Interview with Hannah Shaw~ Marketing Intern by Matu Fahnbulleh, Store Associate

My  name is Matu Fahnbulleh and I’ve been an associate at On The Purple Couch since we first opened in April. Hannah Shaw was our graphic design and marketing intern from the University of Maryland, College Park. When I first met Hannah, she had the best attitude and I knew she would be a great addition to the team. She is hardworking and very professional. Her time with us is coming to an end and we have surely enjoyed working with her. Here’s a mini interview so that you all can get to know Hannah a little better and have a glimpse of what it was like working with her…

What was your favorite part of interning at OTPC? Why?

My favorite part about interning at OTPC was getting to work directly with the owner and founder of the business, Bahia. In my previous internship, I worked for a large corporate company and only really saw the president of the company from afar. Working at OTPC I was able to communicate daily with Bahia (the owner) and she was able to give me timely feedback on any project I was working on. Also, it was incredibly interesting to hear about the progression of a start-up company from her perspective.

What was the most useful thing you learned in the store? And how will you use it in the future?

When I initially started interning at OTPC, the mix of the store between clothing, jewelry, paint, workshops, etc. was still being determined. While keeping her original goal in mind, Bahia had to figure out which mix was best and what areas to expand on. I learned that starting up a company is a constantly changing process where you have to be flexible in your business model in order to have the most success. In the future I will apply this flexible outlook to any business that I may work for. Consumer’s needs are always changing and businesses need to be evolving with them.

How did you enjoy the experience of working directly with customers during the time you spent in the store?

I really enjoyed being able to work directly with customers especially in our Annie Sloan workshops. Given the small intimate size of the classes, I got to have great conversations with our customers and get to help them on their projects. One night we had an intense conversation about public vs private educations… sharing thoughts between a mother, teacher, and student was really interesting.

Was there anything that you learned, that you did not expect to?

Not that I wasn’t expecting to learn this, but the amount of work that goes into running a small business blew my mind. I knew it was a lot of hard work, but actually being in the store and seeing the lists of things that needed to be done day-to-day to open the store really amazed me. I also learned that organization is essential to run a business effectively.

How well are you able to explain the difference between thrift stores and consignments shops?

A thrift store sells clothing that is donated by individuals whereas a consignment shop is where individuals sell their clothing through a dealer and they get a percentage of the profit for each item of theirs that is sold.  Consignment stores want designer wear and better clothing than what you may want to give to a thrift store and earn a little money.

Do you want to share anything?

I would just like to add that I’ve really grown a connection with OTPC, Bahia, and with Matu and KiRa, two essential members of the team. I’m going to miss coming in every week and looking at all the new clothes that have been consigned. I will definitely come back and visit after studying abroad and I look forward to watching OTPC grow and make its mark in Silver Spring.

What is the next move for you?

The reason I am ending my internship is because I will be studying abroad in Madrid the following semester. I plan to live with a host family and work on my Spanish!

*******Hannah we are so grateful to have had you working with us. Good luck to you with all you’re future plans and we wish you the best!!

Cheers,

Matu F.