Written by Lexi O’Neil, Endicott College Intern
When shopping for new clothes or even decor to spruce up an old apartment, nothing says unique like shopping consciously. Martha Carl is one of the four owners of WKND, who shared their story and brand’s message with us here at Beverly Main Streets.
The businesses that WKND shares their vision with have to be down with eco-friendly materials while also having human production practices. When one is shopping for something new, they want an inclusive experience that tailors to their needs. WKND supports the original brands’ visions while also modernizing some of their work. WKND focus on Women, Health & Beauty, Home Goods, but has also been able to expand the business by including children’s clothing. Community is what helps drive the business, and Martha and her colleagues didn’t want to tamper with the original business too much (since they’ve only taken over as a team since last September), so they’ve worked hard as a team to remain focused on delivering planet friendly goods while also listening to what their shoppers love about them.
Owning a small business comes with challenges, though, and WKND is no exception. Before reopening as the beloved-but-renewed business, they experienced issues such as flooding, personal growth as a team, and learning all that comes with investing in a small business. Some of these challenges were understanding that the business must run as a unit, not as a single-man machine. Martha notes how running a business really is a jack-of-all-trades due to the fact that a single person only has so much time at their disposal. The greatest part of having four owners has been both watching each of them grow as they’ve taken the business to new heights, honed in on their own special talents that helped contribute to the success of their business, while also remaining true to themselves. She discusses the importance of a work-life balance, since all the owners have other jobs and their own families outside of the business:
“When we’re at our day jobs, we need to be at our day jobs. When we’re at WKND, we need to be at WKND, and when we’re with our families, we are fully with our family.”
Martha understands that a business cannot run on vibes or prior reputation alone, so the team works every day to set goals for both themselves and the shop in order to meet targets and improve their own performance. By doing so, this helped to teach them how to project their busiest days, which hours would work best for their community, and even how to forecast the amount of inventory they must order every week. Even if their business will lose out on the sale, WKND’s team is more than willing to share community insights when they just don’t have the right thing for a customer.
The team knows that paying it forward will always come back to you, and that it’s important to support the shops around you, since they’re doing the same thing: bringing their own dreams to life. What helps about being close with community members, states Martha, is the comfort in knowing that a bad or slow shop day is not single-handed, but often can be recognized as a day of low foot traffic among everyone in the district. The team knows no bounds when it comes to sharing insights and giving all that they can to the community, because after all: the community is what helps them to succeed.
The goal to teach others about mindful consumption continues this Spring as WKND introduces new maker pop-ups and exciting future plans that are centered around the long-term goals of their business. Stop by to meet Martha and the team, and hear about all the good you’re contributing to by shopping with intent!
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The Small Business Spotlight is generously supported by Cross Insurance. Cross Insurance is a family-owned insurance agency with over 40 branches throughout the Northeast and beyond. Established at the kitchen table of Woodrow Cross in 1954, today Cross Insurance is one of New England’s largest independent insurance intermediaries. In 2022, 2023, and 2024 they were named the 2nd Largest Insurance Broker in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. Since their founding, Cross Insurance has successfully acquired over 150 operations, increasing their footprint in the Northeast. With over 1,100 employees and counting, their experienced team is ready to provide insurance options for the community. To learn more, visit https://www.crossagency.com/.