044 | Overcoming personal & social challenges in business with Heather Haynie & Dani Antol, Rock Paper Scissors

Heather Haynie and Dani Antol are the owners of Rock Paper Scissors, a custom invitation and paper goods shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rock Paper Scissors is the go-to destination for locals and visitors alike looking for laugh-out-loud greeting cards, journals, dec accessories, calendars, planners and modern gifts.

On today’s episode we talk about a wide range of topics including what it takes to run a retail storefront, how they divide responsibilities as business partners and what success looks like for each of them. We also got personal. Dani shares her story of battling cancer. We also discuss how Heather & Dani were able to unify their local community after the hateful rallies in Charlottesville.

ON TODAY’S EPISODE:

What prompted Heather & Dani to go into business together
What their day-to-day looks like running a retail storefront
The custom design side of their business
The benefits of buying an existing storefront and how they made it their own
The growth of Rock Paper Scissors over the years
How Heather & Dani divide responsibilities and how it has changed over the years as they have grown
The things people should think about before jumping into a business partnership with someone
Dani’s battle with breast cancer and why she decided to share her story publicly
How breast cancer changed Dani’s perspective and her motivations
Heather & Dani’s involvement in the C’ville Heart Project & the purpose behind it
The things they have accomplished in their business that they are very proud of
What’s next for Rock Paper Scissors

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KEY TAKE-AWAYS

“I’m extremely thankful that we purchased the business because as Dani said, there were so many things that were already in place that were really helpful for us, from the relationships with vendors, as well as relationships with existing clients.” – Heather Haynie

“We trust each other in those roles because we know that that’s what we’re good at.” – Dani Antol

“One of the greatest benefits [of our partnership] is that we don’t have the same strengths.” – Heather Haynie

“I mean, she [Dani] would have chemo and then be sending me proofs. This girl’s work ethic is amazing.” – Heather Haynie

“Some really terrible people came to our town and invaded our town and that’s something that we always want to be really clear about. They are not Charlottesville and that’s not what our town is like at all.” – Heather Haynie

“Running a small business is hard and it is time consuming. There’s always a million hats that we’re wearing, and so I think it’s important to remind ourselves that, “No, we set the rules here and we can decide what we do and not do to some extent.” We do need to carve out that time for our personal lives.” – Katie Hunt

CONNECT WITH HEATHER & DANI

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct