selling memories than traditional annual gift shop, just not not boring customer service. Of course, that's important. Yeah, it's like a, it's a linchpin, but it's not like we have so many people. And that's when I realized, you know, sort of how important Mrs. Mitchell's was. We had a fire with a building burned down and the outpouring, the amount of customers that come in and immediately they get tearied and they're like, I know your grandmother and your mom was so nice to me,
and this is our favorite store and it just they tell these stories of childhood memories, which is
super cool. Like, that's amazing to me that our store connects somebody to the packaging.
You know, yeah, sad memory. Yeah. Yeah. And now those people that shop their kids are grown and then they're bringing their kids in. So it's actually kind of amazing. In the fact that we've been able to keep it running and profitable is, is really cool. Your story is one that you don't really see too too much nowadays. I don't think, which is kind of the story of like, you know, the family business. Like, getting into the family business and, you know, this business is a staple or a pillar of
the community, people or, you know, people know your grandparents. I got, I come from Jamaica and my grandfather was, Jamaica's best. Yes, just can. If I could come back in every single lifetime, if there, if reincarnation is the thing, I want to come back to making every single time. But my grandfather, he was a big attorney in Jamaica and he got to work with Bob Marley to pass laws for rastiferians. And like, there was a whole community around, like, when I go to Jamaica,
“people know me because I look like my granddad. And like, I think we've, we're kind of losing that”
a little bit of odd days. Would you agree? Oh, 100%. Yeah. It's, it's interesting. I've seen a lot of small businesses come and go and some that have been there forever. It's, you know, it's just, just heartening in the sense because you're like, oh, and I get I have five kids and I had no idea if any of them would even care or be interested in this world, it's changing so fast and I actually still use Manila file folders. It's one of my goals to actually, you know, keep the tradition
alive. Well, and make it easier on myself and evolve into more technology based something because I have nothing. No scanners, old school registers, like, it's very old school. It's almost an antique in a way. Yeah. Yeah. And I look at my kids and like, man, they're like, you know, from a young age, the phones and technology and how advanced they are in that respect, I just didn't know how they would fit in with the store. But again, they grew up in it.
“The baby seats behind the desk and the same sort of experience I had growing up, which is cool.”
And, you know, there's always frustrations or whatever here and there. They don't want to be there.
They do want to be there. But in the end, they look back on it. Like, it was a coolest thing ever. And now my two, two of my daughters actually just opened a boutique. I'm the same street as Mrs. Mittles and Mrs. Adams. We have two stores in Hianis, one in each end. And then my daughter's just opened a boutique. I'm the same street. So it's actually very cool. My other kids work with me. So how many stores in total does Mrs. Mittles? So the original is in Hampton Beach,
and I'm sure it started in 1966. That's the one my grandparents and my parents ran. So now my brother Bob, his wife and kids run that one. And then in Hianis, we have Mrs. Mittles Gifts on one end. That's more souvenir-based. It's like a traditional highest quality cheesy gift shop. I can go out of the store. And then on the other end, is Mrs. Adams Summerhouse. And that was kind of my dream store of mixing more tabletop to core.
Making it look super fancy, but at a good price. A lot of vintage antique, nautical, you know, really cool items so I can still do my picking and estate sales and find really cool anchors and just awesome pieces that people love. That seems like such an interesting part of the business, because like you get to go out and it makes the business so personal and that
Like.
such a cool, like, personal touch to be able to put on your business. And it's items I'm going to trade shows and buying in bulk, but then it's boutique items and buying less of a little bit of a
galox when it's clothing you'd never know. What's in the season might be... You'll ask that.
And fashion's like a year to a head and I'm just like wait. I got a lot of what land? I don't know about that. But it's worked, everything, you know, everything that we try and keep our prices, moderate, even though a lot of prices are going up everywhere. That's another thing customers seem to appreciate and love that. That it's not someone that's like... Good little bit of everything. Like we have all new items and trending items, but then we have
symbols and souvenir spoons and silly things that you think. Oh, I saw that rack of my grandma's cottage. Like, oh, a year ago, but people still collect them. And they all... Oh, Mrs. Mitch was all having, you know, funny little things like that. There's, you know, it's funny. For me,
“like, as a consumer, there was a... I remember there was a lamp that I used to see in my granddad's house”
all the time. It was like, it had like a green, jade colored lamp shade. And as well as one of those one of the cool things. Yeah, you know exactly. I have not been able... I've not been able to find that I've been trying to find that for so long. Oh, we're not picking in dumpster diamond. I will keep you in mind. Please. Well, let you know. Please. That's I find. If you do find one, I will pay double for it. And that's, I think, another part of the connection where because we have these funny older, like,
cast iron pop-ups. And, you know, old sea captain busts that are porcelain, that are still not chipped or broken, which amazes me from 1944. Like, how the heck is this thing still in such a good shape? You know, but then the customer's command is things that I love and I'm like,
at first, I'm like, people are like, I have all these crazy things, but sure enough, you know,
first day, like, oh, my grandmother had this. And again, a connection between generations and
“and they buy it because it reminds them of something. I feel like that's what's, like,”
that's what keeps you so much as a pillar of the community is that, like, you're connecting people across generations through items, right? And it's like, even for me with that lamp, like, I use the image of that lamp in my mind to remember my granddad, remember conversations that I had in this house in Jamaica. Like, it's a, it's a connection piece for me. So, like, being able to have a unique place where people can go, see an item that they're like,
my, my aunt had this. It's like, every day. It's, it's interesting. That's a lot. Yeah. And it's things again that I picked out specifically. Like, it's very curated even my daughter's boutique. They started out. They were just doing fashion boutique, like, mom, we're not doing the old stuff, like, mom. So then I was at a flea market. I was like, oh, members only Nickelodeon jackets from the 80s. They have a kind of a Y2K vibe. Let me grab these. And they're like,
I guess we'll put them up. Sure enough, within like a month, they're like, okay, fine. So now they're very curated as well. They, we pick only, so it's not an antique store. It's not a, you know, resale shop. It's a new items, but we mix in, you know, curated very specific, you know, really cool things. It makes it different. Do you have any, you know, as you're finding, like, some of these older pieces, pieces that are from different arrows, do you have any interest in, like,
restaurant, the restoration of some of these pieces when you find them, they might not be in the best condition or they might be a little wet. I am not skilled enough to even begin to think about that. I guess I kind of love the rust in the, if it's dirty, obviously, I'm cleaning it. But as far as full restoration, I don't really get into that at all. Everything I have, if it's not in great condition, you know, that's how I decide for me, they're purchased it. If it would even sell, like,
would people even want it, first of all. And then there are people who do that stuff themselves.
“I think that don't mind if it's still a good price. They'll go for it, but I don't. The only thing”
that I did was I had a garage and I just kept saving weird pieces of rusty metal and, you know, metal, metal bolts and things that I thought were cool for displays eventually. And again, like, we're really keeping on this crap. I'm like, no, that would be such a cool table. If I ever have a big still like, okay, and then sure enough, I was able to get Mrs. I'm somewhere else. The secondary store is talking about, and it's, you know, 3,000 square feet, it's a big space. I have a friend
Nikki, Yeppin from Florida, who happens to be awesome. You know, hire a copper to get the measuring and I'm like, no, no, stop it together and first and paint and be creative. And so it was kind of cool because she was able to take her style and just create these awesome displays from all these really cool items. They had, like, sort of salvage something. That's probably the most I do as far as we're storing. Creating, like, taking multiple older items and making something out of it,
but not, not actual mystery. You know, it's, for a lot of the people that I interview for this show,
A big narrative through line is that for entrepreneurs, a big thing, and bein...
is being able to just take action. Be a doer, right? Be able to figure things out along the way. And like, hey, I might not know how this system works or something. It's going to make it. It's going to make my motto. It's going to make it for, you know, our audience for this show is very entrepreneurial minded. They're business owners. What are some, like, key pieces of advice that you would have for somebody out there that's, you know, on the fence about getting into an
entrepreneurial venture. They don't know. I don't know if I know enough to get into this thing. What would you tell them? Honestly, our dad, not so much a mom, we knew if she had certainly looked like mom's worry about opening this new store, but our dad was fearless. For whatever reason, he just, you know, when he would get to open this bar, it would be cool. I mean, I don't know, there's big plans with that. Well, it's, if it doesn't work, you just close up
and you know, move on. You try something else. And you just got the key was, you know, like I said, figure to make a lot of times, you know, interviewing for jobs, you go with confidence. But once you get in there, you go to work your butt off and prove you can learn and do. And so it's kind of, you know, when you
“will open a store, you have to put in the hours, you have to put in. And I think don't be afraid to just,”
I guess, I don't want you to be repeating fate to make it. But as far as, like, my shop, I thought, you know what? Maybe I can create something that looks like a facade, like the exciting things that would make customers talk about you, or connect with you, or, you know, whatever it is. Don't be afraid to just try it. Like, so many times, I'd be like, oh, yeah, I'll enter that auction or I'll be in that talent show. Like, oh, let's get costume into it. I just make it up. Feel like, oh, where'd you put it up?
Just double the answer. I'm like, I have to try it. I'll tell them. I'm like, oh, not Ireland, you're whatever. Just literally I just go for it. If it flops, it flops, it doesn't. But looking back, there were a lot of gambles that probably didn't financially pay off for my data for myself. Of course, this business has lasted and did pay off. But I'd say preparing, you know, at least looking into other stores around you, because your community is really what's going to
feed you a lot of times I go into other stores and all I want to do is I don't want to be in their business. But I'm like, oh, my door. You know, very look around and make sure the stores around
you other business around you are also on the same level. You know, are you going to be this amazing
store in the middle of this area that has no traffic? You know, I took a store one time. That was a great price, but it was in the sunken area and he had to drive to it. It was like, oh, after years like a man, you know, since I really didn't pay attention to that, I just looked at space. So I guess it's just you know, research, due diligence, just seeing surrounding areas and having good, you know, book keepers and accountants because that is time for you to me. Yeah. That is a nightmare for me. That's
“like the worst. That's the only thing that actually makes me stressed out. That's the first thing”
to hire somebody for him like because I want to do that. We're so old school that is not easy to train. So yeah, I finally got a book keeper gets him like, thank God. But, you know, nowadays with having things that I computer or whatnot, I think it would be pretty attainable. Yeah. And of course, you don't want to spend all your money on that. So you can't allocate all the projects. You have
to put in a lot of hours, especially in the beginning. You see, like in the first five years.
You're going to be working 90 hours a week. Well, it takes up to five years to even, even having Mrs. Mitchell's country shop in New Hampshire, Mrs. Mitchell's gifts, everybody knew it. My secondary store was not slamming enough to bat, not even close. It was to probably three years to even make any money. You know, so doesn't matter who you are, it takes time. So you have a patient. It's funny that you mentioned going into other stores and being like, oh, like, you could change
up this. And why aren't you doing this? Like, I'm the same way when I go into creative studios, because like, I've built a couple of them. I built a podcast studio last year with the buddy of mine and it took off. And like, now I go into, like, even I didn't build this space, but even, you know, sometimes walking in the space, I'm like, hmm, maybe we can move a camera over here and then
as always that maybe I can hang a boom like from the ceiling. So we get this out of the way. So now
I can, like, I'm always thinking in that way. Yeah, I sort of that control thing, because I had waitressing jobs, I had a good saying jobs. When I first opened the store and the cape and wasn't making a money, I had clothes and got waitress. And then I was the two-to-girls on shots and whatever,
“but it's always so hard because that's always how I was. I think I should really move that”
there. But many owners do not want to hear it because you're just working for them and, oh yeah, the control thing, you're the owners, just like in my store, I know it's right and I know that that shelf looks good there and so sometimes it's hard. Yeah, I got to really wish that control. Yeah, so when I would go work for someone else, I'm like, okay, just be quiet. Wait till they ask, don't say, you know, don't get up in their space because that's their, their baby,
really, they're, they're saying, just minus my store is mine, you know. And so as we kind of wrap up here, I want to, you know, if you guys are watching this episode, first of all, make sure
That you tune in to Lynn's episode of Legacy Makers, which will be coming out...
podcast episode drops. But where can people find you on social media, on the internet? Where can
“they find this? On Instagram, Facebook, it's @MrsMichols, MrsMicholsGift.com. Pretty, all dolled up,”
on @AldaOther. Oh, I'm a couple of shots. No, we did have online during COVID, but our turnover so fast,
and our season's so short, my daughters are going to be selling online at AldaOther. That's
“name of their routine, which is very cute. All done, I like it. Oh, yeah, yeah. But for me, it's a process.”
Again, I got the bookkeeper. Now, I got to get the website guy to sort of, you know, I know we've been
a business 60 years. I probably should be on top of these things, but I'm getting there. One thing at a time, one thing at a time. Yeah. But a lot of people, again, super old school, they actually call on the phone. You got this. I started pictures. We ship stuff every week, but it is not. Yeah.
“If it works, it works. Yeah, that's how we roll. Well, guys, this has been another episode of the”
Living Your Legacy Podcast. Again, I'm your host Jason Tyler. Lynn, it has been a pleasure having you here on the show. And now we're getting ready to go and film your episode. You feel like you're all warmed up. You're ready to roll? I didn't. Yes. I'm ready for it. Let's get into it. All right, guys. Thank you. Catch you in the next one.
