We were lucky to catch up with Kathleen Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kathleen , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Resilience evokes the image of a new rubber band that always snaps back to its original form, regardless of how much it is stretched. Growing up in a household with a single mother who faced numerous challenges, particularly financial ones, I came to accept chaos and poverty as part of everyday life. To navigate those challenging years, I sought solace in nature, books, and my faith until I found my passion for art. Excelling in this area earned me a full scholarship to a local college, where I was excited to express myself and thrive. However, at 20, I became a mother myself and had to drop out of school to care for my daughter. I felt isolated and missed my new school, my normal friends, and countless experiences. Life then threw several hardships my way: a marriage that ended in divorce, a family member struggling with addiction, and the loss of my living grandmother, who had played a significant role in my life. It felt as though my hopes and dreams were crushed… or were they?
During a weekly therapy session, I experienced a breakthrough that made me realize I needed to adjust my envisioned path. I understood that I still had ambitious goals for my future. It also dawned on me that, while sometimes hard to grasp, optimism is a vital key that opens the door to hope and positivity. With a refreshed perspective and a better mindset, the idea of bouncing back like that rubber band became not only possible but probable. It was crucial for me to learn from my past and mistakes, face my current reality, and clarify my desires for the future. I had to rise again, this time with greater determination, even if it meant fighting for my progress. The power I needed was within me all along. My love for art remained strong, so I continued to draw, paint, and photograph, channeling my emotions into my creations as a way to heal. I embraced each new day, eager for the chance to create. I spent more intentional time in nature and embraced quiet moments of reflection with God, shifting my focus away from anticipating the next challenge. A few years later, I returned to the same local college, striving for something greater and ultimately earning a degree in Art Therapy, a milestone I take great pride in.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have always had an affinity for all things vintage. This love affair followed me through life and I began collecting the most magical pieces of clothing until I had an entire house full. Nurtured by the cherished moments spent alongside my creative grandmother, Adeline and my fashionista of a mother, Helen in our local thrift stores, flea markets and pawn shops. Together, we embarked on countless treasure hunts, exploring racks of time-worn garments and unearthing hidden gems with stories to tell. These were our THERAPI sessions and those early memories of sifting through racks of fabric and textile history left an indelible mark on my soul and an overflowing amount of incredible pieces in my closet! In 2009, after graduation and while looking for a steady job and income, a wild idea crossed my mind… to build a website to maybe make some extra cash by combining the clothing I had in my closet already as well as my newly earned degree in Therapy. LOL! It was thrifting, after all, that I enjoyed more than anything (other than art!) as it transported me to many new places and experience. So Clositherapi Vintage was born and while I have always considered myself to be creative, I never thought of myself as a business owner. I am a solopreneur which means I do it all and it is a lot of work!
Clositherapi Vintage is entirely run out of my home which is where I have my designated office, photo studio, racks and rack of inventory, etc… and it is an homage to the extraordinary women in my life who have always taught me to unapologetically express my true self. Fascinated by each of them, as they embraced their authenticity, fearlessness and creativity throughout my formative years has catapulted me to be just as fierce and to pursue my own passions in life.
Today, as an avid collector of all things pre-loved, I continue to celebrate the beauty of bygone eras and the nostalgia they provoke. Driven by these experiences, the ardor for finding that perfect vintage piece and the desire to spread its enchantment beyond my personal collection, I embarked on a thrilling entrepreneurial journey. It was then that I founded Clositherapi Vintage, a platform dedicated to sharing the timeless allure of vintage clothing with kindred spirits and fashion enthusiasts alike. Through meticulously curated selections, I aspire to offer my clients genuine, one-of-a-kind and coveted pieces to cherish forever.
Recently, I travelled to the west coast and did my first market out there with my daughter, Abby, who also owns a vintage shop! It was so inspiring to feel the vibe, embrace the colors and visit the thrift shops throughout Los Angeles. So inspirational that I decided to take it next level and am starting a lil’ sister project called West Of East. Still using, select vintage pieces but with hints of added details on intentionally placed spaces, such as pins and maybe even beading, etc… I plan on flying back and forth (for now!) to be a vendor at more markets, more frequently and to immerse myself in the Cali community. I am also scheduling a few local pop-ups in my own community of NEPA where I currently live and accepting appointments for others to shop who live in the area. One day at a time!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
WOW! Great question here and one that really makes me think…
1. Take The Risk! This would have to be my number one because I feel it is so important! I knew nothing about running a business, building a website or navigating a path unseen, however, I would never have arrived at this place now if I wasn’t brave enough to follow my passion. Taking a risk can be a scary endeavor for sure. I really think it’s about putting one foot in front of the other and allowing it to unfold along the way. While, taking a risk, is not for the faint of heart, what is the opposite? To stay in a comfort zone maybe… Life is too short and we need to go after and go get what we desire in our hearts!
2. Ask For Help! From books, publications, forums, your peers. Others who have been there and done that, who have come before you. We are human and don’t have to accept all that is offered or advice which is given. It is our very own journey, but we can take what you like, need, are drawn to and leave the rest which we don’t feel is a good fit for us at this time. Educate yourself and read, research, communicate with those you look up to and would want to emulate and sop it all up like a sponge so you can acquire your own set of personal tools for when you need to use them along the way! Fill up that tool box with high quality tools and keep them in a safe place!
3. Embrace Messing Up! I know, I know… How and why would anyone want to embrace things going wrong? That’s because it’s going to happen over and over again… Trust me on this one! The sooner you allow yourself to feels all the feels and to welcome them into your process, the more seasoned, professional, genuine, kind, etc… you will develop into a well-rounded human that you are. Dust yourself off and move along and the more you do it the more you will understand it. The more you will grow, learn and laugh when things don’t go as planned in the future. All those messy moments are building your foundation on which to thrive!
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Experiencing challenges is a part of the industry but for me, working alone most of the time can be extra demanding. From sourcing products which need to be highly curated, vintage pieces in a super saturated market to keeping on track with the latest Instagram algorithm so your products can even be seen by your followers and new, potential customers is just ughhh… However, this does not begin to compare with the obstacle of time management and balance for me. In the past, I would be all in the thick of it, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. I’ve attained those perfect scores and 5 star ratings on marketplaces and Google for my business and would often get down on myself if something went wrong. I am now more aware that I am not even close to Superwoman and simply cannot do it all perfectly, so I began to journal as much as possible and learned how to set a timer during the day for a mental heath and mindfulness check, healthy eating and even include fitness in order to balance things out. I am doing the best that I can and would love to get to a point where I just intuatively know when to slow down, stop for the day or let go of the perfection which I always longed for in the past… I am more confident that this is happening as I feel less stress, more at ease and follow through with overcoming these challenges instead of allowing them to overcome me. I am actively putting more structure into place and being kinder to myself by taking more time to address my thoughts and feelings which enables me to slow down and be more intentional.
Contact Info:
- Website: website: www.clositherapi.com and email: hello@clositherapi.com
- Instagram: business: @clositherapi_vintage and personal: @the_vintage_muse and new business: @west.of.east
- Facebook: personal: https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.nelson.505 and business: https://www.facebook.com/clositherapivintage
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-nelson-42341921
- Twitter: https://x.com/closiTherapi
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/clositherapi
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ClosiTherapiVintage
Noihsaf Bazaar: https://noihsafbazaar.com/shops/THERAPI.goods
Image Credits
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