Today we’d like to introduce you to Sondra Smith
Hi Sondra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Like many people experience, my current business passion, Marshview Mercentile, came in to my life while I was seeking my “what’s next” after retirement. I worked in healthcare for 36 years, beginning my career as a physical therapist and after obtaining further schooling, moving into healthcare strategy and planning for a large hospital corporation. During the last four years, I worked in Asheville, North Carolina, and I always knew I would return to the Lowcountry after I retired.
I was born in Savannah, Georgia, and have family in the area. I grew up visiting Hilton Head Island and Amelia Island for vacation. About ten years ago, during a trip to visit family in Beaufort, my husband and I were driving across the bridge near Paris Island, and we both said, “We need to live here. The water is amazing and it’s everywhere!” We both grew up in small towns, and although it is growing, Beaufort still feels like a small town.
We bought what we considered our “forever home” in Beaufort in 2021, while still in Asheville, and spent many weekends and holidays here over the next four years. During that time, I shopped at Marshview Mercantile a few times and just loved the vibe of the store. When I announced my retirement in January last year, I had no firm idea what my next step would be, but I thought I might like to own a small business. I knew I wanted something different than healthcare and I wanted to be a part of the community. When I saw the store needed a new owner in March, I just knew it had to be me! I retired on a Friday, bought and opened the store 10 days later. It was a whirlwind, but I felt confident that God had placed this in my path.
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?
The community has been very welcoming to me as the new owner of Marshview Mercantile. The store was only open about 10 months before I bought is, so many people are still learning who we are. The challenges have been mainly my own. After working for a huge corporation, suddenly wearing all the hats as owner, marketing manager, buyer, event coordinator, housekeeper, and maintenance person was a bit of an adjustment. I could not have done it without the full support of my husband, Brian. He did not know when he retired that his new role as husband of a small business owner would keep him as busy as it has!
I suppose our main challenges operationally are awareness and making sure we have things in the shop that make us stand out from big box stores. Marshview Mercantile is a stand alone store on the beautiful Salt Creek Marsh. We are not located in the main historic shopping district downtown, so we don’t get the same foot traffic. It has its advantages- making us more of a destination, and with plenty of free parking (which locals enjoy), we get a lot of repeat customers. But it’s also tricky because people can drive past our store on the busy highway and miss it altogether. So it’s really important that I leverage social media and word of mouth as much as possible to spread the word.
While we still have people everyday that come in the store and say, “I never knew you were here,” we have many local community members that recognize the importance of supporting small business. They make Marshview Mercantile a part of their itinerary when friends and family come into town, and I love that we get to meet them and become a part of their life!
As you know, we’re big fans of Marshview Mercantile. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Marshview Mercantile is a small retail business that celebrates Lowcountry lifestyle with home decor, gifts, apparel, and yummy treats. As a mercantile, we have a bit of everything, which means we have something for everyone. Visitors to the area can find that special gift or souvenir that reminds them of Beaufort, while locals can always find gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Our pantry is stocked with easy to make dips, breads, and no bake cheesecakes that are perfect for entertaining. We also carry beautiful real touch faux florals and accent pieces for the home, which we rotate seasonally.
When you visit our store, you are not only supporting one small business, but several. We have approximately one dozen local artists that sell their handcrafted products through our storefront. We have paintings, oyster & shell art, jewelry, to name a few- and even hand tied brooms! We also carry fresh baked sweets from a local home baker in our pantry. She actually developed a special brownie, called a Pluff Mud Brownie, to honor the view of the marsh from the back of our store. It is a chocolate chunk brownie, with melted caramel chips, topped with a toasted marshmallow, and flecks of sea salt. It is truly decadent-and a great conversation starter with visitors who don’t know what pluff mud is. Supporting the creative community here is very important to me, and it is one thing that sets us apart. I do a little happy dance each time one of their items sells!
One of the things that I enjoy most at the store are our weekly classes. During my time in Asheville, I was always the organizer of our ladies night out events and other celebrations, so this was a natural fit for me. Some of our local artists offer the classes and we have and a few drive over from Charleston to teach. We offer classes to create items with beach glass, oysters, canvas, clay, and all sorts of other things. One of the most popular classes is our sweetgrass basket class, taught by a sixth generation Gullah artist. She shares the history of her craft and everyone leaves with a small basket that they can actually use. The classes are so much fun and contribute to the feeling of “community” that we strive for.
One of the things we cherish the most is the way the store makes our customers feel. I frequently hear comments about how the store is a welcomed respite from the hustle bustle. The minute you walk in, you smell the fresh scents from our candles and soap, you hear joyful music, and feel enveloped by a warm welcome. We literally have folks step inside and take a deep breathe and exhale. The beauty of the marsh out back only draws you in more. We have time to chat, so we learn about upcoming vacations, surgeries, celebrations- and anyone who needs extra support can leave a request in our prayer box. All of this is truly the heart of our business. I think this is one reason our community recognized us as Lowcountry’s Best Gift Shop, Boutique, and Women’s Apparel last year. We were truly overwhelmed with joy!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I have only owned the store for one year, so I can’t say I learned lessons from the Covid Crisis through the eyes of Marshview Mercantile. But I did weather the crises as a healthcare provider, and I believe one thing we all would have in common is the feeling of gratefulness that we survived and by coming through the other side, we have an added appreciation of family and this beautiful place we live.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MarshviewMercantile.com
- Instagram: @MarshviewMercantile
- Facebook: @MarshviewMercantile
