Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Leary.
Hi Terri, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
For years, my husband and I vacationed in the Virgin Islands. Our last vacation there (2015) there was a gift shop for sale. We bought it. Two weeks later, we moved there to run the business.
In 2017, there were 2 Cat 5 hurricanes. We lost our home and half the business. On top of that, Ken was ill and had to be hospitalized. Out of sheer necessity, I had to figure out how to recapture that lost income. My online business were born.
As we grew, we were able to join Blended, Toledo. Blended is a store in the Franklin Park Mall that offers local artists a venue to set up and sell their locally made items. We sold ornaments during the holidays and spices and hot sauces during the summer months.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth at all!
Getting people to know that the online businesses exist is a struggle
Hurricanes (on the island) and recovery was a huge struggle
Feeling defeated and realizing that sales may be slow due to other factors out of my control
Supply chain issues due to Covid-19
These are just some of the struggles that I faced, and I am sure most businesses did too.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Island Fancy?
Island Fancy specializes in locally made items from the island of St John, Virgin Islands. Of course, we also offer the normal souvenirs (mugs, shot glasses, t-shirts, etc.), but we pride ourselves in being different.
We offer locally made hand-painted ornaments. We have the largest variety of ornaments on the island and we sell them all year long. So many people collect ornaments from their travels to remember the destination. What better way to remember that with an ornament?
We also sell locally made:
hot sauces
artwork
books written by local authors
jewelry
sand art
coffee and other food items
hand-painted glassware
calendars with photos and artwork by local artists
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Hearing a customer say how much they like something in our store makes me very happy. Getting a nice note from a customer who bought something from one of the online shops makes me happy. These comments make it worth all the hard work. I also make some of the items in the stores, so it makes all the hard work worth it.
Without a doubt, the number one thing that makes me happy are my new grandbabies!! Customers who have been in our store know our story and ask about our family. Our youngest daughter worked there when we first moved to the island. Now we can share stories and pictures of grandbabies!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.islandfancy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islandfancyvi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=island%20fancy
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StJohnUSVICreations?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
Image Credits
Steve Simonsen
Elaine Estern
At Sea Trading
Mark Hayes
Terri Leary
Stephanie Clark Shells
Virgin Glass
Diamond Kimble
Jeffrey McCord
Valley Doll
Blind Bettys
Hazels
Trinidad Charlie
Terri Leary
