Big things are in store for young Jaica Tipper this year. 

The now 18-year-old Okotokian graduated from high school a semester early to get a head start on opening her own business, Tipper Records, located in The Hidden Gem in the Stockton Business park in Okotoks.

It was a passion for her that stemmed into a full-time job.

"My dad has always influenced my music like 80's stuff and records and 80's kind of go hand in hand, so we were taking over the bay next door with the Hidden Gem and the opportunity to what I thought was going to be a booth-sized little record store turned into a room size record store then turn into a three-room record store. It just kept growing. 

I love it. It’s something that I'm passionate about. I love owning a business as well."

Since opening her doors in early 2022 she saw wonderful success from a wide range of music lovers.

"While there was a lot of like older men who wanted like 70's and 80's stuff, the teens probably dominated it because they were in every single day. They were constantly coming in, constantly wanting a lot of the classic stuff, but also a lot of the newer stuff. Super kind people. I love the teens of Okotoks."

Shortly after the opening of Tipper Records, she was approached by a man who offered to sell his collection of 20 thousand records.

"I was like 'I just opened my store two weeks ago. Do you wanna do this in parts or what?' and he said he had a better idea." 

That man was part owner of the famous Beatnik Bus. A mobile record store based in Calgary that slowed operation in 2019. 

"They had asked if I wanted to buy the business as a whole with their 20,000 records and I thought ‘you're crazy! I just opened my store, I'm 17, I'm just getting started.’  

"But as we kept talking, I grew more towards it, and I had looked online at a few different mobile records stores, and I just fell in love with it again."

She officially became the owner of the bus in December of 2022.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Beatnik Bus (@the_beatnikbus)

This means major changes for the Okotoks location. 

"Unfortunately, we will be shutting down at the end of the month here in Okotoks. It's been a really good ride, but we need to keep growing and continue to do good things and we don't really have the space that we require anymore. 

"In the meantime, we will have the Beatnik Bus up and running. I plan to have it out as often as I can and wherever I can, whatever the rules allow me to do in Okotoks and at events and markets."

Learn more about the Beatnik Bus on their instagram.

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