Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Williams.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Seventeen year ago, I walked into my very first Real Deals in Great Falls, Montana. The store was welcoming, affordable and had the most unique items I’ve ever seen. I had no idea at the time that moment would plant a seed for something so amazing in my life.
Fast forward to March 2020 when my husband was furloughed from his job for a year and a half during covid. It was a tough time for us, as it was for many families. We had two young babies and an 11 & 13 year old. He stayed home with our babies and I doubled down on my job as a Speech and Language Pathologist and somehow we stayed afloat.
After Nate returned to work he asked me if I could open any store what would it be? Remembering all the Real Deals I’d been to since my visit to the Montana store I said without hesitation, Real Deals of course! I thought he was kidding around or asking just for fun but he wasn’t. Before I knew it, plans were being made.
I wasn’t instantly sold on the idea of opening a store. In fact, it terrified me! I was running my own business as a speech teacher but I had no experience with retail. I kept thinking back to Real Deals in Great Falls and the way it was run with so much heart, care and genuine warmth. It felt like family, that memory gave us the courage to take a chance and Tooele Real Deals was born.
To say I love this store is an understatement. Working alongside talented, incredible people and getting to know our loyal customers fills me with such joy. I love what I do and we are learning and growing everyday.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been a bumpy road but an exciting one. I’ve had to learn Marketing, accounting, receiving and more. It has helped me to grow as a person. One of our biggest struggles has been flooding. We had unexpected rainstorms that poured in and left three inches of water though out half our store My team and I all worked together with our shop vac’s to clean up and get our store back in shape.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I graduated from Utah State University with my degree in Speech and Language Pathology. I’ve been working in school and my own private practice for many years and I’ve enjoyed it so much. Retail has been a whole new ball game. There are so many moving parts between ordering, receiving, managing, merchandising, etc. My saving grace has been my team. It truly makes a difference having an excellent team and being able to work well together.
What sets us aparts from others is definitely my team. They all care about the store and work hard to make it a great place to be. We know most of our customers by name and those we don’t know, we soon learn. We care about our customers, their families and what’s going on in their lives. Retail therapy is a real thing!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Visit our shoppe! Chat with us and get to know our products and the love and care we put into getting the best items possible.
Pricing:
- Best Price + Quality that we can find
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.realdeals.net/tooele
- Instagram: @tooelerealdeals
- Facebook: Tooelerealdeals
