Tag Archives: #secrettown

Mystery, an epiphany unlocked a pro mindset.

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The entrepreneurial journey unfolds in mysterious ways.  I admit, I have been fighting the mystery.  I want a clear cut road map with guaranteed destinations, an expectation belonging to an amateur mindset.  An epiphany unlocked a pro mindset.  I will embrace the mystery!

Flown The coop! Embrace the Mystery... Tiffany's epiphany... the journey is a brilliant mystery.

Flown The Coop

Flown The Coop closed the doors to regular hours on Saturday, August 4th.  Big dreams die hard.  Change can be heartbreaking.

I will continue pursuing creative classes on a variety of topics.  I will host an occasional event, like our BIG Backyard Bash on September 28th. (why not???? we have a fun space for a party!)

Jeff and I are talking to contractors about our garden guest house.  I have dreamed of this project for almost four years.  Stayed tuned for progress updates as the project comes together.

Embracing the mystery... Tiffany's entrepreneurial journey of letting go of expectations.

An ephinany

I have operated in survival mode for too long, trying to make sense of it all.  Thank God for authors who speak right into our souls at the perfect time.  I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I reread Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield.  This little book is incredibly insightful into an amateur mindset and a pro mindset.  Funny how all the books I’ve read lately are all pointing to mindset.  Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, PhD is a great resource for learning the difference between fixed and growth mindset.  I loved Girl Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis.  Rachel shares raw life experience in an attempt to get her readers to identify lies and create a positive mindset.

I had an epiphany reading Turning Pro.  I am a Networker.  Recognizing this truth about me is the moment I “Turned Pro.”  My amateur mindset has been running from this gift.  It seems skeevy.  It has a ton of bad connotations.  Entrepreneurs survive by networking themselves with people.  I believe that I have a gift for connecting people and promoting ideas I care about.  I have the gift of hospitality which is a really handy skill for a Networker.

Hi!  My name is Tiffany.  I am a Networker.  The best epiphany ever!

I can’t quite put my finger on how to define my new role as a Networker.  I am embracing the mystery.

Letting go of Flown The Coop retail was my first hard step.  Pros do hard things.

Stepping into the mystery

I will step into the mystery by working on business developments that promote my passion for wellness and the pursuit of a life well lived.  All of my projects require me to learn new skills and get out of my comfort zone.

I am building a team with Young Living.  I adore this company and their commitment to bringing a wellness mindset to every home.  On top of the business opportunity, I am impressed with the company’s world wide philanthropy opportunities.  It makes my heart sing!

I am also building a team with Scout & Cellar Wine, another company with high standards and a commitment to wellness.  Working with Scout & Cellar is an exciting journey into the clean crafted wine industry.  I am learning to savor good food and great wine.  I have inhaled my food without thought for far too long.

Gadabout Gals ~  The launching of Gadabout Gals, our lifestyle travel site was a true labor of love with my favorite gal pals and is a collaboration made in heaven.  The three of us truly love to travel finding adventure in excursions, destinations and great flavors.  We are using our combined influence (networking) to promote our experiences.

Clear as mud

I have two choices

  • I can control the future with fear (amateur)
  • I can embrace mystery as a beautiful reality.

I will put in the effort and allow the mystery do it’s thing.

I will focus on the only thing I have control of, my mindset.

I will let go and fly free!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky

Flown The Coop Liquidation Sale

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Make plans to come out to our Liquidation Sale at Flown the Coop.  Shop our “junque” with garage sale prices {except consignment and choice pieces}.  To be honest, we won’t know exactly what we have until we pull it all out.  I know for sure we have doors, sleds, canoe, Coca Cola machine, barn beam, wood, car hoods, signs, furniture, and misc. smalls…. and we’re ready to liquidate!

Thursday, June 14th – Saturday, June 16th

11am – 5pm

But first let me share with you how we got here….

Flown The Coop’s humble beginnings

From humble beginnings to Liquidation Sale... Flown The Coop is a genuine free spirit

The storefront was a blank page three years ago.  The dream of a store in Burton, where Jeff and I could work and live, was sealed with the promise of a rainbow.

Flown The Coop sealed with the promise of a rainbow

It has been a wild ride!  I cherish the friends I’ve made,  both customers and/or vendors.  I have loads of memories from buying trips, and the cool “finds” I brought back to The Coop.  The numerous events, from White Linen Night to Backyard Karaoke Bashes, have filled my cup!  I even treasure the obstacles that have been thrown my way.  All in all, I am blessed with a wonderful creative outlet.  I have become a better version of myself because of this adventure.

So why a liquidation sale????

I am, and will always be a gen.u.ine FREE spirit.  I am keenly aware when I need to adjust my wings.

Flown The Coop's Tiffany loves her WINGS, and is excited about the future... especially the liquidation sale June 14-16

The recent changes that have been made to the storefront are well received.

The Coop feels bigger with an open floor plan.

The classes are well received!  It is pure joy building relationships with customers who attend the classes.  I am currently working with a variety of teachers to offer classes that will work for them and potential students.  Jeff and I have plans to double the classroom space.  Groups will be welcome to use this space as a collaborative work space, private wine tastings and for small events.  The Creative space is a genuine “parks & rec” at Flown The Coop.

After the Flown The Coop Liquidation Sale????

Expect exciting days ahead for Flown The Coop…. I say “exciting” because I have no clue what’s in store for us (no pun intended).

One thing is clear, I can’t go on as it is.  My resolve has tanked with sales.

Customers can visit the storefront on Saturdays through the summer, along with scheduled classes and events.

The Antique Show in the fall is still up for debate.  Although, I have booked a band September 28th.  I will have a BIG party that night. STAYED TUNED!  (follow the EVENTS page on this website)

The guest house will be underway shortly.  That is a done deal… FINALLY!  I am looking forward to sharing every step of the way with you.  I might even let you in on some of the design decisions.

My enthusiasm and energy is being poured into a few passion projects.
  • I love sharing my wellness journey and Young Living Essential Oils.  There has never been a more important time to focus on keeping the body well!
  • Join our Burton Oilers Facebook Page for the wellness community & conversation.
  • I love sharing Scout & Cellar, a clean crafted wine company that pairs well with wellness.  I’m having so much fun sharing what I learn about the wine industry, classifications of wines and offering wine tastings.  #friendsdontletfriendsdrinkdirtywine
  • Gadabout Gals is my latest collaboration with my best friends Michele and Kelly.  Our launch last week exceeded our expectations!  Read how all that came about HERE.  The three of us and our Gadabout Guys have BIG plans to cross the globe together.  Individually, we have interesting adventures you can follow as well.

With mixed emotions, I look forward to what lies ahead.

Your friend,

Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

 

 

 

Life in the Prime!

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A women in her Prime! Going for it!

The beginning of an epiphany:

In preparing for our vacation to Belize, I discovered a picture of a fearless young girl jumping off the end of the pier at The Villa Groovy Gecko.  I admired her youthful inhibitions and knew I had to recreate that picture! {See Take The Leap}

The Villa Groovy Gecko, our vacation home in Placencia, was perfect!  After a tour and home instructions, the gang didn’t waist any time tackling island life.  First stop, floating in the pool, then we made cocktails and soaked it all in.  Jeff tried out the paddle boards and a few of us headed to the pier to watch.

The pier was calling me.  I knew in my gut that it was time for me to take the leap!  I wanted to get this act of bravery over with.  The only problem was a rare influx of seaweed had washed up shore.  The water looked mucky and I had no idea of what I’d be swimming with.  Even in my younger days I didn’t like to swim in lake or ocean water.  I just kept thinking, “I can’t let that young girl have all the fun.”  So I did it… I took the leap!

Our dreamy trip to Belize

I can honestly say our vacation to Belize was the best!  I fell in love with The Villa Groovy Gecko, and the entire staff who took such good care of us.  It was special to experience a bucket list dream with my hubby and best friends!  The weather was great with only one day of rain.  The day it rained, my friends and I had a epic dance party in the foyer. #winning  I watched the sunrise every morning from the end of the pier, and experienced a breezy massage there too.  There were adventures in the village, at a waterfall and a sunset sail. Finally, at our last dinner Jeff and I went international with our karaoke version of Inspite Of Ourselves (a John Prine song).

The vacation was everything I imagined and more!  Here are a few highlights:

 

The Epiphany

I had plenty of time to think.  The ocean breezes and the jungle air helped clarify a few things for me.

Conversations I had with Kelly and Michele, while lazily hanging at the pool, stuck with me. {This is where the epiphany set in}  I’ll be 50 years young in two years.  I am middle aged.

I don’t feel old.  I don’t act old.  I still have HUGE dreams.  So, why would this number even effect me???

Dreams aren’t reserved for the young, but for the young at heart. I believe the only real limitations I have are the ones I create.  I still have thirty plus years to blow up my dreams, and the confidence that I lacked in my youth.  Watch out!

Future plans?

When I returned home, I had a conversation with Jeff about focusing energy on our middle age.  It is time for us to get laser focused on what we want, where we want to go and how we’ll get there.  No time to waste!

Kelly, Michele and I agree that there is a market for women (and men) who are coming into a new freedom.  After raising a family and/or pursuing the career of our youth, it is time to pursue out of the box ideals.

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal ~Earl Nigthengale

I believe success is defined differently in the prime of life.  “Worthy ideals” may be a call to travel, or start a new business, or maybe it is time to do volunteer work on a passion project.

After the conversations I had with my tribe (Jeff, Kelly, Jason & Michele)… and my epiphany in Belize… it is no coincidence that I found an advertisement for Prime Women Magazine,  “Redefining the ageless generation.”  BINGO!  Confirmation to my hunch.

There are a bazillion ideas running through my head.  The future looks as mucky as the water I leaped into at the end of the pier in Belize.  One thing I know for sure, I am not letting the young have all the fun!  I’ll take the leap!  Here are a few things I’m working on:

  1. I love the course Flown The Coop is on.  Creative At The Coop classes start this Saturday (May 19th).  I LOVE all our product lines and supporting local entrepreneurs.  The redesigned the store looks amazing!  Exciting times!
  2. Jeff and I are planning the start of our guest house project.  This is going to be challenging, but so rewarding!  Stay tuned!
  3. I’m going to attack business ventures with confidence.  I am currently building three businesses; Flown The Coop, Young Living and now Scout & Cellar.  They are all wellness focused and allow me to express my passion for entrepreneurial endeavors.
  4. Travel and travel real estate is calling my tribe.  Currently researching vacation property.  AND… Kelly, Michele and I are looking at relaunching a travel project we started nine years ago.  EEKS!
  5. Wellness has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  I started my wellness journey in response to health crisis.  Now, I want to make wellness an integral part of my life.  I am going to be extremely picky what I ingest, inhale and/or place on my body.  I am going to be even pickier about the thoughts that I entertain.  I need my body to keep up with all the business, travel and lifestyle adventures I have planned.

No more inhibitions, I am a women in my PriMe!

Reach out to me by email or comment below if you can relate to life in the prime!

  1. I’d love to talk with you about entrepreneurship in the prime years.
  2. I’d love to encourage you in moving past limitations.
  3. Let me know what travel interests you have.

Life is a journey, come travel with me!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

 

 

This Milestone Calls For A Party

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On March 25th Flown The Coop will celebrate our first year in business!

The past year seems to have gone by quickly, and at the same time feels as if it were a lifetime ago.  It really is hard to believe how connected we feel to Burton in such a short time.

This milestone calls for a party, or two!  {of course}

Friday, March 25th we’ll host the Karaoke Night at The Coop.  Our good friend, The Kountry Chick Karaoke & DJ will kick off the MUSIC at 7:30pm.  Come out for good ole fashion country fun with singing and dancing in our back yard!  I always look forward to hearing my Karaoke friends sing their favorite songs.  It will be great to see the friends I’ve made over the years setting up in the fields come for a night out.  EVERYONE is welcome!  Being surrounded by friends is the perfect way to celebrate our first year anniversary!  Stayed tuned for updates to the evening.  We hope to entice a food truck or two.  BYOBeverage & Bring lawn chairs if you can.

The party will continue the next weekend on April 2nd when we close Live Oak Street in front of The Coop for Burton’s own White Linen Night.  White Linen night this past fall was such a huge success that we decided to make it a bi-annual event.  My heart was touched seeing our little corner of Burton alive with the community dressed in white!

During White Linen Night on April 2nd, we will celebrate spring with White-Hot FUN!  Come out to peruse beautiful art, enjoy live and chow down on some good fix-ins; dressed in your favorite all-white ensemble.

 We are accepting applications for artists, makers and creatives; and also food and fashion trucks.  Please email me at eckhardt.tiffany@gmail.com for application details.

The Coop will be open for the Burton Antique Market on March 17th – April 2nd.  We’ll be open daily 9am – 5pm, staying open until 7pm on select evenings.  {which means that we’ll figure it out as we go}  Follow us on FB or Instagram @2flownthecoop for daily updates.

Until then check out our NEW HOURS!  The Coop is now open Thursday – Saturday 10am-5pm and SUNDAY 11AM-4PM!  Come visit us year round!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

 

Hit the road!

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Happy New Year!  Time for new year resolutions?  I’m just wondering how we’ll top 2015 and what 2016 will bring?

2015 was a fantastic year!  Jeff and I love our Burton home, community and have enjoyed building our little store, The Coop.  So much so, that I had a hard time hitting the road.  This road warrior has been content to stay close to home.

As I ring in 2016, the old familiar need for adventure is beckoning me.  Time to fly the coop!  This month Jeff and I will travel to my home in Ohio to hunt for junque (fancy junk).  Stayed tuned to our Facebook page and Instagram @2flownthecoop.  We’ll be announcing our crazy January hours, posting pictures of our finds and planning an upcoming preview party at The Coop.

I’m also itching to do a remodel project.  Over the past 26 years, Jeff and I have remodeled five homes (two unlivable historic homes).  Watching reality tv has been killing us.  We’ll scratch that itch this year with plans to transform our garden shed into a Guest House.  It’s my desire to have it ready for the spring Texas Antiques Week (God willing and the creek don’t rise).  Don’t worry, we’ll share the progress with you.

One resolution:  I have every intention to blog more in 2016.  I’m not a professional writer.  I simply enjoy sharing this crazy journey with you.

I’ve declared 2016 to be The Year of JOY.  I will capture all the moments of joy in a mason jar.  Follow my The Year of Joy 2016 Pinterest board as I learn what living with joy is all about.

What are your hopes and aspirations for 2016?  I hope you FLY FREELY with a Gen.U.ine FREE spirit!  Truly LIVE the life you’re given!  And remember, we’re all in this together.  So, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Avett Brothers songs, The Once and Future Carpenter….

Hitting the road… Living the life I’m given,

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

The Year of Joy

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In January I declared 2015 to be the year of living Wholeheartedly.  Every year seems to have a focus and a Pinterest Board to match.  I learned this year to accept myself.  I am a dreamer, a risk taker and persistent; character traits that at one time I believed to be construed as selfish.  Now I know that I can’t run from who I am.  These themes run through all the yearly boards I create.  Here’s one of my favorite pins from Living Wholeheartedly 2015…

2016 The Year Of Joy

I am declaring 2016 the year of JOY!  A Pinterest Board The Year Of Joy 2016 has been created.  For something more tangible, I’ve also started a Joy Jar.

It is empty now.  I hope to fill it with moments of joy that I can read next December, an idea I’ve seen posted to Facebook several times in the past few weeks.  Wonder what I’ll discover about myself in the Year of Joy?

A moment of joy

I already have a moment of joy to put in my jar.  Yesterday I stopped into Branded Boutique, a cute little boutique in Brenham, Texas.  I was looking for a new outfit for our Christmas picture.  I’m not exactly a fashionista, but I don’t want to look frumpy for our Christmas card.  I left with a gift for myself that just made me smile!  {Please don’t judge, I know “things” aren’t supposed to make you happy.}

Every Gen.U.Ine FREE spirit needs a pair of Living Your Dream boots!

What’s behind the smile?

As I was purchasing these amazing new boots, I mentioned to the adorable shop owners how perfect these boots were for me to wear at Flown The Coop.  I learned a little bit about these sisters who run the the family owned boutique and shared a little bit about The Coop.  It was fun to talk shop with other entrepreneurs and kindred spirits.

Various social media platforms and this blog allow me share these experiences, and the fellow dreamers and risk takers I meet.  This is what truly makes my heart soar and is behind the smile!  I’ve discovered that I LOVE cross promoting other small businesses.

Cross promoting

I learned the importance of cross promoting in 2008 when I had the privilege of hanging out with early adapters who led by example.  My best friends; Michele Savoldi, owner of Columbus Impressions and Kelly Blanton, co owner of Sugar Pie Tees built their businesses by sharing themselves and the businesses they admire.

The success of Flown The Coop can be contributed to the many people who share their experiences at The Coop!  I appreciate all the friends of Flown The Coop who posted to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  Looking back through Visitors Posts on Facebook and Photos Of You on Instagram testifies!  Every post ads to my joy!  THANK YOU!!!!!!!  

I also appreciate the kindred entrepreneurs who understand cross promoting.  Businesses that have a large following can do so much in helping small businesses!  I have some great friends in the Roundtropolis who get it…

This year I was totally blown away by a few.

One day Tara Royer Steele, from the famous Royers Pie Haven and Royer’s Round Top Cafe, came to visit The Coop.  I had never officially met Tara, but recognized her when her precious family stopped in.  I enjoyed chatting briefly and watching her son carry their purchases to the car.  So sweet!  Not long after they left I noticed @thepiequeen post to Instagram.  That weekend a few people shopped The Coop because they saw Tara’s post.  I’m not sure if she knew how that simple act of kindness made my day!

I’m blessed to have cross promoting friends in and around Burton.  Here’s a few:

  • Abbey Road is a natural promoter.  Her recent Where The Back Roads End article is spot on!
  • Denise Withington, the Kountry Chick Karaoke & DJ has been a great promoter!
  • Beverly Martines, owner of Bel Solé B&B, has shared all the many uniques finds she has purchased from The Coop.
  • Pamela and Eric Hutchins of Skipjack Publishing are promoting rock stars!
  • Theresa Cano, owner of Garden Antqs Vintage, is a master of cross promoting our friends in the junker world.  I’ve appreciated her posts about Flown The Coop!

Burton has a hard working team at The Burton Chamber Of Commerce who are continually looking for ways to promote other businesses.  I’ve been blessed by these ladies who continually promote Burton on their business pages.

 Act of kindness

Local businesses count on your support.  It is an act of kindness to choose to shop small and local anytime of the year.  Go a step further and tell your friends about your shopping small experiences on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  I promise your time sharing will not go unnoticed and will be appreciated!

My first Joy Jar memory is a moment of joy shopping at Branded Boutique.  I met sisters pursuing their dreams and left with an awesome pair of boots.  That shopping small experience got me thinking about the importance of cross promoting.  I am so blessed to have friends who continually promote The Coop.  Thank God they embrace my dreams, risk taking and persistence wholeheartedly as well.  🙂

May your joy overflow

Photo cred: Homegrown Hospitality

Happy Holidays!

~Tiffany

And the bird fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!