Fancy Free: The Creative Genius Behind Marquette's Premiere Curated Resale Shop | Conversations with a Chiropractor
In this episode of Conversations with a Chiropractor, Dr. Stephanie Wautier welcomes Greta Hillstrom, the inspiring owner of Fancy Free, Marquette’s premiere curated resale shop. Greta’s journey, from her eclectic upbringing to becoming a local business owner, is a testament to creativity, resilience, and the power of community.
She shares the heartfelt stories behind the treasures in her shop, her philosophy of living “fancy free,” and the passion that drives her to connect with people through art, music, and secondhand finds. Join us as we explore how Greta turned her vision into a vibrant community hub and hear the beautiful original song that encapsulates her unique journey.
🎧 In This Episode, Discover:
- The story behind Fancy Free and its impact on the Marquette community
- How Greta’s upbringing and travels shaped her creative approach
- The balance of running a business and fostering artistry
- A live performance of Greta’s original song, reflecting her journey
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Credits:
Podcast production by Brand|Sound. Start your podcast journey by emailing brandsoundpodcasts@gmail.com.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Conversations with a Chiropractor
00:41 Meet Greta: Owner of Fancy Free
01:35 Greta's Adventurous Journey Begins
04:40 Life as a Modern-Day Nomad
07:57 The Philosophy Behind Fancy Free
20:34 Greta's Diverse Job Experiences
22:10 Sharing Art and Music with Children
22:44 Breaking Point: Asking for a Raise
24:32 Quitting and Moving On
26:12 Starting Fancy Free
27:05 Creating a Creative Community
28:29 Music and Family Background
29:32 Fancy Free's Growth and Challenges
34:26 Holiday Season and Special Offers
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 5 (00:04):
Hi, this is Dr.
Stephanie Watt here, and I'm the hostof Conversations with a Chiropractor.
This is not a health how to, butrather a conversation with some
amazing people I've had the pleasureof being with on my journey of life.
Think of it more like Tuesdays with Maury.
A fireside chat orchicken soup for the soul.
(00:27):
Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoythis conversation with a chiropractor.
Stephanie (00:41):
The day I am joined by Greta, who is the owner of Fancy Free.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
So Fancy Free is a thrift store.
Would you call it a thrift store?
I like to call it a curated resale shop.
I like that.
That's, that's definitelymore authentically what it is.
(01:02):
Curated resale.
So how long have youbeen in business, Greta?
For three and a half years.
Okay.
And I know you started aslike a pop up shop, right?
Yeah.
So tell me, tell me about that.
Tell me about the process ofhow you started this business.
Greta (01:18):
so it started as a pop up shop and it was open 3 days each month.
I guess, do you want to knowwhat that looked like or prior
to Fancy Free Day opening?
Stephanie (01:30):
Prior.
In fact, we could sort of like, we coulddo like a little bit of a flashback.
Because you recently told me that afterhigh school, 3 days after high school, You
went to Alaska, start there, let's startwith your like, adventurous traveling
spirit and, and what did you do in Alaska?
Greta (01:49):
okay.
So, yeah, 3 days after I graduatedhigh school, I was 17 years old.
I jumped on a plane and moved to Alaskaand I worked at a fishing charter company.
In Sitka, you
Stephanie (02:00):
did in what role were you like on the boat?
Did you got the fish?
Did
Greta (02:06):
you like what?
What exactly did you do?
It was a pretty small company.
So I was kind of the everything girl.
I would wake up in the morningat 4 30 and make breakfast
for the fishermen going out.
And then once the fishermen departed,I was a housekeeper and then I
would have a small break and Iwould come back and serve dinner.
Stephanie (02:28):
Wow.
Greta (02:29):
Yeah.
Stephanie (02:29):
So interesting, because my son is a huge fisherman.
He loves fishing.
And we've talked about this,wouldn't it be cool to do some
sort of a summer job in Alaska?
And you did it.
Yeah, I highly recommend it.
So did you stay there for just the summer?
Did you stay there for longer?
Because that sounds like a prettyrigorous, difficult job to have.
Greta (02:50):
Yes, it is.
It was a difficult job.
I had 1 day off for the summer and theperson who I worked for was, the owner
of a fishing charter company in Alaska.
So, I imagine that couldn't be easy, but.
She was a character.
Anyways,
Stephanie (03:08):
and probably maybe tough, like tough to work for or not.
That's what
Greta (03:13):
I want to say to work for.
Stephanie (03:14):
Maybe not compassionate.
Maybe not.
It's not like you went intothe loving arms of an auntie.
Greta (03:20):
Yes, you were like,
Stephanie (03:21):
the drill sergeant.
You were like, yeah,
Greta (03:23):
yeah, you were
Stephanie (03:24):
taking orders.
Greta (03:25):
I was.
Yes.
Stephanie (03:27):
But I did
Greta (03:28):
fall in love with one of the captains and returned for a second summer.
Stephanie (03:32):
Oh, those summer romances, they're pretty fantastic.
So you, you did that for two summersand, and then what was the next
part of your life's adventure?
Greta (03:46):
And then I moved to Florida.
I lived in West Palm Beach,well, only for a couple months.
I was a beach bum livingon Alaska savings.
Stephanie (03:56):
How
Greta (03:56):
fun.
Stephanie (03:57):
what a cool thing.
I want to be a beach bum when I retire.
Uh huh.
Since I didn't get to do it.
You'd be a really
Greta (04:03):
good one.
Stephanie (04:04):
What am I?
You would, yeah.
I always say I might have a portableadjusting table and people can bring
me like margaritas or pina coladas orcoconuts and that'll be my payment.
Or, or maybe sunscreen, maybeI should use some sunscreen.
Is that an invite?
Yes, absolutely.
Greta (04:22):
Let's do it.
Stephanie (04:23):
Let's do it.
So, Florida, West Palm Beach, just gotto have what maybe some people might
call like you're sowing your wild oats orsome people do the backpacking in Europe.
You did Alaska, then Florida.
And then tell me what happened after that.
Greta (04:40):
And then I just fell in love with adventure and for the following decade, I.
I traveled for 10 years, high and low.
I've been in every corner, everylittle space of the United States,
road tripping and flying all over.
Anyways, long story short, I movedbasically every 6 months for 10 years.
(05:03):
And so I've had 26 addresses.
Wow.
I was just a modern day hippie
Speaker 3 (05:11):
skipping
Greta (05:12):
around and just kind of going wherever the wind blew me.
There was no rhyme or reason to it.
I just, I was like, you land inFlorida, you meet someone that inspires
you and you move somewhere else withthem or not, not quite like that, but
Stephanie (05:26):
no
Greta (05:27):
agenda.
No agenda.
It's not like
Stephanie (05:29):
you were like, Oh, I want by 25, I want to have seen these
countries or like you, you were justlike, wherever the next journey and
adventures, I'm going to follow it.
Greta (05:39):
Yeah, exactly.
I did a lot of seasonalwork to support myself.
but yeah,
Stephanie (05:45):
it's so interesting you've you have this quote and I'm not going
to say it correctly, but basically,you can keep reinventing yourself.
What's that quote again that you say
Greta (05:55):
it's never settle on a style.
That's my, I guess my motto at fancy freeand that's pretty much what it means.
It's that you're always growing,never stop growing until you
get to where you want to be.
And it's that, that little motto meansso much to me because it means, not
(06:16):
only your physical style, like whatyou're putting on your body, but it's
basically, it just means that nobodycan tell you who you are except for you.
And that.
You're just not ever going to set up
until you're happy.
Stephanie (06:32):
I remember talking to you in your shop and I was like, Oh my gosh,
we're going to be in Europe this summer.
And could I bring you back something?
And you were so funny.
I mean, I remember this so vividly.
You were like, Well, I might, I mightgive it away or I might recycle it or
you have such a, a freedom with physicalbelongings that like, is, is not me.
(06:56):
I had such a different experience,very, very, I don't know, I don't
know if I should say stable, butsort of like kind of a traditional
upbringing, hardworking folks.
And they were like, you're going to go toschool and you're going to get a degree
and you're going to support yourself.
And that's what I did.
I went from high school to college.
I was an RN.
I don't know if you know thatI went straight to college,
(07:17):
got my BSN, I was working.
Full time as a nurse at age 22, and Idid have some gypsy years, like when
I was a travel nurse, but I have hadthis bizarre, well maybe not bizarre,
maybe a lot of us are like this, butsentimentality toward physical belongings.
like my mom passed last November,and just last night we were
(07:39):
decorating the Christmas tree, andI've inherited some of her things,
and, like I'm so attached to things.
Yikes.
That's just like very, very opposite.
I, I, I strive to be lessconnected to physical things.
Greta (07:57):
Oh, yeah.
well, I, there's another quote and it'scollect moments, not things, but I'm not
against, I, I'm, it's funny because I'ma store owner, so very much a minimalist.
So the things that I have.
There's a quote that says, don't haveanything in your home that you don't know
(08:17):
to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
Something like that.
And, the things that I do have arevery, very special and stuff I've
had, for a decade that, but, I guess.
Things are very special to me becauseit's very, very special to me when I
get to pass something to someone whoit's going to be very special to them.
(08:41):
And so that's, that'sthe moment that I love
Stephanie (08:44):
and, that big Marie Kondo sort of push and effect
where it's does this bring you joy?
You get to see people having joy sparkedprobably every single day in your store.
Like the rings I just bought yesterday.
like I literally cannot wait.
I made, I'm making Sonya give it to me forChristmas, so I have to wait till December
(09:05):
25th, but I can't wait to wear that,that must, that must sort of do something
for you, as, as a curator of thesebeautiful things, when you're allowing
all these people to get Joy Sparked.
Greta (09:18):
It does.
It's my favorite thing in the world.
Like just yesterday, someonewas in my store and he bought a
painting that reminded him of aspot in Italy that he had visited.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
And I
Greta (09:31):
do get to see those moments every day.
It's my favorite thing whensomeone picks something up and
says my grandma used to have this.
That's the reason whyI do it and it's fun.
Stephanie (09:44):
I think it's so beautiful to not to get, I, I'm not, I'm very
apolitical, but like you are doinggood things for the environment by
encouraging people not to buy a massproduced piece of clothing, right?
I mean, there's also that part of thiscurated, recycled, upcycled, upcycled.
(10:06):
World.
Greta (10:08):
There's so many benefits to shopping resale.
And, the biggest reason for me,the reason why I get everything
secondhand is because of slave labor.
It's everywhere.
And so the 1 way that youcan avoid supporting slave
labor is by shopping resale.
So that's the biggest, the biggest reason.
(10:29):
But then there's the benefits.
the saving money aspect, let someoneelse buy it full price and then get a
deal on it when they're done with it.
Stephanie (10:37):
Oh, my gosh.
And we have found such beautiful thingsin your store from, one year I did like a
coffee cup themed gift to my whole staff.
So one year, I think I found 80 percentof all those beautiful coffee cups.
In your store?
Mm-Hmm.
. And, we found dresses for, highschool dances and we, I mean, I can't
(10:58):
even like name all the cool things.
I actually think that the Christmastrees that I'm just putting
up, they're like clear glass.
And I put twinkle lights in them.
I'm like, yes, you did it.
So, I mean, I could literally takepictures through my house and be
like, I got this at fancy free.
Yeah.
Well, thank you for your support.
(11:20):
Absolutely.
Another thing that I really love, and Ithink many people don't have the freedom
to do this, is to take two pieces ofclothing or two pieces of fabric and
marry them and create a whole new thing.
Tell, tell me about that.
Greta (11:36):
yeah, so the other thing, the other, really beautiful thing about
shopping resale is that clothing ispacked with energy and stories and just
like a plant is living and breathing.
That's how I feel about clothes.
It's like they were made by someoneand they just, They're passed from hand
(11:57):
to hand, and they're, I always say,if, if only our garments could talk
to us, the stories they would tell,so they're just packed with energy.
And, so I, I met someone, her name isPatty and, Probably five months ago now,
we started a clothing line called Eclipse.
(12:17):
It's the aesthetic alignmentof beautiful things.
And, when you meet someone, I call thatan eclipse because, you come together
and I, I guess when I met Patty, wetalked like she walked into my store
and we talked for two hours aboutvintage and it was like a week later,
two weeks later, we had just met.
(12:38):
it was creative fireworks going on.
And so an eclipse is when you meetsomeone and it alters the course in
which you are traveling like, and sothat's what eclipses it's, we bring two
garments together, take a, a vintage denimcoat and put a tea towel on the back.
Well, a tea towel is way prettier whereit's going to be seen all the time.
obviously it's a.
(12:58):
That's really pretty.
Stephanie (13:00):
Like all that hand stitching and all of that detail work.
And my grandmother had pillowcasesthat the edges were like, I don't even
know what you would call it, not justplain embroidery, but like beautiful.
like I, I feel like too, oursociety is such a throwaway society.
We're like, oh, there's a tear in thatthere's a rip in that garbage or in here.
(13:23):
You're, you're taking maybe thereis a tear in something and you're
covering it up or creating a like aan accent with wherever it was torn.
that's beautiful.
Exactly.
Yeah.
We don't.
Throw things the way
Greta (13:36):
we, we repair
Stephanie (13:37):
them.
So how can people find, is thatclothing line, does it have
its own Etsy shop or is it just
Greta (13:45):
found in the store?
It's on, well, it's found in the store.
You can shop.
but also I have a website and it's fancyfree do store and there's an category
that you can shop and that's all stuffthat Patty and I have collaborated on.
Wow.
I didn't even know this.
Yeah.
So, I, I kind of find the piecesand Patty and I get together and
(14:06):
make this vision and she puts ittogether on the sewing machine.
And she's also teaching me to sew.
So
Stephanie (14:12):
it's been fun.
That is so cool.
Yeah,
Greta (14:14):
she's just lit up my world.
so she comes to a fancy for 2days every Monday and Thursday.
Stephanie (14:21):
And you guys kind of collaborate and
Greta (14:23):
collaborate and we repair I'll always have a pile of her of things
for her to repair because oftentimespeople are donating stuff just because
they have a button missing, butit's still a really beautiful thing.
And so Patty just sit back together.
Wow.
Stephanie (14:37):
Is she a seamstress by trade?
Has she like, is thishas this been her life?
Greta (14:42):
Yeah, she's been doing it since, for decades.
She's always done it.
And, it's funny because for her, it wasalso that eclipse where she's just always
been creating and creating and creating.
She just has, All this art and, clothingthat she's created, but she's just
had no place, no, platform to sell it.
(15:02):
She doesn't like to sell things.
She likes to make things.
Stephanie (15:05):
We all have these different gifts.
Like I am not a salesperson, which isso, it's so great that I have a business
partner who that's one of her strengths.
we, we all, we, we need otherpeople like pieces of the puzzle.
Greta (15:19):
Yeah.
When creative people joinhands, anything is possible.
Absolutely.
Stephanie (15:24):
It is so fun.
So we kind of went all the wayback and then we came all the way
to your current stuff, but I thinkwe, we missed how Fancy Free began.
So 10 years of traveling aroundthe country, excuse me, around the
world, and you at that point, areyou kind of in this curating process?
Are you picking things up?
(15:45):
Tell me about the beginning of Fancy Free.
Oh, fancy
Greta (15:49):
free was inside of me since the day that I was born.
but I had, so I had 9 siblingsand we were a very thrifty family.
We didn't really shop new.
I mean.
My mom was a huge thrifter.
And so thank you mom for teachingme everything I know about
Stephanie (16:09):
thrifting.
Greta (16:10):
At the time, I didn't realize how much of a gift she was giving me.
but she is the woman who trained me.
She also had her own thrift storewhen I was growing up called finders
keepers in Collier, Michigan.
And so,
Stephanie (16:24):
that's just spectacular that a mother of
nine children could have a store.
My mom is.
Just
Greta (16:30):
the hardest worker.
She was.
Raising nine children, but also providingfor them working full time, and it's
funny because in my high school years,my mom would come home from work and she
also would continue to work and becauseshe did the scheduling for her job.
(16:51):
she, she worked at an Alzheimer'scare facility where she would
puzzle their schedule together.
it has, I don't know, 60employees that need scheduling.
So, my mom was often at the dinnertable, creating the schedule
after she came home from work.
And so I, that's, that's how a lot of.
What I remember my mom,she also did as a hobby.
(17:14):
She did wedding cakes.
Stephanie (17:16):
Oh my gosh.
Greta (17:17):
Yeah.
She was a hobby.
She is an artist.
it's just that when you'reraising nine children, you don't
have the luxury of a paintbrush.
what I want to say about my mom is thatall of her children left the nest and
this woman starts slinging paintings.
like hundreds of paintings.
Oh, my gosh.
So she
always had this creativityartist inside of her, but I
(17:39):
never saw her with a paintbrush.
Stephanie (17:42):
She didn't have the time.
She was doing things toprovide for the family, right?
Exactly.
So it just, Yeah, thank youfor your sacrifice as well.
That's so beautiful.
Do you have any of herpaintings in your shop?
Greta (17:58):
I do.
Well, I have a, I have a veryspecial painting of, I lived in
Wyoming and she painted the scenethat I saw every day in Wyoming.
And so that's a painting ofhers that I'll have forever.
And then I have another paintingof the lightning express,
which is a song that I wrote.
She used to sing as a lullaby.
So there's two paintingsthat I treasure from my mom.
Stephanie (18:20):
Oh, I've never heard of the lightning express.
Would you feel comfortable likesinging a little bit of it?
Or
Greta (18:28):
it's the story of, it's funny.
I always joke.
My parents sang lullabies to us and therewas five songs that they would sing as
lullabies and all of them were stories.
Of the parents passing away,but I guess it builds empathy.
So anyway, this lightning expresses thestory of, a boy who's traveling on a train
to get home to his mother who's dying, buthe doesn't have money for a train ticket.
(18:51):
And so a girl on the train takes ahat and she makes a collection for
to pay for the boy's train ticket.
But yeah.
Wow.
I want to reach home and
kiss mother goodbyebefore God takes her away.
Oh, sad.
Yeah.
What a sad lullaby.
(19:12):
It is a sad lullaby, but it'sone that I'll pass on to my
children because it's such a bigpart of, I'll never forget that.
Yes.
But my mom, my dad would play iton guitar and my mom would sing it.
And so that's something that'sa special, that's a core memory.
Stephanie (19:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So you were raised with music,I want to come back to music,
but so let's, let's go back.
So Fancy Free You Said was a partof you since you, you were born and
your mom's thrifting and your mom'ssort of probably business savviness.
And I mean, it sounds like she'smany, many, has many talents,
(19:50):
which I see in you as well.
She's the everything mom.
So special.
So you, like, how did you decide tostart Fancy Free in Marquette, Michigan?
Greta (20:00):
Oh, yes, so we got a little sidetracked there, but the main thing is
I guess, I guess what happened is FancyFree is inside of me since I was just a
child because I'm, I'm an artist and acreative and a musician, except for the
only thing is that I don't know that.
(20:22):
And, and I don't know how to share itand I don't know what to do with all
of this creative energy inside of me.
And so as I'm traveling for10 years, so I lived in.
After I moved to Alaska, I lived inArizona and Texas and Wyoming and
Connecticut and Florida and Michiganand North Dakota and Minnesota, picking
(20:46):
up all these random jobs, wow, Segwaytour guide and I sang at birthday
parties as Elsa and Anna and and I wasa school photographer and I worked at
Krispy Kreme and, I worked as a teacher,which was one of my favorite jobs.
But, the job that I had before fancyfree was I worked as a nanny in New York
city for a woman who was not that nice.
(21:11):
Have you seen the movie?
The nanny diaries?
Yes, yes.
That was my, I read that book andI was like, Did I write this book?
This is wow.
I know exactly what I went throughit to the details where they had
houses everywhere They had a housein Aspen just like in that book and
they had a few houses in New YorkCity and then they had two houses in
(21:32):
Greenwich and we flew on private jetsto For the weekend to go to Aspen
and I went to Israel with them and oh
Stephanie (21:39):
my gosh
Greta (21:40):
So it was a nice little cup of tea to drink just for a little bit
Stephanie (21:45):
Although if it, if it's sort of like the nanny diaries, your
boss was maybe a difficult slashhorrible slash, I don't know, person.
Yes.
Greta (21:55):
So that's, that's kind of what hoped me, to the point.
So I guess.
That's what I'm trying to say isI was a nanny in New York City for
a woman who did not treat me well.
She did not.
My goal.
It's always been my goalto share art and music.
That's what I do.
And so that, I wanted to do that withher four children and I was always
(22:18):
doing that with her four children.
however, she, I don't know,Never appreciated it in me.
I would go above and beyond tocreate these projects for them and
write songs with them and stuff.
And she, she would just turn theice sometimes because I don't know.
I spent, I think, more time withher kids than she did, but, you did.
(22:40):
Yeah.
I mean, I've had friendswho have been nannies and.
Yeah, and so I guess my breaking pointwas when I sat down to meet with her
about a raise because I was working70 hours a week, and I was doing
way more than just being her nanny.
I was the house manager and doingall the appointments and taking care.
(23:03):
Of her dad who was on his deathbed and,like I would work a 10 hour day and then
she would say, she would tell me to go tothe other house that they had in Greenwich
and check that all the lights worked.
Oh my gosh.
So I was just like, Hey,I had a meeting with her.
I said, Hey, I need to be paidto be compensated for your time.
(23:24):
Exactly.
Yeah.
I'm only being paid to be the nanny here.
So I asked for a raise and she said,Greta, you're getting paid an experience
of being a mom because she knows I have5 sisters who are, 4 of them are mothers.
She knows I love moms.
I, I, I really value the mother,but so that's what she said.
(23:47):
She knows how much I anyways,
Stephanie (23:50):
I I think that's such an unfortunate archetype.
Let's just call it an archetypebecause She knows deep down that she
either doesn't have the capacity ordoesn't want to make the time in the
capacity To be down in the dirt ofmotherhood Like how dare she like
slap you in the face with that?
Like that's that's manipulationto a degree of yeah, that's bad.
Greta (24:15):
Yeah.
And so, I asked her for a raise andshe says, But Greta, you're being
paid in the experience of being a mom.
And so I was kind oflike, well, I'm not a mom.
Mm hmm, and I'm working very hard andshe kind of pushed me to the edge.
And so at that moment I put in mytwo weeks notice and and then that's
(24:37):
when she said, okay I'll give you araise and she said you'll get your
own apartment in New York City.
Oh my gosh.
And she said, you'll get an extra day off.
She was, she was really trying tokeep me, but I just, I held true
because I had just been used, abused.
Stephanie (24:53):
Absolutely.
And for all the young people out there,like for my daughter and son who are
getting ready to be launched intothe world, like these moments, these
decisions, these like crossroads, Idon't want to say, To dance with the
devil, but yeah, do you, do you staysomewhere where you feel authentically
abused just because you're going tohave a great New York City apartment or,
(25:15):
or do you sort of say, no, in my heartof hearts, I can't take this abuse.
The abuse won't change.
I'm being bought off.
those are really, reallyhard decisions to make.
Greta (25:25):
Yeah.
Stephanie (25:25):
I mean, yeah.
Greta (25:27):
Yeah.
So I guess my oldest sister, I had aconversation with her and, I don't know.
I got a care package from my sistersand, and that's because they saw
how I was having a hard time there.
And they were kind of like,Greta, I think you should quit.
My oldest sister said, money comesand goes, just get out of there
and that always will stick with me.
(25:47):
So I left that job.
She owed me 8, 000 when I left.
I never, I never got thatmoney, which is fine.
But, basically what I'm saying is that.
She treated me so badly that Iwas like, No, I'm not being paid
in the experience of being a mom.
I'm being paid in the experienceof getting my shit together so
that I never have to work forsomeone like you ever again.
(26:12):
So I moved from New York city toMarquette, Michigan, and I popped
like a balloon and out comes fancy.
And
Stephanie (26:19):
it, it is interesting sometimes when we have almost
those very worst experiences thatpush us to our breaking point.
Like if, if it had been comfortablefor you, if she was lovely and she gave
you a New York city apartment and shetreated you beautifully, perhaps you would
still be a nanny today in New York city.
Exactly.
So it's, it's interestingwhen we have those raw.
(26:42):
Rough, bad, horrible, life changingexperiences that create us to be
so resilient, but they push you tothen do the thing to do the thing.
Exactly.
So
Greta (26:55):
now I have a boss who appreciates me and who appreciates me as an artist,
Stephanie (26:59):
which is yourself, which is me.
Yes.
So you were still traveling though, soyou, you had the shop open for three
days a month and you were, you werestill at that early stages of fancy free,
still on that sort of curation journey.
Mm-Hmm.
. Am I correct?
Mm-Hmm.
. Okay.
Greta (27:18):
Well, I guess the main part of, I guess a little bit of the mission at Fancy
Free, and that's the most important thing.
And that's to stop the wildfireof creative expression.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
And
Greta (27:30):
that's what I want to do is bring everybody is an artist.
And so I just helped tobring it to the surface.
And, that's something that I wasn'table to do it at my last prior job.
And so.
It's just the main goal.
And,
Stephanie (27:48):
I always think like sort of in my own personal life, like some of
the negative experiences I had being acritical care nurse, and one of the main
things that I wanted to do as my own smallbusiness owner is to create an atmosphere,
of love, of healing, of positivity,of joy that was so in contrast to
some of those other environmentsof, being in the hospital.
(28:11):
So you did sort of the same thing.
You had that atmosphere and you completelycreated a different atmosphere, a fancy
free, yeah, one of like joy and creativeexpression and yeah, and music and music.
So it sounds like you had 2 musicians.
Your mom and dad were both musiciansand music was a part of your growing
(28:34):
up, I assume, in addition to thelullabies, was there more music?
Greta (28:39):
Oh, every day.
My dad sang every single day.
My mom wasn't quite amusician, but she sings.
Oh,
Stephanie (28:45):
okay.
Greta (28:46):
Yeah, so my mom's an artist.
My dad is a musician.
Stephanie (28:49):
Okay.
Did your dad have a quote unquote day job?
You talked a little bitabout what your mom did.
Greta (28:56):
Yes.
My dad is a dry waller or he's inconstruction, I guess I'll say.
Okay.
And he's, he's very, he's six foot eight.
And so I always joke and sayhe never needed a ladder.
No, he didn't.
But yeah, he was the hardest.
He, he worked very, very hard too.
And, I think every, every housein the town that we grew up in, he
(29:22):
either worked in or he sang in, so
Stephanie (29:25):
he was
Greta (29:25):
always taking his guitar and,
Stephanie (29:27):
that's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
So you.
Fancy Free's birth occurs and,now it's, is it five years old?
How many years?
Three and a half.
Three and a half years old.
Okay.
Just a baby.
So you started three days amonth and still traveling and now
you're there like six days a week.
And music is a reallybig part of your store.
(29:51):
Tell us about that.
Greta (29:53):
so, yeah, I went from 3 days a month to 6 days a week because, I
love, I thrive around people and itwas, Nobody knew, but in the other
27 day, everybody loved the popup shop, but then in the other 27
days, I was like, I miss everyone.
So I opened full time.
And now on Tuesdays, every otherTuesday, I host a music and movement
(30:15):
class for children under the age of 5.
So moms come and bring their childrenand we dance and sing and and then
on every other Wednesday, I hostan open jam for adult musicians.
musicians of all ages and skill levels,we just get together and share music.
I kind of started a band,which I call the Fancy Freaks.
(30:37):
And, basically the concept is that it'sa band where the, it's a non committal
band where the members ebb and flow.
So I say, join us for a songor for a set or for life.
Stephanie (30:48):
That's really freeing for a lot of people not to have
to make that lifelong commitment.
Greta (30:53):
Exactly.
That's awesome.
Yeah, so we've been doing that fortwo years or probably a little over,
we get together every other week and,and I guess the best way to grow as a
musician is to be around other musicians.
So it's just a warm and welcoming andcreative environment for people to share.
we sit in a circle and.
And just share.
Stephanie (31:11):
That's so cool.
And you've performed at many places.
I know you personally, and withthe band, tell us a little bit
about where you've performed.
Greta (31:20):
Oh, yeah.
So, I mean, I guess, well, we,we do a lot of open mics and we
just have so much fun with it.
Sometimes I'll throw a wig on and Andwhat's fun about that is that you can
just kind of be whoever you want to be.
And so I do open mics and wigs a lot.
It's kind of this thing that I do.
Stephanie (31:40):
Love that.
Cause I did a little bit of musicaltheater growing up and I feel like when
you're on stage as someone else, there'sa different kind of a freedom than when
you're up in front of people as yourself.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Right.
Stephanie (31:52):
yeah, there's like a freedom that comes to that a little
bit of an alternate identity.
Exactly.
It's a,
Greta (31:59):
yeah, actually, basically you could just, yeah, it's freeing, sort
of like skinny dipping in the ocean.
Stephanie (32:06):
Oh, yeah.
Very freeing.
Greta (32:11):
Yeah.
Stephanie (32:13):
So, so do you have, I mean, there, It's, it's kind of,
what's the word I want to use?
I don't want to say intense, but to be asmall business owner, where you're open
six days a week and then you have the oneday off to get your groceries and do your
bookkeeping, and do you have anybody elsethat's working with you now besides Patty?
Greta (32:33):
yeah, so that I have four creative employees and, they all do different
things and have different gifts and.
It's definitely, they help mehold, hold everything up, and so,
Stephanie (32:45):
I'm so happy for you that you have like a team to help you because
it's, it's an impossibility to, to bea, well, it's not an impossibility,
but to be a one person show.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Greta (32:56):
Yeah.
So for two years, I did italone, but I was like, I'm not
going to do this alone anymore.
Stephanie (33:03):
And some people might at that moment be like, I'm burned out
and I'm going to close the shop.
I think that's like an all like analternative that some people just
maybe in an emotional way, justthey're like, I can't do it anymore.
So how cool that you like worked throughthat and said, I want to keep the
shop open, but I just need some help.
Greta (33:21):
Yeah, that's
Stephanie (33:22):
awesome.
Exactly.
I did hit,
Greta (33:24):
I hit a point where I was like, Okay.
Well, I'm spread very thin.
I can't shine in my area if Idon't have other people helping me.
Yeah,
absolutely.
That's the one creative people join hands.
Anything is possible.
So also grateful to asupportive community.
So I feel that they'repart of the team too.
I mean,
Speaker 3 (33:44):
it's a,
Greta (33:44):
it's such, that's what community is.
So.
Stephanie (33:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
Greta (33:48):
It often feels like my customers are my family and
Stephanie (33:53):
Well, it was one of my patients that told me about
Greta (33:55):
you,
Stephanie (33:57):
and I was like, Oh my gosh, like this is the coolest place.
And, even yesterday Soniaand I had 30 minutes to quote
unquote spare between things.
And we were like, let's go see Greta.
let's stop in.
I mean, it, you, you sort of, I mean, Iwould call you my friend, even though.
Yeah.
I only come to your shop, but youknow, you are part of like our
(34:19):
lives and the community and yeah,I would call you my friend too.
Thank you.
So big, big holidayseason coming up, right?
We're looking at Thanksgiving in the, somany, many retailers are having big sales
for Black Friday and then Saturday afterThanksgiving is Small Business Saturday.
(34:40):
So tell us, will Fancy Free be open?
Those days?
Greta (34:44):
Fantasy Free will be open Friday and Saturday for, for the best sales.
we're doing 50 percent offboth Friday and Saturday.
Stephanie (34:52):
50 percent off of everything?
Greta (34:53):
Yep, everything.
Oh
Stephanie (34:55):
my
Greta (34:55):
gosh.
I love to pass on the savings.
Wow.
That is beyond spectacular.
And live music both Friday and Saturday.
It's going to be a party at Fantasy Freeand obviously there will be giveaways.
Oh, my gosh.
And I got to give
Stephanie (35:09):
away once.
That was so fun.
Greta (35:11):
Yes.
Wait, what did you win?
Stephanie (35:12):
I don't even remember.
Did I win?
I don't know.
Was it a mystery box?
Maybe.
Maybe it was.
I feel like, yeah, I feel likeit was probably a mystery box.
That is so fun too.
I mean, who doesn't love a mystery box?
Greta (35:27):
Right?
A box full of mysteries.
Yes.
Stephanie (35:30):
So what are your hours going to be for Friday and Saturday?
Greta (35:33):
we'll be open 10 to 6 and both Friday and Saturday and 50 percent off the
Stephanie (35:38):
entire day on both days.
Wow.
So people in Marquette can come to FancyFree on Friday and Saturday, 10 to 6.
Hear live music and get 50percent off of everything.
Everything in the store.
Oh my gosh.
We're out of town.
I wish we could be here.
it's funny.
(35:59):
So years ago I saw these, redand black buffalo plaid wool,
rich pants at your store.
And, and, I was like, oh, you shouldget those and you could craft with them.
And they reminded me of my grandpaand I was like, Oh, should I get them?
Should I not get them?
And of course.
They were gone.
I didn't get them that day.
(36:19):
The next time I came in, they were gone.
So I encourage people, if you have thatspark of joy, and you see something,
you have to get it at that exact moment.
Because you do have such a beautiful,curated collection of, of amazing things.
But you gotta get it, that's, yougotta get it when that joy is sparked,
because somebody else is gonna grab it.
Greta (36:40):
That is another thing that happens.
A lot of fancy dress.
Someone will come back forsomething and it will be gone.
And I'm just always well,there's more pretty things.
I do it every day.
So, it'll come, it'll come, it'll come.
Stephanie (36:53):
Yeah.
But I mean, I'll never forget that.
It's so funny.
And, and that's sort of my mantra.
It's you know what?
And I, and I do love shopping.
I don't know if that surprises you.
I love shopping.
I love shopping for people.
It gives me such joy.
So, yeah, no, I get it.
If I think if it sparks joy, I get it.
Maybe I will pass it along as Iam in my older years, becoming
(37:17):
less attached to things.
It's actually, we've been in a purgemode, moving into a smaller house and.
I'm, I'm taking some of those, those soundbites and those beautiful bits of advice.
Yeah.
Oh, I guess.
And Greta, you wouldn't, you wouldn'tthink that in a curated resale
world, you could return things,but you have a policy about that.
Greta (37:40):
Yes.
Well, of course, happy customeris number one priority.
So if you ever do grab something and itwasn't for you, you could bring it back.
There's 30 days.
And I will work with you on helpingyou find something you love.
That's amazing.
And then, oh yeah, I do another thing atfancy free where if you did buy stuff that
(38:03):
you don't love, don't let it sit in yourcloset and collect dust or, you can, if
you bring a curated bag of donations tofancy free, it's a 10 token on the spot.
It's a fun way to donate and it supportsall the music that happens at fancy free.
And so yeah.
You can also, find something you loveas well as donate to a good cause.
And yeah, it supports localmusic and local artists
Stephanie (38:25):
and a local business woman, I mean, not a box store, not, we're
not talking about corporate America.
Like this is your hometown, youper girl, even though you've
traveled all over the world.
Greta (38:38):
Exactly.
Yeah.
I mean, real people arein small businesses.
So
Stephanie (38:43):
absolutely, absolutely.
So in closing, I mean, I'm so gratefulthat, that we were able to sit down
and have this conversation today.
I'm so excited for this holidayseason for people to be able
to get these amazing deals.
And if they want to followyou on social media, tell us
all the tags, all the things.
Greta (39:02):
Oh, it's easy.
It's fancy free HQ on everything.
TikTok, Instagram, I'm on Facebook.
as fancy free, so yeah, fancy free
Stephanie (39:12):
HQ and then your website is fancy free store.
Yeah.
Fancy free.
Dot store.
Dot store.
Okay.
As we close credit, is there anything elsethat you want to share with our listeners?
Anything about yourself?
Anything about the store?
Oh yeah.
Just this little song.
Greta (39:28):
Oh, sing it girl.
this is a song that I wrote witha friend and it's called, we have
everything it's kind of about my journey.
So.
You could start a long adventure ina dark winter with an empty plate
for dinner and still come out as awinner, cause you're never quite alone.
(39:50):
A thousand hands will hold youup, we go together like cold
weather and a secondhand sweaterthat was never worn better.
You want anything at all?
Come find it in my latest
haul.
We've been driving to estate sales,digging through the trash pills,
(40:10):
opening the doors that would scareoff all the alpha males, diving into
free bins, fixing up a weak hinge.
There is nothing anyone couldever want that hasn't been made.
Cause we have everything we'd ever need.
We have everything we'd ever need.
(40:34):
We have everything we'd ever need.
And more at Fancy for you.
Stephanie (40:41):
That is so beautiful!
You, you get to add, singer songwriterto your, list of credentials.
That's
Speaker 3 (40:48):
so beautiful!
Stephanie (40:50):
Greta, thank you so much for being on
Conversations with a Chiropractor.
Thank you for having me.
It was such fun.
I would do it again and again.
Yay!
Speaker 6 (41:01):
Thank you so much for listening.
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would youplease rate it, review it, or subscribe?
You can find me on social mediaat WautierWellness.com, Dr.
Stephanie Wautier on Instagram,or Wautier Wellness Chiropractic
and Massage on Facebook.
(41:21):
And I'm so curious where yournext conversation will take you.
Hi, this is Dr.
Stephanie Watt here, and I'm the hostof Conversations with a Chiropractor.
This is not a health how to, butrather a conversation with some
amazing people I've had the pleasureof being with on my journey of life.
Think of it more like Tuesdays with Maury.
A fireside chat orchicken soup for the soul.
(00:27):
Grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoythis conversation with a chiropractor.
Stephanie (00:41):
The day I am joined by Greta, who is the owner of Fancy Free.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for having me.
So Fancy Free is a thrift store.
Would you call it a thrift store?
I like to call it a curated resale shop.
I like that.
That's, that's definitelymore authentically what it is.
(01:02):
Curated resale.
So how long have youbeen in business, Greta?
For three and a half years.
Okay.
And I know you started aslike a pop up shop, right?
Yeah.
So tell me, tell me about that.
Tell me about the process ofhow you started this business.
Greta (01:18):
so it started as a pop up shop and it was open 3 days each month.
I guess, do you want to knowwhat that looked like or prior
to Fancy Free Day opening?
Stephanie (01:30):
Prior.
In fact, we could sort of like, we coulddo like a little bit of a flashback.
Because you recently told me that afterhigh school, 3 days after high school, You
went to Alaska, start there, let's startwith your like, adventurous traveling
spirit and, and what did you do in Alaska?
Greta (01:49):
okay.
So, yeah, 3 days after I graduatedhigh school, I was 17 years old.
I jumped on a plane and moved to Alaskaand I worked at a fishing charter company.
In Sitka, you
Stephanie (02:00):
did in what role were you like on the boat?
Did you got the fish?
Did
Greta (02:06):
you like what?
What exactly did you do?
It was a pretty small company.
So I was kind of the everything girl.
I would wake up in the morningat 4 30 and make breakfast
for the fishermen going out.
And then once the fishermen departed,I was a housekeeper and then I
would have a small break and Iwould come back and serve dinner.
Stephanie (02:28):
Wow.
Greta (02:29):
Yeah.
Stephanie (02:29):
So interesting, because my son is a huge fisherman.
He loves fishing.
And we've talked about this,wouldn't it be cool to do some
sort of a summer job in Alaska?
And you did it.
Yeah, I highly recommend it.
So did you stay there for just the summer?
Did you stay there for longer?
Because that sounds like a prettyrigorous, difficult job to have.
Greta (02:50):
Yes, it is.
It was a difficult job.
I had 1 day off for the summer and theperson who I worked for was, the owner
of a fishing charter company in Alaska.
So, I imagine that couldn't be easy, but.
She was a character.
Anyways,
Stephanie (03:08):
and probably maybe tough, like tough to work for or not.
That's what
Greta (03:13):
I want to say to work for.
Stephanie (03:14):
Maybe not compassionate.
Maybe not.
It's not like you went intothe loving arms of an auntie.
Greta (03:20):
Yes, you were like,
Stephanie (03:21):
the drill sergeant.
You were like, yeah,
Greta (03:23):
yeah, you were
Stephanie (03:24):
taking orders.
Greta (03:25):
I was.
Yes.
Stephanie (03:27):
But I did
Greta (03:28):
fall in love with one of the captains and returned for a second summer.
Stephanie (03:32):
Oh, those summer romances, they're pretty fantastic.
So you, you did that for two summersand, and then what was the next
part of your life's adventure?
Greta (03:46):
And then I moved to Florida.
I lived in West Palm Beach,well, only for a couple months.
I was a beach bum livingon Alaska savings.
Stephanie (03:56):
How
Greta (03:56):
fun.
Stephanie (03:57):
what a cool thing.
I want to be a beach bum when I retire.
Uh huh.
Since I didn't get to do it.
You'd be a really
Greta (04:03):
good one.
Stephanie (04:04):
What am I?
You would, yeah.
I always say I might have a portableadjusting table and people can bring
me like margaritas or pina coladas orcoconuts and that'll be my payment.
Or, or maybe sunscreen, maybeI should use some sunscreen.
Is that an invite?
Yes, absolutely.
Greta (04:22):
Let's do it.
Stephanie (04:23):
Let's do it.
So, Florida, West Palm Beach, just gotto have what maybe some people might
call like you're sowing your wild oats orsome people do the backpacking in Europe.
You did Alaska, then Florida.
And then tell me what happened after that.
Greta (04:40):
And then I just fell in love with adventure and for the following decade, I.
I traveled for 10 years, high and low.
I've been in every corner, everylittle space of the United States,
road tripping and flying all over.
Anyways, long story short, I movedbasically every 6 months for 10 years.
(05:03):
And so I've had 26 addresses.
Wow.
I was just a modern day hippie
Speaker 3 (05:11):
skipping
Greta (05:12):
around and just kind of going wherever the wind blew me.
There was no rhyme or reason to it.
I just, I was like, you land inFlorida, you meet someone that inspires
you and you move somewhere else withthem or not, not quite like that, but
Stephanie (05:26):
no
Greta (05:27):
agenda.
No agenda.
It's not like
Stephanie (05:29):
you were like, Oh, I want by 25, I want to have seen these
countries or like you, you were justlike, wherever the next journey and
adventures, I'm going to follow it.
Greta (05:39):
Yeah, exactly.
I did a lot of seasonalwork to support myself.
but yeah,
Stephanie (05:45):
it's so interesting you've you have this quote and I'm not going
to say it correctly, but basically,you can keep reinventing yourself.
What's that quote again that you say
Greta (05:55):
it's never settle on a style.
That's my, I guess my motto at fancy freeand that's pretty much what it means.
It's that you're always growing,never stop growing until you
get to where you want to be.
And it's that, that little motto meansso much to me because it means, not
(06:16):
only your physical style, like whatyou're putting on your body, but it's
basically, it just means that nobodycan tell you who you are except for you.
And that.
You're just not ever going to set up
until you're happy.
Stephanie (06:32):
I remember talking to you in your shop and I was like, Oh my gosh,
we're going to be in Europe this summer.
And could I bring you back something?
And you were so funny.
I mean, I remember this so vividly.
You were like, Well, I might, I mightgive it away or I might recycle it or
you have such a, a freedom with physicalbelongings that like, is, is not me.
(06:56):
I had such a different experience,very, very, I don't know, I don't
know if I should say stable, butsort of like kind of a traditional
upbringing, hardworking folks.
And they were like, you're going to go toschool and you're going to get a degree
and you're going to support yourself.
And that's what I did.
I went from high school to college.
I was an RN.
I don't know if you know thatI went straight to college,
(07:17):
got my BSN, I was working.
Full time as a nurse at age 22, and Idid have some gypsy years, like when
I was a travel nurse, but I have hadthis bizarre, well maybe not bizarre,
maybe a lot of us are like this, butsentimentality toward physical belongings.
like my mom passed last November,and just last night we were
(07:39):
decorating the Christmas tree, andI've inherited some of her things,
and, like I'm so attached to things.
Yikes.
That's just like very, very opposite.
I, I, I strive to be lessconnected to physical things.
Greta (07:57):
Oh, yeah.
well, I, there's another quote and it'scollect moments, not things, but I'm not
against, I, I'm, it's funny because I'ma store owner, so very much a minimalist.
So the things that I have.
There's a quote that says, don't haveanything in your home that you don't know
(08:17):
to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
Something like that.
And, the things that I do have arevery, very special and stuff I've
had, for a decade that, but, I guess.
Things are very special to me becauseit's very, very special to me when I
get to pass something to someone whoit's going to be very special to them.
(08:41):
And so that's, that'sthe moment that I love
Stephanie (08:44):
and, that big Marie Kondo sort of push and effect
where it's does this bring you joy?
You get to see people having joy sparkedprobably every single day in your store.
Like the rings I just bought yesterday.
like I literally cannot wait.
I made, I'm making Sonya give it to me forChristmas, so I have to wait till December
(09:05):
25th, but I can't wait to wear that,that must, that must sort of do something
for you, as, as a curator of thesebeautiful things, when you're allowing
all these people to get Joy Sparked.
Greta (09:18):
It does.
It's my favorite thing in the world.
Like just yesterday, someonewas in my store and he bought a
painting that reminded him of aspot in Italy that he had visited.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
And I
Greta (09:31):
do get to see those moments every day.
It's my favorite thing whensomeone picks something up and
says my grandma used to have this.
That's the reason whyI do it and it's fun.
Stephanie (09:44):
I think it's so beautiful to not to get, I, I'm not, I'm very
apolitical, but like you are doinggood things for the environment by
encouraging people not to buy a massproduced piece of clothing, right?
I mean, there's also that part of thiscurated, recycled, upcycled, upcycled.
(10:06):
World.
Greta (10:08):
There's so many benefits to shopping resale.
And, the biggest reason for me,the reason why I get everything
secondhand is because of slave labor.
It's everywhere.
And so the 1 way that youcan avoid supporting slave
labor is by shopping resale.
So that's the biggest, the biggest reason.
(10:29):
But then there's the benefits.
the saving money aspect, let someoneelse buy it full price and then get a
deal on it when they're done with it.
Stephanie (10:37):
Oh, my gosh.
And we have found such beautiful thingsin your store from, one year I did like a
coffee cup themed gift to my whole staff.
So one year, I think I found 80 percentof all those beautiful coffee cups.
In your store?
Mm-Hmm.
. And, we found dresses for, highschool dances and we, I mean, I can't
(10:58):
even like name all the cool things.
I actually think that the Christmastrees that I'm just putting
up, they're like clear glass.
And I put twinkle lights in them.
I'm like, yes, you did it.
So, I mean, I could literally takepictures through my house and be
like, I got this at fancy free.
Yeah.
Well, thank you for your support.
(11:20):
Absolutely.
Another thing that I really love, and Ithink many people don't have the freedom
to do this, is to take two pieces ofclothing or two pieces of fabric and
marry them and create a whole new thing.
Tell, tell me about that.
Greta (11:36):
yeah, so the other thing, the other, really beautiful thing about
shopping resale is that clothing ispacked with energy and stories and just
like a plant is living and breathing.
That's how I feel about clothes.
It's like they were made by someoneand they just, They're passed from hand
(11:57):
to hand, and they're, I always say,if, if only our garments could talk
to us, the stories they would tell,so they're just packed with energy.
And, so I, I met someone, her name isPatty and, Probably five months ago now,
we started a clothing line called Eclipse.
(12:17):
It's the aesthetic alignmentof beautiful things.
And, when you meet someone, I call thatan eclipse because, you come together
and I, I guess when I met Patty, wetalked like she walked into my store
and we talked for two hours aboutvintage and it was like a week later,
two weeks later, we had just met.
(12:38):
it was creative fireworks going on.
And so an eclipse is when you meetsomeone and it alters the course in
which you are traveling like, and sothat's what eclipses it's, we bring two
garments together, take a, a vintage denimcoat and put a tea towel on the back.
Well, a tea towel is way prettier whereit's going to be seen all the time.
obviously it's a.
(12:58):
That's really pretty.
Stephanie (13:00):
Like all that hand stitching and all of that detail work.
And my grandmother had pillowcasesthat the edges were like, I don't even
know what you would call it, not justplain embroidery, but like beautiful.
like I, I feel like too, oursociety is such a throwaway society.
We're like, oh, there's a tear in thatthere's a rip in that garbage or in here.
(13:23):
You're, you're taking maybe thereis a tear in something and you're
covering it up or creating a like aan accent with wherever it was torn.
that's beautiful.
Exactly.
Yeah.
We don't.
Throw things the way
Greta (13:36):
we, we repair
Stephanie (13:37):
them.
So how can people find, is thatclothing line, does it have
its own Etsy shop or is it just
Greta (13:45):
found in the store?
It's on, well, it's found in the store.
You can shop.
but also I have a website and it's fancyfree do store and there's an category
that you can shop and that's all stuffthat Patty and I have collaborated on.
Wow.
I didn't even know this.
Yeah.
So, I, I kind of find the piecesand Patty and I get together and
(14:06):
make this vision and she puts ittogether on the sewing machine.
And she's also teaching me to sew.
So
Stephanie (14:12):
it's been fun.
That is so cool.
Yeah,
Greta (14:14):
she's just lit up my world.
so she comes to a fancy for 2days every Monday and Thursday.
Stephanie (14:21):
And you guys kind of collaborate and
Greta (14:23):
collaborate and we repair I'll always have a pile of her of things
for her to repair because oftentimespeople are donating stuff just because
they have a button missing, butit's still a really beautiful thing.
And so Patty just sit back together.
Wow.
Stephanie (14:37):
Is she a seamstress by trade?
Has she like, is thishas this been her life?
Greta (14:42):
Yeah, she's been doing it since, for decades.
She's always done it.
And, it's funny because for her, it wasalso that eclipse where she's just always
been creating and creating and creating.
She just has, All this art and, clothingthat she's created, but she's just
had no place, no, platform to sell it.
(15:02):
She doesn't like to sell things.
She likes to make things.
Stephanie (15:05):
We all have these different gifts.
Like I am not a salesperson, which isso, it's so great that I have a business
partner who that's one of her strengths.
we, we all, we, we need otherpeople like pieces of the puzzle.
Greta (15:19):
Yeah.
When creative people joinhands, anything is possible.
Absolutely.
Stephanie (15:24):
It is so fun.
So we kind of went all the wayback and then we came all the way
to your current stuff, but I thinkwe, we missed how Fancy Free began.
So 10 years of traveling aroundthe country, excuse me, around the
world, and you at that point, areyou kind of in this curating process?
Are you picking things up?
(15:45):
Tell me about the beginning of Fancy Free.
Oh, fancy
Greta (15:49):
free was inside of me since the day that I was born.
but I had, so I had 9 siblingsand we were a very thrifty family.
We didn't really shop new.
I mean.
My mom was a huge thrifter.
And so thank you mom for teachingme everything I know about
Stephanie (16:09):
thrifting.
Greta (16:10):
At the time, I didn't realize how much of a gift she was giving me.
but she is the woman who trained me.
She also had her own thrift storewhen I was growing up called finders
keepers in Collier, Michigan.
And so,
Stephanie (16:24):
that's just spectacular that a mother of
nine children could have a store.
My mom is.
Just
Greta (16:30):
the hardest worker.
She was.
Raising nine children, but also providingfor them working full time, and it's
funny because in my high school years,my mom would come home from work and she
also would continue to work and becauseshe did the scheduling for her job.
(16:51):
she, she worked at an Alzheimer'scare facility where she would
puzzle their schedule together.
it has, I don't know, 60employees that need scheduling.
So, my mom was often at the dinnertable, creating the schedule
after she came home from work.
And so I, that's, that's how a lot of.
What I remember my mom,she also did as a hobby.
(17:14):
She did wedding cakes.
Stephanie (17:16):
Oh my gosh.
Greta (17:17):
Yeah.
She was a hobby.
She is an artist.
it's just that when you'reraising nine children, you don't
have the luxury of a paintbrush.
what I want to say about my mom is thatall of her children left the nest and
this woman starts slinging paintings.
like hundreds of paintings.
Oh, my gosh.
So she
always had this creativityartist inside of her, but I
(17:39):
never saw her with a paintbrush.
Stephanie (17:42):
She didn't have the time.
She was doing things toprovide for the family, right?
Exactly.
So it just, Yeah, thank youfor your sacrifice as well.
That's so beautiful.
Do you have any of herpaintings in your shop?
Greta (17:58):
I do.
Well, I have a, I have a veryspecial painting of, I lived in
Wyoming and she painted the scenethat I saw every day in Wyoming.
And so that's a painting ofhers that I'll have forever.
And then I have another paintingof the lightning express,
which is a song that I wrote.
She used to sing as a lullaby.
So there's two paintingsthat I treasure from my mom.
Stephanie (18:20):
Oh, I've never heard of the lightning express.
Would you feel comfortable likesinging a little bit of it?
Or
Greta (18:28):
it's the story of, it's funny.
I always joke.
My parents sang lullabies to us and therewas five songs that they would sing as
lullabies and all of them were stories.
Of the parents passing away,but I guess it builds empathy.
So anyway, this lightning expresses thestory of, a boy who's traveling on a train
to get home to his mother who's dying, buthe doesn't have money for a train ticket.
(18:51):
And so a girl on the train takes ahat and she makes a collection for
to pay for the boy's train ticket.
But yeah.
Wow.
I want to reach home and
kiss mother goodbyebefore God takes her away.
Oh, sad.
Yeah.
What a sad lullaby.
(19:12):
It is a sad lullaby, but it'sone that I'll pass on to my
children because it's such a bigpart of, I'll never forget that.
Yes.
But my mom, my dad would play iton guitar and my mom would sing it.
And so that's something that'sa special, that's a core memory.
Stephanie (19:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So you were raised with music,I want to come back to music,
but so let's, let's go back.
So Fancy Free You Said was a partof you since you, you were born and
your mom's thrifting and your mom'ssort of probably business savviness.
And I mean, it sounds like she'smany, many, has many talents,
(19:50):
which I see in you as well.
She's the everything mom.
So special.
So you, like, how did you decide tostart Fancy Free in Marquette, Michigan?
Greta (20:00):
Oh, yes, so we got a little sidetracked there, but the main thing is
I guess, I guess what happened is FancyFree is inside of me since I was just a
child because I'm, I'm an artist and acreative and a musician, except for the
only thing is that I don't know that.
(20:22):
And, and I don't know how to share itand I don't know what to do with all
of this creative energy inside of me.
And so as I'm traveling for10 years, so I lived in.
After I moved to Alaska, I lived inArizona and Texas and Wyoming and
Connecticut and Florida and Michiganand North Dakota and Minnesota, picking
(20:46):
up all these random jobs, wow, Segwaytour guide and I sang at birthday
parties as Elsa and Anna and and I wasa school photographer and I worked at
Krispy Kreme and, I worked as a teacher,which was one of my favorite jobs.
But, the job that I had before fancyfree was I worked as a nanny in New York
city for a woman who was not that nice.
(21:11):
Have you seen the movie?
The nanny diaries?
Yes, yes.
That was my, I read that book andI was like, Did I write this book?
This is wow.
I know exactly what I went throughit to the details where they had
houses everywhere They had a housein Aspen just like in that book and
they had a few houses in New YorkCity and then they had two houses in
(21:32):
Greenwich and we flew on private jetsto For the weekend to go to Aspen
and I went to Israel with them and oh
Stephanie (21:39):
my gosh
Greta (21:40):
So it was a nice little cup of tea to drink just for a little bit
Stephanie (21:45):
Although if it, if it's sort of like the nanny diaries, your
boss was maybe a difficult slashhorrible slash, I don't know, person.
Yes.
Greta (21:55):
So that's, that's kind of what hoped me, to the point.
So I guess.
That's what I'm trying to say isI was a nanny in New York City for
a woman who did not treat me well.
She did not.
My goal.
It's always been my goalto share art and music.
That's what I do.
And so that, I wanted to do that withher four children and I was always
(22:18):
doing that with her four children.
however, she, I don't know,Never appreciated it in me.
I would go above and beyond tocreate these projects for them and
write songs with them and stuff.
And she, she would just turn theice sometimes because I don't know.
I spent, I think, more time withher kids than she did, but, you did.
(22:40):
Yeah.
I mean, I've had friendswho have been nannies and.
Yeah, and so I guess my breaking pointwas when I sat down to meet with her
about a raise because I was working70 hours a week, and I was doing
way more than just being her nanny.
I was the house manager and doingall the appointments and taking care.
(23:03):
Of her dad who was on his deathbed and,like I would work a 10 hour day and then
she would say, she would tell me to go tothe other house that they had in Greenwich
and check that all the lights worked.
Oh my gosh.
So I was just like, Hey,I had a meeting with her.
I said, Hey, I need to be paidto be compensated for your time.
(23:24):
Exactly.
Yeah.
I'm only being paid to be the nanny here.
So I asked for a raise and she said,Greta, you're getting paid an experience
of being a mom because she knows I have5 sisters who are, 4 of them are mothers.
She knows I love moms.
I, I, I really value the mother,but so that's what she said.
(23:47):
She knows how much I anyways,
Stephanie (23:50):
I I think that's such an unfortunate archetype.
Let's just call it an archetypebecause She knows deep down that she
either doesn't have the capacity ordoesn't want to make the time in the
capacity To be down in the dirt ofmotherhood Like how dare she like
slap you in the face with that?
Like that's that's manipulationto a degree of yeah, that's bad.
Greta (24:15):
Yeah.
And so, I asked her for a raise andshe says, But Greta, you're being
paid in the experience of being a mom.
And so I was kind oflike, well, I'm not a mom.
Mm hmm, and I'm working very hard andshe kind of pushed me to the edge.
And so at that moment I put in mytwo weeks notice and and then that's
(24:37):
when she said, okay I'll give you araise and she said you'll get your
own apartment in New York City.
Oh my gosh.
And she said, you'll get an extra day off.
She was, she was really trying tokeep me, but I just, I held true
because I had just been used, abused.
Stephanie (24:53):
Absolutely.
And for all the young people out there,like for my daughter and son who are
getting ready to be launched intothe world, like these moments, these
decisions, these like crossroads, Idon't want to say, To dance with the
devil, but yeah, do you, do you staysomewhere where you feel authentically
abused just because you're going tohave a great New York City apartment or,
(25:15):
or do you sort of say, no, in my heartof hearts, I can't take this abuse.
The abuse won't change.
I'm being bought off.
those are really, reallyhard decisions to make.
Greta (25:25):
Yeah.
Stephanie (25:25):
I mean, yeah.
Greta (25:27):
Yeah.
So I guess my oldest sister, I had aconversation with her and, I don't know.
I got a care package from my sistersand, and that's because they saw
how I was having a hard time there.
And they were kind of like,Greta, I think you should quit.
My oldest sister said, money comesand goes, just get out of there
and that always will stick with me.
(25:47):
So I left that job.
She owed me 8, 000 when I left.
I never, I never got thatmoney, which is fine.
But, basically what I'm saying is that.
She treated me so badly that Iwas like, No, I'm not being paid
in the experience of being a mom.
I'm being paid in the experienceof getting my shit together so
that I never have to work forsomeone like you ever again.
(26:12):
So I moved from New York city toMarquette, Michigan, and I popped
like a balloon and out comes fancy.
And
Stephanie (26:19):
it, it is interesting sometimes when we have almost
those very worst experiences thatpush us to our breaking point.
Like if, if it had been comfortablefor you, if she was lovely and she gave
you a New York city apartment and shetreated you beautifully, perhaps you would
still be a nanny today in New York city.
Exactly.
So it's, it's interestingwhen we have those raw.
(26:42):
Rough, bad, horrible, life changingexperiences that create us to be
so resilient, but they push you tothen do the thing to do the thing.
Exactly.
So
Greta (26:55):
now I have a boss who appreciates me and who appreciates me as an artist,
Stephanie (26:59):
which is yourself, which is me.
Yes.
So you were still traveling though, soyou, you had the shop open for three
days a month and you were, you werestill at that early stages of fancy free,
still on that sort of curation journey.
Mm-Hmm.
. Am I correct?
Mm-Hmm.
. Okay.
Greta (27:18):
Well, I guess the main part of, I guess a little bit of the mission at Fancy
Free, and that's the most important thing.
And that's to stop the wildfireof creative expression.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
And
Greta (27:30):
that's what I want to do is bring everybody is an artist.
And so I just helped tobring it to the surface.
And, that's something that I wasn'table to do it at my last prior job.
And so.
It's just the main goal.
And,
Stephanie (27:48):
I always think like sort of in my own personal life, like some of
the negative experiences I had being acritical care nurse, and one of the main
things that I wanted to do as my own smallbusiness owner is to create an atmosphere,
of love, of healing, of positivity,of joy that was so in contrast to
some of those other environmentsof, being in the hospital.
(28:11):
So you did sort of the same thing.
You had that atmosphere and you completelycreated a different atmosphere, a fancy
free, yeah, one of like joy and creativeexpression and yeah, and music and music.
So it sounds like you had 2 musicians.
Your mom and dad were both musiciansand music was a part of your growing
(28:34):
up, I assume, in addition to thelullabies, was there more music?
Greta (28:39):
Oh, every day.
My dad sang every single day.
My mom wasn't quite amusician, but she sings.
Oh,
Stephanie (28:45):
okay.
Greta (28:46):
Yeah, so my mom's an artist.
My dad is a musician.
Stephanie (28:49):
Okay.
Did your dad have a quote unquote day job?
You talked a little bitabout what your mom did.
Greta (28:56):
Yes.
My dad is a dry waller or he's inconstruction, I guess I'll say.
Okay.
And he's, he's very, he's six foot eight.
And so I always joke and sayhe never needed a ladder.
No, he didn't.
But yeah, he was the hardest.
He, he worked very, very hard too.
And, I think every, every housein the town that we grew up in, he
(29:22):
either worked in or he sang in, so
Stephanie (29:25):
he was
Greta (29:25):
always taking his guitar and,
Stephanie (29:27):
that's beautiful.
That's beautiful.
So you.
Fancy Free's birth occurs and,now it's, is it five years old?
How many years?
Three and a half.
Three and a half years old.
Okay.
Just a baby.
So you started three days amonth and still traveling and now
you're there like six days a week.
And music is a reallybig part of your store.
(29:51):
Tell us about that.
Greta (29:53):
so, yeah, I went from 3 days a month to 6 days a week because, I
love, I thrive around people and itwas, Nobody knew, but in the other
27 day, everybody loved the popup shop, but then in the other 27
days, I was like, I miss everyone.
So I opened full time.
And now on Tuesdays, every otherTuesday, I host a music and movement
(30:15):
class for children under the age of 5.
So moms come and bring their childrenand we dance and sing and and then
on every other Wednesday, I hostan open jam for adult musicians.
musicians of all ages and skill levels,we just get together and share music.
I kind of started a band,which I call the Fancy Freaks.
(30:37):
And, basically the concept is that it'sa band where the, it's a non committal
band where the members ebb and flow.
So I say, join us for a songor for a set or for life.
Stephanie (30:48):
That's really freeing for a lot of people not to have
to make that lifelong commitment.
Greta (30:53):
Exactly.
That's awesome.
Yeah, so we've been doing that fortwo years or probably a little over,
we get together every other week and,and I guess the best way to grow as a
musician is to be around other musicians.
So it's just a warm and welcoming andcreative environment for people to share.
we sit in a circle and.
And just share.
Stephanie (31:11):
That's so cool.
And you've performed at many places.
I know you personally, and withthe band, tell us a little bit
about where you've performed.
Greta (31:20):
Oh, yeah.
So, I mean, I guess, well, we,we do a lot of open mics and we
just have so much fun with it.
Sometimes I'll throw a wig on and Andwhat's fun about that is that you can
just kind of be whoever you want to be.
And so I do open mics and wigs a lot.
It's kind of this thing that I do.
Stephanie (31:40):
Love that.
Cause I did a little bit of musicaltheater growing up and I feel like when
you're on stage as someone else, there'sa different kind of a freedom than when
you're up in front of people as yourself.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Right.
Stephanie (31:52):
yeah, there's like a freedom that comes to that a little
bit of an alternate identity.
Exactly.
It's a,
Greta (31:59):
yeah, actually, basically you could just, yeah, it's freeing, sort
of like skinny dipping in the ocean.
Stephanie (32:06):
Oh, yeah.
Very freeing.
Greta (32:11):
Yeah.
Stephanie (32:13):
So, so do you have, I mean, there, It's, it's kind of,
what's the word I want to use?
I don't want to say intense, but to be asmall business owner, where you're open
six days a week and then you have the oneday off to get your groceries and do your
bookkeeping, and do you have anybody elsethat's working with you now besides Patty?
Greta (32:33):
yeah, so that I have four creative employees and, they all do different
things and have different gifts and.
It's definitely, they help mehold, hold everything up, and so,
Stephanie (32:45):
I'm so happy for you that you have like a team to help you because
it's, it's an impossibility to, to bea, well, it's not an impossibility,
but to be a one person show.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Greta (32:56):
Yeah.
So for two years, I did italone, but I was like, I'm not
going to do this alone anymore.
Stephanie (33:03):
And some people might at that moment be like, I'm burned out
and I'm going to close the shop.
I think that's like an all like analternative that some people just
maybe in an emotional way, justthey're like, I can't do it anymore.
So how cool that you like worked throughthat and said, I want to keep the
shop open, but I just need some help.
Greta (33:21):
Yeah, that's
Stephanie (33:22):
awesome.
Exactly.
I did hit,
Greta (33:24):
I hit a point where I was like, Okay.
Well, I'm spread very thin.
I can't shine in my area if Idon't have other people helping me.
Yeah,
absolutely.
That's the one creative people join hands.
Anything is possible.
So also grateful to asupportive community.
So I feel that they'repart of the team too.
I mean,
Speaker 3 (33:44):
it's a,
Greta (33:44):
it's such, that's what community is.
So.
Stephanie (33:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
Greta (33:48):
It often feels like my customers are my family and
Stephanie (33:53):
Well, it was one of my patients that told me about
Greta (33:55):
you,
Stephanie (33:57):
and I was like, Oh my gosh, like this is the coolest place.
And, even yesterday Soniaand I had 30 minutes to quote
unquote spare between things.
And we were like, let's go see Greta.
let's stop in.
I mean, it, you, you sort of, I mean, Iwould call you my friend, even though.
Yeah.
I only come to your shop, but youknow, you are part of like our
(34:19):
lives and the community and yeah,I would call you my friend too.
Thank you.
So big, big holidayseason coming up, right?
We're looking at Thanksgiving in the, somany, many retailers are having big sales
for Black Friday and then Saturday afterThanksgiving is Small Business Saturday.
(34:40):
So tell us, will Fancy Free be open?
Those days?
Greta (34:44):
Fantasy Free will be open Friday and Saturday for, for the best sales.
we're doing 50 percent offboth Friday and Saturday.
Stephanie (34:52):
50 percent off of everything?
Greta (34:53):
Yep, everything.
Oh
Stephanie (34:55):
my
Greta (34:55):
gosh.
I love to pass on the savings.
Wow.
That is beyond spectacular.
And live music both Friday and Saturday.
It's going to be a party at Fantasy Freeand obviously there will be giveaways.
Oh, my gosh.
And I got to give
Stephanie (35:09):
away once.
That was so fun.
Greta (35:11):
Yes.
Wait, what did you win?
Stephanie (35:12):
I don't even remember.
Did I win?
I don't know.
Was it a mystery box?
Maybe.
Maybe it was.
I feel like, yeah, I feel likeit was probably a mystery box.
That is so fun too.
I mean, who doesn't love a mystery box?
Greta (35:27):
Right?
A box full of mysteries.
Yes.
Stephanie (35:30):
So what are your hours going to be for Friday and Saturday?
Greta (35:33):
we'll be open 10 to 6 and both Friday and Saturday and 50 percent off the
Stephanie (35:38):
entire day on both days.
Wow.
So people in Marquette can come to FancyFree on Friday and Saturday, 10 to 6.
Hear live music and get 50percent off of everything.
Everything in the store.
Oh my gosh.
We're out of town.
I wish we could be here.
it's funny.
(35:59):
So years ago I saw these, redand black buffalo plaid wool,
rich pants at your store.
And, and, I was like, oh, you shouldget those and you could craft with them.
And they reminded me of my grandpaand I was like, Oh, should I get them?
Should I not get them?
And of course.
They were gone.
I didn't get them that day.
(36:19):
The next time I came in, they were gone.
So I encourage people, if you have thatspark of joy, and you see something,
you have to get it at that exact moment.
Because you do have such a beautiful,curated collection of, of amazing things.
But you gotta get it, that's, yougotta get it when that joy is sparked,
because somebody else is gonna grab it.
Greta (36:40):
That is another thing that happens.
A lot of fancy dress.
Someone will come back forsomething and it will be gone.
And I'm just always well,there's more pretty things.
I do it every day.
So, it'll come, it'll come, it'll come.
Stephanie (36:53):
Yeah.
But I mean, I'll never forget that.
It's so funny.
And, and that's sort of my mantra.
It's you know what?
And I, and I do love shopping.
I don't know if that surprises you.
I love shopping.
I love shopping for people.
It gives me such joy.
So, yeah, no, I get it.
If I think if it sparks joy, I get it.
Maybe I will pass it along as Iam in my older years, becoming
(37:17):
less attached to things.
It's actually, we've been in a purgemode, moving into a smaller house and.
I'm, I'm taking some of those, those soundbites and those beautiful bits of advice.
Yeah.
Oh, I guess.
And Greta, you wouldn't, you wouldn'tthink that in a curated resale
world, you could return things,but you have a policy about that.
Greta (37:40):
Yes.
Well, of course, happy customeris number one priority.
So if you ever do grab something and itwasn't for you, you could bring it back.
There's 30 days.
And I will work with you on helpingyou find something you love.
That's amazing.
And then, oh yeah, I do another thing atfancy free where if you did buy stuff that
(38:03):
you don't love, don't let it sit in yourcloset and collect dust or, you can, if
you bring a curated bag of donations tofancy free, it's a 10 token on the spot.
It's a fun way to donate and it supportsall the music that happens at fancy free.
And so yeah.
You can also, find something you loveas well as donate to a good cause.
And yeah, it supports localmusic and local artists
Stephanie (38:25):
and a local business woman, I mean, not a box store, not, we're
not talking about corporate America.
Like this is your hometown, youper girl, even though you've
traveled all over the world.
Greta (38:38):
Exactly.
Yeah.
I mean, real people arein small businesses.
So
Stephanie (38:43):
absolutely, absolutely.
So in closing, I mean, I'm so gratefulthat, that we were able to sit down
and have this conversation today.
I'm so excited for this holidayseason for people to be able
to get these amazing deals.
And if they want to followyou on social media, tell us
all the tags, all the things.
Greta (39:02):
Oh, it's easy.
It's fancy free HQ on everything.
TikTok, Instagram, I'm on Facebook.
as fancy free, so yeah, fancy free
Stephanie (39:12):
HQ and then your website is fancy free store.
Yeah.
Fancy free.
Dot store.
Dot store.
Okay.
As we close credit, is there anything elsethat you want to share with our listeners?
Anything about yourself?
Anything about the store?
Oh yeah.
Just this little song.
Greta (39:28):
Oh, sing it girl.
this is a song that I wrote witha friend and it's called, we have
everything it's kind of about my journey.
So.
You could start a long adventure ina dark winter with an empty plate
for dinner and still come out as awinner, cause you're never quite alone.
(39:50):
A thousand hands will hold youup, we go together like cold
weather and a secondhand sweaterthat was never worn better.
You want anything at all?
Come find it in my latest
haul.
We've been driving to estate sales,digging through the trash pills,
(40:10):
opening the doors that would scareoff all the alpha males, diving into
free bins, fixing up a weak hinge.
There is nothing anyone couldever want that hasn't been made.
Cause we have everything we'd ever need.
We have everything we'd ever need.
(40:34):
We have everything we'd ever need.
And more at Fancy for you.
Stephanie (40:41):
That is so beautiful!
You, you get to add, singer songwriterto your, list of credentials.
That's
Speaker 3 (40:48):
so beautiful!
Stephanie (40:50):
Greta, thank you so much for being on
Conversations with a Chiropractor.
Thank you for having me.
It was such fun.
I would do it again and again.
Yay!
Speaker 6 (41:01):
Thank you so much for listening.
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would youplease rate it, review it, or subscribe?
You can find me on social mediaat WautierWellness.com, Dr.
Stephanie Wautier on Instagram,or Wautier Wellness Chiropractic
and Massage on Facebook.
(41:21):
And I'm so curious where yournext conversation will take you.
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