Why Finders Keepers’ Lee Ann Harris believes in following your heart

Original Article Written By Michael J. Pallerino

Lee Ann Harris remembers being out of her comfort zone. After 17 years of working at BNY Mellon, she lost her job in a corporate downsizing decision. Not really knowing what her next move would be, it wasn’t until a conversation with the then owner of Finders Keepers Consignments that the path forward became clear.

Bonnie Kallenberg was looking to retire. But instead of just selling the three stores she had methodically grown into some of the most desirable shopping haunts in the Decatur and Avondale Estates area, the longtime owner wanted to pass the passion on to someone who could match her vision of the brand. More than just keeping the Finders Keepers brand financially sound, Bonnie wanted to extend its legacy.

“I had been a customer for a long time, but I had never operated a retail store,” Lee Ann recalls. “Bonnie wanted to hand pick who was going to take over the stores. It was a huge decision—a huge leap of faith for me.”

 

While the difference between corporate finance and consignment retail could not be any wider, Lee Ann wasn’t going to have to make the leap alone. The duo worked out a deal where Lee Ann would spend a year and a half working in the stores before the purchase, giving her an opportunity to learn all aspects of the business. Even after the store officially would change hands, Bonnie offered to lend advice and support any way she could.

To say that 2020 had other plans might be the mother of all understatements. If the transition into entrepreneurship wasn’t enough, Lee Ann also was in the midst of a divorce. As she slowly began to process and fend off every obstacle in her path, COVID struck. With a new venture, a new personal life and no playbook on how to deal with an unprecedented global pandemic, Lee Ann was forced to figure it out—and fast.

One of the first things she did in the midst of the closures that hit every business in every industry was to ramp up Finders Keepers’ online sales. There were other changes. When she originally purchased Finders Keepers Inc., the 40-plus year old brand had three locations. One of those locations—the Fashions Store at 84 N. Avondale Road—was owned by the Development Authority of Avondale Estates. As part of the Town Green Project, the property was sold. The move enabled Lee Ann to entertain the possibility of renovating its Boutique & Menswear location.