By Laurel Hogge
This column is a look at a brave soul who took a leap of faith to open her own business. This is a business owner following her dreams and thriving despite the odds—and Covid.
This That, and the ODDer Things
Claire Broderick — Owner
50 Cross Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
Open Saturday 12-7 p.m. Sunday 12-5 p.m.
https://odderthings.business.site
Claire Broderick waited with the world, trying to grasp the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though she wanted so badly for 2020 to be the year she would manifest her dream of opening a retail shop filled with her collection of what she calls “uniquities,” there was reason to pause.
In the meantime, she kept dreaming, researching, and collecting. Adding a taxidermy octopus here, reaching out to a bone jeweler there. She knew how important it was to persist and keep planning.
As a professional hair stylist for 14 years, Broderick built a solid clientele in a trendy Ann Arbor salon. She told me how much she loved it there, but added, “I’ve always wanted to have a business local to Ypsilanti and Depot Town especially because it has been my neighborhood for over 14 years.” If any community was willing to embrace a business called This That & the ODDer Things (emphasis on the ODD), it would be Depot Town.
So, when I asked if there had been any lucky breaks that may have only happened because of Covid, she explained that a space in Depot Town opened up when Michigan closed down. The previous owner likely had to make the difficult decision to lock the doors when everyone was ordered to stay home.
The space remained empty for months before Broderick took a look inside. What she saw was the perfect fit for her salon/store concept. Her creative wheels started turning and she could see the transformation — the wood floors, the fresh paint, the new sign on the window — that would house her vision. She could even imagine a bookshelf in the back of the store that would secretly lead to her salon.
It was perfect. Broderick made the decision to move forward. She signed the lease and used her down time to renovate and set up the shop so it would be ready when people started venturing out more. To answer my question she adds, “So in some respects the whole thing is lucky because of Covid. I don’t know if it was the best time, but it was the right time for me to pull my pieces together and make the dream happen once and for all.”
As Michigan eased up restrictions on businesses, Covid loomed. We were also just beginning to realize the collective impact the pandemic was having on mental and emotional health. Having recently lost a number of close friends, family, and beloved pets, Broderick knew the importance of staying connected and keeping spirits up. Now that her shop and salon were in place, she needed to solve the issue of safety. One dear friend lost his life to the Covid virus, so she felt a particular responsibility to keep her customers safe.
Broderick also felt it was important that people could relax and feel comfortable in the refuge she created for them. Her creativity again kicked in as she went about addressing the need for air circulation. She decided to convert her back patio into a place for outdoor professional hair care. By adding an enclosure with good air circulation, she could heat it to a cozy temperature in the winter. This, along with keeping masks on, made Broderick and her hair clients more comfortable. She adds that this temporary fix will likely be a permanent feature and that “This was the best Covid related win, because I’m thrilled to work outside, and my people love it!”
Although she found a work-around for the salon, traffic in the retail side of her store was slow to pick up. Broderick found that “with the deep winter season and Covid putting restaurants down for the count, we did not have a wildly successful holiday season. That was not a full surprise, but definitely one, nonetheless. Retail is supposed to make a huge percentage of sales during the holiday season.”
Setbacks are something Broderick knows how to deal with by now. The life experiences that broke her down were the same ones that make her a resilient and determined business owner. And she is encouraged by the immediate support of the Ypsilanti community, saying that “On a positive note, the most unexpected thing was how welcoming and well received my store was. I am so grateful to all of those who connect with my store. The art, the humor, and the fun in there are all an extension of my home, my friends, and my demented mind. It’s an extension of myself and I am so thrilled to have the support I have been shown ten-fold with its opening.”
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When asked about her demographic, she responds “I feel my main demographic is women from teens into their 60’s. The store attracts people with an alternative style. They’re lovers of the dark and macabre, but with a sense of humor about it. A lot of dudes love the store also and find it to be a great place for gifts.”
Not only is it a great place for gifts. It’s a great place for exploring items you’re not likely to see anywhere else. Broderick’s passion for embracing the unconventional has led her to create a shop that entertains and charms those who wander through it. Her approach is to “work all angles to find wonderful gifts and fun items for people to enjoy. I have a focus on emotional and practical use and aim to excite.”
It is exciting to shop at This That & the ODDer Things. Between interview questions I inspected the jarring expression on the stuffed chimpanzee in the front window, rifled through the top-selling assorted socks that are held in a genuine, made in Michigan, iron witch cauldron, and admired the jewelry display. I notice an aesthetically arranged group of vintage apothecary glasses next to a human skull named “Lucy,” and wonder to myself how on earth Broderick came to find not one, but two human skulls to include in her collection. I decided maybe I don’t want to know.
One thing I did learn is that Broderick has likeminded connections throughout the world who share her enthusiasm for the bizarre. Collaboration and a natural ability to find what she needs seem to be key. Every item has a back story and a human connection, and every display is well thought out to perfectly curate the eye candy that makes up this store.
I asked what keeps her going even with so many challenges. Her answer is no surprise. She tells me, “It’s just what I do. I am creative and motivated. I don’t always do the hard work just for myself. I often will join forces and help build others around me. I want to make sure I can pay my employees, give support to my community, and share with the artists. I also have a way of life for myself I personally want to achieve.” And as the world opens again to travel, Broderick will achieve her goal of traveling far and wide to add to her already diverse collection.
She hopes that as people begin to get out more, they will discover that This That & the ODDer Things is a safe place to temporarily ease their worries about the pandemic and life in general. I noticed for myself that reality and time sort of disappeared when I was with Broderick, peeking into her eclectic inner world on display around me. And she has her demographic pegged, because I found the perfect gifts for my daughter’s upcoming 15th birthday along with a beautiful cluster of crystals for myself. I was grateful to have something to bring the unique energy of this shop and its owner along with me.
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