Tucked away at 70 Broadway St is a space many in Cobram now know and love.
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But eight years ago, it was simply an unused shed and a shared idea between two women.
Their story is one of perseverance and resilience that many in small business can relate to.
Rebecca Loughridge and Gretchen Thornburn, affectionately known as ‘the Hens’ from Hens Teeth Trading, didn’t set out with a grand plan.
What they did have was friendship, creativity and a willingness to take that leap of faith.
The two met in Tocumwal, where Rebecca had already established a retail outlet.
Gretchen had recently returned from overseas and was living just across the road.
A family friend introduced them and their young sons became fast friends, and before long, so did they.
After winding up the Tocumwal business, they ventured into event styling but needed somewhere to store stock.
Fran Mason from Ray White introduced them to businessman John Anderson, who owned a couple of sheds behind one of his buildings.
Encouraging and trusting, he signed them up with what they laughingly describe as “three lines on a bit of paper”, and in 2017 they took that leap of faith.
They loved the shed concept. It might have only been two sheds with an overgrown courtyard, but they saw potential.
With borrowed family money, a credit card, a new front door, some windows and plenty of hard work, their Cobram journey began.
They ‘worked their butts off’ to make the business viable, juggling event styling and prop hire while opening retail doors to help cover expenses.
There was no master plan, just a determination to keep adapting ‘to simply survive’.
Their willingness to continually reinvent the business has been key to keeping a shop Cobram has come to love afloat.
COVID proved another major turning point, effectively removing demand for prop hire.
Once again, they were prepared to shift direction, sourcing second-hand furniture and wares they reclaimed, rather than restored, transforming them into pieces with unique rustic appeal.
Social media helped keep the business afloat in those early years, while word slowly spread about the inviting retail space which was proving popular.
Gretchen said the pair describe their partnership as push-pull.
“Rebecca is the risk-taker,” she said.
While Gretchen is more risk-averse, and inclined to put the brakes on.
But it works well for their partnership.
They have each other’s backs, knowing one can step in and carry the bigger load when needed.
Gretchen said they were both creative in their own ways.
“Bec is incredibly creative,” she said, while she sees herself as adding a side order of practicality.
Originally open six days a week, they soon realised the demands of cleaning, ordering, constant shop styling and, importantly, getting the kids off the bus, were unsustainable.
These days, the store opens Wednesday to Saturday, allowing for a more manageable work-life balance.
Now with a loyal following, they have diversified their income streams and paid off the original credit card debt.
Community collaboration has also become an important part of the business, with the space now hosting creative workshops, networking events and well-patronised monthly dinners.
They describe their lifestyle as simple and low-cost, but their self-description as ‘no-frills girls’ hardly does justice to the unique space they have created.
Their children have not grown up in luxury and have learned the value of hard work.
They also acknowledge the support of their husbands along the way, being a vital part of their set-up, while they maintained family income through their own businesses, long-distance trucking and drone crop spraying.
A couple of years ago, with $1000 in the bank and needing to reinvent themselves yet again, they said, “let’s buy some plants”.
It not only reshaped the business but created a welcoming green space that feels like stepping into another world.
Gretchen said Bec spends a lot of time choosing plants and pots and is incredibly knowledgeable.
Knowledge she is very generous in sharing.
Where possible they prioritise natural fibres, handmade pieces and long-lasting goods, creating a point of difference with stock that is difficult to find elsewhere.
They also support local people, services and business, wherever possible.
So, what advice would they give to anyone starting a business?
“Don’t give up your day job,” Bec said.
“Avoid debt, diversify as much as possible, expect it to be hard and don’t have high expectations initially.”
Their success, they say, is simply the result of hard, dirty work and persistence, adding it’s certainly not glamorous.
Eight years on, the ‘Hens’ are still there, still looking forward.
Theirs is a story many small business owners would recognise.
Hard work, setbacks, reinvention and persistence.
In the end, it is not just the shop that defines their success, but the resilience that has kept them going through it all.