Shop Local This Holiday Season

When I first started it out in business almost twelve years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. But I knew in my heart that deep down, I always knew the difference between wrong or right, and knowing that would help me make the right choices. I was ready, and I was hungry.

See, growing up, my mom always told me to trust my instincts, and she was right. Looking back, every single time I didn't trust my instincts, I ended up feeling disappointed and lost.

I have to admit this is the first year in my life where I felt in business that I didn't have the answers, and I didn't know for a fact what the right thing to do was. I’ve talked to so many business owners who told me they felt the same. For the first time, I had no one to turn to for answers. I have to say to you; it's a feeling no one should endure.

Not everyone knows what it feels like to own a business. The business is your baby, and you would take a bullet for your baby: the struggles, the highs, and the lows, the sleepless nights—the smiles alongside the hidden tears and nervous breakdowns. There isn’t a Plan B. The only options are:

#1- Make it.

#2-Make it.

#3-Or MAKE IT!

Not everyone knows what it feels like to be behind on your rent, to have family members buy you groceries because you sank your last penny into your business. Not everyone knows what it feels like to apply for food stamps or to not collect a paycheck even though you've been working around the clock for five, ten, fifteen plus years.

See, nobody talks about this.

Hi, my name is Emily Zwilling, and everything I've mentioned above is what I've been through; and I've talked to handfuls of business owners who have been or who are currently going through the same. Genuine business owners don't do it for the money or popularity; they do it to create a community, to develop friendships and bonds that will always be cherished. We want to leave a legacy; we want to show the world what hard work can bring to the table.

So during this holiday season, I'm asking you to shop local and support small businesses. Go to your local coffee shop to buy mugs and coffee. Visit that boutique down the street you've always been wanting to shop at. Walk down the road to that small local gym you've been procrastinating on joining. Are you cooking for your family tonight? Visit your local butcher or a family-owned grocery store. I'm asking you to put yourself in their shoes. These small business owners and their employees are the heart of St. Louis, and they genuinely make St. Louis a brighter place.

I'm asking you to put yourself in their shoes. These small business owners and their employees are the heart of St. Louis, and they make St. Louis a happier place.