Let me share a secret . . . The Closet Consignment Store at 3784 Bethania Station Rd., in Winston-Salem is amazing! If you have never been, you have to check it out. It is truly never the same store twice If you don't find what you are looking for at The Closet Consignment, it might not exist. It has clothing for the entire family, furniture, housewares, home decor, and more. But my real reason for this article though is to highlight the owner, Sonia Hensel. When I first met her, I thought she was a very nice employee. Then I started asking about the store and she told me the history of The Closet.
Sonia told me that she " opened The Closet after my oldest son was born. I was apprehensive about using a daycare center and wanted to position my life in order to spend more time with my son." My heart began to feel exactly what Sonia was explaining as I could see the welt of gratitude forming in her eyes. Sonia continued. "As I drove to the grocery store one day, I saw an elderly gentleman placing a hand-painted sign on the front lawn. I stopped, probably just out of curiosity and he offered to give me a tour of the building. I had a moment of insanity and the dreamer in me envisioned a playful space where people could recycle their gently used goods. My new landlord gave me 3 months of free rent for cleaning and painting my new space. My friends cleaned out their "closets" and my store was born. I went out for milk and came back a business owner. "
Intrigued by the story and sold by the emotion that went into it, I responded, "It was that easy?" Sonia laughed a laugh that would've made anyone in earshot laugh too. She began again, "while I painted and cleaned, a friend of mine cut down Christmas trees in western North Carolina and we proceeded to sell them on the front yard. The sale of the Christmas trees were divided between us and I was able to pay my rent. The following year I added pumpkins as well as Christmas trees. The store continued to grow and flourish. While I no longer sell Christmas trees or pumpkins, it was a fun start to a long and beloved career."
Drawn in by the trip down memory lane, I asked "How old is your son now?" the glow that illuminated from the shop owner was warm as she said "My oldest son is 26 and he learned to take his first steps, ride his first bicycle with training wheels, and read books all while working with his mom. Many of my clients still remember those early days. Since then, I went on to raise two additional children in my store. They all took their first steps within the four walls of The Closet. The large parking lot holds many first memories, too. My children learned to ride their bikes, jump ropes, and lunch hours involved kick ball games." With that a customer came in the owner was off doing her thing once again.
What a great story, a 26-year-old female owned success story. Again, The Closet is located at 3784 Bethania Station Rd in Winston Salem. If you have not been to the store before, or haven’t been in a while, head to this sweet little spot in north Winston. There is something there for everyone!
Jeffrey Willey is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Winston Salem, NC
