Meet Theresa Thompson-Renfro | Owner and CEO of en concordia

We had the good fortune of connecting with Theresa Thompson-Renfro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Theresa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I am a big risk taker. Risk taking has helped me make the initial decision to start this business when I was still in the “should I do it?” phase. I have recently made the risk-taking decision to expand en concordia by moving to another location: 3021 Canon Street, San Diego, CA 92106. Meaning, bigger space, more plants, more opportunity to bring in amazing (yet lesser known) brands. Along with this, I have a wonderful team that is helping me rebrand the business altogether. Valerie Sanchez is our Digital Marketing and Communications Specialist. She is helping us with increasing and revamping our social media presence, photography, design, embarking email flows and focusing on our brand relationships. Victoria Soto is our Clean Beauty Enthusiast, she is exclusively helping with selecting and promoting our Clean Beauty products that customers can fall in love with. She is in the process of starting her career as an Esthetician and looks forward to implementing her knowledge to the store.

I think a lot of entrepreneurs jump off the cliff and build the parachute as they go down. However, it is best for every self starting company and entrepreneur group to have one member in their team that is a risk taker and another person/group of people who can bounce the alternative view off of the risk-taker. it is essential to have people in your team that are knowledgable and have strengths in other areas that could improve the business and vision. Together, they would help rein in entrepreneur optimism successfully. I am happy to have found that with my team.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There is something here for everyone, from ages 0 to 100. From kid’s toys, jewelry, cologne, skincare, food items and of course, plants. We are an inclusive environment that celebrates small businesses and supports the very real and diverse group of people that are behind these products. Every single brand that we have at en concordia have full intention, desire for authenticity into their product and mission to make the world a better, funner and more sustainable place. There is no mystery into who is behind these brands. The beautiful thing about this shop is that over the years, I have seen just how much of an impact these brands that use whole, natural and sustainable ingredients make on our community. My goal is to increase that reach to more people of San Diego and beyond.

I am most excited to be in a bigger space, next to local supportive businesses and a reliable parking lot behind it. This will make it easier for people from farther destinations to be able to visit the shop without having to stress about finding street parking. No matter what time of day it is, we have a spot for you. It’s going to be absolutely magical to have more space to fill with more plants of all kinds. And of course, more space for more wonderful brands that we love to support.

How did I get to where I am business-wise: Here is where i would like to offer some valuable advice to young entrepreneurs. The reality is that your business plan is not your “best-case scenario” plan. And it is not something that you create and think “okay I will think about that later”. It requires a very very detailed business plan. And it requires using the business plan as a guide, expecting areas that may be a problem and knowing how you are going to pivot. So when I see any entrepreneur that is entering the game and is producing a business plan and they say “well we are expecting ____ because this is the rate of growth in my industry”, it is simply not enough. You have to spend as much time writing that business plan as you do painting the interior shop. It is the thing that keeps us going.

The importance of a surgically detailed business plan cannot be underestimated. It’s your flashlight in the dark. Copycatting and reacting will not propel you beyond year 2. Ask the questions: who are we? who do we serve? And then pursue your objectives based on the reality in front of you. You simply cannot pivot gracefully stuck in the mud. And you will have to pivot to achieve longevity.

I want people to know that en concordia is a friendly and inclusive brand, it is sustainable and one to be proud of. It is also a brand that is here to stay and grow among its community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first love to walk Shelter Island and visiting places like Northside Shack which offers amazing smoothies and acai bowls. That area is a beautiful spot because you are so close to the bay and Downtown San Diego. There is so much to see. For coffee and a delicious treat, I would go to Azucar in Ocean Beach which offers tasty cuban style pastries. For lunch or dinner, anything from Chef Brian Malarkey all across San Diego county is amazing, both the food and the dining experience. Another area I love in San Diego is Convoy street, there are too many restaurants for me to name off, but they are all uniquely wonderful to try. Just trust me. Another area I love is Barrio Logan for bread and sweet pastries, you cannot find anything like it elsewhere. For anyone visiting and as well as locals, I suggest going to all of the small mom and pop shops in the different city villages that constitute San Diego. There are so many beautiful local businesses that carry and add to the vibrant culture of San Diego. And I like to end my days by visiting Sunset Cliffs for watching the sunset of course. Every person that is visiting San Diego for the first time will be in awe of the scenery.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This business would not be possible without the support of my family. It is essential that when an entrepreneur starts a business, that their romantic relationship partner and immediate family is fully supportive of what they do. As well as understanding of the difficulties that lie ahead of you. That includes, timely tasks, stress, worry, and accepting the reality that there will be times when you will be on a high and other times at a low. So if you have built a community or family around you and they cannot yield to those expectations, you will fail at one of the ends. That is either the business end or relationship end. Entrepreneurship is not a solo endeavor, even if you are the sole provider, even if you are “on top of the food chain” of a business with employees and a manager; these are factors that will affect the people around you and you have to be prepared for that. You have to be good at communication, otherwise, there are much better ways of making money that will benefit your relationships.

Another group of people that deserve a shoutout is my team. I am especially grateful for Valerie and Victoria who are helping me during this transition of moving locations and deciding how I want my brand image to change and improve with it. Valerie is putting efforts and expertise of knowledge in marketing and social media branding, which she is currently learning at UCSD. Victoria is helping support brand outreach of clean beauty to customers and our webpage. Together, these two have thrived in making all of the essential aspects to en concordia’s success.

Website: https://shopenconcordia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enconcordia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enConcordia92106/

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shopenconcordia
Email: info@shopenconcordia.com

Image Credits
Valerie Sanchez: Digital Marketing Specialist and Communications of en concordia