Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Johnson-Markve.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a graphic designer with an event planning + technology background. I have always worked in a creative field and am a sucker for excellent branding, packaging and design but I also have that left-brained side that loves organization and details. Checking out independent shops when traveling has always been one of my favorite things to do, and over the years I have kept track of makers that I wanted to carry in my own shop “someday.” For a long time, I had a hard time finding modern, unique gifts here in Orlando, and I knew I could solve that problem by opening a store. But it wasn’t until I had an opportunity to help buy and merchandise a friend’s gift shop a few years ago that I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do. For me, opening a shop was the perfect combination of creativity and order. Plus, I was excited to inject a little personality and uniqueness to the Orlando community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A smooth road would have been amazing. But who could have predicted 2020?? When non-essential businesses like mine were mandated closed last spring, we hadn’t even been open a year. That was rough. Though our doors were closed to the public and our website wasn’t yet live, social media saved me. Customers would reach out to purchase things they saw on social media, I walked many customers around the store virtually and I offered flat rate shipping and free local delivery & curbside pickup immediately. It was just me running around trying to make it all work so we could stay open, and this community did not disappoint. They sent gifts to their friends in Portland who were laid off, to their sister in Chicago who had to cancel her wedding, and to their friend in NYC who lost her grandparent to Covid. Every one of these customers told me they wanted to see us survive, and boy did they step up for us. And they still do.
As you know, we’re big fans of Good Crowd. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m most proud of the fact that we have over 35 Orlando-based makers in our store. We fully support shopping local and supporting small businesses and our customers do too. I also love finding small, often woman- and BIPOC-owned businesses around the country that make unique things we don’t see everywhere and bringing their products into the shop. In fact, we currently have 100 woman-owned businesses in the shop! It’s so much fun to bring on new makers and share their stories with our customers. One of our other specialties is gift boxes. We love to help customers in-store curate their own custom gift boxes – a modern, elevated approach to gift-giving. We also do this at a corporate level. Gone are the days of cellophane-wrapped gift baskets with branded swag. We offer beautifully packaged, modern and themed gift boxes for closing gifts, holiday gifts, employee appreciation gifts and more.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Find a mentor. I am lucky enough to have a friend who is a business owner and he walked me through every single step of the process. From securing a lease to wading through the permitting process to marketing recommendations. I still lean on him when I need to because there is still so much to learn!
Contact Info:
- Email: sarah@goodcrowdshop.com
- Website: www.goodcrowdshop.com
- Instagram: @goodcrowdshop
- Facebook: @goodcrowdshop
Image Credits
Arlene Laboy Photography (headshot, interior images & Orange Grove Gift Box)
