Founders' Forum

Building a Design Business Rooted in Community with Rebecca Addington

Marc Bernstein / Rebecca Addington Episode 153

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Entrepreneurship rarely follows a straight path. For Rebecca Addington, founder of Ville & Rue in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the journey blends farm roots, a passion for design, and a deep belief in the power of community.

In this episode of Founders Forum, host Marc Bernstein is joined by co-hosts Ray Loewe, founder of The Luckiest Guy in the World, and Deborah Brandt, founder and CEO of Fig Industries, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, creativity, and the role community plays in building successful local businesses.

Rebecca shares how growing up on a family farm shaped her entrepreneurial mindset and how her experiences in retail and design helped her discover her true calling. After working with both major brands like Pottery Barn and independent retailers, she gained the knowledge and confidence to launch her own business.

She opened Ville & Rue in late 2019—just months before the pandemic. What followed was a true test of resilience. Thanks to strong community support in Lancaster, Rebecca was able to navigate the challenges and continue growing a business focused on thoughtful design, high-quality furniture, and personalized service.

Key Takeaways:

  • How farm life shaped Rebecca’s entrepreneurial mindset
  • Lessons learned from corporate and small business retail
  • The power of community support during challenging times
  • Why creating meaningful customer experiences matters
  • Rebecca’s advice to entrepreneurs: stay encouraged

About Rebecca Addington:

Born and raised in the Susquehanna Valley, I later moved around the region—from Baltimore to the Lehigh Valley—before settling in Lancaster.
I hold a B.A. in Communications, an AST in Interior Design, and a real estate license.

I opened my business in 2019, and although it’s been a rollercoaster, I’ve loved every day.

I currently live in the city with my husband, Wes, our Bernese Mountain Dog, Maverick, and our Maine Coon cat, Søren.

Connect:

Website villeandrue.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/rebecca-addington-63638b35/
Facebook facebook.com/villeandrue
Instagram instagram.com/villeandrue/

This episode is brought to you by Ville & Rue, contemporary interior design styled for your life. Go to villeandrue.com to learn more.

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Welcome To Founders Forum

Announcer

Entrepreneur, founder, author, and financial advisor Marc Bernstein helps high-performing business owners turn their visions into reality. Through his innovative work and the Forward Focus Forum, Marc connects entrepreneurs to resources that fuel their success. Founders Forum is a radio show and podcast where entrepreneurs share their journeys, revealing the lessons they've learned and the stories behind their success. Join Marc and his guests for a mix of inspiration, valuable insights, and a little fun. Now, let's dive in.

Starting Over With New Neighbors

Marc Bernstein

Good morning, America. This is Founders Forum on Marc Bernstein. And I'm very excited about the guests we have here this morning. First of all, one of my co-hosts today, Ray Loewe, who's lent us his studio at Willow Valley Communities in Lancaster, which is a very cool place that he's been telling me about for years. It's finally my second visit here. And we have Deb Brandt, who is CEO of Fig Industries as co-host. And our guest today, I usually wait till after our first conversation, but I'm just going to say it so we get it done. So Rebecca Addington, founder of and owner of Ville and Rue in Lancaster, which is a um well I'll let you tell what it is when we get there. So our topic for today is continue, the third show in a row, because we're featuring Lancaster County and Lancaster City in particular on the show for the last few shows. And it brings to mind even before even before the start of our first show with Joshua Funk the other day, community was on my mind because of world events and some other things that were happening. And we've been talking about community. So I'd like to ask specific questions about communities, starting with Ray. You're a member of, in addition to Lancaster County and City, a member of the Willow Valley community. So why don't you talk about what that's meant to you?

Ray Loewe

Sure. Uh we moved from the Cherry Hill, New Jersey area to Lancaster. We had never spent much time here. We're in this wonderful resort retirement community called Willow Valley. And I mean resort known as one of the best in the country, by the way. It's absolutely incredible. Where there are 2,600 of my new neighbors. And I knew nobody when I came here. And what you find uh as you retire, especially, is that uh your friends uh move away, you know, some of them die, some of them get married and leave. So your place of uh the place you reside is your new home. It's where your new friends are going to be. And uh if you get a chance to explore relationships with the people that you live near, you'll find an incredibly rich environment. Uh the stories that people tell you, uh we have people that ran our Mars rover program here at NASA. Uh we have people that are all over the world, and and then we get this inkling into the wonderful city of Lancaster, too. So it's just a great place to be.

Building A City Through Fig

Marc Bernstein

So Ray moved here to start the second half of his life, and I believe because he's so engaged and he's so engaging that he will be around for a long time, and he's my good friend, and I'm happy to say that um we'll be doing this for a long time to go, I hope. As long as we're doing stuff like this, it's fun. Yep, absolutely. Absolutely. Deb, how about you? What is Lancaster County? And by the way, that introduce yourself, I'll let you do that.

Deborah Brandt

I'm Deb Brandt, I'm the owner of Fig Industries and founder. And a fa and founder, founder, co-founder, I found out, last night. Yes, yes, yes. Of the magazine. Of the magazine. Founder of Fig Industries.

Marc Bernstein

Yes.

Deborah Brandt

Um, but to me, um, you know, finding community in this amazing little city called Lancaster was a dream come true. I was in New York City for almost a decade and uh, you know, doing the career thing, and wanted to find a place where I could start something and grow something. And, you know, the the fig analogy of being able to grow um has has really come true here. So um started our design studio 25 years ago and started this little magazine called Fig 20 years ago to connect people to the places and to the experiences that they can find engaging and that they can find meaningful. And so our guest today um from Villan Rue, uh it's one of those places, and so really, really excited to have her on the show today.

Marc Bernstein

And you are a community member, but you're very much a community builder. Um I mentioned on our last show that she had an event last night celebrating the Emerald anniversary, the 20th anniversary of Fig the Magazine. Yes, and it was amazing. The people there and the support you have and the love you have and at supporting you, it's amazing.

Deborah Brandt

So it's it's been an incredible journey, and it's because this place is so special, and people support each other and they want each other to grow. Um so yeah, it was 500 of my closest friends. Um and I'm just so thankful for this community.

Falling In Love With Lancaster

Marc Bernstein

And and they are all friends, I could see that. It's it's pretty amazing. And Rebecca Addington, how about you? What is what is being part of this community in Lancaster City meant to you?

Rebecca Addington

I think most most of my friends and family know this about me, but now I don't know if people know it. I dreamt of moving to Lancaster. I'm not from that far away, like 45 minutes away, but it was right right above the Maryland border, and I grew up on a farm. So community was was tough. It was my family and I are very close, but I uh had to drive 40 minutes to get to school, and then I would work in Baltimore. That was my first full-time job. And I just remember when I was working in Baltimore, I worked for a magazine, and I ended up meeting a couple of people in Lancaster. It was back when it was the James Street Improvement District, and um about doing a tourism ad, about Lancaster advertising in Baltimore, and I just fell in love with it. And this was, I mean, a little while ago, we'll say it that way. I was right at fresh out of school, and uh I just fell in love with it. And uh when I was in high school, it wasn't quite what it is now, obviously. That was back in the early 2000s, and but to see it grow over time, I was it was my goal to move back here and I watched it grow. I moved kind of my husband and I moved all around, uh, not too far away, but about an hour and a half loop around Lancaster. And every time I'd come back and visit, I'd fall in love again between the how kind people were on the street that didn't know me to the boutiques I popped in. And when I got my first fig, I just fell in love with being able to read about all these different businesses and how they all connect. And uh it it has been a dream come true. We moved back here around eight years ago, and I opened my business about six years ago.

Deborah Brandt

We like to create community enthusiasts, and you are the ultimate community enthusiast, Rebecca.

Marc Bernstein

She's she's enthusiastic about everything. She came in with a big smile and she hasn't stopped.

unknown

Yes.

Marc Bernstein

By the way, I just want to mention my view of Lancaster, and we used to come here when I was a kid. Now, when I was a kid, that was a long time ago. And host farm Dutch Wonderland, that's what I remember. And I don't honestly, I don't remember maybe I was in the city once, but the image I had certainly wasn't what it is today. Um, and I really just came here the first time six months ago here to Willow Valley with Ray, and then we went to Deb's. I always get here, I somehow have like it. I think you plan it around our parties. Yeah, once a quarter.

Deborah Brandt

And and I will say that's the potential that we saw, this amazing little city in the middle of Amish country that no one really knew about. So that was that was the mission.

Farm Roots And Entrepreneur Drive

Marc Bernstein

And the other thing, I don't want to get political, but people have been telling me it's a pretty it's a progressive city in every sense of the word, which which I wouldn't you wouldn't imagine, you wouldn't imagine that in you know Heartland of Pennsylvania, that it that it would be like that. So it's really very inclusive, very, very progressive. Uh it's really wonderful. So let's talk about your story, Rebecca. So you came from well, actually, let's talk about growing up on the farm, because I think that influenced you as an entrepreneur, as we talked about.

Rebecca Addington

It did, yeah. My my dad is a farmer, his dad was a farmer, and although I knew that's not what I wanted to do, and he knew that from a very early age, that wasn't my goal. It was pretty it was pretty awesome as a as a child. I have one sister, and my parents taught us that you can be anything you want to be. And my mom was another amazing example of that. She was an elementary education major and ended up working her way up to COO of a large insurance company. And so I had these two parents that just modeled after for my sister and I what you could do. And I I didn't realize how important my dad's role was. I knew my mom's role was important as I watched her grow, and I thought that's where I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to be in the corporate world and climb up the ladder, kind of like she did. But when I started to get into that, I realized that's that's not exactly where my heart strings are pulled. I really love the idea of having my own business, managing my own schedule, having my own team, and ultimately having the autonomy. And then I've realized more recently that came from my father and growing up on the farm. So yeah.

Marc Bernstein

How about that? How things come back to you and you understand. Absolutely. I'm I'm still learning things I got from my father, and he's been gone for 20 years, and I'm still figuring that out. Yeah. Yeah. So so talk the journey, because your husband's an attorney. Yes. And you didn't come directly to Lancaster. That's correct. So let's talk about that and how you got here.

Rebecca Addington

We had a a fun 10 years, first 10 years of our marriage, in that he was in law school when we got married. Right.

Marc Bernstein

I just got out of that's grinding to begin with, I can tell you from experience.

Learning Retail And Design The Hard Way

Rebecca Addington

Poor guy. He you know what it's like. It was so much work, and we were newlyweds, and I actually just got out of design school. My my bachelor's is in communications, but once I realized I have a desire to learn more about design and architecture, I went to design school. So I was fresh out of design school when we got married, and he was still in law school. So we had to kind of plan everything around his law school and where he would he would work there. And I worked for an architecture firm at the time doing drafting and marketing, and I thought it'd be perfect, and it wasn't because I didn't get to see people every day. I just sat in a cubicle and I realized that's this isn't for me. So I ended up working in Baltimore for a uh real estate company and really enjoyed that a lot more. I got to see new people all the time, but there was always a drive because we met in the middle of the west. My husband had to drive up to Harrisburg for for school, and I had to drive down to Baltimore, and then he ended up taking a position in Harrisburg for the Dauphin County Public Defender, so we moved to Harrisburg. So our story is we lived in Mount Joy, a little a little area in um Lancaster, then we moved to downtown York, then we moved to downtown Harrisburg. Right. And then we ended up moving to the Lehigh Valley because of work for him. So the Lehigh Valley is where I ended up learning a lot about where my passions were and what got me into opening Bill and Room because I, for fun, started working at a pottery barn there. And I was like, okay, this will just be my in-between job between now and when I figure out my life. Right. And I fell in love with it. I was a designer and I loved getting to meet new people every day. I loved getting to do design work. I loved learning about the furniture and how to do great customer service. And I ended up um becoming uh the design manager there. And it was struggling at the time that that location, but we ended up taking that store from I don't even know where we were at the time, but we were struggling. And we came second in comping sales to for the entire eastern region of Plain Lines, and it came down to customer service. So that's where I realized what it is that I wanted to do because it was a combination of okay, you can work with people and provide great customer service, but you also can do design, but you also get to learn lines of furniture and product education. So that's kind of where it all came to a head.

Marc Bernstein

And then if I remember correctly, you you were working with a smaller business than in the Lehigh Valley, right?

Rebecca Addington

Yes.

Marc Bernstein

So, and tell us about that and how that morphed into Villan Rue.

Rebecca Addington

They were wonderful. They actually kind of pulled me from Pottery Barn. I went to to, I walked into their store, it was called Damasy, in in downtown Bethlehem, and I was just blown away that you could have a small locally owned business that it looked like the quality was as good as these national and international corporations. And they were such amazing guys, Warren and Derek were their names. And I just got to know them, and then over time I started working there, and they the best part was they taught me all the back-end stuff. They didn't have to, but they were kind enough to teach me basically how to run a business.

Deborah Brandt

That's actually how we met. Yeah, yes, yes. So we have Fig in the Leha Valley, and so I met Rebecca because she was working at Tomasi, and then um she ended up coming to Lancaster to open her business.

Launching Before The Pandemic Hit

Rebecca Addington

And it it was an interesting transition because at first I thought when we were up in Bethlehem, my husband and I still wanted to move back to Lancaster, but I thought I love what I do, and I ended up becoming a business partner with them because I loved it so much. Um, but my husband got a job in Lancaster, and that was my my dream. So now we were faced with this dilemma what do we do? But long story short, we ended up saying for for a little bit of time, I I opened up Villain Rue, but we co-owned each other's businesses in a small amount. And then over time, we decided we were just gonna separate and have you know 100% ownership separately. But that is how I learned to what the blueprint is and how to run this business. So they I'm just so blessed between Pottery Barn and Damassi. I got to learn the big international corporation customer service piece and then the small business, how to run a all the back end work. Yeah.

Marc Bernstein

And if not mistaken, you started and then I think the pandemic hit, right?

Rebecca Addington

You're correct. We started in November of 2019, and the pandemic we all know hit the next few months later. But back to community, I don't know if we could have survived if we were in Lancaster. Lancaster came out so strong. Deb was a huge champion. Deb is always if there's something good going on in Lancaster, Deb's behind it. And it's it's true. We uh she had put on this campaign, she got a lot of people, different companies involved, and uh really focused on supporting and getting these small businesses through. And it was it was a challenging time.

Deborah Brandt

And we we could only do that because sponsors came alongside us and actually helped, you including the city. So yeah, it's great. Everyone came together.

Marc Bernstein

Yeah, Deb's like the unofficial deputy mayor at this point. Don't tell the mayor.

Deborah Brandt

Don't tell the mayor.

Marc Bernstein

Um you know what? As a matter of fact, we're just about at break time, so why don't we take a short break and then I have a couple other questions, and then Deb's got some questions for you. Okay, we'll be right back.

Announcer

Your home should feel like you. Comfortable. Beautiful. Intentional. At Ville & Rue in downtown Lancaster, city inspired design meets carefully curated craftsmanship to create spaces that feel lived in and loved. From custom furniture and hand-upholstered pieces to thoughtfully sourced décor, every detail is chosen to reflect your lifestyle, your story, your rhythm. Their design team guides you through fabrics, finishes and personal style so your home grows with you, not just around you. This is not about trends. This is about loving where you live. Visit VilleAndRue.com or experience the showroom in Lancaster today. Start creating a home you cannot wait to walk into. VilleAndRue.com. Thoughtfully designed. Beautifully lived.

Marc Bernstein

We are back on Founders Forum, and Deb, I'm gonna turn the show over to you for the next few minutes.

Deborah Brandt

How exciting. So, you know, I have some big heading big hitting questions. Can we start that over?

Marc Bernstein

Really don't don't worry about it.

Deborah Brandt

I need to have I need to wake up. Okay. Okay.

Marc Bernstein

All right, so I'm gonna I'm gonna set it up so when they listen to this, they know.

Speaker 4

Yeah.

Marc Bernstein

All right, so we're restarting, guys. So when you hear that last pit bit, uh please please edit that out. We're back on Founders Forum, and I'm going to turn the show over to Deb for the next few minutes.

Deborah Brandt

Well, thank you. Questions for one of my favorite people ever. This should be fun.

Marc Bernstein

So Wow, that says a lot. I saw 500 of her best friends last year. That says a lot.

Deborah Brandt

It it is true though. Um so we talked about lots of you know great Lancaster things and community things. But running a small business is difficult, very difficult. And and I I understand that, and there's there's highs and lows. Um, what are some of the challenges that you've faced over the past several years?

Rebecca Addington

Coming from you, that's such a great question because I remember when I was starting and I told Deb, okay, we're doing retail. We were at, we were doing an ad um with Vig to introduce ourselves with a fresh face. And she said, Are you doing more than retail? And she said, Do you have any services? And I said, Oh, we're gonna have design services. And that is what has really kept us because retail's a tough thing. Retail's a really tough thing. And it was a challenge for us to realize, okay, you have to fill a store, but the store can't be huge because you're just starting out, but you have to make enough to be able to support yourselves. So that's where my design background really came in. And so the first challenge was how are we gonna do this? How are we gonna keep in business with this small blueprint that we had? We had maybe 1,500 square feet when we started. Um, and that's what really started to get us through. But then we realized upon, okay, this is going well. What does our next step look like? And I was doing this all by myself for a year, and it was it was overwhelming. It was every day, and as Deb knows, every day of just the grind. And I was I was getting to a point where I realized I couldn't do this anymore. But it was still right after the pandemic that I mean that lasted a little while. But I had a very, very close friend of mine. Um, his name is Michael Kyoto, and he is one of the most loved people in Lancaster, I I guarantee it. And he actually moved back to Lancaster around the time I moved back to Lancaster. We met when I was working at Damase in the Lehigh Valley, so it's just been beautiful how this was intertwined. But he would come in and we talk business, and I thought, I need to hire this guy. He he can't just be a friend, I have to hire this guy. And my husband is who really encouraged me. He's like, I know it's a scary time, but you can't do this alone. And I knew I couldn't, it was becoming way, way too much to do it. And uh, Michael joined us one year after we opened, and honestly, I say that's the best decision I ever made for my business.

Deborah Brandt

Well, he is amazing, and it really does all come down to the team. It does. So you have you have a great partner in Michael and and in Morgan as well. And I will say, uh I don't remember asking that question, but um, I think it is so important because uh retail has changed so much nationally, but you've done a terrific job of not just offering a product, but offering an incredible experience. And so I think that's really the key, and you've really mastered that. Thank you so much.

Rebecca Addington

That's we we love that, and I think that is a big part of what separates us and shows the difference between us and a national organization, is that we care about every person that comes in. And I'm not saying they don't, it's just easier when you're a smaller community and you recognize people and they want to support you and want to be friends, and I think that's really what's gotten us through the challenges is the team and then the community.

Deborah Brandt

Well, and also talent. You have terrific taste, thank you. And so people trust you to make their house look amazing and to create these spaces that they will enjoy for a very long time.

Rebecca Addington

Which makes us so happy.

Deborah Brandt

Well, so I feel like the challenges we're we're like laughing right through them. So um now we'll move on to the successes. So, what are some things that you're really proud of at Bill and Real?

Rebecca Addington

I really, when you said it comes down to team, I just look back every day, especially because things have been crazy. This year has been crazy. And I look at my team and I'm like, how did I get so lucky? These people are just amazing, and our customers are phenomenal. So I I think our success is just that we've been able to continue doing what we do. Um, we love being able to provide our services, and we over the years we have honed the furniture lines that we carry, and that's been a big success because that's tough navigating the right because that's also a business partnership. So when you find the right ones and your customers and clients are happy, and you're happy, that's become a big success. And we were able to move and expand our space, and in an amazing old French building, and our name is French, and it just goes together so well. So it's been pretty awesome just to see the little all the little yeses we've said yes to, all the little steps that we've done to where we are now, loving what we do.

Deborah Brandt

And you've made some really great choices. Now, to be honest with you, um, and everyone listening, most of my house is furnished with Ville & Rue furniture. Um, and it's it's really well um designed and wonderful furniture that I believe is mostly American made. Is that true?

Rebecca Addington

Yes, Row is a phenomenal company we work with. They are made in everything there is made in Southern Virginia by hand, so it's incredible. And Deb has great. Taste. She she made her product look even better.

Deborah Brandt

I think it was that plaid chair. I love it so much. That that custom chair, I think it's beautiful. Yes.

Marc Bernstein

So looking forward, because that's what we do on the show. Um, Rebecca, if if I'm fortunate enough to be talking to you three years from now, and we look back on the last three years, what would have to be happened for you to say, hey, this is a more success of a very successful three years, business-wise, and perhaps personally, if you'd like. Yeah. What would that look like?

Rebecca Addington

I think for me that would look like, and I'm sure the other small businesses that are listening understand this, it's it's a daily grind. And it is it's really tiring. And after six years, personally, I thought, oh, I'm gonna have this together. I'm gonna have this figured out. But it has been almost like a keeping your head above water. And um if I were looking back on myself now, I'd say, just keep it going. And so I want in three years to say, we did it, we got there. It doesn't feel like we're just treading water all the time. We feel like we've been able to get a little over that mountain. Yeah.

Marc Bernstein

Where is there though? Because I think if I'm here's why I ask, and I if I think if I asked uh Deb this, do you feel like you're you're and you're successful, obviously you have a successful business, but do you feel like you hit a point and you're successful, or is it just a stop along the journey?

Deborah Brandt

So I've all you know, when you're creating a product and it's a different pro it's a new product every single quarter, uh sometimes I feel like you're only as good as your next issue. Um and that's a tough place to be in. But but I do, especially after the party last night, so I think I'm still on that, you know, glow from the party. But when you can create success. When you can create a product that people um that it's become more than a magazine, like to me, that is successful. That that you know, I'm a graphic designer, like of all things. Like, how can you use graphic design to change your community? And after last night, I feel like I think maybe we did. You did, yeah, you definitely did.

Marc Bernstein

And so, like, that does feel like a I told you when I first met you, I saw them you get brought me the magazine. I said, that's the nicest, I've never seen a city magazine that looks like that before. So you really did. It's it's like an in it's like an instant connection that people make when they see it.

Deborah Brandt

We're we're trying to change perceptions and create a movement. So I feel like, yes, that that still though, you still have that daily budgets to meet. You have you know budgets for every single issue and and all of those things to do to support the people that are working to create this beautiful magazine. So um it is always gonna be a daily grind, but I I feel like we've created some community momentum. So what about you, Rebecca?

Rebecca Addington

Yes. That's it's so true when when Deb says that because looking at FIG ever since I picked up the FIG, it has been success to me and and what it what it means to our community and how we relate. But hearing the behind-the-scenes story.

Books Advice And Staying Encouraged

Marc Bernstein

But that's what I want to say. If you're sitting in the seat of the business owner, I don't know anybody that says, I've arrived. You know, it's it's just not like that. It's because it's constant. And well, in life, look, I always many, many years ago, I took a course, uh this guy at Paul Myers. I Ray might remember they had these Paul Myers courses. And one of the things, one of the quotes was it's often quoted is success is not a destination, it's a journey. And I really find that true. Ray was joking about he's retired. I I still have to work, he said. I don't have to, I do it because I enjoy it. But I do it because, and we've got a great financial services company, it's my little plug called March Forward, but we're not we're not there where my vision sees it yet. We're well on our way, and it's the furthest along I've ever been, and I've been in this business a long time. But I will feel that there's gonna be a cutoff point at some point where I'm gonna say this is enough. But it's but it's it's always in motion, it's always changing, right? And I just think that's part of what entrepreneurialism is about. Um, couple more questions. I know you're an avid reader, right?

Rebecca Addington

I I try my best.

Marc Bernstein

Okay. Well, it's hard, and that's also hard too, because I know I used to read books all the time, but now when I'm so busy in business, I'll read 15 pages and I'm out, you know, at night. So right. So are you reading anything now?

Rebecca Addington

Right now I'm reading Pride and Prejudice. I've had enough of my friends say, Who has to read this book? I I took a break of like John Grisham and Baldacci to do some some classic reading. But you read fun books, you're not reading books, you're not reading business books and I j I feel like business books are great, but at the end of the day, I want to yeah, read a fun book. Yeah.

Marc Bernstein

Gotcha. Read business books on work time. Right. Um and uh do you have a favorite book if you had to pick one?

Rebecca Addington

Ooh, that is a good question.

Marc Bernstein

Or one of your favorites, if it's hard to pin it on.

Rebecca Addington

This is actually more of a workbook, but there is a book called Cure for the Common Life. And that book, I I recommend it to anybody who is still trying to figure out what what they're made for and what what their passions are. And it's actually what got me to where I am because it is all about knowing what you're wired to do well, but then also what you're excited about, what gets you up every morning. So Cure for the Common Life is a phenomenal book.

Marc Bernstein

I've what I I've done almost 150 of these shows, and we ask that question a lot, and I've never heard that one. So that's a great one. Many times with duplicates, that's a great one. And um, if you were uh if you were speaking to your younger self looking back, what advice would you give you?

Rebecca Addington

I think my biggest advice would be stay encouraged. I went through, I think, a long period of discouragement, not knowing what I wanted to do, but knowing I wanted to do something special and be a part of my community and hopefully have my own business. But I didn't know what it looked like, and I went through a tough time, and I didn't know how I would come out of it. It was it was a tough couple years. Um but I think I knew to just keep pushing, and but if I could tell myself stuff just just try to get out of that discouragement, like don't live in that, just try to push and think about the good things you have and believe in yourself that you will get to a place where you're really proud of what you do.

Deborah Brandt

I think you should be very proud. You've created something really special.

Marc Bernstein

So self-encouragement is there, but obviously, and you just heard it again. I know Teb is someone constantly in your corner who's encouraged you throughout. I am so the law of attraction, seek out others that will encourage you as well. And and and this is the great community back to the beginning of our show to be doing that in, and congratulations on your set success so far. I'm looking forward to seeing your store. I haven't been there yet. And uh thanks so much for being here. Thank you, Deb Brandt for co-hosting the last two shows. Thank you, Ray Loewe, for always being there. Thank you, Ellen Haas, for engineering here at Willow Valley to send back to the radio station. And thank you all for listening. We'll see you next week on Founders Forum.

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