>> As you prepare your shopping list this holiday season, don't forget about the city's vibrant local business scene.

In addition to Black Friday and Cyber Monday this week also marks small business Saturday in local entrepreneurs are encouraging shoppers to visit throughout the season and here to share more about their business is our seen settles, owner of settles, leather company.

Gabriel Neely, co-owner of is Megan knows Marshawn a Miller owner of Bomb Beauty boutique in Quentin McNair, owner of Struggle Beard, Bakery.

Thank you guys for being here.

I love seeing the table full of different items.

I know that opening a business comes with the story.

So all of you have to have your journey and story.

Quinton, I want to start with You launch your business after serving 24 years in the military.

How did baking played a role in making that transaction transition and where that name come from?

Struggle.

Beard Bakery give you the story real quick when the girl might be or when I first got the military here we are 5 later, not much of I was struggling with depression and PTSD.

>> And discover bacon as a way to deal with that.

So what what started off as a hobby of the way to deal with PTSD and depression quarantine, which made the problem like 10 times worse.

It turned into a thriving business in the way for me to give back to the community.

So really was a healing journey for 100% of Hillary.

And then you realize you could bake not when I first started.

So that was that was one of the struggles that the actual bacon was a struggle.

When first started little bit of practice and light the genuine love for I got a lot better eating.

Give message.

Gabriel, your store is located right in Michigan Avenue.

A very busy.

>> Spud in dismay.

Connell's the goods are had made from Mexico.

You brought some here.

Tell us about teach INS and how you work with them.

>> are still currently represents about 150 families from 15 different states and as well as a lot of local Latino artists covering neighborhoods like those in Little Village, Marquette Park.

Yeah.

One of the few small local businesses downtown.

And we're really excited for holiday season and showing people a little piece of Chicago as they walked the Magnificent Mile in her.

Those partnership come about.

>> In finding people to bring to your store.

Sure.

It's been a process of years.

You know, we started out from the humblest of origins, working street festivals around the city and making contacts across make it go through our own family networks through travel and now we're in a position where given that the store has grown a little bit, people seek us out, which is a great honor to represent some of the greatest crafts people from across like imagine that being downtown comes with challenges.

Yeah.

Stories almost full for in good ways and and challenging ways of most of the time.

But it's a real blessing to be sort of in the eyes of the world downtown.

And we really tried to represent Chicago as best we can.

>> In Morrow, want to go to you.

How did you get started working with leather and handcrafted items.

>> Was starting with the day.

Didn't really know the beginning.

What to do it.

I attempted of.

A business before NFL through and I was like gotta figure something here, but I we had a passion, increased demand.

And another way I was iPhone bizarre stumble upon When I was working with a job, I had to construction.

>> And those looking for some tools that I needed the other stuff for, like tape measure holders and one a.

>> actually it was the idea of a labor that said, hey, Mario, tired of him, he Grabbing about his holder for steam engine and broken in.

They clicked into But you know what?

I'm going to take this asking for permission for it and just take it from a and is that, yeah, Macy we can do let me try it out.

Yeah.

But you knew you wanted to start a business.

So then that would trigger that ultimately that so I went home made me a better one.

Better version of it, took it to him.

And then it just like wildfire.

They hey, can you make me more then that turned into can you make belts?

Can you Can you make a while?

It's can you make songs like man?

This is a mix I do lie.

And here we are in sport.

Here we are.

this is my passion.

Also want to get back to the community I know that there's a lot of kids out there and I struggled with trying to find all that for him.

For the energy that I have.

And and then I figured one.

I just give a to the kids that very seeking that kind of a.

Cross Red Crescent shape and teach them how to do everything by hand.

Because everything I do is by hand.

So I dropped the pad is by hand to cut everything up and they stitched by hand.

There's so much passion and love right behind that that's really great.

>> Mars, I want to go with you.

I heard that your business actually start your passion for fashion started when you were a kid rate, tell us about bomb beauty boutique and what kind of styles.

What can we find there?

Sure.

Yeah.

So a really bad eggs in and I just was trying to find a different way to empower myself and give myself some confidence.

And so I dove into everything, beauty, fashion and entertainment.

And I first started out, you know, obsessive with skin care routines.

And then I went say hair and then I went calls and he's just expanded from there.

So you really embodying the whole entrepreneur spirit?

Absolutely.

I actually got it from my mom.

Some of my working very hard going up.

She had a full-time job and that she had multiple businesses on the side.

And, you know, you're a kid.

I didn't realize it at the time.

But as I got older it really understood her more.

And got to entrepreneurial spirit.

I love that.

Tell me a little bit.

As we know.

It's small business Saturday.

What are some of the deals that people can expect that brought some of your jewelry?

Yeah.

So everything you see here is $10 or less at my store, which is located at 8, 3, 7, West, 100 15th street 150, the hostage.

We're doing a big small business Saturday sale.

I'm going throw it in the bag sale.

So I have a bag $45.

You fill it out.

Whatever cafe inside the bag is yours to have.

And that's not a bad deal.

Now, right used to see how creative people gate was definitely in the bag.

Yeah.

See, really is look at what about you continue.

Your shop is located in high Parker editing.

>> You're right on the right of these goods to yes.

Tax brought to share with everybody One thing enjoy about bacon is the actual Sharon.

Other people enjoy things that create.

>> We keep merch from everything from the but he didn't wear.

And it's a partnership with another black owned business, a merging of our 2 brains.

So we have coffee cups.

We have, of course, the treats.

So it's type of place you come is more coffee, shop and bakery.

You come in, get a tree or if you want to take one home or travel and said to give weekend, eventually wrap any of our goods for you.

Put in your own gift.

Baskets were also having events every Wednesday night.

Tonight we're having care, cookies and karaoke.

We can come in.

Get your seeing off to fire doodle.

You have a whole bunch which your favorite.

So my favorite.

>> Is the one that started the business.

It is the Charles Anthony still in the bag down to cooking to make.

But it's also it tells the story of the bakery.

So I love to share that with people in particular.

That's also what Gabriel?

I love all these different.

You brought candles, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

This let's see about a Christmas ornament.

We have a huge selection of handmade Christmas ornaments.

This one >> Call that he got which is a gourd that's been carved by hand with essentially like a little chisel.

So, yeah, the entire thing is drawn out.

This would have been the natural skin of the gourd that was painted black and then it was basically carved to draw to cut out the drawings of the birds and the animals.

A lot of the art in our stores inspired by the natural landscapes of people.

And that takes time.

People need to not this takes time.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Each of these pieces takes several days to craft.

So yeah, a lot of handmade ceramics.

This is another sort idea of ours working the summons from Mexico.

This is a handmade little cost when you which is a little that we've poured.

We've worked with a local partner to poor candle into dozens of candles.

Okay.

it afterwards?

I do think it's important for people to shop small business.

>> Because where your community, you know, your neighbors and the same money that you can spend with us as money will turn around and put back into our communities to support our schools.

>> To support our local grocery stores, it's I don't know.

I think we all really respond well to that feeling of walking into a place and knowing the people who work there knowing how invested they are in it and you can definitely feel the passion around this table.

And I know that goes for a lot of small businesses around the city to the grave.

>> What you what are some deals he would say for for Saturday?

So for Sandra doing classes right now to the promotion for $10 and you >> We're creating a So this is a perfect example of the wallet.

I didn't bring any of the other stuff so they can learn how to make a lot.

Yes, that's So they can see everybody wants a good leather wallet?

yeah.

My brother was just asking you to buy one for Christmas the so Rizzo.

How long is a class we're going to do on 12 to 22, but they're welcome to stay.

We're going to have little finger food and we're going to have ornament decorating to so for the kids that Friday's thing to get something going on Friday.

But as a black Friday, if you which is very different now, Back in the day of TV's.

I think we're on the same era dangerous.

Now now the sales start like a month ahead.

yeah.

And you talked about giving back.

>> Mars, would you say that?

It's also important for you to get back?

Absolutely.

I do a lot of free things in my store and a lot of community things.

>> Because like he said, this is the aspect.

I had an election night watch party kaiwi $100 in gift cards just to get the community engaged in voting and coming around.

Also host what I call a boutique boot camp so that teach people how to start their own boutiques and my very first class, the top 14 young ladies that were impacted by incarceration had to start their all retail business.

So whether they had a parent, whether whether they themselves are incarcerated, I taught them how have a new path, a fresh start that doesn't require much education.

Just a couple $100 and a lot of passion that everyone can do it.

Well, thank you so much for taking the time for coming down here and sharing your talent.

Thank