Blog: The Buying Trip, Part 3: The Women

(Last installment from Della. It's been amazing for me, Jan, to travel back through the show through Della's eyes. Thank you, Della): I am talking to or with Jan most days; she is an owner and a visionary. Caitlin, Jan's daughter has been in my life for 17 years, or I in hers. Regardless, my relationship with her is one of longevity and love.

As of lately, Caitlin has come back to World's Window moving towards her nursing degree, and I get to work with her a few times a week, as we together check in merchandise and discuss the world. Stephanie, Jan's long time friend and cousin, has been a staple at these shows, providing Jan a shoulder of knowledge and family. She has traveled to Kansas City many times to be a part of special events for World's Window, and I have grown to admire her as a lovely lady, and also as great sounding board to Jan in times of need.

These were my World's Window colleagues as we made our way through the corridors of folk art and gifts. We chose roles; the gatherers, the hunters, the financiers, the schmoozers, the size checkers (Caitlin was wonderful at this, as she disrobed into her tank top and tried on an astounding number of tops and dresses), and the crouchers (Steph and Jan were amazing as they knelt or sat on the floor to go through piles of textiles or folk art pushed under tables).

(Caitlin, Jan, Della, Pamela, Stephanie)
We laughed a lot and discussed choices at lunches and dinner. There were oddities to see and conversations with vendors to pick apart. Jan has made friends with many other store owners, but one of her dearest is Pamela from a store in Eugene, OR. Pamela was delightful as a soft soul with a harder exterior of business. She and Jan, and the rest of us, talked business and employees and choices. These were unique conversations about ethics and concerns, and less about money and profit. All are important in business, but listening to Jan and Pamela I found myself interested in their how's and why's - both astute business women, with their eyes on the whole picture, not just the bottom line.

So there I was, in Los Angeles with amazing ladies, choosing amazing items, staying in the most beautiful hotel - and I felt energized. So much stimulus and information and ideas. My head spinning, I boarded a plane back to Kansas City.