We had the good fortune of connecting with Angie Brantley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angie, what do you attribute your success to?
Prayer has been the vehicle that has allowed our program to thrive while opening a thrift store in the middle of a pandemic, when people were encouraged to buy most of their goods online. In a season for all of us that has left so much uncertainty, we knew we wanted to encourage the young women that needed it most with a place to feel adored, beautiful and confident. We knew that we had the support, resources and foundation to be able to bring confidence to young women in need through fashion and mentorship but we were unsure of how to pay for what we knew would need to be a brick and mortar “hub” to allow young women to shop for free. Knowing that as a believer, we have access to something that knows way more about our future than we do, prayer has become the way to give us the confidence to move forward with each step along the way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a teenager that had experienced the effects of letting other people and things determine my identity and worth, a seed was planted to encourage young women during this season of their life. After graduating from college, I pursued social work. This is where things seem to pause in my pursuit of what I know I loved to do. Social work was in my blood and I had a hard time finding the right job, with no experience in the field. I became an assistant manager in a clothing store for several years at this point. An opened door allowed me to then find and settle into a job that I loved, working in Juvenile Court. Through this experience of witnessing many young women that were attempting to find their identity, the seed to create a nonprofit grew. A few years later, TenThirtyFive would be born. Now looking back, the experience of the jobs that seemed insignificant have allowed me to have the tools to start this program.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, I love Nashville!

Monday- Breakfast at The Pancake Pantry and a tour of the Ryman

Tuesday- Lunch at The Southern and a tour of downtown Nashville

Wednesday- Brunch at Pfunky Griddle( with grills to make your own pancakes at your table!) and Centennial Park

Thursday- a tour of downtown Franklin for lunch and shopping

Friday- lunch at Jacks barbecue and a show at the Grand Ole Opry

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I love this part! Getting to shoutout the people that have made our program possible is something I am honored to do. First, our team of hard working, fun, talented, transparent and generous women are the reason we exist. This team of 11 women have families, lives, other responsibilities and some with full time jobs yet they give all they can to make a difference in the lives of the young women we serve. Some leave their full time jobs in the afternoon to mentor young women. Knowing these women has changed me for the better. Second, I have a husband that has believed in a vision that was going to take a lot. He has encouraged me while providing all that he could to make TenThirtyFive possible.

Website: https://www.tenthirtyfive.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenthirtyfivenashville/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tenthirtyfivenashville

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