Good things come to those who wait

We all know that Ben Franklin was right about death and taxes, but there’s another certainty of life that he left out. If I could Bill and Ted my way back to the 1790’s (no thanks), I think he’d agree that when you want something is rarely when you can have it...if you can have it at all. 

Obviously I’m not talking about anything money can buy, since you can buy anything on the internet and have it within 2-3 business days. But for the big stuff that really matters --  security, health, relationships -- as hard as we will something into existence, we have limited control. 

All we can do is dig deep and have hope and patience. Well, that’s exactly what Cara and Travis Loving did.

🗓 To really appreciate the story of how they got to where they are now — building out their dream space for their specialty men’s clothier, MRE Mercantile — we’ve got to start the story somewhere in Annapolis around 2012 or 2013. I don’t remember exactly when I first met Cara Brue, but as anyone who knows her can attest, she’s not someone you forget meeting. Cara has a radiant spirit that is somehow both peaceful and energizing all at once.

We got to know each other quite well over the seven years I worked for Ceremony Coffee. Beside the fact that Covid makes everything before 2020 feel like antiquity, both Cara’s and my lives were in entirely different eras. Cara’s in particular was a period of great upheaval that she weathered with unbelievable tenacity and positivity. 

⏩ Fast forward to 2023-ish. I’m living in Norfolk and Pedal is in full bloom. 

Cara and I reconnect, and I’m sincerely overjoyed to hear that she’s been dating a wonderful man with the last name Loving. Pretty soon they’re engaged, Abby and I get to meet him over drinks in DC, and that’s when we first felt their magic as a team. 

✨ Not to put too fine a point on it, but Cara and Travis are (pardon my French) grown-ass adults. Cara has two grown children. Travis has salt and pepper hair. This is what makes their story so special. They both took long, winding, and rocky paths to find each other in (early) midlife. 

As much as they wanted to find each other for decades, things had to happen the way they did to get where they are now. Sometimes you have to be very patient and go through a whole lot to get what you want. So they were more than prepared to handle what came next.

⏩  Fast forward a few months. I get a call from Cara and Travis. They want to open a men’s apparel shop in Annapolis, the perfect space is available and they’re going to see it tomorrow…what advice did I have for them?

😵‍💫 Immediately all the blood, cortisol, and humours were flooding my brain. I had no doubt that Cara and Travis would make excellent merchants, and I knew from my time living there that Annapolis desperately needed a cool men’s shop. BUT I knew they were (best case) not prepared to engage in leasing the space, and they were (without a doubt) going to make a major, life-altering commitment.

So I said something I’d never said before:

🚫 As your friend, I forbid you from signing anything. You will open this business, and you very well might lease that space, but not yet.

I explained all the reasons why they needed to prepare properly. Basically, check yourself before you potentially wreck yourself (and the beautiful new life you two are building together). It was probably Ice Cube's enduring wisdom that convinced them, but they got it. 

They started Dream Space a couple weeks later, and we dug right in to fully develop MRE Mercantile, a personalized shopping experience curated with noteworthy brands and a go-to destination where the local guys can shop, style and socialize. 

💪 In our classes, they learned just what they were up against as a new, small business trying to rent a space in a prime location. So we got to work turning their vision into a compelling business plan. They worked HARD. They persevered through the “are we there yet?” frustration and the spreadsheets on spreadsheets. After a couple months, they’d done it. They’d completed their Powerhouse Business Plan, and they were ready to show it off to lenders. After locking down their financing, they were (finally!) ready to unlock their dream space.

So in early January they called up the broker who represented them in Annapolis saying they were ready to engage with their target space. 

😀

They toured the space, it was great, they went to LOI…but when the landlord was taking longer than usual to respond, they learned it was because an established local business wanted the space. 

🙁

So in early spring they moved on. There was a lovely building just a couple blocks away that looked like a great option. They toured the space, it was great, they went to LOI…but when the landlord was taking longer than usual to respond, they learned it was because the landlord wanted to sell the building.

😩

So in later spring they moved on and acknowledged that because they were committed to their real estate strategy – their BLTS (budget, location, timeline, site criteria) – they needed to be patient. So they decided to explore a pop-up in a third nearby space that would allow them to operate and start growing their customer base while they searched for their forever one.

😔

And then in early June, they got the call. The established business' deal had fallen through. The original dream space was back on the market. So they toured again, this time with their GC. It was still great. They went to LOI. They went to lease. And three short months later around Labor Day, they were holding keys. 

🤩

So what’s the moral of Cara and Travis’ story? When you know what you want (and what you need), sometimes the only thing between you and your perfect one is time. 

Today, MRE Mercantile is knee deep in their buildout at 318 Sixth Street (aka the old Fleet Feet space) at the base of the Eastport bridge. They’ll spend the winter creating an inviting space steeped in warmth and coastal ease, and by Commissioning Week, we’ll all be able to experience Cara and Travis’ true labor of love.

Follow their progress at @mremercantile and mremercantile.com