Meet Erika Olson Gross & Tammy Tanaka-johnson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erika Olson Gross & Tammy Tanaka-johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erika Olson Gross & Tammy Tanaka-Johnson, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re very focused on here – improving our ability to make decisions. Everyday, we’re faced with decisions that can impact the future of our careers, businesses, relationships and more and so one of the most impactful areas for personal development, in our view, is decision-making. Can you talk to us about how you developed or improved your decision-making skills?

It’s interesting in a partnership because neither of us are truly making any of our decisions just for ourselves, although we each operate quite independently within our areas of expertise. This is only possible because we have very high levels of trust between us and also a good understanding of each other’s thought process and inclinations. We’ve been in business together for eight years now and have been friends for over 25 years so we know each other really well.

Early on we would try to make lots of smaller decisions together about what toys or vintage to sell in the shop, or any number of other smaller decisions that a store owner makes on a regular basis. Over time we’ve come to understand what our individual strengths are and where we can each take some control without needing to always check in with the other person. This has freed us both up to do more, and interestingly, create a better sense of cohesiveness in the shop.

We both have a similar process when choosing products: Erika is mostly in charge of curating the toys, and art supplies, and books while Tammy is in charge of sourcing and curating vintage kid’s clothes and candy. Whenever choosing things for the shop we take into account several things- Does this item fit in with the ethos of Kinoko Kids? Does this item have good design and is it of good quality? For toys, what is the long-term play value? Would our kids have played enjoyed playing with this? For vintage, would we have dressed our kids in this? Is this piece a classic go-to brand? And finally, is this item currently relavant or popular? Staying on top of trends is of course important when wanting to stay relavant and exciting but we both feel that staying true to our individual (often quirky) tastes and preferences are actually what make our shop truly special. Our histories, experiences, upbringing, and values are our own, and our customers can truly see these things expressed at Kinoko Kids.

We also always ask ourselves if we think the other partner would be enthusiastic about what we are bringing into the shop and do still sometimes check in to get the other persons input. Ultimately we trust each other to make good decisions that make sense for the shop, and also have grace with each other when we make a decision that doesn’t work out as well as we’d hoped. It’s taken time to get to this level of trust but ultimately we know that we are both always working for the betterment of the business and we truly appreciate each others tastes and perspectives.

We also both credit our art school educations with teaching us to have a keen eye, and good problem solving and decision making skills. We are both busy parents, parters, and business owners. We have to make decisions fairly quickly so we can move on to the next task. That said, making big decisions can sometimes take time, and we are comfortable waiting on making a move if the answer isn’t clear to us. We prefer slower more sustainable growth and know we are heading in the right direction.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

We are a shop for kids ages 0-10, although people regularly shop for older kids and even playful adults in our shop. Our focus is on quality, open ended toys from around the world with a focus on toys from Europe, America, and Japan. We also carry a wonderful selection of children’s books, art and craft supplies, practical goods, and a curated selection of vintage clothes for kids. Also, since we moved into our current location (the former much-loved Sugar Sugar candy shop) we sell sweet treats too! This shop is woman-owned, and family run. We are tiny but we think we pack a lot of delights into a small space. Come see us in person or shop with us online!

Erika Olson Gross is a toy maker, artist and art teacher. Her dolls and animals have been featured in publications around the world but she makes them all from start to finish in her little home studio in Minneapolis. She loves vintage Easter bunnies, googly eyes, and dioramas.

Tammy Tanaka Johnson is a well known vintage seller specializing in women’s and children’s clothing. She has an amazing eye for what’s current and cool and also for what is classic. She loves toys that look like food, novelty prints, and kitchy vintage rompers.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Erika’s art education and toy making background helped select appropriate items for all age groups.
Tammy’s background as a vintage seller helped make confident decisions on what sells well.

Our strong customer service skill came from working together at a restaurant many years ago. Being moms, of course helped us know kids developmental stages and what toys kids like/helpful at what stages in their lives.

Being in a partnership brights some challenges but also great to have two brains instead of one. We know each other well and our personalities and skills compliment well to build and grow this business. Trust and respect in each other is very important to us.

Advice we have is to have a solid business plan (good communication if you’re in a partnership) but also know that you could never be prepare 100%, be open minded and go with a flow. Some skills are learned as you go day to day life. Make mistakes and learn from them.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

When preparing to open our shop we reached out to other small business owners we know around town to ask specific questions we prepared before hand and they were so kind enough to share their experiences and advice for us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kinokokids.com
• Instagram: @kinoko_kids
• Facebook: @kinokokids
• Other: TikTok: @kinokokidstoyshop

Image Credits

Photos by Erika Olson Gross (co-owner)