Jenny from The Back Porch Mercantile :: Women Behind the Business

At Knoxville Moms Blog, we love working with local businesses. We’ve discovered throughout our past year that there are many inspirational and innovative women behind many successful businesses—right here in Knoxville! We’re starting a monthly series spotlighting these amazing women and telling their story. If you know a woman that should be highlighted, be sure to email us at info{dot}knoxvillemomsblog{dot)com and tell us why you think they should be featured on our site.

Growing up, I was always doodling. I loved arts and crafts. My passion for art led me to a Bachelors of Fine Arts from The University of Tennessee. After graduation, I traveled to Nashville to work in a top PR agency working on major accounts in graphic design. I came back to Knoxville to marry my college sweetheart, Nathan and figure out what I wanted to do. I did not want to go back to working in corporate design and the economy was suffering, so design jobs were few and far between. I took a little side trip in my design path and got a degree in health sciences and worked in radiology for a few years. During this time, I kept on doodling and painting. I always love to design and decorate my home and took up painting furniture as a combination of my passion of art and the home. Painting furniture in my garage and on the porch was the very beginning of The Back Porch Mercantile.

The furniture that changed everything for me was a piece my Grandmother left for me. It took forever to get it ready to paint, like a week to be exact. Stripping! Priming! I was so tired of it all before I even got to the fun part of creating a pretty piece for my home. So I did some research. A few people were talking about this new paint that had come to market in America called Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan that needed no stripping or priming and had an incredible authentic finish. It truly was the BEST paint in the world. I decided I had to bring the one and only Chalk Paint® to East Tennessee. My very first sale was in the Chic-Fil-A parking lot, two days after receiving my first shipment. In the short span of 5 years, The Back Porch Mercantile grew from my garage, to a shelf in Ironic, to a brick and mortar lifestyle shop in Bearden.

The Back Porch Mercantile is my extension of my passion for design, art and living. I believe a home is a curated place for family to celebrate everyday life. It should be welcoming and comfortable. All these things are embodied in the products I  thoughtfully select and carry. The BPM is a certified stockist of Annie Sloan. We stock all of the Annie Sloan products, including Chalk Paint® and teach a large selection of workshops monthly. We can help you from the beginning stages of a simple paint project to a full room makeover with beautiful and exclusive home and gift lines we stock. These lines include rugs, bedding, furniture, art, baby and accents. We are also available to help you select the perfect gift from our large selection of jewelry and accessories. Tying a bow on a carefully selected gift is one of my favorite things to do!

Everyday is an adventure in retail. Customers come in and so many have grown to be good friends. I have been blessed to have friendships with many women in this journey that have supported and mentored me. Annie Sloan believes in the small business and the value it provides the consumer and community. She helped me build my vision of my brand to what it is today. I believe in the power of women in business and make it my priority to mentor young women. Come into BPM on a Saturday and you will see them ready to help you with your latest project.

I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my wonderful family, friends and staff. It truly takes a village to run a business with a young family. I am so blessed to have the never ending support of my husband, Nathan, and my sons, Caleb and Noah. Nathan not only runs his own business, but is behind the scenes helping me manage the business side. My parents, Dennis and Peggy, still encourage me to keep doodling and help me with my daily operations. Everyday I wake up, I am thankful I can live my dream creating beautiful spaces. In the words of Elise de Wolfe, “ I am going to make everything around me beautiful, that will be my life.”

The Back Porch Mercantile is located in the heart of Bearden at 5052 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37919. We can be reached by phone at 865.247.4532. Our hours are Monday-Friday, 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. You can keep up with our latest happenings by following us on Facebook or Instagram. You can also find more information on our webpage.