Meet Shana Stolz of The Pineapple Market

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shana Stolz.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After spending 14 years in retail sales my husband and I decided I should be a stay-at-home mom to our two boys. Best decision ever! But I will say after about six months, I was starting to feel a little antsy being just with the kids with little adult interaction. We were also tight on money. Without my extra income buying, extra things like presents became an issue.

As a kid, I was always a crafty one so I started making things to give as gifts. It all started with hand painting signs to give to my kids and nephews. They became popular with friends and family and so I started a business in 2015 called Rise & Shine Signs. I loved doing craft shows for the interactions (oh how I love people and getting to chat!!!), Etsy was great then ( not so many people selling the same things), and I even had booth space at a local vintage market for a bit. I could make my own schedule, be home with the kids, and have my creative outlet… I mean, it was honestly like my dream job!

Fast forward two years. We added another kiddo to the mix, our beautiful baby girl Mabel, lost my mother-in-law, moved twice, and found very little time to actually hand paint signs, so I quit it all. December of 2018 changed everything when I opened The Pineapple Market! I couldn’t kick my entrepreneurial spirit and knew I needed my creative outlet. Hand painting signs was harder to compete with others using stencils and vinyl so I relied on my creative side to start making jewelry again as I used to in college. My first designs were so popular that I ended up opening a booth space in Vintage Marketplace where I still am today. Selling my handmade jewelry, pillows, tee shirts, hats, upcycling furniture, and vintage finds!

2020 was hard. Hard on everyone. But also my best business year! The support of small businesses was evident and so much appreciated! A blessing in the crazy times we were all living in. By March of 2021, I got the opportunity to add in my sales background with a boutique located inside Hometown Shops in the Promenade Shops at Centerra. This shop features 20 local small businesses all nestled together to form a truly beautiful shopping experience!

I can’t honestly say it’s been super easy but the drive, spirit, and passion is there. To create, not only for myself but for others and that’s why I sell the things I make because I love them and I feel like you’ll love them too. So in conclusion, my little sign business turned into a handmade, clothing, and vintage shop. All of the things that I love. And when you’re given the opportunity to do what you love, you grab on and enjoy the ride!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes and no! Ha!

My biggest struggle from then, and still today, is finding a comfortable balance between work and family. One that works for me and my family, not one that works for someone else. I’ve tried finding solutions through other people’s suggestions, reading articles on the topic, and whatnot. What it comes down to is you can’t live others’ lives. Priorities and values differ. You’re in different seasons than others. You have to do what’s right for you.

Have I found the perfect solution? I think I go through periods of time where yes I have a comfortable balance. Then life will throw a hitch and you’re out of balance for a little while and you have to reevaluate and regroup to get back into a balance, then life hits again! I think it’s a constant change and in a way, that constant change is also really good for a person and for your business.

It keeps you on your toes evaluating what works and what doesn’t, finding solutions for things that you might not have thought about before. Maybe it’s just the entrepreneur in me, kind of a free spirit that enjoys a bit of change every once in a while. Even if I do complain about it!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Pineapple Market is handmade, clothing, and vintage.

A vintage boutique specializing in home goods, kitchenware, furniture, seasonal decor, women’s apparel, and handmade goods. We’re best known for our Vintage Soul tee shirts, designed by us and screen printed by our neighbors! Oh, and our leather bracelets are still our market best sellers! We’re a shop for the vintage soul, lover of a great find, a tee-shirt, and jeans gal, oh and don’t forget a pair of earrings!

We’ve been asked so many times, why the pineapple? To me, it’s a no-brainer…Welcome y’all! That feeling you get when you walk into your favorite aunt’s house, or going home to visit your parents or that one shop with the cutest front displays, or opening a gift from a friend even though it’s not your birthday, or being asked over for dinner by a lovely neighbor, or feeling the sunshine on your front porch, finding the perfect earring to go with a new outfit, or… I could go on and on… and on.

We hope y’all find something special in The Pineapple Market!

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I learned I had a community. I didn’t have to go it alone. We banded together, helped each other and I even gained new friendships. Never underestimate the power of friendship.

Contact Info:

• Email: ThePineappleMarketCO@gmail.com
• Website: www.ThePineappleMarket.com
• Instagram: @ThePineappleMarketCO
• Facebook: @ThePineappleMarketCO

Image Credits
Brooke Juma Photography