ASHLAND — Marcia Scott credits her grandparents with her entrepreneurial spirit.
One set of them owned a delicatessen, and the others ran a grocery store. She said her grandmother taught her everything she knows about life.
“They’re the original entrepreneurs,” Scott said.
She grew up loving her grandparents’ antiques. When Scott had her own daughter, Michele Scott, that love became one the pair shared.
When Marcia Scott moved back to Ashland last year after a stint in Nevada, that entrepreneurial fire was lit for another generation of her family.
Marcia and Michele tossed around the idea for a vintage marketplace last April, where vendors could bring their antiques and set them up for sale. Marcia’s grandson, Jayden Scott, also got involved in the process.
They put their idea out on the Ashland Chatter Facebook page to gauge interest, and Marcia said people seemed really interested in the idea. Then, around September, Marcia really started getting to work to bring it to life.
She connected with Mayor Matt Miller, the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, got business licenses and found a space: 25 Amberwood Parkway, out by the Ashland Walmart.
“Then, we just worked hard for it,” Marcia said.
That hard work culminated with a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of MJM Vintage Market on Monday. The letters stand for the initials of the Scotts’ — Marcia, Jayden and Michele’s — names.
Opening up shop
Monday’s ribbon cutting saw remarks from Marcia Scott. Dennis Miller of Ashland’s city council, state Rep. Melanie Miller and Amy Daubenspeck, the president of Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce also spoke.
Rep. Melanie Miller (far left) presents a proclamation from the state of Ohio to the Scotts, who own MJM Vintage Market, on Jan. 15, 2024. 
The Scotts receive a certificate from the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, presented by its president, Amy Daubenspeck (far right) on Jan. 15, 2024. 
Friends and family of the owners pose for a photo before the ribbon cutting for MJM Vintage Market on Jan. 15, 2024. 
Friends, family and community members in attendance take a photo before the ribbon cutting for MJM Vintage Market on Jan. 15, 2024. 
The crowd cheers as Jayden Scott cuts the ribbon celebrating the opening of MJM Vintage Market on Jan. 15, 2024.
Dennis Miller said he commended MJM for helping other vendors get a start.
Rep. Melanie Miller presented Marcia with a proclamation signed by the Ohio House of Representatives.
“It’s wonderful to see that you’re providing opportunities to other wonderful business owners,” Melanie Miller said.
She added the state loves to support local businesses.
Daubenspeck presented MJM’s owners with a certificate from the chamber, and welcomed the new business to the “chamber family.”
Gratitude across generations
Marcia and Michele both emphasized how many people they were thankful for throughout the process of opening MJM Vintage Market. Michele named friends, vendors, teachers — the list goes on.
“I’m just looking forward to helping the community and encourage anybody thinking about (being a vendor) to try it out,” Michele said.
Like Marcia’s grandparents did for her, she has helped install an entrepreneurial spirit into a new generation of her family.
Jayden Scott and his friend, Houston Rogers, both students at Ashland High School, are working at the store. Each said they’ve already learned new skills from working at MJM Vintage Market. They rattled off time management, money management and how to run a business as some of those lessons.
Marcia’s grandson and Michele’s son, Jayden, plans to use those new skills in his future.
He said he hopes to attend school to become an entrepreneur, opening up his own restaurant chain someday — carrying on the family’s entrepreneurial legacy that started with Marcia’s own grandparents.
This independent, local reporting provided by our Report for America Corps members is brought to you in part by the generous support of the Ashland County Community Foundation.