EP 80 The Amber Marie & Company Story - Jere & Amber Marie Welch

that is when you really learn to rely on God. And that is why I say nothing strengthens your prayer life like having a small business because you're not tied to the dock anymore. It is all on you. Welcome to iRefresh, where we talk about the power of prayer in God's Word. Welcome to this episode. I'm Veronica Scott, and I'm here with my friends, Amber and her mother, Jerry. They own a lifestyle boutique here in town, Amber and Marie and Company. And we are here today to talk about how prayer and God's word has impacted your lives. Well, thank you for having us, Veronica. Thank you, Jerry. We're excited to be here. So Amber, would you like to start and tell us how prayer and God has just impacted your life and your business? Absolutely. So I was talking a little bit earlier today, mom and I were talking as we were driving over here and I said, you know, nothing will strengthen your prayer life like owning a business. Yeah. For so many reasons. And mom chimed in and said, well, nothing strengthens your prayer life like having kids, too. So there is that. That's true. I would agree. Yeah. But, you know, through our business, we started in 2004 together. And my mom had owned a store for about 26 years. She retired, actually. And I convinced her to do this together. And literally, God has opened every door. for us in our business from day one and closed every door that needed to be closed too. So we have, I literally prayed about every single thing through our business as we have gone through the last 15 years, 16 years. Yeah. Wow. That's awesome. So Jerry, how did you first decide that you wanted to close the other business and start a new business with Amber? Oh, well... Okay, let's go back many years. I started in this kind of a business when I was 12 working for my dad. Wow. And then my sister taught me into opening a business with her. And so we had a business in Kansas, and she was driving every week from Amarillo, Texas, to Kansas, which was about 150 miles. And so she was getting a little older and we decided, well, it might be the time for her to stop driving so far. So we decided to go ahead, sell the business and move on. And then Amber comes along and. I threw a major kink in that plan. Yes. On the way back from ORU graduation, she graduated, and we were driving home. And I said, OK, Amber, what are you going to do now that you're graduating? I knew she had a job, but what do you want to do? And she says, well, Mom, I would like to do what you used to do. And that was a go on the road. I was a painter, and I would go to lots of different shows and sell my items. She said, I'd like to do that. Well, needless to say, I just about drove off the side of the road. I said, do you know how hard that is, how much work that is? She said, yeah, but it's going to be fun. So wonderful. I knew that after graduation, one of the things that I wanted to do was I wanted to travel. I wanted to see, you know, and see the... I don't know, the United States and just get experience. And so I knew what better way to do that than to start a store. And of course, my mom is my best friend. This is our business venture together. And so I said, let's, let's do this. So we literally started our business with a garage sale. Mom told me, okay, well, you can do this, but like, I'm not forking the money over. So where are you going to get the money to start this business? And we had, I sold a bunch of stuff. We had a garage sale made $500. And we literally just started reinvesting into the business from there. So it was a huge leap of faith. So when you talk about how does prayer impact your business, bring it back around, really, I mean, it was a prayerful consideration to even start and jump into this. Because once you jump into owning a business, you're... You know, there's a lot that goes into it and, um, it's not something that you just do overnight and be like, okay, this is going to, you know, be a success. It's a lot of hard work and a lot of hours spent together and a lot of, um, you know, what, what do I do? Do I buy this? Do I not buy this? I mean, every single season mom and I go through what's going to sell, what's not going to sell. And so just being in business in general, um, every single day, there are numerous prayers and that, that, that, we come across. I mean, whether it's for our employees, for our employees' families, and our employees' families make, you know, they're very important to us because our employees are like our family. Right. So we pray for them a lot as well. That is awesome. And I love the part of your story in the beginning, how you had to trust in the Lord when you started business with $500 that you made at a garage sale. And like you said, you have a gift to know how to pick what will sell. Sure. So tell me a little bit about that. How does that happen? Well, I've been going to market with my mom since I was 12 years old. So when she had her store, it would pain me and kill me every year. She'd go to market twice a year and I didn't get to go. So I obviously loved my mom and wanted to be around her. But then it was like she's going to this market. And what is this? You know, I want to go to because I was like having severe FOMO. And if you don't know what FOMO is, it's the fear of missing out. So that was me. I had severe fear of missing out on what was going on. So I started going when I was 12. That's how old you had to be to be able to go. And I have literally grown up in the retail world and the design world. Yes, I took her when she was 12, and she was the perfect girl. She didn't, she stood there because, you know, you spend hours on your feet and you're tired. Wow. And she was just absolutely great. I couldn't believe it. And she had made about $90 from babysitting, and she took that with her when we went to the first market. And I, after she bought a bunch of jewelry and stuff, and I said, well, how much did you save? And she said, save? Yeah. Yeah. Did you keep some back? No, I spent every bit of it. That's why I worked hard. Why would I do that? I worked all summer so I could have money to spend, right? So she spent every penny on a bunch of jewelry, and that was... I thought, oh boy, here we go. Oh, that is a great story. And just full disclosure, I have to tell you, I've been in your store. I frequent your store, which is how I met both of you. And I have to say from my experience, you are truly gifted at what you do. Well, thank you. Beautiful things in your store. And I know that you do a lot of the work. So tell me a little bit about what the work that you do, how it's not just starting a business, but it's keeping a business. Absolutely. What is involved in that? I think a lot of people, well, a few things. So first of all, I think a lot of people think that when you're a business owner that it's easy to do. that you get to set your own schedule, that you get to, you know, like your employees take care of everything and you just go and, you know, you can open the doors and you open the door. Yes. And it's totally not like that at all. There's a lot of behind the scenes. I saw this meme recently on Facebook where it's an iceberg. And on the iceberg, there's part of the iceberg that's sticking out on the top. And that's what everybody sees. And it's the pretty snow white iceberg, and it looks really small, right? And then under on the ocean, there's this big, big piece of the iceberg that's all underwater that nobody ever sees. And that's such a perfect example of what it's like to be a small business owner. Um, there is a, you know, pure white iceberg on top that looks small and easy and all contained. And then underneath there's this giant mass of things that are going on behind the scenes that nobody sees. So, um, our prayer life is one of those parts of that iceberg. I would say that no, not, not that nobody sees it, but it is one of the things that, um, you know, you just. Um, There are ups and downs of owning a business. And during those parts that are not so easy, like being closed during COVID, it really helps your prayer life. I mean, it just did. There were so many aspects of what happened during COVID that totally impacted us for... for the better. I mean, besides the pandemic and, you know, all that was included, that was not good. There are so many other things that God brought us through that were huge blessings. That's awesome. That's awesome. And I love we've talked earlier and Jerry, you shared with me that you had gone and you had an opportunity that you needed prayer. And someone had introduced you to a way that you could go somewhere. And there were people there 24 hours to pray for you. You want to share a little bit about that? Sure. Yes. I was. It was a difficult time in my life. I was I was really seeking God. I went to church and everything, but I had just become a Christian. And so I I was really, really seeking God and praying so hard. And a person told me. about the ORU prayer tower. And they said that, hey, you could call, and there are people there praying 24-7. And you just give them your prayer request. And I said, what? There's people praying all day, all night, all the time? And they said, yes. So I thought, I'm calling. So I called. And... I gave him my prayer request, and God answered that prayer in mighty ways. And then, you know, several years later, my first son went to ORU to school. My second son went there, and then Amber, all three of my children ended up at ORU. And I didn't even know there was such a place back when I, you know, first was a baby Christian and crying and calling and saying, I need help. But, yeah, so prayer has always changed. woven through our lives. And we talked about when prayer and your dark times and how that you really hate those dark times, because it's hard. But when you turn around and look behind, If you didn't have the dark, you wouldn't have the light. And those dark times are what bring you through and turn you to the light. And they are treasured times. So that was a treasured time in my life, even though going through it, it was very difficult. And we've been through some difficult times in our business, you know. But we need to tell them about... driving down the highway, Amber and I'd be driving down the highway talking about how we're going to name the store, what we're going to do, where are we going to put this store, right? Where are we going to go? We couldn't decide where to go. And we were living in southwest Kansas at the time. And, uh... We were talking about, okay, I had one son in Denver, one son in Nashville. So Tulsa was kind of a midpoint. And Amber, yeah, Amber wanted to move to Tulsa. And so she was going to be living in Tulsa. So we said, okay, let's go to Tulsa. And then that's a great story. So that's how you ended up in Tulsa. Okay. Yes. Yep. We did. So you started your business in Tulsa. No, we started it in Kansas. In Kansas. Okay. And we went on the road for, I don't know how many years we were on the road. We started in Kansas and at the time she still did have her other store for the very first year. And I was working three other jobs. I was working at a college and a radio station and I was teaching a college night class at the time. So I had three jobs. Mom had another full-time job and taking that leap of faith to stop what I was doing, her to stop and close and retire from her business was a huge ordeal. I mean, it was, you know, my dad is kind of a Mr. Plate safe, right? He was a superintendent of schools. He's like, why quit a short thing? You know, and I'm like, because. What is this? You know, and there's this world out there. And so I remember specifically I had a one of the people that I would call on a business that I called on for advertising. He would always say, just do it. Just do it. Just do it. Just take that leap of faith. And and I remember when I decided to do it, I remember calling him and being like, I did it. You know. You know, like I'm doing this. And he was like, yeah. And I mean, to this day on Facebook, we're still Facebook friends and he's a really big cheerleader for everything that we do. But it is it's scary. It's hard. It is. You know, there is a couple of years ago, there was a devotion from Oswald Chambers that I just I hold it so dear. And it's a devotion about keeping your boat tied to the dock. or taking your boat out. Because if you keep your boat tied to the dock and always do the safe thing, right? What will you see? Wow. Nothing. And when that boat is tied to the dock and waves come up to that boat, right? It thrashes around and everything. But if you, release that boat from the dock and you get out there in the ocean, you're going to see more. The waves will be bigger and it will be harder. Like, right. It's safe in the dock, right? You're tied to something. You're tethered. It's safe. But when you get out in the ocean and it's, you know, you've got these big waves and these big challenges, that is when you really learn to rely on God. And that is why I say, Nothing strengthens your prayer life like having a small business because you're not tied to the dock anymore. It is all on you. You have employees that are sick. Somebody can't come in. Whatever the case may be is, just actually tonight I had an employee that couldn't make it. And so I had to cancel my plans that I had tonight to work the business. And that is the way it goes. You're on call. It's almost like being... A parent or a mother to your business, right? Yeah. Because no matter what. You birth that business. And you are the mom. You are. That is well put. It is. That is well put. Because that's really what is involved is you are raising up a business. That's right. That's exactly right. You fill in wherever you're needed. That's right. And that's why many times when I'm in your store, I see both of you working hard. Yes. Not standing back watching the staff, but you're both hands-on working hard. Right. And it truly shows because you have a beautiful store. Thank you. And you've built a beautiful business. Thank you. And I loved when I first met you two, the thing that you continually do is you give God the glory for where you are. Whether it's you did an online Bible study, I understand. We did. So, Jerry, you want to tell us a little bit about that? Well, yes, that was kind of fun and interesting. It was during COVID. Yeah. And everybody was doing the shutdown and everybody was so fearful. Nobody knew what was coming or what was going to happen. And so all of a sudden, I don't even know how we started it or how we got the idea, but we decided. I think it was all the uncertainty and we felt like if we were feeling that. Everybody else was. Everybody else was too. So how could we stay connected with everybody, all of the beautiful faces that we would see every single day? and how could we stay connected with all of our... So we decided every day we did a Bible study and I think that was a great way and what the blessing to me that came out of that Bible study was the community of people that joined it from all over the place, all over, and how we pray for each other And how we had, you know, I would write the word of the day on these little pieces of cardboard. One of them was focus, focus on Jesus. I had that at my kitchen counter for months until it fell into the sink and got wet. But anyway, it was, I think that we became such a close family with all of those people. And that was beautiful. It started a community. Yeah, it did. It started a community of people that we are still involved with and we love them and we pray for them and they pray for us. And they bring us things, you know, to the store to... Help us out. Yes, absolutely. They're wonderful. So we do a live show every Thursday night and it's selling and it's fun. And at the end of it, we pray. And it is amazing that sometimes at the end, we have had people call us at the store phone. Yes. And will give us their prayer requests that they didn't want to say on camera. And we've had a couple of times where people have called us and said, you know, just crying and we're like, what's going on? You know, and they're just like, it just touched me so much to be a part of this tonight. It is a community. And I keep a notebook and I write down those prayer requests. And I was flipping through that, trying to find my page the other day, and I was looking at people that we prayed for and things that we prayed for and how God has answered those prayers. Yes. And I almost started crying. I thought, oh, my gosh, look at these people. And we've talked about missionaries. She talked about wanting to be a missionary. Right. I wanted to do mission work when I was a little girl. And this is our mission field. I agree. This is where, Veronica, that Amber and I are... becoming, not becoming, but maybe listening and hearing the call that God had on our lives and how we're fulfilling that call through our ministry at the store and through our Facebooks and people that we're, our social media. It's like the body of Christ and right, the hands and the feet. Right. So we're the hands and feet in a retail store. Yeah. And would you ever think that? No. Right. But God uses you. It's a great example of... Wherever you are. I agree completely. And I absolutely love the story because you're right. God will use you where you are. And he has anointed you for such a time as this. Absolutely. And you just took the step of faith, as you said, to quit the three jobs. Right. And start. Close the store. Close the store. You know, something else too. We pray every Thursday night, right? Okay. I pray live on camera. Yes. I feel a little weird about doing that, especially at first, right? Because you're like, I'm just sitting here praying. And I had a friend tell me recently, I just want to tell you how beautiful your prayers are. And, you know, do you ever think your prayers are beautiful? It's hard. It is very hard to think of your own prayers as being beautiful because you're just having a conversation with the Lord. Yeah, right. I know. She got on to me when I was praying. She said, my gosh, mom, you went so long. Well, I just love talking to him. I agree. I agree. Yeah. But. But I mean, you know, that is that sometimes how it goes. You know, you get into it and, you know, but it's just it's so interesting that, you know, every prayer is beautiful because I have learned from that. You know, did I really want to pray live on camera? No. Right. I did not. You know, and you think I'm going to stumble and bumble. Everybody's going to think I'm crazy or weird because I'm going to say something wrong. It's not one of those beautiful, flowery, wonderful prayers that you hear. I understand. That's right. It's just my poor little prayer. It's raw and it's real, but it's just, that is exactly how God wants it. I agree with you. And so it's just, I want to encourage everybody out there that, you know, no matter where you might be, whether you think your prayers are beautiful or not, because, you know, I never would have thought that about mine. But it impacts other people. So it is okay. It's okay if you say something silly or something that doesn't make sense or you repeat the same thing. God, thank you. God, thank you. It doesn't matter. Amber, I'd like for you to tell the story about how we ended up in Tulsa and where our location. Okay, so this is a great example of God opening doors and closing doors when we least expect it. Okay. And so when we... We were looking for location forever. I'm a marketing major right graduate from ORU with a marketing degree So location location location right that was drilled into my head and my mom who's a very smart businesswoman was like location is very important Yeah, so we used to go I would look at locations all the time trying to find a perfect place to be in Tulsa we all the time and This meaning, Mom, it's 2 o'clock in the morning. Are you in bed yet? Well, I'm almost there. Get your coat on. Come on. Let's go look. Oh, wow. I'm picking you up. Yeah. So you're serious. We drove around Tulsa at 2 or 3 in the morning looking. Well, that's dedication. I mean, the security guard at Utica Square knew us quite well. Okay. In fact, at one point tried to fix me up with the sun. Oh, my. Yeah. So we got... That's true. But we would really go around and we would be looking all of the time for the best place to be, the best spot. And it's just outrageous how this all came about and how it happened. I was at Market and a mentor of mine, I guess, at Market told me one day, he said, you know, you really need to check into just going into your local mall. They always have vacancies. You can start there and, you know, it'll be a great way for everybody in your town to get to know who you are. And I was like, mall? I don't ever go to the mall. Yeah. I didn't grow up. The nearest mall to me was three and a half hours away where I grew up. So I wasn't a mall shopper. Right. We didn't go to the mall. But, you know, I had, I was like, oh, hey, I'll go check it out. You know, and I went and I checked out the mall and I was like, eh, I didn't get another thought. And so as time kind of progressed, we weren't finding our spot. We weren't finding what we wanted. And I literally was... up late one night and crying out to God, literally crying. And I was saying, God, you know, I need help. I I'm at my wits end. I'm so frustrated. Like, I know you want me to be in this business. I know you want me to be in Tulsa, but like, where am I supposed to go? Like, what is happening? I said, you know, God, I went to ORU and I don't know. The whole time I was at ORU, everybody kept saying, what's God saying to you? Right. And I'm a little bit of a sarcastic person. So I'd be like, brush my teeth, wash my hands. You know, I would say things like that, just like, I don't know. He talks to me all the time. So, um, you know, I, uh, I said literally that night, you know, God, I literally want to physically hear your voice verbally. Tell me what to do. Okay. And, um. So the next morning I woke up to my phone ringing. It was a friend of mine who was in Las Vegas at a convention. And she said, Amber, I was just listening to the speaker. And I just, I, she goes, I'm crying. I don't know why. And I just had to call you. And she said, have you thought any more about going into the mall? Wow. And I was like, no, I haven't thought about going into the mall. And she goes, I think you need to go check it out. I just really feel like that. So I was like, okay. So I called the mall, made an appointment that day. It was really interesting how that all happened because the person who does the work, the leasing is not always there, but happened to be there that day. And I called mom. I said, I made an appointment for two o'clock. We're going to the mall. And she was like, okay. So we go to the mall. I don't tell her any details. I was like, we're going, just get in, let's do this. I go to the mall. We start talking to the leasing agent there. And, um, she is, you know, telling us about what kind of a store she's looking for, et cetera. And, um, it sounded a lot like, um, what we do. And I said, well, that's easy. You know what we, this is who we are. This is what we do, et cetera. And she goes, I'm literally looking for a store that looks like this. And she has her computer screen and she takes it and she turns it around and she shows it to mom and I and unbeknownst to us, she had taken a picture of our booth at Affair of the Heart. Oh my goodness. And so she turned it around and she showed it to us. And I was like, well, that's easy. That's us. That's our booth. And she goes, oh my gosh, are you serious? And I was like, yes. Do you see that little sign in the background that says Amber Marie and Company? We're Amber Marie and Company. And she's like, oh my gosh, I had no idea. And we were like, okay, talk about God. Here we go. Answering our prayer. Amen. What a testimony. So we started there and then literally through that, God directed us into a bigger space. He closed the door in the small space. We were literally fretting like, what are we going to do? Oh my gosh. Because when you're a temporary lease in a, in a mall, they can kick you out at any time. Okay. They give you 30 days notice and you have to leave. So that happened to us and we were like, what are we going to do? And then I was calling, trying to find another place to move into. And then magically we're up at the food court. I'm about to sign the other lease. And then a space opens up and we get to move into it. So we grew even bigger. And then literally just, that's the way God opened up the doors every step of the way. Wow. Our current location where we're at right now is God opened the door because it was another Christian woman that had a store there and we became friends. And she called me when she was ready to retire. And she said, I think I'm going to retire. here's my landlord's number. You need to call and get this space. Wow. And I was like, we don't have any money. How are we going to have two stores? This is not going to work. You know, being in the mall is expensive. The rent's expensive. We have all these things going on. We had some flooding in our store. I mean, like you talk about a dark hour, boy, the flooding in the mall was dark for us. And so we called, we literally took that space and we went to market and look back and And we didn't look back. That's exactly right. So how did God lead you into where you are today from the mall? Well, one of the things going back a little bit. Yes. When we were thinking we had to leave the mall. Yes. I remember us sitting and talking and it was like. I don't want to lose our witness. I mean, our story, because when people would come in, we would share our story. Of how we got to the mall. Of how we got to the mall and how God answered that prayer. And I remember us sitting saying, I just want to be able to share that story. And we thought the only way we were going to be able to share that story is if we were at the mall. Okay. But that's not true. I mean, God's kind of bigger than that. And he can figure it out. Yes. But... We just felt like it was such a powerful answer to that prayer that we didn't want to lose that witness witness in the mall. I agree. I agree. And I love the way that you said God's bigger than just that. Yes. Because sometimes I think we limit him. Absolutely. By looking at our own ability and trying to find out how in our ability we can make it happen when what you've just explained is you didn't try and make it happen. You trusted the Lord. Right. Followed his leading and he led you to a standalone store where you are now. Absolutely. And so how has that happened? been for you. Oh, it's been fantastic. We love it. Yes. I mean, it's like, like we were talking when he closes one door and you think, oh, what are we going to do now? That other door opens, it's gorgeous, beautiful, wonderful, you know, that he had planned all along that we didn't even see and we didn't even know, but there it is. He has it. And when Amber was talking about the boat being tethered, Who is the one that calms the storm when you're out there in that boat and the winds and the waves are hitting you? He can calm that storm. And that's what he's done for us every time. Amen. When we're worried and we're scared, he does. He calms that. He comes in and he makes it all better. And it's like... Wow. Oh, that's amazing. I knew you could do that. Yes. Yes. Why did I doubt? I love that story. And I agree with you. He calms the waves. He calms these. He speaks peace to the storm to be still. He does. And we just have to be the trusting one to trust in him. And that's what I'm hearing out of both of your stories today is how you have lived your business life. Mm-hmm. trusting in him to make a way. And you've had many opportunities from what you shared today where there has not appeared to be a way. Absolutely. But he made a way. And that's what's so awesome. When we moved into our new store, I told you, we were like, how are we going to do this? Like we're putting together our credit cards and we're like, if we put them all on the line, will it add up to enough of what we're going to need? Yeah. You know, that's a trick. Yes. Yeah. We were trying, like, what do we do? You know, like, um, George Bailey says, mom, a dollar and pop a dollar and get in here in the safe and do your thing. Yes. We joked about that literally daily. Like, all right, you know, here you go. Mom, a daughter, pop a dollar, get in there. Multiply. Yes. But you know, I, I remember posting this, um, and it was, I looked out the front window of our store and I said, when God presents an opportunity to you and opens a window, a window of opportunity, don't pull down the shades. Oh. You know, don't pull down the shades and retreat. Like you see the window and look through it and prayerfully consider what you're going to do and how you're going to see that whole vision. Because that window and that picture is just perfect. He gives you that vision. Yes. And, you know, sometimes we don't know how we're going to meet that vision. Right. Right. Right. But you just keep stepping out there and you say, OK, God, I got this. You know, I'm going to do this today. Yes. And then we're going to do this tomorrow. And you just take those steps towards that vision. of ultimately what you want for your goal. Yes, I agree. I agree. And I think that's a wonderful plan. And that helps those of you out there that are listening to our podcast, just to understand first, you seek ye first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And then all these things will be added unto you. That's true. Yeah. That's what I'm hearing in your stories today is that through every step that you have encountered, you have trusted first in the Lord. You cried out to him. And the word says that if we call on him, he will answer us and he will show us. He is faithful. That is my verse. That is my verse. Every time. Yes. Jeremiah 33. Yes. Right. If you call to me, I will answer to you and I will tell you and show you things that you do not know. Amen. How many things do we not know? A lot. And you just give me goosebumps that you just said, you know, that because that is that's like my my my battle cry. Yes, because I'm like, that's right, Lord. I'm calling out to you. Show me those things. Yes. And I love that you are an example that that verse is true and he will do what he says he will do in the word. And all we have to do is just bring him the word of God and he will in turn show us that it's true and it's real. And both of you today are such an example of that. And I thank you so much for being here and for sharing your story with us. Thanks for having us. It's a pleasure. Nice. Thank you. And that will conclude our episode for today. If you have prayer needs or if you would like someone to pray with you, as we talked about today, both of these ladies have experienced that opportunity as well. You can contact us at iRefresh.net and there will be prayer counselors available to help you with your prayer needs. Thank you for joining us today.