By Anelia K. Dimitrova
Ryleigh Jeys is full of ideas for entrepreneurial projects.
So much so, that sometimes her brain keeps spinning and spinning. And then more ideas keep popping up and popping up.
But the 25-year-old does not dwell in the overthinking space. She has the skills to move ideas from her head to her hands and make decisions on the go.
So she runs with it – action is her jam.
That’s one way to sum up the story of Thrift It Baby, at 319 Main Street in Cedar Falls, a clothing store Ryleigh created for baby and kid outfits donated by families and resold, as she puts it, at garage-sale prices.
The idea for thrifting baby clothes emerged from her own experience as a mother. Raising two sons, along with her husband, Nathan, Ryleigh saw firsthand how quickly the babies grew into little boys, and how helpful it was that, at the right moment, one of her sisters gave her baby clothes and gear she no longer needed for her family.
Having that kind of support lightened Ryleigh’s motherhood stress and her gratitude for her family network gave her further motivation.
She also noticed that her other sister, who at the time lived out of state, didn’t have anyone who could hand down baby clothes to her, so buying everything new was hard on a young family’s budget.
As Ryleigh reflected on her blessings, it dawned on her that many moms like her and her sisters find themselves in this predicament in the early phases of motherhood when kids grow so fast that their clothes barely keep up with their needs. Other parents, she thought, may have clothes their kids have outgrown, or even brand new onesies and pajamas they have not had time to unwrap before they no longer fit.
Going through her daily duties, Ryleigh kept thinking how she could use her agency to make other moms feel the same support she had received from her sister. If she could intentionally tap into that community, she could really make a difference and turn it into a sustainable business.
There was a real niche to develop a business, so she leaned into it.
“I kind of just started brainstorming how great it would be for moms that are building up mass piles of clothes to have a place to donate them,” she said. “And how nice would it be if it was just specifically tailored to kids’ clothes where moms could easily just drop off clothes and also, at the same time, shop as their kids grow.”
She “teeter tottered” on that idea and for a good reason. At the age of 19, during the pandemic, she ran her own online women’s boutique, but that fizzled out with time.
But since the pandemic, the fresh pleasure of shopping in person, which often includes catching up with friends, and making new ones, made Ryleigh consider a physical storefront for the baby clothing store, an option she found “a bit intimidating” at first.
“I kind of just told myself, before I’m gonna do it, I just need to go fully in for it,” she said.
After a brief period of wondering if she was headed in the right direction, Ryleigh left her fulltime job at VGM, where she worked with clients all over the country, and decided she was moving forward with her idea of creating a thrifted baby and young kids clothing store where she could help her customers in person.
She got her business license, started a social media page, and lifted by the response and the inquires she got from moms who wanted to donate, she “ripped the Band-Aid.”
She briefly opened a store at The Mall of College Square, but eventually determined that downtown may be a better fit for her.
How it works
When the downtown location opened on Oct. 24, it was time to celebrate.
The soft Saturday sun, the fall colors and the live music coming from George’s Local, the downtown restaurant with a sizable patio, gave the store opening a special feel.
“We had a really great turnout,” Ryleigh said.
Ryleigh’s savvy with social media and messaging is evident on her store’s Facebook page, and carries over in the physical store as well. There, a poster on the front window explains briefly and prominently how the business works.
Customers who donate clothes, baby gear, toys, maternity and other relevant pieces, for example, get 50% off any items they buy in the store.
Business hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday thru Saturday. The store is closed on Sunday and Monday.
Inside, the store is filled with rows of kids’ clothing, arranged in types and sizes, making it easy to find a desired item. In the back, there are baby carriers and other gear and also, maternity clothes. Ryleigh takes pride in the display and in the care she takes to showcase the inventory. That’s the visible part of her success so far.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, she has stayed on track working to develop her network. Keeping prices within a young family’s reach and being flexible has paid off. Special sales, like offering a bagful of clothes for a set price, have also trended well.
“I think it’s been a really great system for a lot of moms – they are saving money,” she said. “Also, giving to a good cause.”
Ryleigh estimates that since she started, her inventory has tripled.
“It’s just amazing, the kind of turnout for stuff like that, and how it can be just little things like that can change for a lot for people,” she added.
Ryleigh considers herself the breadwinner of the family and enjoys the support of her most fervent cheerleaders – her two kids, Levi and Liam, and their dad, Nathan.
“It’s been fantastic,” she said. ”It’s just kind of crazy. There is a really big need.”
How did she start
Ryleigh did not take any entrepreneurial classes during her years at West High School in Waterloo or at Hawkeye Community College, where she earned a degree in business administration in 2021.
Looking back on her life in search of where and how her entrepreneurial spark ignited, she comes up with this lineup: she admired her mom, Tammy, who thrived in a career in sales and networking. On reflection, Ryleigh added this important factor in the beginning of her journey.
“Since I was a kid I wanted to start a business and help the community,” she said.
Building out Thrift It Baby has allowed Ryleigh to do just that – build a community and help others. And that has been very gratifying.
Even though Thrift It Baby is still a toddler as a business concept, Ryleigh is already thinking ahead. Expansion and opening in nearby towns – and perhaps as far as Des Moines – is next on her agenda as it would be an opportunity to implement everything she has learned in her business practice so far.
The relatively short time of running a brick-and-mortar storefront has been a time of learning for Ryleigh.
Perhaps the biggest revelation has been one of self knowledge and gaining confidence in putting her dream to work.
“I honestly think, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that I would rather put myself out there and, like, risk failing rather than sitting and wondering, oh, like, what if I did it?” she said. “Like with any business, you’re not going to please everybody. And so, at the end of the day, if you’re doing something that you’re happy with and that you aspire to chase after and all that good stuff. I think just honestly, at the end of the day, just taking a risk and doing it. I mean, things have a way of working themselves out anyway.”