Inspiring Conversations with Breana Jackson of Grace Proper

Today we’d like to introduce you to Breana Jackson.

Hi Breana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2018 I worked in the corporate world, trying to win the rat race. After I had my second baby, I realized that I wasn’t building a career I wanted to live in. On a long road trip chat with my husband I shared my hopeless outlook and he asked, if money were not issue, what would you want to do? I answered with my gut, explaining that I would want to have a little store in a downtown that we lived in, being apart of a community. It eventually boiled down the the phrase, I want to bring the love and warmth of life into people’s homes. He asked what my first step would be and I laughed in his face citing that we had two kids and bills to pay so it wasn’t something that would be possible. He pressed for an answer and I said a business plan. He then encouraged me to lean into developing the idea. The business plan became a place to form my dream into a tangible reality and I clung to it for the next five years. One more baby and a few years working part time in retail to learn, I finally worked up the courage to find a location. As the old saying goes, it’s not what you know, but who you know and a member of my community told me they were moving their business out of the downtown we lived in and recommended me to their landlord. From there, my husband and I worked together with our friends and family to create this magical space we know as Grace Proper. The name, one of most significance to me is worth noting. We live in a world of imperfection and it’s important to give each other the benefit of the doubt, accepting that we will not alway live up to what we’d like to be, but have the ability to choose to give others grace, or the space to fall short. We use Proper in the form of location. The first place I ever traveled abroad to was London, England. It stuck with me that even with all of it’s history and influence of the world, London Proper is only one square mile. Likewise, Grace Proper is one small store in one small town, but my hope is that it can reach people at their core and allow them to make space for imperfection, connecting with themselves in others in an authentic way.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Hah! Is business ever a smooth road? It took me years to find a physical location as our downtown is small, but in high demand. Having the patience to find funding and location was at times feeling like sinking in quicksand, like you can dream all you want, but you can’t force it. Overall, you only have so much control. Sometimes you have the right business, but not the location, the right location, but not the funding, etc.

As you know, we’re big fans of Grace Proper. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The point of Grace Proper isn’t to collect things, it’s to utilize tools to help connect with yourself and others. We live in a world that pushes you to go faster, do more and beat the competition. Grace Proper is challenging people to slow down and be grateful for the things and people in their lives. The items we keep in the store are there to help people find those connections. It might be a mother and long distance daughter painting the same watercolor workbook; it could be a neighbor putting out glasses of lemonade to start conversation; or someone using a pack of our silly debates to laugh at the dinner table. However, sometimes it’s the connection with ourselves that we need and for that we have journals and books and candles and coffee, all things to create a moment where you’re comfortable taking a look inside. We are most proud of the vulnerability our customers will show because they are comfortable being in our store. The amount of tears that have been shed or smiles that have been shared because our customers get to take this item they found and use it to support or show love to others in their lives is amazing. We’ve also had people come in the store that are in one of the pits of life and have found something that gives them hope. Grace Proper isn’t about stuff, it is about feeling. We feel honored to be able to be a small part of making the world a better place to be.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I could never have enough space to give credit to all those who would deserve it. Obviously my husband and best friend Dan, but also my three daughters have been nothing but positive and encouraging. My whole family supported in the ways that they could, and my friends had to endlessly hear me talk about this dream that may or may not happen. One of my first mentors was Caitlyn Riney from George Gregory in Corktown Detroit. She had just been starting her store when we had lunch and she talked about her wins and challenges, what she would do differently and what next steps could look like. Even that brief conversation gave me the understanding and confidence to take the next step. During the buildout of the physical store, my husband was injured in a separate incident, and his friends showed up and help build everything he couldn’t, which is a kindness I don’t think we will ever be able to repay. My father-in-law also spent countless hours building and prepping the space just the way I wanted it. By the time we opened the doors. It felt like the whole community wanted it to be successful; those small acts of encouragement built together have brought this dream to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.graceproper.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grace_proper/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551236323957