10/18/2026
Entrepreneurship has been an incredible adventure so far. November 1st marks 4 years - the first year, business doubled and we were feeling pretty spectacular, so we decided to do some big projects. We improved spaces and dreamt some new dreams. 2023 was comparable to the first, but the last two years have been a wild roller coaster.
Everything in my shop is a treat; extras (books, coffee, clothing, toys) and as gas, groceries, and baseline necessities rise (30% since 2020), we all simply have less to go around. Amazon has made everything a click away & 2020's shenanigans + the current political climate have all made us a little less trusting of one another and our own financial stability. As I talk to other friends who are business owners, I am hearing the same thing over and over again - whether in Wheatland, Cheyenne or Sioux Falls, SD. America needs to catch a break - things can't keep getting more expensive because, frankly, people's paychecks can't keep up.
One of the reasons I feel a pull to write about this is because I see so many people trying to live out their dreams. In our tiny town of Wheatland, WY (pop. 3,500), there are tons of shops, restaurants, and businesses that are locally owned and loved. Chain restaurants don't seem to do all that well here because I believe, most of us are aching for that Americana "Cheers" feeling when we give our precious dollars to a business; we want to know our hard work and purchases make a difference - we want to be known. Wheatland really gives The Wanderer all they've got - we have the best customers who come in weekly, if not daily. We know a lot about their stories and their milk preferences. We see them about town, dressed in head to toe outfits from our boutique. We are proud to be their cozy, cool downtown spot to recharge.
I did get teary talking to Abby yesterday, because I do feel overwhelmed sometimes. We had 7 men in our rental apartment for 10 days - it's a two bedroom and they snuck in 3 extra people and really made a mess. There are weird holes in the wall like someone poked a pencil through the paint? Like, what? My husband and I cleaned for 4 hours to prep for the next guests and I still needed to come in on my day off to finish. I spent the night beforehand trying to work out what was a fair added fee with Airbnb - not the most fun way to spend a Friday night. The girls had a few rude ladies snap at them yesterday, as they were busy making 70 drinks + hosting Story Time. One guy said very loudly, "Let's go to the Laramie bookstore, it's so much better than this one." Another old man said something inappropriate to me about how one of my young employees looks. Sometimes this does feel thankless; sometimes it feels like a grind; sometimes it gives me the ick. We really are exposed to whatever walks in the door.
And yet, we are hosts to 2 apartments, a bakery, a salon, an office space, and are working on a venue space for small parties & events (because you asked us to!). We are maximizing what we can do with what we have; we too are giving it all we've got.
I have 9 female part time employees, of all ages, skill sets, and walks of life - 5 of which have been with me since Day 1. How cool is that? I believe when I'm an old lady (if life grants me that), I won't remember that January-July of 2026 were slim pickins' and that the credit card bill was always shocking us, but I will remember these women's stories and how I got to be in their orbit for a season. I'll show up to their weddings and snuggle their babies and cry + laugh with them; I'll mentor and be mentored. I hope this is a space for them to feel like they can both be themselves and that I will have challenged them to be the best they can be, even when we part ways. I hope they remember me being generous with my time, energy, trust, family, and money. I hope they know when they've outgrown this, that I'm proud; that I am the kind of person who knows very little about business or how to make money, but have always been an investor of people, a true collector of friendships, and I'll never regret that investment - because it's eternal. I hope The Wanderer is a launching pad.
I am 43 and have been working multiple jobs since I could babysit - always working, working (mostly because that's how I am wired - any other eldest daughters out there? Hey, I see you! YOU ARE DOING GREAT, SWEETIE!) but I still really have to work hard for $100 and it seems as though it only goes as far as $20 used to. I should raise my prices on everything but I don't want to. I would rather be known as generous over being a "successful business owner". I want my customers to spend $100 and feel really good about it. I want them to feel like they can come back soon and not feel guilty when they leave - but I also need people to make an effort to shop locally before they head to Amazon (which is probably cheaper, but they don't give a rat's patootie about any of us).
Downtown Wheatland has changed so much in the four years I've been here. I can't believe how many businesses have shifted hands or closed or gone on/off the market. I do not think this is special to Wheatland, it's what's happening all over. When you go to buy that book on Amazon, please consider your local Indy bookstore first. Books have a 40% markup - no one is getting rich off having a bookstore. If you want a bookstore in your community, you gotta buy physical books. Please watch "You've Got Mail" for reference.
Most days, I'm giddy to drive my commute and keep dreaming my dreams in this space. I have been making lattes since 2003 and I still love the sounds an espresso machine makes - the humming and the click on/off of the boiler, the way milk sounds when it's being perfectly steamed (not screaming, but rolling into itself), the caramel colored crema on top of a pulled shot; that first sip. I also love books and what they symbolize - slowing down, expanding your world, stepping out of your every day and imagining something new. I am about to start my yearly reading of Little Women so that I can watch my favorite version of it at Christmastime (the 2019 one directed by Greta Gerwig). My favorite quote being, “Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” UGH, I'm crying now just thinking of the way Saoirse Ronan plays Jo March. I resonate so much with both Jo and Meg but the older I get, I do understand Marmee more deeply. I also love our boutique and how a nice outfit can change how we feel about ourselves - more confident and seen. When I am in town running errands or at a game and I see someone rocking an outfit from 3 years ago, it makes me smile from ear to ear. I notice and it means the world to me. I also love when your little humans get pumped about a new stuffie or an art kit or the squishies. I really do love being the community center that our town desperately needs - and I look forward to being a pretty space people can rent to throw a party. Stay tuned!
Mostly, thank you to Wheatland for continuing to show up when I fully understand your dollar doesn't stretch like it used to. Thank you to The Girls - for being my eclectic, passionate, loyal crew. Thank you to Jeremy - for trusting me to take on this massive endeavor and for your continued encouragement and support. Thank you to the other business owners in Wheatland - who are living, breathing examples of hard work and perseverance. I see you! Thank you to my renters, who trust me enough to live their dreams within my dream. Thank you to Dan Brecht, for starting it all. Thank you to 875 Gilchrist, for being the most beautiful, ever-evolving building that I've ever set my little hopes on. I have loved you since 2014, when I used to bring my boys in for hot cocoas and children's books.
I promise to continue to run a great business and support a great staff, if you'll continue to show up - no matter what this 'ol world is doing all around us. But you know what else? I hope we are all humble enough to know that $100 is still a lot of money.
Love,
Tara
*photo from 2018 when I brought the boys in for cocoas and books and had no clue this whole thing would be mine in 2022.
