Store Name: Mona
Address: 977 Hosbrook St, Indianapolis, IN 46203
Website: getwavymona.com
Instagram: @getwavymona
Store Open Date: November 2021
Number of Employees: Five
Have you stopped into Indy’s elevated lifestyle and cannabis shop, Mona? Mona co-owners Jessie Eskew, Mary James, Charlee Black, Rebekah Nolan, and Shaneka Pedersenh have curated a sophisticated space to provide high-end lifestyle retail and smoking accessories. The next time you’re out shopping in Fountain Square head over to stock up on self-care goodies and the cutest gifts.
Starting today and running through the 8th, Mona will be participating in the Bauble Bop! Eight women-owned businesses around Indianapolis have teamed up for a holiday shopping extravaganza and giveaway. At the first shop you visit ask for a passport; once you get a stamp from all eight shops and follow each store on Instagram, turn in your passport at the last shop. A completed passport will enter you into a giveaway with a grand prize worth $500 and three smaller prizes worth $95 each!
We got the total retail scoop from Eskew on what it’s like to run a lifestyle and cannabis shop in Indiana complete with the challenges and joys. Read about her sister store, Rooftop Fruit, here.
What do you sell in your store?
High end smoking accessories, cannabis products, and lifestyle goods.
Previous jobs/ventures?
We have five owners, so our backgrounds vary! I own another retail store, Mary was a school teacher, Charlee is a photographer, Rebekah is a designer, and Shaneka works in finance.
Why did you decide to open a storefront?
We ourselves wanted to go somewhere to buy high end smoking accessories and cannabis products. That doesn’t exist many places in the US, let alone in Indiana, so we created it so that we and others can enjoy!
Do you have an online store as well?
Yes! You can shop most of our products at getwavymona.com
Which came first, the online store or the brick-and-mortar store?
They launched at the same time.
What are five skills/qualifications that you think are important to have before launching or managing a storefront?
Determination, organization, a need/want for the product you’re selling, good communication, resilience.
What’s the most effective marketing tool that you’ve been using recently?
Instagram and direct emails! Emails are better for us since a lot of the products we sell are censored by Instagram.
What’s more important when opening a storefront: location, having a nice cash cushion or having a lot of retail experience? Why?
All are definitely important, but I think having a nice cash cushion is best. You can always learn as you go and entice customers to wherever you are, but even if you’re an expert, you can’t control the economy.
How do you decide which vendors/products/brands you want to carry in your store?
We LOVE working with independent women owned brands. Our goal is to carry aesthetic products that you can’t find at any other shops in town.
Do you work with vendors on a consignment basis?
Nope. Too much extra paperwork.
Do you carry any local vendors/brands?
Our favorite local brands are Mellow Mood Hemp Co. and Fluff’s Edibles. Both are grown and processed within thirty minutes of downtown! Their products range from face masks and bath bombs to delta-8 and delta-9 gummies and baking mixes.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in running this business?
The legal challenges surrounding cannabis are for sure a hinderance. It makes it hard to advertise, but that just helps us to be more creative about how we approach marketing.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of opening their own storefront or someone interested in gaining management experience?
Make sure you have a plan and are ready to execute it. As Taylor Swift said: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
What advice would you give to an up-and-coming brand looking to build a strong relationship with a retailer?
Do research. Interact without talking about your brand. Learn what the retailer wants and needs before you pitch. Then recalibrate. Is it still a good fit? If yes, then go ahead. If not, then keep searching for other brands that would be a good fit.
