Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news
Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!
It’s hard to count on one hand the number of years TJ Banks hasn’t been his own boss.
Banks, a Hardin County native, has run his own businesses for 30 years: a construction company, an Etsy gift shop and a real estate broker.
She also announced her latest plans to open The Tanning Boutique & Gifts on October 9, 2023.
Banks moved to Metropolis four years ago and started tanning at Sunwalk Tanning, quickly becoming an employee. Eighteen months later, when the store at 1201 E. Fifth St. came up for sale, Banks jumped at the chance.
“It fills my soul,” Banks said of being an entrepreneur. “I’ve always run a business for myself. I’ve never really worked for anyone else before. Owning my own business makes me happy. That’s what I’ve always done.”
Banks said the business choice was “a familiar one for me. I had taken some time off from my business, been traveling for a while, and when I came back, I wasn’t ready to start up again.”
But after the grace period ended, “I knew from past experience that I could handle it. Being a business owner gave me fulfillment and purpose,” she said. “I feel happy.”
Banks’ boyfriend, Scotty Hoyle, who works in construction, helped renovate the store, and they’ve opened up a gift shop at the front where Banks sells many of her handmade items (she tries to buy from local artists when possible), and she also sells specialty coffees by the pound.
“I’m grateful to my Sunwalk customers for supporting me,” Banks said. “They’ve been so supportive.”
