Not Joe Mama's Average Business

Pictured: Joey Vilardo ’22 at his store located at 1005 Elmwood Avenue.

Joey Vilardo ’22 sat in Mr. Stewart’s Comparative Economic Systems class in the fall of 2021.

“On the first day, Mr. Stewart was teaching us how to influence sales by creating buy-one-get-one-free deals,” said Joey.

While the students listened to the lecture, Joey took notes on everything Mr. Stewart said. Unlike most juniors and seniors in the course, he had more to gain than simply getting a good grade. While still a high school student, he was in the process of creating a business plan with the goal of opening his own clothing store.

“A few years ago, I got into thrifting,” said Joe. “I love men’s fashion and vintage clothing. I spent a lot of time at thrift shops.”

Eventually, his interest in finding the perfect vintage tee became more than a hobby. He noticed that much of the industry is dominated by expensive items. Finding casual, vintage pieces of clothing at an affordable price was a challenge. So, with encouragement from his father, Joey embarked on a mission to open up his own thrift shop, focusing on items at a lower price point.

A few months into his senior year, Joey opened Not Joe Mama’s Vintage at 1005 Elmwood Avenue.

“I was fortunate to have last-period free each day,” said Joey. “I would leave school and go straight to the store.”

As the sole employee, Joey works Tuesday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Initially, he relied on buying vintage clothes in bulk. However, as his customers and online presence grew (on Instagram as @NotJoeMamasVintage), he began to purchase items directly from customers. He sells graphic tees ($20-$35) and crewnecks to a customer base made primarily of college students and young adults.

Joey credits his success to the support of his family and St. Joe’s.

“From the beginning, St. Joe’s taught me to work hard,” he said. “With dedication, planning, and research, anything is possible. Mr. Stewart’s business class helped me a lot.”

Though his Economics class provided him with invaluable knowledge for his new business, Joey even credits some of the courses at St. Joe’s that he wasn’t able to take.

“A lot of my friends took E-Commerce,” he said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to, but my friends would give me tips and help me when I was growing my social media presence and buying ads online.”

While most of his friends work summer jobs in landscaping, retail, and restaurants, Joey is happy being his own boss.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” he said. “I love working for myself, and I like the challenge of learning the skills necessary to succeed.”

Joey will attend the University of Arizona to study business in the fall. He will close his store on Elmwood at the end of the summer, but customers will still be able to purchase items online. He plans to pack his inventory in his car and drive it to Tucson. When the semester begins, he will run his business out of his dorm room and ship to customers all over the country.

If you have the chance to shop at Not Joe Mama’s Vintage this summer, make sure to ask for the “Mr. Stewart special.” Joey will gladly sell you two shirts and throw the third one in for free.