Sign Language
‘For Rent’ placard led WC grad to open own business in Marion.
Sometimes, God speaks to His people through a still, quiet voice, a burning bush, or, in the case of Jenny (Michael) Lust (WC ’91), a placard in a window in downtown Marion, OH.
Lust, who lives in Marion with her husband, Joel, believes God elbowed her in the right direction to open the Spruce & Sparrow, a boutique store, and Elena Renee, a curated kitchenware and gourmet food shop, in downtown Marion.
“Who knew at the age of 49, I’d be (living out) a dream I never dared to dream,” Lust said. “Spruce & Sparrow wasn’t even a flicker on the horizon back then. But life, as they say, has a way of surprising you.
“The journey that led me here was filled with unexpected twists and turns. Looking back, the seemingly random paths I took all shaped who I am today and equipped me for this incredible adventure.”
Lust’s unlikely path began in August 2021 when she and Joel decided to attend Third Thursday, a monthly street fair in downtown Marion.
Amid the chaos of food trucks, live music, and restaurants offering food to pedestrians walking in the area, Lust found something that caught her eye.
“There was this captivating sign in a storefront window, titled Mainstreet Reimagined, and it was about retail spaces that were being revitalized for rent in the downtown area,” she said. “It snagged my attention. I jotted down the contact number, sensing a potential spark.”
Seeing the success a high school friend, Keri (Osterstock) Gossard (WC ’91), had in opening Finn and Roe, a boutique in Powell, Lust thought about opening a boutique of her own.
Lust quizzed Gossard on her experience in opening a storefront and began to dream about her place in Marion. She spent a year filling notebooks with ideas and potential logos for her business.
“My friend’s success wasn’t just contagious, it became the catalyst for my exciting chapter,” she said. “True to my nature, I craved a roadmap. I dove headfirst into research, meticulously planning my entrepreneurial leap.
“Only after this thorough preparation did I take the first concrete step– scouting potential retail spaces.”
Seeing that sign on the Third Thursday was confirmation she was called to do this. However, Lust felt the timing just wasn’t right.
Then, in February 2022, Lust pulled out the name Luke Henry on the placard. Henry said the property wasn’t available, but he had another property she should look at 194 W. Center Street.
“I scheduled an appointment, and that area is what would become Spruce and Sparrow,” said Lust, who chairs the promotions committee and serves as secretary of the board of Downtown Marion, a nonprofit 501 C3 organization dedicated to the revitalization of the city’s downtown.
“The Spruce and Sparrow story wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the incredible Maria Williams, my best friend and store manager. Knowing I’d need a retail powerhouse, Maria immediately came to mind. Her exceptional salesmanship and extensive retail experience were invaluable assets.
“As fate would have it, the pandemic had shaken up her career path, leaving her open to new opportunities. Maria joined me in this wonderful adventure, and maybe ‘playing store together’ isn’t such a bad way to describe it.”
Lust and Williams frequently host activities and events, like their “Paint & Sip” nights, to foster a warm, inviting atmosphere in their stores.
“Maria and I believe in the magic of connection,” Lust said. “We believe this is our ministry.”
Those who knew Lust in high school might be surprised by her take-charge leadership. She confessed she had a real phobia of speaking in public while attending Worthington Christian.
However, creating a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group through her church, volunteering as a teacher’s aide at Ridgedale Elementary School in Morral, Ohio, and working with her church’s middle school and high school youth group helped overcome that fear.
“Leading the youth group not only fostered personal growth as public speaking became less daunting, but it also unknowingly honed valuable leadership skills that would later prove crucial in business ownership,” Lust said.
“It’s a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the most fulfilling destinations are the ones we never planned.”