Photo via: Times
Former Toys “R” Us manager Glendon Warner was one of the 33,000 people who lost their jobs when the retail giant closed all of its U.S. locations. However, instead of seeking full-time employment elsewhere, Warner decided to pursue his entrepreneurial dream and open his very own toy store.
Warner, who immigrated to the United States from Guyana with his family over 10 years ago, has been preparing for this moment for quite some time. For years, he saved his tax refunds and sold items along with his wife at flea markets to earn additional funds for the down payment of his store. He told Time Money, “We were using that as fuel to get to go to where we want.”
While Warner was unable to find another job to help with finances prior to the store’s opening, his wife, who is a registered nurse, picked up extra shifts and his kids and nephews helped repaint and retile the store. Receiving his license last fall, Warner opened, Toys, Babies & More in Hyattsville, Maryland back in September. He filled it with hundreds of toys that he purchased at trade shows in New York and New Jersey.
“The community that I’m in doesn’t have anything like a toy store. Even at Walmart, there’s a long line,” Warner shared. “God blessed me in a time where I can afford to pay the rent.”
The fruition of Warner’s dreams comes from years of experience, sacrifice, and saving money. When he first moved to the United States in 2006, he was earning $6.95 an hour as a regular associate at Sears. Warner then worked himself up to manager in a five-year time period before starting his employment at Toys “R” Us.
As reported by Time Money, “Each sacrifice created opportunity for more reward, Warner says. After riding the bus for two years, he bought his own car. After living with his uncle in Maryland, he and his wife bought their own home.”
Now, after being laid off by Toys “R” Us along with thousands of other people, Warner is living out his dream as a business owner.