Women-Owned Lemont: Sommer at Mabel’s Market
Sommer Steele at Mabel’s Market
In the United States, roughly 35% of businesses are woman-owned. Today, In Lemont Downtown, nearly 85% of businesses are woman-owned. These businesses fuel our economic growth, provide jobs for locals, and help fuel a pipeline for entrepreneurship for all.
At Lemont Downtown, we hear from a lot of people: How do I get started? Could I have a business in Lemont? Well, yes!
Throughout the month, we’ll be sitting down with some of your favorite women-owned businesses to learn more about their story, some insight on what it takes to start and run a successful business, and hopefully inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs.
Next Up: Sommer Steele at Mabel’s Market
KG: How did you decide to make the jump to open up Mabel's Market in Lemont?
SS: I’ve always been an ideas person but something happened around the time I turned 30 that I just started going for it instead of dreaming it. I was fearless and naive when I decided to open my own business. It was this feeling that I didn’t want life to pass me by. When I began refinishing furniture and reselling antiques at other shops, I had the impression ‘I could do that too – and maybe better.’ The goal, which somehow felt radical at the time was to put as much focus on customer experience and relationships as the products.
In 2015, I met a woman who lived in Lemont who ended up being my business partner. While I was looking for spaces in my town of Palos Heights, she suggested I look at one particular storefront. Even though it was further from my house and felt like a ghost town on the day we visited, I was 100% sure it was home for Mabel. Something about the cozy downtown and old buildings. We signed the lease that week. By the time I took over the business solely in 2019, I felt like I’d always been there.
Crowd at Fall on Canal in 2024
KG: You're the host of our amazing Markets on the Canal! What was your intention with setting up this event? Have you seen it forge a path for other local entrepreneurs?
SS: To be honest, it didn’t start as altruistic as it seemed. Frankly, [Mabel’s Market] was terrible at being vendors at other markets. Each week we were tearing apart the shop, loading up the wares, bringing back what didn’t sell, and restaging Mabel’s but I loved the idea of an outdoor vintage and makers market. The vibe is so special. There are so many vendors with so much talent thoughtfully coming together in one place. So naturally I thought, if we can't go to it, I’ll bring it to us.
I’ve said over and over, ‘I don’t know how I’d have pulled it off in any town but Lemont’ but it worked! One of my favorite moments of the year is those first couple of hours when the sun is coming up, the vendors are popping up their tents, visiting with each other, and setting up their products. It’s magical to see the support, creativity, and hard work. I’ve been able to experience and witness these micro businesses find their best path forward. Some have outgrown us, focusing on bigger out-of-state shows, some have opened their own storefronts, and some are no longer in business for a variety of reasons. To be even the smallest part of each story is an honor.
KG: How did you go about financing your businesses? Did you use personal savings, loans, or investors?
SS: How Mabel’s started is probably unlike any other business. I used personal savings and while the expense was more than I’d anticipated, it was a low investment given the nature of what we were selling at the time. We’d already amassed a vintage collection and relied a lot on local artisans' consignment when we opened. I think this gave me time to understand better the profits and losses of a small business. In this way, I was lucky.
When I opened Three Stories Books in 2021, I’d miraculously come off of a really profitable Covid-era time at Mabel’s. While big box furniture was at a shortage, a new wave of customers began looking for pieces that were vintage, refinished, and high quality. I have a lot of other theories about why that was but with the support of the Village who had infrastructure grants available, I financed the bookstore on my own.
Self-financing can sound frivolous but it’s a big risk — especially with the bookstore. It was a big decision for my family. You rely on smaller personal savings than you’d like, you have to make sacrifices like ‘Do we really need that new driveway right now or can we wait another year?’ and you really bet it all on this dream.
Each of my businesses, Mabel’s Market and Three Stories Books, was important to us which is why we make those sacrifices.
Refinished Furniture at Mabel’s Market
KG: Many small business owners take years to pay themselves. Instead, most dollars coming in are reinvested in the business. How do you cope with that?
SS: I think every person's needs and expectations are different but the reality is the same: the dollars that come in don’t go straight to your pocket and you have to do your best to plan for that.
[Author’s Note: In September 2024, Three Stories Books Store was sold to Carla Cardona-Tapia and still operates out of the same location.]
KG: What were the most important pieces when it came to building your brands?
SS: Two things are top of mind: aesthetics and experience. I’ve always had strong ideas about the ways I wanted my businesses to look and feel. I can’t always pull it off but the intention is there. I want Mabel’s to reflect a style I love or I love for my customers. I hope customers feel the difference in quality and character of handmade, small-batch, or vintage items. I want it to feel thoughtful. But most of all, I want our customers to feel welcome, inspired, and appreciated, like they are why we are here.
KG: What does your day-to-day look like now that business is open?
SS: Every day is different. Sometimes, I wish I could just work as a storekeeper during our open hours and that’s it – chat with customers, tinker around; but, it’s nothing like that. You’ll hear most small business owners talking about all the hats one must wear to pull it off. So I’m trying to rely on my shopgirls more to free up the time I need to take care of other business-related tasks like finding, picking up, refinishing furniture, consulting on custom work, sourcing vintage items, restaging the store, ordering merchandise, updating social media, planning this year's markets. This is why I never actually get to clean the back room. However, I need to be in front of customers too, so a lot of days you find me trying to do all the above inside Mabel’s which is really my favorite place to be.
Storefront at Mabel’s Market
KG: You're an amazing mother to three wonderful boys. What are the lessons that you hope they take with them from witnessing your work as a small business owner?
SS: In some ways, I love that my son’s take my business for granted; like, there is no part of them that would question the capabilities of a woman as a small business owner. It’s what they know. But they know I work all the time and there was a point when I decided to sell the bookstore that said, “I love these businesses but I will always choose you.” You have to find balance to run a small business (or businesses) or can quickly take over.
My hope is they realize the importance of community. I hope they take smart risks, have the confidence to fail, and are humble enough to learn from each experience. I hope what they learn from this small business mom is to work hard, be generous with your kindness, and value yourself and what you offer.
KG: What were the biggest obstacles or resistance that you've faced as a business owner?
SS: I think change is the biggest obstacle. So many things are out of our control: great sales one week, slow sales the next. One day I’ll crack the social media code.
It’s navigating the consumer’s confidence in the economy and/or fear of spending. It’s having customer support in one moment and navigating a bad review in the next. Gnomes are the hottest thing and then everyone hates them. The biggest obstacle is that nothing stays the same so I have to be engaged at all times.
Most small business owners go into business because there is one thing that they love. However, it’s no longer just about that. It’s about staffing, taxes, cleaning, ordering supplies, planning social media and marketing, managing events, town activities, and so much more. Finding the balance and will to take on all of those other tasks is no small feat.
KG: Where have you found the most support?
SS: Oh, I could not have a more supportive husband or sister. I’m eternally grateful they do not run for the hills when I inevitably say “I have an idea…”
In general, my day-to-day business support comes from my fellow business owners as well as my employees who feel so invested in this little shop. Just this week, one of my dearest friends and a local business owner said “Where would we be without each other?,” after coming up with zero answers to all our small business problems, I said, “Well, probably in the exact same place but we wouldn’t be nearly as happy”
Being a small business owner is like living on your own little island. It can be incredibly lonely. It takes resilience and problem-solving skills you didn’t know you needed. I am so thankful for my family’s support but having a community of other business owners to lean on is a life-saver.
KG: What's next for your business?
SS: This is a great question I ask myself all the time. How to grow a business that will not grow in square footage? After I sold the bookstore, I was able to recommit to more furniture projects at Mabel’s. I think I’ve refinished more furniture in the 6 months since the sale as I did the entirety of owning Three Stories. So that’s an area of growth I’m still exploring.
I’ve been putting together our Wine Walks, Princess & Hero Walks, Kids Who Make, and Ornament Walks for years. I’m always looking for ways to bring our downtown retail businesses together. We are organizing a Christmas Market in 2025 for the first time. It’s been on my mind for years and I am truly so excited to partner with The Legacy Ranch in Lockport for a holiday-themed vendor market.
Not to mention, Market/Fall On Canal which will also grow just a bit this year.
KG: What advice would you give to women who want to open up a business in Lemont?
SS: Mabel’s Market is just about 10 years old and I still have so many questions but here are a few things I’ve learned:
Be ready to work, work, work. It will probably be different work than you imagined.
Have a good accountant.
Be authentic. Set boundaries. Be patient. Learn from your customers. If something doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to tweak it and try again. It’s also ok to let things go. Ask yourself sincerely, what do I have to lose?
You won’t find a better, more supportive place to take a risk than Lemont Downtown. The community and other businesses show up if you do. I’m always here for support or to chat.
Mabel’s Market is located at 307 Canal Street in Lemont Downtown. Learn more about Market on Canal, Fall on Canal, and follow our Event Calendar to learn more about the other events that Sommer hosts in Lemont Downtown.
