Community Highlights: Meet Chloe Johnson of Findzbychloe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Johnson.

Hi Chloe, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Born & raised in Nashville, I grew up very poor. Goodwill was just a fun time with my mom’s trip until I was old enough to realize we went because we had to. From middle school to high school, I started lying about where my clothes were from. It was easy to just say they came from the mall. Once I got my first job at 15, I would blow every paycheck on just ”things.”

Over-consuming fast fashion to fill the void of never having new things. At 17, I was a senior in high school and homeless due to some family matters. That’s a long story. It was that way for over a year, living out of my car or in and out of friends’ places. Working in fast food wasn’t cutting it so I started selling my new & thrifted clothing on Instagram to make some extra money. This NEVER started as a ”maybe I’ll work for myself one day” type of situation… that’s just how it came about.

Little did I know, it would be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Slowly over time, I gained a following, really close friends all over the world, and new eyes towards what I was doing through saving secondhand clothing from becoming textile waste. I eventually had a fully secondhand closet that I was PROUD of after years of feeling shamed for wearing pre-loved garments. During covid, I fell down the influencer rabbit hole which is when I started making actual content. That’s when Findz blew up. Since then; I have been featured on Barstools sports page, sell clothing for artists/big influencers, and plan on starting my own reworked clothing line soon!

I’m always trying to keep myself educated on current fashion and how I can incorporate those trends into what we already have. Reselling has opened SO many opportunities for me these last few years. I was able to work my business full-time three years ago and even bought my own home here in Nashville back in August! My goal is to have my secondhand store before I’m 30 & we’re doing pretty good now at 23!!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life has its challenges no matter how much money you make, where you live, your occupation, etc. but I can honestly say I believe doing what I do is simply embedded in myself. It feels natural, and fun, and me! I think loving what you do makes every other aspect of your life a bit better. My main (and biggest) struggle has been dealing with criticism online.

When my reel views were in the millions; I would get threatening messages, awful comments, disrespectful slander, and then some. All over simple thrift haul videos. Thousands of uneducated humans, self-reflecting online, that I am a monster for sourcing clothes to sell online from thrift shops when 80% of all donations are never bought.

It baffles me to this day and the slander still appears sometimes if a video takes off into the wrong audience but I have grown much thicker skin over time. Honestly, I pity a lot of those people now. Much more good could be done if they spent that energy keeping clothing out of landfills.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Findzbychloe?
Findzbychloe is an ethically sourced secondhand online resale shop! We sell only on Instagram, Poshmark, and Depop! Resellers play a crucial role in society as we spend countless hours sourcing secondhand clothing from a few (sometimes hundreds) of different thrifts, rag houses, abandoned places, outlet stores, estate sales, yard sales…you name it!!

I’d say every reseller is ”known’ for a certain style/brand that they typically sell. The more well-known sellers usually have a very special eye for a specific curated style. Here at Findz, we keep it very diverse. I love carrying sizes XS-4XL with a mix of fun modern & funky vintage!! Findz is GREAT for good basics as well like jeans, graphic tees, and pullovers.

When it comes to Findz, I’m most proud of our reach & growth with how few tools we started with. No special connections or money from family. Findz has been in dozens of big Nashville markets by now and I’m so excited to see what markets we sell at in 2024!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’ve found great success in reaching out online! This does not mean cold calling hundreds of people but finding select people within your niche that you can connect/grow with.

From there, you have connections that last forever. Being honest and open with your business is very important to those who like recommending authentic brands to others! In 2024 I would like to go to more networking groups IRL!! Those are wonderful as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findzbychloe/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chloelimited8750