Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Saltzman.
Hi Sophia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My father began his business in 1986 doing Native American Powwows across the Western half of the United States (he is Métis). We are originally from Montana, where my father, brother, and sister-in law all still live, running our 1 other store in Billings Montana. I have been in Wilmington for about 8 years, attended UNCW where I received my Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communication. The idea to open a store here started slightly as a joke, as I was 7 months pregnant when we initially started thinking about it, only a few months after opening our first store in Billings. The idea quickly started growing as we realized Wilmington didn’t have very much Native American or Western representation around town. We lucked out and found a space for lease in Downtown Wilmington, and the owners were looking for something different (they didn’t want another bar/restaurant) and we ended up being the perfect fit! So that’s how we ended up bringing a little piece of the West to the lovely coastal community in Wilmington!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our journey was no easy feat. My father (Eric Saltzman) drove a big truck and trailer all the way from Montana to North Carolina, 2,000 miles. Hauling all of our inventory and a massive batch of barn wood from our property in Montana, and him and his friend hand built our displays and registers in the store out of Montana barn wood. The community has been amazing and welcomed us with open arms, excited to see something different in town!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in Western style goods, Native American Crafts (all w/certificates of authenticity), and a lot of handmade items! We do sell some global items, but primarily natural material products: including skulls, bones, wood, shells, crystals, fossils, sage, holistic healing and “oddity” items. We believe in using every single part of an animal if they are harvested for conservation efforts, which is extremely important in Montana and Native American culture. One of our biggest sellers is our all-natural deer and elk-tendon dog chews-all hand cleaned/made in Montana by my father.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Our family has been an integral part in making this dream come true. My sister-in-law, Kailynn Ray, runs our store in Billings, and my wife (Jacey Stiers) and I (Sophia Saltzman) run our store in Wilmington, so it is a whole family effort! Our friends have been amazing support along the way, and helped us tremendously with travel, set-up, and creating our items. Both the Billings, MT community and Wilmington, NC community have welcomed us with open arms, and the local businesses are absolutely fantastic and have helped us navigate opening our doors!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wickedbulltradingpost.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickedbulltradingpost?igsh=Nm0xYTBnNDdwdW9k&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C7261BEe7/?mibextid=wwXIfr
