{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"S6:E3 - A 25-Year-Old Buys a Quilt Shop with TJ Roney","description":"What happens when a 25-year-old buys a quilt shop in a town of 1,800 people? (Spoiler: awesome stuff.) In this episode, our very own TJ Roney shares how entrepreneurship, creativity, social media, and community support collided to create unexpected momentum. It\u2019s a powerful reminder that rural opportunity doesn\u2019t always look the way we expect it to, and that young people are, in fact, interested in things that aren\u2019t on their phones.  About TJ: Hey there, my name is TJ, and I\u2019m a 25-year-old grandma! I love anything creative, and learned to sew when I was 5 years old. Thanks to my grandma teaching me, sewing has become one of my favorite hobbies and creative outlets.  A year after I moved back to my hometown, in January of 2025, I was contacted about purchasing the quilt shop in town. When I was first approached to purchase the quilt store, I'll be honest, I didn't really want to! I was content not having the responsibility of a business for the time being, and I wasn't sure I wanted one of my favorite hobbies to become my job and risk no longer enjoying it. But often it's better to have taken a risk and learned from an experience than not to have taken a risk and looked back with regret.  I'm so glad I made the decision to go for it. I have truly enjoyed every second of owning this store and look forward to all that is to come for me and my business! In this episode, we cover: How a hobby turned into an unexpected business opportunity Why small-town retail can work\u2014and often does How social media became a growth tool, not the goal The role of mentorship and thoughtful succession What happens when young people are trusted to lead Links + Resources Mentioned: Website Link: https:\/\/www.quiltersmercantilend.com\/ Facebook Link: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61571935395357 TikTok Link: https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@tj.roney?_r=1&_t=ZT-93Edvi6H7CR Want to get your business in front of our audience? We are looking for podcast sponsors! Each season, we feature a select group of Small Business Partners\u2014brands that share our mission to celebrate small-town life and big ideas. With a 4\u20136% average Facebook engagement rate (well above the industry average), 2,600+ loyal followers, and 45,000 monthly content views, we have an amazing, highly engaged audience of people who can\u2019t wait to learn more about you. When we feature you, your story, and your product\/service, it\u2019s like a friend\u2019s recommendation, because it is. Want to know more? Reach out to us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org We have a membership! Join the GST Club \u2014 a virtual support community built for those leading change in small-town America. For $30\/month, you\u2019ll get twice-monthly live calls with Rebecca, access to a private network of fellow small-town changemakers, replay recordings, frameworks, and early access to GST events. It\u2019s for anyone from volunteers and entrepreneurs to city officials who believe small towns deserve big ideas and better leadership. Part think-tank. Part pep-talk. Part creative jam session. All support.  We Want to Hear From You! We really, really do, and if you\u2019ll let us, we\u2019d love to feature your actual message just like we did with Terri\u2019s (with your permission, of course!) Some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we\u2019ve decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We\u2019re have two \u201cparticipation dance\u201d elements of the show: \u201cSmall town humblebrags\u201d: Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small\u2014we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things.  \u201cSolving Your Small-Town People Challenges\u201d: Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we\u2019ll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We\u2019re suave like that.  If you\u2019ve got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can\u2019t wait to hear from you!  Get In Touch Have an idea for a future episode\/guest, have feedback or a question, or just want to chat? Email us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org Subscribe + Review Thanks for tuning into this week\u2019s episode of The Growing Small Towns Show! If the information in our conversations and interviews has helped you in your small town, head out to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver relevant, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more small-town trailblazers just like you!   ","author_name":"The Growing Small Towns Show","author_url":"https:\/\/growingsmalltowns.show","html":"