Story & Lesson Highlights with Sati Glenn of Downtown Seneca

We recently had the chance to connect with Sati Glenn and have shared our conversation below.

Sati, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m up by 6:30am at the latest every morning. I feed the world’s best dog, Canela, and then do yoga while she eats. After yoga, we have cuddle time on the couch. Best way to start the day! Then it’s coffee, a little computer work, shower and getting ready for the day. I always leave the house with enough time to get to the shop an hour before opening so I can get some dyeing started and set up social media and send emails. This gets the “not so much fun” work out of the way early so I can spend most of the workday dyeing, stitching, designing, and helping customers. I’ve found this to be the best use of my mornings by far!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
So my name is Sati, and I own Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber. What started as just Rows & Roses back in 2010 as a commissions business, grew into design, classes, and dyeing that eventually outgrew my house! That’s when Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber was born, an actual honest-to-goodness yarn shop. I have a dye studio in the back of the shop (greatest thing EVER!) and I carry everything a knitter, crocheter, or spinner could want. There is a sitting area in front where anyone can bring a project, pour a cup of coffee, and hang out stitching and visiting with other yarnies all day long. I offer classes, custom dye jobs, handspun yarn, and pattern support. This place is most definitely a home away from home for so many.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was grow up, marry a man, have babies, and stay home with them. It’s what all the grown women in my life had done. I did that for a while, cooking and baking and homeschooling, and I loved it! He paid the bills and I raised the kids and kept the house. It isn’t for everyone, but it was for me and I have no regrets. But then…. as the kids got older, I realized that I needed more than just “being mommy.” I needed something for me. That’s when I took the little business I had built, just for the fun of it, and started really building it up and turning it into something that would make some money and give me a sense of accomplishment. I fell in love with the idea of creating more than just items, but community, education, and support for other yarn and fiber artists. Long story short, the marriage ended for its own reasons very recently, and I have been so thankful to have created this brand that is able to support me and my kids through this hard time. I am realizing that I can be mommy AND Sati, and provide all that I need to support myself and my kids, all by myself. This is such a relief, and so liberating.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Every summer. Haha! Summer in the yarn business is so slow, especially in the South. September, thankfully, tends to pick back up and save the day. I’ve gotten a bit better about anticipating and planning for this, so hopefully in the future it doesn’t hurt quite as much.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Oh, absolutely! I am a super social person, and never meet a stranger. I also have a knack for remembering names, This has helped me tremendously in my business. I actually don’t know how to “fake it” and be convincing, so there’s that.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I truly believe this is what I was born to do. I feel called to help, to educate, to inspire, and to love others. I am completely at home in my role here. I’ve never been so content as I have been these last few years.

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