Heidi Kaisand: Good morning and welcome to create with Heidi. I'm Heidi Kaisand, owner of hidden chicks studio in Conrad, Iowa, and lover of all things creative each week here on create with Heidi, we like to cover topics that educate and inspire you about how people are being creative, whether it's quilting, scrapbooking, food, wool, or just hanging out with others who seem to have their creative Mojo grooving, and all the right directions. We are excited to share these things with you. Each week, I'd love to share a quote that is appropriate for the for the day. And today my quote is, every day is a good day. There is something to learn, care and celebrate. And that is a met Ray from walking the path of compassion. And when I read that, quote, that's exactly how we feel at hidden chick studio every day that it's a good day. And we're there's something to learn, care and celebrate. And this morning, I'd like to welcome staff member Jamie Willett. Good morning, Jamie. How are you doing today?
Jami Willett: Good morning, Heidi. I'm happy to be back on with you. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm glad to and Don't you agree? Every day is a good day at hidden chicks studio. Absolutely. 100%. It is yes. And every day can be a good day, no matter where you are. That's exactly right. And more, more celebrating, I think is in order right now. Because Can you believe that October 3, which is just a no at this point a few days away? October 3, that is officially 10 years that hidden chicks studio has opened its front door we opened on October 3 2011. And it just, that's just crazy to me. And that is crazy. And a huge congratulations to you, Heidi, as your business has continued to blossom and grow for these 10 years. But oh, at the same time, it's done in a flash. Oh, it has and, and of course, you know, I have pictures that helped me date those 10 years with my children. Because of course, that you know, the girls were four and now they're 14 and Henry was seven. And now he's 17. So I can see. I can see how they have changed in those 10 years. And then I look at pictures of the store. And where we where we started, and how few quilts and bolts of fabric were actually in the store when we opened up. And now how it's full and bursting with color and pattern. And you know, there's just so many different kind of changes physically that we've seen.
Heidi Kaisand: And I'm sure you've really enjoyed looking back and reminiscing on some of those photos as well. Oh, yes. Because I think with any of us when we have the opportunity to think about how something has changed, like an anniversary like this of a business is when I look at that I think I'm gonna use that the quote again, how much have I learned?I have learned so much about running a business. You know it some days, it's like, Wow, I can't believe that I was doing that then because look what I'm doing now. So there's that part of it that is different. And I think, don't you think we It feels like every day we learn something new. I mean, even even the other day you and I were preparing for, for our anniversary on October 3 and we're creating a new product. And I and we have to think about it, we have to learn how to use the system to to create that product. And I love that challenge that we have daily.
Jami Willett: Yeah, and it's so true.
Heidi Kaisand: For us, I feel free to say probably for anybody listening to this, whether they're a quote or not that we have opportunities to learn something new every day as well. And it is fun when you learn something new, or something that you never thought about before. Yes. And again, it keeps our minds open and even if it's not something that we're going to do for the rest of our lives, but being aware and and again, opening our minds up to different things can be just a really, really wonderful, wonderful thing. And, you know, one of the things that is so big for me, when I think about the 10 years are the connections that we have made with our customers. And that is probably something that I I wish I could wish I would have been writing downall of the different things in it. A story came to mind about a woman who came in very early on, because she's been gone now for several years. And she had a grandson with her. And he was he was little, I'm gonna say for like, like four, and she was battling cancer. And yet, her day to have him was that day kind of thing. And she wasn't obviously missing out on that. And he was so good, and so compassionate to her. And just, it was just this loving moment. And I don't remember exactly what got brought up. But for whatever reason, I ended up sending him a gift certificate for Casey's a $5 gift card to buy donuts, because I, you know, excited, something had been said about grandma's getting the donuts or you know, something like that. And anyway, he was just so cute. And after his grandmother died, the daughter came in and expressed her gratitude for that moment. And I you know, I just think I just love that we, even if it's a sad moment, in some ways, but it was I made I made him happy at that moment. And the daughter said that I made the grandma happy by getting don't you don't I mean, it was interesting, those connections that we make with people. And we could I'm sure we could talk more about that. We do need I've Of course, already started telling stories. And we need to take a quick break. And we'll come back right after this. Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand, and Jamie Willett from hen and chicks studio in Conrad. And before the break, we were talking about connections that have me then made during the 10 years, that hidden chicks studio has been open as we celebrate 10 years on October 3. And girl Jamie, you've worked now at the store year and a half we are we maybe not quite somewhere in there. And and I'm sure you too, in that time. The people that come in are so fabulous.
Jami Willett: Oh yeah.
Heidi Kaisand: And we really mean that. I mean, we weren't, that's not a, that's not something we just say we love when they come in, and they need help. And they they want our opinions, or they just need that it's to be surrounded by inspiration, and we give them that opportunity in that space. But I think that the people, obviously, it's just is an important part of hidden chicks to do.
Jami Willett: Oh, it is Heidi and, and it is ironic in a way to say Well, yeah, it's been 18 months, whatever, since I started working here, but in many ways seems like so much longer than that. Because so many of the people that do come into the store, as you mentioned, they kind of become a part of it. extended family. Yeah. And you have these connections with people and their lives. And it's such a wonderful opportunity. So it's kind of weird to think that is only been that long, because it feels like it's been longer. But yet, there's so many people that have been become part of my life that I've appreciated through the process of working at Heritage studio.
Heidi Kaisand: Yes. And we could I know, we could tell all sorts of stories. And I'm, and I love when we go places now. And we I run into customers in sometimes in places I expected sometimes places I don't like on the Cross Country course. You know, as I'm running across I go there's there's so and so you don't I mean, or, and I didn't I didn't know that a grandchild or somebody was, you know, reading kind of thing. Yeah. But it's, it's fun to be able to just really be able to expand upon those connections and those people, because I think as we, as we get to know those people and help them make their quilts, those quilts become more they come alive, maybe as a way to say it. Because as as they're saying, while I'm making this for my grandson, when we have those connections with these people, we we know how important that grandson is to them, or that graduation gift or whatever that is.
Jami Willett: Yeah, yes. And it's more than just we should mention, people make more than just a quilt. There's people make bags or aprons. Hello was there I mean, other things like that as well. And it might be small projects that people come in and they just need a little help picking out a coordinating fabric or a pattern that might work for this or that and those are privileges that we have to be able to do for our customers.
Heidi Kaisand: Yes, yes. And we have we sort of joke after a busy day that we have. It looks like a bomb has gone off in many ways because Rick is all over. And you know, there's piles here and piles there. And you know, this is that it is the best feeling. It's the craziest feeling. And it's the best feeling all at once. Because that means we got to do our job.
Jami Willett: Right. And we could call it organized chaos. Because that sounds like a very nice way to say that the place the fabric exploded all over the place. It's organized chaos we are doing Yeah, it's exactly. At the end of the day, if you come in or when we happened to me moving some things around, it can be very chaotic in here. But that's also fun.
Heidi Kaisand: Yes, yes. And I think sometimes our customers thrive on that as much as we do. If it was all neat and tidy, I don't think we would, I don't think we'd have nearly as much fun. So you know that that certainly speaks of it. And when I again, as we talk about things that we've been that have changed over the 10 years. So a couple of things that I wanted to highlight. One thing that is not changed over the 10 years, is that when I opened the doors, I started with a red bag club. And in the 10 years, we've never stopped doing the red bag club. And in fact now for our 10th anniversary, we've I think we've upped the up to the game, and made our red bag club even better, with a bigger, better bag. So I encourage anybody who's ever come in and gotten I hadn't checked studio red bag, come back and get your new one because it's cool. And it has stuff. Yes. And if you've never if you're thinking to yourself, Well, I don't have a hidden check studio red bag. It's easy to get, isn't it?
Jami Willett: Oh, simple. couple things. First of all, when you come into this store, or whether it's for serving, returning, as you mentioned, ask us about it. That we don't know sometimes unless we try to catch everybody who has one and a half has had one. But especially if you're new and you come into the store, and you're uncertain, ask us to see it, we'll be glad to show it to you. But if you want to be a new red bag club member, it's not a hard thing to do. You simply just spend $50 on whatever products you want in the store all at one time. And it just one time one time. And then you know, we like to say once you're in you're in.
Heidi Kaisand: That's right. There's no get now there's no get now it's lifetime membership. All that kind of stuff.
Jami Willett: Yeah. But there's no, the big thing they need to know is there is no fee or cost to them to maintain that red bag club membership. And occasionally, we do have a little bit of extra things that happen for our bag club member. So there is a little incentive for you on the other side of being a red bag club member as well.
Heidi Kaisand: That's right. So that's one thing that has not changed and I love that part of it. And I love that we're we have so many new red Bay club members because it just means there's more people coming in and it means hidden chicks studio is broadening our, our, you know, space out there. And I love that. Now, one thing that has changed is our long arming business. I did not have a long arm quilting machine. When I first started at hen and chick studio, I worked for a long arming company. It wasn't Intel about 2014 2015 that not only did we get a long arm, but then really focused on we had I guess we had a little sooner than that but really focused on what we were going to do with that. And that has been just an exciting exciting change and and check studio. JOHN, tell just a little bit about what we do.
Jami Willett: Oh yeah, so alarming if people are familiar with what that even is. It's basically when you lay your quilt, and you have a big open space that your your quote becomes your work of art, so to speak, where you're coming in and using our quilting machine as the pencil to draw on your quilt for the quilting. It if you've quoted ever on your domestic machine, it's a lot of fabric to move. The long arm closing gives you the opportunity to set that fabric stationary and you're the one that moves it's much more user friendly, not as hard on the back and the shoulder is trying to get all that fabric through machine. lots of advantages to long arm quilting and finishing projects from quilting, quilts. Table runners table toppers, Heidi, the girls even use it sometime ahead to make bags. Oh, lots of eggs out there on the fabric.
Heidi Kaisand: Yeah, that's a fabric because there's there are objects that have to be pre quilted before you can actually sew them.
Jami Willett: So we have a machine available for our customers to run and finish there. own projects. And in order to do that we actually teach our customers that want to do that they take the long arm certification class where we teach them into it. And we tag team it. Usually we tried to do. And you learn all the bells and whistles of how to make our machine work, all the things that you need to know, to become independent. In time, when you come and rent our lawn or our machine. It's just a great opportunity to own your project. It's awesome, all the way to the end,
Heidi Kaisand: it is wonderful to be able to see how people finish their quilts. And we're gonna take a quick commercial break, and we'll be back right after this. Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand and Jamie Willett from a hidden chick studio in Conrad. And we are celebrating 10 years on October 3, we that is a Sunday. And we're not normally open on Sundays. But that day from noon to 5pm hen and chick studio will be open, you are all invited to come to our open house, and to enjoy lots of specials, and even have even a cupcake. So if you want to RSVP so we know you're coming, you are able to go to hidden chick studio.com slash party. And there's a simple RSVP, if you would like to reserve a cupcake for you. And they're gonna be awesome, awesome cupcakes, we just want to make sure we have enough for everybody. So we would love would love to know if you're coming up that day for a cupcake. So you're all welcome to come. Again, we'll have specials that day. It is it is a Sunday. Again, we're not normally open on Sunday, but it was the actual day that I opened October 3. And I just decided, you know what we're doing that we're just having a party on a Sunday, this this year just worked just fine. But one of the things again, that has not changed since day one is our retreat center. And when I when I talked earlier about connections, I think the retreat center is really tied to that importance for me, as a business owner. And as somebody who wants to help other specifically women, in this case, make those connections with people and to foster friendships and to reignite reignite their own creativity. The Retreat Center is just the space for doing that. And we rent it out, both privately, as well as we host our own retreats. And oh, in the last couple of weeks, we've had some groups there just laughing. And boy, yes, it's contagious, isn't it? It's, it's so makes us laugh, even though we don't even know what they're laughing about.
Jami Willett: Oh, yeah. When we hear that, oh, last year, or the foot stomping upstairs, or, you know, if it is it makes us smile, because we know, they're having a lot of fun up there with whatever might be
Heidi Kaisand: going on. That's right. And whether they're getting anything done or not, is besides the point. They're having fun, they're with their friends or their family. Again, every group is a little different. But it is it is. It's heartwarming. And it means that my goal is being accomplished every day when I hear that. And I again, that's so important to me, I had that was actually what started me looking for a building was that I had hosted a couple of retreats in between my before before actually opening head and chick studio. And after my days at the magazine, I hosted a few retreats in other locations. And I loved I loved it. I loved having women gather and celebrate their creativity together all that kind of good stuff. But I didn't. I didn't like the the last location I had had was just a hotel. It was impersonal. It wasn't a atmosphere that I wanted. And so my goal was that I wasn't going to host another retreat until I had my own retreat center. And that was what embarked me on looking for spaces that would be appropriate. And I remember the first time I walked up into the open space on the second floor of hidden chicks studio. It just filled me that it was exactly what I needed. And if you'd seen it and Jamie you maybe had seen it because you got it some point your mother owned the building. If the ceiling was falling down, there was no lights. It was just this big open but lit space because of the natural light. And I just, I immediately knew that the space could be filled with people and creativity. And I think we're accomplishing that we work hard to accomplish that
Jami Willett: you are right, you are you are you did you and you continue, and now we continue to go with it. And it is a beautiful space up there. The remodeling, obviously is wonderful, but it has such character. It's no longer in personal space in a hotel or any of those things. Yes, it is a welcoming place where people come sometimes if it's a country with me, they don't even know each other necessarily, but they develop new friendships and new camaraderie and new ideas. So if nobody has, or somebody listening has not been upstairs, and they want to see it, we're always happy to show it off if we can.
Heidi Kaisand: Absolutely. We always, you know, these days, this day and age we do eyes. When we've got retreat groups up there, we try to be aware that some groups don't like to have visitors coming in. And we're, we're, of course aware of that. But absolutely, if the space is available to share, of course, there's always pictures on the website and a few videos and things so that you can definitely check that out on line. But that that space is something that just again, makes my heart fall every day and I love it when you're living in a you're working in a small community people. people notice that the street is filled with cars that are not from her or from Grundy County. And and I love that because they they recognize that we're bringing business to town. Well, Jamie, we could go on and on about our 10 years at hidden chicks studio. But what I want to tell all of our listeners are is you're invited October 3 noon to 5pm at hidden chicks studio. If you can't come there will be online specials as well. But be sure to go to hidden chick studio.com slash party and RSVP for your cupcake. Have a great day everybody and be creative
Jami Willett: Good morning, Heidi. I'm happy to be back on with you. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm glad to and Don't you agree? Every day is a good day at hidden chicks studio. Absolutely. 100%. It is yes. And every day can be a good day, no matter where you are. That's exactly right. And more, more celebrating, I think is in order right now. Because Can you believe that October 3, which is just a no at this point a few days away? October 3, that is officially 10 years that hidden chicks studio has opened its front door we opened on October 3 2011. And it just, that's just crazy to me. And that is crazy. And a huge congratulations to you, Heidi, as your business has continued to blossom and grow for these 10 years. But oh, at the same time, it's done in a flash. Oh, it has and, and of course, you know, I have pictures that helped me date those 10 years with my children. Because of course, that you know, the girls were four and now they're 14 and Henry was seven. And now he's 17. So I can see. I can see how they have changed in those 10 years. And then I look at pictures of the store. And where we where we started, and how few quilts and bolts of fabric were actually in the store when we opened up. And now how it's full and bursting with color and pattern. And you know, there's just so many different kind of changes physically that we've seen.
Heidi Kaisand: And I'm sure you've really enjoyed looking back and reminiscing on some of those photos as well. Oh, yes. Because I think with any of us when we have the opportunity to think about how something has changed, like an anniversary like this of a business is when I look at that I think I'm gonna use that the quote again, how much have I learned?I have learned so much about running a business. You know it some days, it's like, Wow, I can't believe that I was doing that then because look what I'm doing now. So there's that part of it that is different. And I think, don't you think we It feels like every day we learn something new. I mean, even even the other day you and I were preparing for, for our anniversary on October 3 and we're creating a new product. And I and we have to think about it, we have to learn how to use the system to to create that product. And I love that challenge that we have daily.
Jami Willett: Yeah, and it's so true.
Heidi Kaisand: For us, I feel free to say probably for anybody listening to this, whether they're a quote or not that we have opportunities to learn something new every day as well. And it is fun when you learn something new, or something that you never thought about before. Yes. And again, it keeps our minds open and even if it's not something that we're going to do for the rest of our lives, but being aware and and again, opening our minds up to different things can be just a really, really wonderful, wonderful thing. And, you know, one of the things that is so big for me, when I think about the 10 years are the connections that we have made with our customers. And that is probably something that I I wish I could wish I would have been writing downall of the different things in it. A story came to mind about a woman who came in very early on, because she's been gone now for several years. And she had a grandson with her. And he was he was little, I'm gonna say for like, like four, and she was battling cancer. And yet, her day to have him was that day kind of thing. And she wasn't obviously missing out on that. And he was so good, and so compassionate to her. And just, it was just this loving moment. And I don't remember exactly what got brought up. But for whatever reason, I ended up sending him a gift certificate for Casey's a $5 gift card to buy donuts, because I, you know, excited, something had been said about grandma's getting the donuts or you know, something like that. And anyway, he was just so cute. And after his grandmother died, the daughter came in and expressed her gratitude for that moment. And I you know, I just think I just love that we, even if it's a sad moment, in some ways, but it was I made I made him happy at that moment. And the daughter said that I made the grandma happy by getting don't you don't I mean, it was interesting, those connections that we make with people. And we could I'm sure we could talk more about that. We do need I've Of course, already started telling stories. And we need to take a quick break. And we'll come back right after this. Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand, and Jamie Willett from hen and chicks studio in Conrad. And before the break, we were talking about connections that have me then made during the 10 years, that hidden chicks studio has been open as we celebrate 10 years on October 3. And girl Jamie, you've worked now at the store year and a half we are we maybe not quite somewhere in there. And and I'm sure you too, in that time. The people that come in are so fabulous.
Jami Willett: Oh yeah.
Heidi Kaisand: And we really mean that. I mean, we weren't, that's not a, that's not something we just say we love when they come in, and they need help. And they they want our opinions, or they just need that it's to be surrounded by inspiration, and we give them that opportunity in that space. But I think that the people, obviously, it's just is an important part of hidden chicks to do.
Jami Willett: Oh, it is Heidi and, and it is ironic in a way to say Well, yeah, it's been 18 months, whatever, since I started working here, but in many ways seems like so much longer than that. Because so many of the people that do come into the store, as you mentioned, they kind of become a part of it. extended family. Yeah. And you have these connections with people and their lives. And it's such a wonderful opportunity. So it's kind of weird to think that is only been that long, because it feels like it's been longer. But yet, there's so many people that have been become part of my life that I've appreciated through the process of working at Heritage studio.
Heidi Kaisand: Yes. And we could I know, we could tell all sorts of stories. And I'm, and I love when we go places now. And we I run into customers in sometimes in places I expected sometimes places I don't like on the Cross Country course. You know, as I'm running across I go there's there's so and so you don't I mean, or, and I didn't I didn't know that a grandchild or somebody was, you know, reading kind of thing. Yeah. But it's, it's fun to be able to just really be able to expand upon those connections and those people, because I think as we, as we get to know those people and help them make their quilts, those quilts become more they come alive, maybe as a way to say it. Because as as they're saying, while I'm making this for my grandson, when we have those connections with these people, we we know how important that grandson is to them, or that graduation gift or whatever that is.
Jami Willett: Yeah, yes. And it's more than just we should mention, people make more than just a quilt. There's people make bags or aprons. Hello was there I mean, other things like that as well. And it might be small projects that people come in and they just need a little help picking out a coordinating fabric or a pattern that might work for this or that and those are privileges that we have to be able to do for our customers.
Heidi Kaisand: Yes, yes. And we have we sort of joke after a busy day that we have. It looks like a bomb has gone off in many ways because Rick is all over. And you know, there's piles here and piles there. And you know, this is that it is the best feeling. It's the craziest feeling. And it's the best feeling all at once. Because that means we got to do our job.
Jami Willett: Right. And we could call it organized chaos. Because that sounds like a very nice way to say that the place the fabric exploded all over the place. It's organized chaos we are doing Yeah, it's exactly. At the end of the day, if you come in or when we happened to me moving some things around, it can be very chaotic in here. But that's also fun.
Heidi Kaisand: Yes, yes. And I think sometimes our customers thrive on that as much as we do. If it was all neat and tidy, I don't think we would, I don't think we'd have nearly as much fun. So you know that that certainly speaks of it. And when I again, as we talk about things that we've been that have changed over the 10 years. So a couple of things that I wanted to highlight. One thing that is not changed over the 10 years, is that when I opened the doors, I started with a red bag club. And in the 10 years, we've never stopped doing the red bag club. And in fact now for our 10th anniversary, we've I think we've upped the up to the game, and made our red bag club even better, with a bigger, better bag. So I encourage anybody who's ever come in and gotten I hadn't checked studio red bag, come back and get your new one because it's cool. And it has stuff. Yes. And if you've never if you're thinking to yourself, Well, I don't have a hidden check studio red bag. It's easy to get, isn't it?
Jami Willett: Oh, simple. couple things. First of all, when you come into this store, or whether it's for serving, returning, as you mentioned, ask us about it. That we don't know sometimes unless we try to catch everybody who has one and a half has had one. But especially if you're new and you come into the store, and you're uncertain, ask us to see it, we'll be glad to show it to you. But if you want to be a new red bag club member, it's not a hard thing to do. You simply just spend $50 on whatever products you want in the store all at one time. And it just one time one time. And then you know, we like to say once you're in you're in.
Heidi Kaisand: That's right. There's no get now there's no get now it's lifetime membership. All that kind of stuff.
Jami Willett: Yeah. But there's no, the big thing they need to know is there is no fee or cost to them to maintain that red bag club membership. And occasionally, we do have a little bit of extra things that happen for our bag club member. So there is a little incentive for you on the other side of being a red bag club member as well.
Heidi Kaisand: That's right. So that's one thing that has not changed and I love that part of it. And I love that we're we have so many new red Bay club members because it just means there's more people coming in and it means hidden chicks studio is broadening our, our, you know, space out there. And I love that. Now, one thing that has changed is our long arming business. I did not have a long arm quilting machine. When I first started at hen and chick studio, I worked for a long arming company. It wasn't Intel about 2014 2015 that not only did we get a long arm, but then really focused on we had I guess we had a little sooner than that but really focused on what we were going to do with that. And that has been just an exciting exciting change and and check studio. JOHN, tell just a little bit about what we do.
Jami Willett: Oh yeah, so alarming if people are familiar with what that even is. It's basically when you lay your quilt, and you have a big open space that your your quote becomes your work of art, so to speak, where you're coming in and using our quilting machine as the pencil to draw on your quilt for the quilting. It if you've quoted ever on your domestic machine, it's a lot of fabric to move. The long arm closing gives you the opportunity to set that fabric stationary and you're the one that moves it's much more user friendly, not as hard on the back and the shoulder is trying to get all that fabric through machine. lots of advantages to long arm quilting and finishing projects from quilting, quilts. Table runners table toppers, Heidi, the girls even use it sometime ahead to make bags. Oh, lots of eggs out there on the fabric.
Heidi Kaisand: Yeah, that's a fabric because there's there are objects that have to be pre quilted before you can actually sew them.
Jami Willett: So we have a machine available for our customers to run and finish there. own projects. And in order to do that we actually teach our customers that want to do that they take the long arm certification class where we teach them into it. And we tag team it. Usually we tried to do. And you learn all the bells and whistles of how to make our machine work, all the things that you need to know, to become independent. In time, when you come and rent our lawn or our machine. It's just a great opportunity to own your project. It's awesome, all the way to the end,
Heidi Kaisand: it is wonderful to be able to see how people finish their quilts. And we're gonna take a quick commercial break, and we'll be back right after this. Welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand and Jamie Willett from a hidden chick studio in Conrad. And we are celebrating 10 years on October 3, we that is a Sunday. And we're not normally open on Sundays. But that day from noon to 5pm hen and chick studio will be open, you are all invited to come to our open house, and to enjoy lots of specials, and even have even a cupcake. So if you want to RSVP so we know you're coming, you are able to go to hidden chick studio.com slash party. And there's a simple RSVP, if you would like to reserve a cupcake for you. And they're gonna be awesome, awesome cupcakes, we just want to make sure we have enough for everybody. So we would love would love to know if you're coming up that day for a cupcake. So you're all welcome to come. Again, we'll have specials that day. It is it is a Sunday. Again, we're not normally open on Sunday, but it was the actual day that I opened October 3. And I just decided, you know what we're doing that we're just having a party on a Sunday, this this year just worked just fine. But one of the things again, that has not changed since day one is our retreat center. And when I when I talked earlier about connections, I think the retreat center is really tied to that importance for me, as a business owner. And as somebody who wants to help other specifically women, in this case, make those connections with people and to foster friendships and to reignite reignite their own creativity. The Retreat Center is just the space for doing that. And we rent it out, both privately, as well as we host our own retreats. And oh, in the last couple of weeks, we've had some groups there just laughing. And boy, yes, it's contagious, isn't it? It's, it's so makes us laugh, even though we don't even know what they're laughing about.
Jami Willett: Oh, yeah. When we hear that, oh, last year, or the foot stomping upstairs, or, you know, if it is it makes us smile, because we know, they're having a lot of fun up there with whatever might be
Heidi Kaisand: going on. That's right. And whether they're getting anything done or not, is besides the point. They're having fun, they're with their friends or their family. Again, every group is a little different. But it is it is. It's heartwarming. And it means that my goal is being accomplished every day when I hear that. And I again, that's so important to me, I had that was actually what started me looking for a building was that I had hosted a couple of retreats in between my before before actually opening head and chick studio. And after my days at the magazine, I hosted a few retreats in other locations. And I loved I loved it. I loved having women gather and celebrate their creativity together all that kind of good stuff. But I didn't. I didn't like the the last location I had had was just a hotel. It was impersonal. It wasn't a atmosphere that I wanted. And so my goal was that I wasn't going to host another retreat until I had my own retreat center. And that was what embarked me on looking for spaces that would be appropriate. And I remember the first time I walked up into the open space on the second floor of hidden chicks studio. It just filled me that it was exactly what I needed. And if you'd seen it and Jamie you maybe had seen it because you got it some point your mother owned the building. If the ceiling was falling down, there was no lights. It was just this big open but lit space because of the natural light. And I just, I immediately knew that the space could be filled with people and creativity. And I think we're accomplishing that we work hard to accomplish that
Jami Willett: you are right, you are you are you did you and you continue, and now we continue to go with it. And it is a beautiful space up there. The remodeling, obviously is wonderful, but it has such character. It's no longer in personal space in a hotel or any of those things. Yes, it is a welcoming place where people come sometimes if it's a country with me, they don't even know each other necessarily, but they develop new friendships and new camaraderie and new ideas. So if nobody has, or somebody listening has not been upstairs, and they want to see it, we're always happy to show it off if we can.
Heidi Kaisand: Absolutely. We always, you know, these days, this day and age we do eyes. When we've got retreat groups up there, we try to be aware that some groups don't like to have visitors coming in. And we're, we're, of course aware of that. But absolutely, if the space is available to share, of course, there's always pictures on the website and a few videos and things so that you can definitely check that out on line. But that that space is something that just again, makes my heart fall every day and I love it when you're living in a you're working in a small community people. people notice that the street is filled with cars that are not from her or from Grundy County. And and I love that because they they recognize that we're bringing business to town. Well, Jamie, we could go on and on about our 10 years at hidden chicks studio. But what I want to tell all of our listeners are is you're invited October 3 noon to 5pm at hidden chicks studio. If you can't come there will be online specials as well. But be sure to go to hidden chick studio.com slash party and RSVP for your cupcake. Have a great day everybody and be creative