The Care & Feeding of a Picture Framer, Stage 4

I decided it was time to update my history to the current time.  To see the rest of the story visit
Sally Dallas, CPF.  The care and feeding of a Picture Framer

Stage 4:  On my own
In 1996 got an opportunity to purchase a building in Newberg, Oregon and took the leap, not to just owning and operating my own gallery and frame shop, but to property ownership and management (I had a tenant building on the property that sold in 2014).  Wow, what a learning curve.  To quote my mom "You couldn't just get your toes wet, you had jump in up to your neck"  Yup!
     I spent the next couple of years developing the frame shop and gallery following.  I started doing The Room about 3 years in an after that every quarter a different window theme went up.  I became known for those window displays as well as a to framer.  I entered competitions with fellow PPFA Chapter members, joined the (then Newberg Chamber) and served on their board for a term.  I really appreciated find a place in such a great community.   I had a client recommend me as expensive, but worth it.  That is one of the best things I ever heard. 
     In 2009, I joined with five other downtown shops to start ARTwalk.  Our goal was to promote the downtown and create awareness that we had a potential gold mine here.  Ten years later and we are still going. 
     In 2015, after a rough couple of years I made the major decision to lease out the main floor space and create My Personal Framer in the workshop space.  Roger Hirsch, retired, helped me to carve out a space for the design and business side  with the workshop on the other side of the wall.  It has been interesting going from 1900 sq feet of showroom to 250.  But it is what it is.  I struggled emotionally for the first couple of years after moving on from my dream situation.    Some folks wanted me to blame it on the 'Economy', but the reality is I wasn't able to adapt and change to work with the current economics. 

    I like my small space and really appreciate when clients new and old find their way to me.