We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephani Clymer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephani, how does your business help the community?
At Shop Common Thread we feel privlidged to be accepted as a part of the communities we are in. Our flagship store is based in Eastside Costa Mesa, CA where we have grown up for the past 17 years. This amazing community has given us life through the best and worst of times. Our second store will open in South Orange County (San Juan Capistrano) next month and we are so excited to immerse ourselves in their culture and traditions.

As a part of these communities we feel pulled to connect with the local residents and support their efforts to give back. We constantly donate to local schools, churches and charities through donations and shopping events. Often the charities are a smaller local chapter of a larger organzation and we have the opportunity to hear exactly how and where we can best help.

Our amazing clients and friends have introduced us to countless great causes and made us part of the fundraising and successes. At the end of the day our goal is to grow more to give more, leaving communities a bit brighter.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Today I am most proud of the realization that it is never too late to make a change. After owning Shop Common Thread for 17 years I can say that I have grown up right alongside this dream.

From a small maternity store (yes, we started out in 1,400 square feet and we were called Xpecting) where we had tiny sales goals and let me tell you I did not know what I did not know. And there was A LOT that I did not know. By the grace of God we (which was mostly me and two VERY part timers) survived the 2008 economic crisis and slowly I decided to learn more and to discover how to improve our sales. I learned about the industry and how others grow, I learned to market differently, to host events, to connect with each customer and to hear what they had to share.

By 2016 we had to pivot out of the maternity industry and I learned to trust my gut that told me to change the name, logo and overall concept. Everyone said ‘you cannot do that’. But I just kept asking – why not? Nobody could really answer that question and that is when I learned that we cannot always do what has been done in the past.

I worked with my team to create core values, we defined our culture, we took over the space next door and doubled in size. We finally had momentum on our side. Yep, this took over a decade to build!

Then 2020 hit and it was time to find out if the work had paid off. We stuck together like a family. We doubled our sales. And then we did it again in 2021 – another year of doubling our sales.

One person, one year and one small change at a time we became who we are today. And we are most excited to know that tomorrow we will be even better!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We live in a beach town so I have to say that is where we would spend most of our time. From sunrises and sunsets on the sand to warm days in the water we would visit spots from Newport to San Clemente.

We would eat at Trenta pizza in Costa Mesa, Bear Flag in Newport Beach and Mayfield in San Juan Capistrano. We would explore history at the Mission in San Juan, bike to breakfast on Lido in Newport and stop for coffee at Coffee Dose, Hidden House and KIT (can you tell I love a good coffee spot?).

We would also go to bed very early because quite honestly that is all I know. So you may find a lot more excitement if you ask a different gal in these towns!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The women who choose to spend their time and energy working at Shop Common Thread are the heroes of our success story. Our employees exemplify what it means to give…even on the days where they have so much going on in their own lives that it would seem they have nothing to give. They show up, they connect, they offer joy and love and help. These are the women who know your dogs, hold your babies, hug you extra tight and send a text to ask how that job interview went!

The Common Thread women inspire me to keep going and to work to provide more opportunity for them, for their dreams and for their families.

Website: www.shopcommonthread.com

Instagram: @shopcommonthreadoc

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/shop-common-thread

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopcommonthreadoc/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/common-thread-costa-mesa-2

Image Credits
Maria Pope Photography

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