Meet Sammie. Today, she is the owner of Red Bird Thread Co., a bright and inviting sewing and art supply shop inside The District Exchange, a new retail and dining hub in Downtown Concord. Red Bird Thread Co. is a place filled with color, creativity, and community, and it marks the start of a new chapter she once wasn’t sure she would reach.
Before opening her store, Sammie spent more than seven years teaching middle school dance. Teaching was meaningful work, but her body was beginning to feel the strain, and she knew she was ready for something new. Alongside her teaching career, she had always nurtured a creative side hustle, making earrings, dog bandanas and other items to sell at farmers’ markets and art walks. It sustained her creatively for years, but she never imagined the hobby could turn into something bigger.
That changed in the spring of 2025, when, during an art walk event, Sammie ran into Melissa from Barley Jean’s Bakery and learned about their upcoming move into The District Exchange. Sammie brushed off the idea of having her own storefront, insisting she was not ready. Her husband encouraged her to think differently. He reminded her of all the opportunities they had passed on simply because they did not feel prepared. This time, he told her, it was different. After multiple conversations, Sammie agreed to view one of the available spaces.
From that moment on, every step seemed to line up. Sammie met people in the creative and retail community who offered guidance and encouragement. She visited other shop owners, asked questions and began building a professional network that felt energizing.
That summer, with The District Exchange still under construction, Sammie dove into online classes from the Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center and attended nearly every workshop offered through Flywheel’s summer series. Through Meg, the Small Business Center Director, Sammie got connected with multiple subject matter experts to help her, including guidance through her application for a small business loan. Through that process, SBC counselor Roxanne Reed supported Sammie through the long and complicated loan process. The approval came through three days before Sammie opened for business. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Red Bird Thread Co. opened its doors on October 4. The shop features fabrics, sewing and quilting supplies, notions (like buttons, snaps and other accessories), and sewing class offerings. Sammie’s family rallied behind her, helping with painting, building, assembling furniture, stocking shelves and anything else needed to get the store ready.
Just before she officially opened the doors, Sammie joined the Retail Lab, a six-week boot camp powered by the Rowan-Cabarrus Small Business Center and the Flywheel Foundation. She rearranged her store hours every Thursday evening so she could attend.
“The biggest impact of Retail Lab was the people,” Sammie said. “I have become friends with multiple people in that class. I have been able to collaborate with them. It is so cool to see what others are building. It makes me want to partner with everyone.”
For her grant pitch at the end of Retail Lab, Sammie proposed expanding her class offerings with additional sewing machines and attachments, along with converting a small snack machine into a mobile arts and crafts vending machine filled with buttons, stickers and ribbons. Her enthusiasm for hands-on learning is reflected in every part of her shop, but it also translated through her pitch deck and she was awarded a grant!
Looking back, Sammie admits she could not have built this business alone. “My natural instinct has always been to figure things out myself,” she said. But she quickly realized that opening a retail store required more than determination. She needed community.
“The Small Business Center, Flywheel, everyone has been so great,” she said. “This journey was not something I could tackle by myself.”
Today, Red Bird Thread Co. stands as a vibrant addition to The District Exchange and proves that you can take the leap even before you feel ready. Sammie is now creating the kind of space she once searched for, and she is building it alongside the community that helped her grow into a business owner.
You can connect with Sammie and Red Bird Thread Co. on Facebook and Instagram @redbirdthreadco.
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