It’s a sunny Saturday morning in downtown Santa Barbara. There are tourists everywhere. Some of them duck into a new clothing store on the 800 block of State Street. It sells boutique style Santa Barbara themed clothing. The store is unique, but its backstory is even more interesting.
It was created by a woman trying to bounce back from one of the biggest disasters in Hawaii’s history.
Maui was hit by wildfires last August which took more than 100 lives, and destroyed more than 2200 buildings. One of those lost was Tilly Timm’s, Heidi Oberg’s Maui-themed clothing store.
"We couldn't be open because the power was down everywhere, and the winds were so horrible," said Oberg. "People were being told to shelter in place. None of my employees went into the shop. By the early evening, I was in California, keeping in touch with everybody. They said everything's under control, but there's fires upcountry. I woke up eight hours later, and the city was gone."
Oberg’s adult son and teenage daughter were safe, as were her five employees. But, the business that the single mom had poured her heart into, and spent some 14 years building, was gone.
"I looked at my phone, and it was just blowing up showing pictures...showing Front Street (where her business was located) and smoke approaching," said Oberg. "I knew it was gone."
It was months before they could even see what was left of the store. What she found was disheartening.
"The contamination levels were so bad, I only saw my store at the end of May," said Oberg. "It was just a pile of rubble. I found my cash drawer with charred bills. You touch them and they disintegrate."
Even worse, Oberg didn’t have the right kind of insurance. She had all kinds of insurance, but because her business had sprinklers, and because the brush fire danger was considered remote, she didn't have fire insurance.
The community decided that businesses wouldn't be able to rebuild on the waterfront.
Oberg knew she had to do something, so she rolled the dice on a place she had even visited before: Santa Barbara. It looked good to her online, with nice weather, and a strong tourism industry, like she had in Maui. A real estate agent helped her find the State Street location that's now home to her business.
She got a disaster loan from the Small Business Administration, putting her home on the line to secure it. She admits it’s scary.
"Absolutely terrifying," said Oberg. "I had to put my house up as collateral. Everything I've worked for, all these years has been put on the line to make this move. There's been many, many, many sleepless nights."
Oberg remodeled the State Street space, and worked with her supplier to create some high end Santa Barbara themed clothing. Seven weeks ago, Tilly Timms Santa Barbara opened.
She said the community has been great, and so far, business has been good.
The single mom is doing a huge juggling act. There’s the task of running a new store. Her 13-year-old daughter remains in Hawaii, because the teen wanted to finish high school there. Her elderly father is in her native Canada, so she’s there a lot to help care for him. Fortunately, Oberg’s 35 year old son moved to Santa Barbara to help with the store. But she’s constantly traveling between the three places.
Despite all that’s happened, Oberg is optimistic about the future. "We have put our hearts and souls into this 110%. If we don't succeed, I can walk away knowing that I did everything in my power to be successful."
