Oral History Interview with Misty Raines

Partial Transcript: "Alright, today is Wednesday, December 9, and this Delaney Bowers speaking with Misty Raines."

Segment Synopsis: Interviewer introduces self and interviewee.

Subjects: Kentucky; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "So what was it like rowing up in Monticello? Can you tell me a little bit about your family life?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses her childhood and the community in which she grew up. She notes that everyone in their town knew everyone, and her grandfather lived next door to her. She recalls playing outside with neighbor girls on dirt roads.

Keywords: childhood; Childhood; family; Family

Subjects: Kentucky; Monticello

Partial Transcript: "So do you feel like Kentucky has helped shape the person you are? Do you feel like you have a really strong connection"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses how Kentucky shaped her life, especially since she considers herself "country." She discovered her love for her state that she previously did not have when she was younger.

Subjects: Kentucky; Monticello

Partial Transcript: "So I guess then, sort of walk me through the trajectory of your professional career. So what did you do before owning a small business?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses the path to her career, how she started in radio at 18 while also being in the military. Then she was full time with the National Guard in Frankfort, worked retail jobs in Lexington, then Somerset. She then worked for Somerset 106, a small business located in Somerset, and now she owns a small business herself with one of her friends. She describes what her business sells and how it came together.

Keywords: career; Career; Small Business; small business

Subjects: Kentucky

Partial Transcript: "Um, and so as an owner of a small business, what are your day-to-day responsibilities? If you had like a normal day, could you walk me through what that looks like?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses the responsibilities she has as a small business owner, and how she and her partner split up the duties.

Keywords: small business; Small Business

Subjects: Kentucky; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "So obviously the relationship that you have with your customers is incredibly important, so could you talk about the process of building that customer base and how you work to maintain a good report with those clients?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses her love for people and how she enjoys talking to them and helping them out. She talks about customers she has kept and feels like they have been on a journey with her.

Keywords: small business; Small Business

Subjects: Kentucky

Partial Transcript: "And speaking of growing, um could you talk a little bit about um your social media presence and how you build that on like - cause I feel like you have several different outlets where you're like direct to things that a customer interfacing."

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses her social media work and how during Covid, it is one of the only and best ways to reach customers, since the store itself is seeing less foot traffic. She talks about her work on Instagram as well as Facebook and creating the store's own website. She also mentions doing "Friday Night Live" on Facebook Live in order to have live sales.

Keywords: facebook; Facebook; instagram; Instagram; social media; Social Media

Subjects: Kentucky; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "So, if I remember correctly, and also I just mentioned a few minutes ago, that at the beginning of February, you were sort of smack dab in the middle of that transition from your former boutique to your new one. Um, that was also right on the cusp of Covid, so how stressful was that process and then, how did it affect your earliest memories of Coronavirus?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses her move and how Coronavirus impacted her store. She said that they were not sure what was going to happen. The shop closed its doors an did online only sales, which Raines mentioned was difficult, due to inventory. She mentions it was a big learning experience.

Keywords: coronavirus; Coronavirus; covid; Covid

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic

Partial Transcript: "Has there been any hiccups, like from vendors getting it (product) to you as a result of Covid?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines mentions the difficulties of ordering product and getting it from her vendors. Pre-Covid, the restock time was one week, and now she says it is two weeks. She notes that they order t-shirts from small businesses who are also experiencing delays, making orders to customers take extra long.

Keywords: coronavirus; Coronavirus; covid; Covid; vendor; Vendor

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "Do you feel like you've had to get really creative in how you market or how you're selling or putting your store out there?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses how during Covid she tried to stay plugged in and get information out there so people see her shop and products, yet she notes that it is a double-edged sword.

Keywords: marketing; Marketing

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic

Partial Transcript: "So what was the turning point for you in regards to the severity of the pandemic?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses two particular instances in which the severity of the pandemic hit her: 1) when her store had to close; 2) when virtual learning started for schools. She notes that her sales boomed in the summer, yet dropped in the fall.

Keywords: pandemic; Pandemic

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "And so, before or I guess during quarantine, so like before you went back to work, were you coming into the store, like were you able to keep your days structured?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses her work days during quarantine. She notes how some of her days were stressful and causing them to rethink everything.

Keywords: quarantine; Quarantine

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "Do you feel like you're approaching your job differently and that these changes are going to stay or do you feel like 'Oh we're doing it for the time being, eventually we'll return to something more normal?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses that she is afraid that these changes will last for another year, but hopes for a sooner return to normalcy. She also notes the hardships due to the declining industry of boutiques.

Keywords: change; Change

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "Um, so of the three people that I'm interviewing, you're the only parent, so has it been difficult to balance your daughter's online education with your owning a small business?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses how her daughter does a lot of work by herself, so it's not very challenging to her.

Keywords: school; School; virtual learning; Virtual Learning

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "When, um thinking about sort of both local and state government responses to the pandemic, what do you think has worked and what hasn't worked?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines says she believe the government has not done enough to protect the people. She mentions the bills she still has to pay and wants more help.

Keywords: government; Government

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "So as a private citizen and not a small business owner, um, where - talking about social media and sort of the information that's being presented, and it all sort of being discordant, where are you getting your information from? Where are you like digesting that or getting tidbits?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines notes that she listens to NPR every morning, and she also reads a lot online and keeps her phone updated on alerts. She also talks about how it's not a huge topic for her family, but is mostly exhausting to read everything on social media.

Keywords: Info; info; information; Information

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "And so as far as um, Science Hill just going virtual as a political response, are you seeing a direct impact on your community by the decisions that are being made as an administrative fumble?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses how she's seen stressed out parents due to the virtual learning, and she sympathizes with them.

Keywords: school; School

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "Do you have like a support group of other local small businesses that you kind of talk back and forth and share stories?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines notes that she and other small business owners in the area have a support group. Some of them, she says helped her when she first opened, and they text each other when things are bad to support each other.

Keywords: small business; Small Business; support; Support

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "And so do you think that you've been able to like establish your business as like um a place that helps build community in Somerset?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines mentions that she hoped her business has helped build community in Somerset. She says they help the community in quiet ways and wishes to make a bigger community impact.

Keywords: community; Community

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "Um, what do you envision for your small business in 2021?Do you feel like you can plan for long term right now?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines notes that she's planning business as usual in the coming year, but has backup ideas if needed.

Keywords: Future; future

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "Um, so I would like for you to think about change or shifts in your life that you've made as a way to cope with a global pandemic."

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses one of her biggest takeaway is empathy for people. She wants people to be okay, because she cares for them. She notes that she didn't go to her family Thanksgiving because of her elderly aunts and uncles. Raines says her daily routine did not change much, except the addition of a mask and not sitting down in restaurants as much.

Keywords: change; Change; cope; Cope

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset

Partial Transcript: "So I guess before we close, is there anything that you would like to add or feel like we didn't get to cover?"

Segment Synopsis: Raines discusses that owning a small business makes for a very emotional life. She also notes for people to remember their friends who own small businesses to show their support. She says to anyone looking to own a small business to not take it lightly and do their research and market as much as possible.

Subjects: Kentucky; Pandemic; Somerset