Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia Allsup-Edwards.
Hi Sylvia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born (literally) in a toy store founded on South Congress Avenue in the 80’s by my parents shortly after graduating from UT. It was in that toy store that I was raised for the first 6 years of my life. My entrepreneurial parents, their cool 90s staff, and the unique handmade toys helped me become a fascinating and driven person. I later studied philosophy at Texas A&M and was also in the Corps of Cadets, where I earned a leadership degree. When I returned to Austin after several events, I returned to Terra Toys, helping my parents expand. Since joining them in 2010, we opened a children’s shoe store, KidOshoe, expanded the toy store twice, and opened a cafe and stunning art gallery! Today, I hope to continue working on becoming the second generation to run and grow this beautiful world of high-end children’s retail. I have also founded my own candy company that operates within Terra Toys called The Candy Connoisseur.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been some rocks here and there, but it’s primarily been a smooth road because of the amazing amount of hard work each of us contributes to the stores and because of the loyalty of our wonderful customers. It’s incredible to hear stories of people who went to Terra Toys as a child and now get to bring their grandchildren into the same store. Of course, all success stories have growing pains, but we overcome them with love and hard work. As we grew, one of the main obstacles was how to meet the expanding demand of our small store; by training our team better and enhancing the in-store experience, we could meet the needs of our growing customer base.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
What I do is an exciting answer for any owner—from hiring to training, working the sales floor, creating advertising, doing payroll, bookkeeping, buying, and all the things involved in running a retail business. However, I am primarily known for my marketing skills, event ideas, and work at the gallery and shoe store. I am the curator of the art gallery and the soul of KidOshoe, our little European leather shoe store. I get to develop themes for each gallery installation, curate the art, and install the art (I’m also an artist in the gallery). I love going to the market to select the shoes we carry every season in KidOshoe. I’m most proud of my training program that teaches employees the cognitive benefits of toys and the physical health benefits of good shoes. In this way, our high-quality heirloom products are justified right at the sales process in a beautiful and fun way. I’m proud of my parents for being patient, teaching me so much, and trusting me in their business.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along this journey is to stay authentic and not follow another person’s success or a trend just because it can make you some money. We stay true to what we do because we believe in it. Why gain the world and lose your soul?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.terratoys.shop
- Instagram: @terratoys
- Facebook: @terratoys
