How Calli Rose Found it’s Home on East Main Street
327 East Main Street didn’t sit empty for long. Just a month after Some Apparel closed, ETSU senior Calli Hall stepped into the very same space with her brand-new storefront, Calli Rose, and with it came new energy, fresh creativity, and yes, a whole lot of pink.
We sat down with Calli to talk about how she got here, what she is learning along the way, and how a high-school hobby turned into a full brick-and-mortar reality.
Calli Rose has been growing quietly in the background for five years. It started with beaded friendship bracelets and eventually grew into metal-work jewelry, vinyl sweatshirts, and a full handmade collection. By her senior year of high school, she was selling in ten boutiques across Tennessee. Two years ago she officially rebranded from Calli Jewelry to Calli Rose, shifting from “this is fun” to “this is my life.”
“It’s my whole life,” she Calli Rose. “I wake up excited every morning. Seeing this turn into an actual storefront is the most fulfilling thing.”
What really sets Calli apart is not just her style or the charm bar everyone knows her for. It is her adaptability. She makes decisions with clarity and intention, and there is a lot to learn from that.
After her rebrand, she realized she could not juggle college, pop-ups, and being in ten stores all at once. Instead of pulling herself in every direction, she made a strategic choice to follow what actually fulfilled her. She stepped away from retail placements and leaned into pop-ups, using ETSU resources and working closely with sororities to build a presence that felt authentic to her brand.
She is also deeply connected to the ETSU CBAT community. As a core member of the Fashion and Merchandising Club, and with a minor in Fashion Merchandising, Calli has been able to turn classroom concepts into real strategy. Visual merchandising, consumer behavior, sourcing, and branding are all things she actively uses. She credits that blend of education and community as a major part of why she felt confident opening a storefront at her age.
A storefront was always part of her long-term vision, but she imagined it happening after graduation. Definitely not something she expected to take on as a full-time student. But in September 2025, while casually scrolling property listings “just for fun,” she found 327 East Main and felt something immediately. She was not planning to lease. She was not planning to sign anything. But once she toured the space, she knew.
Two months later the doors of Calli Rose opened. Almost overnight, she pulled out of her Nashville, Knoxville, and Tri-Cities stores so she could pour her full energy into her brick-and-mortar launch.
Adaptability is a big part of who she is, but so is passion.
People see her success and ask how she created the charm bar or how to start a business like hers. Her answer is always honest. It was not fast, and it was not linear. “Calli Rose has had so many phases,” she said. “I did not start with a charm bar. I started by making jewelry for my friends. I did something I genuinely loved. And it kept evolving.”
Her advice for new entrepreneurs:
“Don’t start a business just to start one. Start because you are passionate about something.”
Since opening downtown, Calli has found a community of business owners who have supported her every step of the way. Some Apparel helped her transition into the space, and Jill and Jamie from Boomtown have become her “business parents,” guiding her through everything from wholesale to storefront ownership. Now, they are neighbors too.
And she is only getting started. Permanent jewelry is next, with more additions already in the works.
The heart of Calli’s story is simple. Passion matters, and adaptability keeps you moving toward what is meant for you. You do not have to do everything at once. You just have to keep growing.
As Maya Angelou said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have
Calli is living proof of that.