Full Heart SouLutions will be closing after 11 years on Main Street in Bel Air, the small shop announced on Facebook last week.
The store is co-owned by Lisa Brenner and her stepdaughter, Kyanne Garrigan. It sells a variety of items, such as jewelry, crystals, dream catchers and handcrafted items. Everything within the store was made within the United States or gave back to a charity. If an item was made outside the country, Garrigan said, it was fair trade, meaning there were fair wages supplied for everyone who crafted the item.
Brenner said in an email that they intend for the last day of shopping to be Dec. 31, the final day of the lease for the storefront.
Garrigan said the decision to close came from an accumulation of factors, like inflation, economic uncertainty and reduced foot traffic. Brenner said the rent for the shop space had been raised.
“Being a small business, I guess we’re really vulnerable when there’s multiple stressors,” Garrigan said.
Brenner said having the store was never about the sales. Instead, she said, it was about the people she encountered and helping them in any way she could.
Opening Full Heart SouLutions was a dream Brenner first had in 1997. While meditating, she said she heard a voice that said it was time for her to quit her corporate job in New York and open a store in Maryland. She remembers writing about the store in her journal, where she described how she wanted people to feel welcome when they entered.
“Our 11 years on Main Street has been both a joy and a struggle, but mostly a joy,” Brenner said in the email. “From the people we’ve met, the support we’ve received, to the hugs and conversations. We are truly grateful for all of it.”
Garrigan said she hopes someone can take up the torch to continue the business because of how loved and supported it has been in Bel Air.
“We’ve met so many people, and we have so many friends, lifelong friends,” she said. “It’s really sad to see it go because it’s been such a staple on Main Street.”
With the business closing, Brenner said she will be focusing her time on a new women’s ministry called SouLutions for a Full Heart. She will host retreats focusing on self-help. Garrigan plans to finish her master’s in counseling.
Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.
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