Community Highlights: Meet Paulette Swan of Boot Junky

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paulette Swan. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Boot Junky is owned and operated by husband and wife team Greg and Paulette Swan. Their business evolved organically over a decade ago when the 2 of them had pivoted professionally from flipping homes after the real estate collapse 2008. That’s when Greg found a cross-country truck driving position, and Paulette started Baubles, Belts & Bling, where she worked from home designing and modifying custom belts, sunglasses, and conchos. They eventually started an eBay page where they resold treasures they found at discount stores. For them, where there is a will, there is a way, and both were motivated by the desire they shared to not return to their careers in the car business where they first met. Paulette has always been a hyper-creative, goal-oriented, self-starter, and Greg, the always supportive, hard-working, logical problem solver. The 2 of them leaned on each other during the early stages of the business, and each brought something different and beneficial to the table. In hindsight, all their decisions helped lay the foundation for what Boot Junky is today.

When Paulette was attending markets for the business that would eventually be Boot Junky, she was looking for new products and inspiration but found an opportunity. Being the social butterfly that she is, Paulette had made connections with many of the vendors, and it was her contact at Lane Boots that first convinced her to consider selling boots. This was back when Lane Boots produced Double D Ranch, and Paulette was so taken with their unique styles that she went for it. The minimum order required her to order 3 different styles, 6 pairs of each, for 18 pairs, and afterward, she panicked and called Greg. “I can’t believe what I just did,” she said. He calmly asked her, “Can you sell them for what you paid?” She thought and answered, “Well, yes.” “Then go for it; what’s the risk!” he replied. So they did!

Greg and Paulette always had 1 hard and fast rule about their business. They would never borrow or pay a penny in interest to build it. Greg worked at a job he hated to offer the reliable financial support they needed while continuing to grow Boot Junky. They continued to sell items on eBay, and in fact, that eBay page is still active and with a 5-star rating and now hosts the hundreds of styles Boot Junky offers in addition to their website. They started small and threw every cent they made into the business until it could support itself. Year over year, their sales grew. Greg could eventually leave truck driving, and the business quickly exceeded their expectations. They operated out of their home until they ran out of bedrooms to hold the boots and eventually had to rent a storefront in Scottsdale. There are still original Boot Junky customers who recall shopping at their house, and some lucky few even got to purchase rare and hard-to-find styles straight from Paulette’s closet.

Today, Paulette designs and handles all the orders for the business, and Greg manages the financial side of things and the needs of the storefront. They have 2 employees, a family friend, and their daughter. They get asked regularly about expanding or franchising, but they have kept it small for a reason. They believe in outstanding customer service like Nordstroms back in the day, and they want to ensure they keep that personalized touch that separates them from all the other retailers. We have customers who have cried because real people answer the phone, listen, and offer genuine support and care when a situation needs to be addressed.  Our team gladly shares their knowledge to help guide a customer to make the right purchase for them.  Boot Junky is a local gem, but the truth is it is Greg and Paulette’s passion and dedication that have made it so special.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Building a business from scratch is never without its hurdles, but we grew it organically and over time.  Since we never got ahead of ourselves financially, that has made our journey relatively smooth. We never put ourselves in a situation where we made decisions out of desperation and that has helped us remain successful.  We have had to problem-solve many issues over the years, and some of those problems we just had to let go of. For example, we wanted to evolve how we did inventory but needed help finding a scanner to communicate with our multiple selling channels to update inventory. After several failed attempts and expensive hardware purchases, we gave in. We still take an old-school approach to inventory with a printed spreadsheet on a clipboard and a pen. It works. It isn’t the most expeditious way, but it’s accurate. We have had vendors change their styles, ordering guidelines, and delivery windows, so we have learned to pivot and be flexible.  We try to remember that when a door closes to open a window, and we trust that God isn’t going to throw anything at us that we can’t handle.

The most challenging struggle we have encountered has been the moments we navigate through our own personal tragedies like when you lose a loved one or get an unexpected medical diagnosis.  No one is ready when the floor is ripped out from under them, but in those moments, we persevere and remember how lucky we are to own our business and to be able to make adjustments that work for us. We are also very fortunate to have the supportive customer base we have, and that makes navigating the hard stuff easier.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Boot Junky specializes in vintage, hard-to-find, exclusive, and unique women’s fashion boots. We are one of the largest Old Gringo retailers in the Southwest and the largest US retailer of our favorite Italian brand, El Vaquero. We are passionate about color, unique styles and genuinely care about comfort. We are the only retailer in town that offers complimentary boot stretching when you buy boots with us. Many women don’t realize that if a boot doesn’t fit right away, there are tricks to help make that boot custom fit for you.  We listen to feedback from our customers and truly value their decision to spend their hard-earned dollar with us. We even answer the phone when you call and if you have to leave a message we call you back.  We are here to help you find the boots that make your heart sing and if for some reason we can’t get it, chances are we know where you can find it or we can custom order it for you. We offer private shopping experiences for large groups looking to have a fun night trying on boots.  We also proudly sponsor the Miss Rodeo Arizona pageant.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Our business relies on word of mouth. We are a small, local, family-owned business, so it is the word of our customers that brings people in. Tag us on social media, write a review, tell a friend, or think of us for your next girls’ trip to Nashville or a country concert.

Pricing:

• We offer boots from $150-$1600

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bootjunky.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bootjunky/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bootjunky

Image Credits
Stephanie Siete, Carissa Gould, Miss Rodeo Arizona