The Art of Good Vibes
Back in the early ‘90’s, starting a business was a radically different game. This was pre-Google, pre-social media — a time when a little innovation and a lot of grit were the key factors. In the small beach town of Palm Harbor, Florida, an art school phenomenon with a massive entrepreneurial streak turned a passionate side gig into one of the region’s most effervescent smoke shops, YB Norml. No tech shortcuts, no wholesale catalogs — just a phone call to the operator (stay with me, kids) asking, “Hey, where can I find beads and wire?”
With her love for the wild, artistic vibe of the early ‘90s DIY scene, Julie O’Steen has built YB Norml to defy every mold. “I was determined to build something unique,” O’Steen said. “There were no plans, no budget, just a dream and a lot of creativity.” A born entrepreneur, she initially channeled her artistic talent into the local scene. “I was making paper-maché hats and little clay hair clips. I’d set up booths at music festivals, sell my hand-crafted jewelry, and make just enough to keep the dream alive. I was desperate to make a living from what I loved.”
And soon enough, O’Steen outgrew her festival booth and humble beginnings. Her unique handmade crafts developed a following, and she soon found herself dreaming of a permanent space. “It was time for a real setup, somewhere I could create a vibe,” she added. After saving up from festival gigs, she rented her dream location and, in 1996, officially opened YB Norml, creating a space that was part retail store, part immersive experience. In O’Steen’s words, “I’m an artist first, an entrepreneur second,” and YB Norml was her canvas. The shop became a haven for the free-spirited and an example of what authentic countercultural retail looked like before big-box corporate interest.
With murals on the walls, an incense room draped in Indian tapestries, and a small blacklight room, neé installation, YB Norml became a sanctuary for quirky, countercultural goods at a time when Florida’s cannabis scene was still largely underground. “I wanted it to feel like a little house you’d want to live in,” O’Steen explains. This wasn’t just a store; it was a place where people came to connect, buy vintage clothing, incense, and hand-blown pipes — and stay to chat about art and activism.
This wasn’t just a store; it was a place where people came to connect, buy vintage clothing, incense, and hand-blown pipes — and stay to chat about art and activism.
O’Steen’s approach to building her store offers a powerful lesson for today’s cannabis retailers: create a community, not just a customer base. “People were looking for a space that felt personal, a place with character,” she stated. Smoke shops, she believes, should offer more than products — they should offer an experience that customers can’t get anywhere else.
Surviving Change
By the late 2000s, YB Norml had become a local legend, with a fiercely loyal customer base. But with the cannabis industry moving mainstream, the landscape was changing fast.
“People just wanted to grab a vape and go,” she said with a hint of nostalgia. “The magic of a cozy, artsy shop was lost on the new crowd.” CBD, Delta-8, and vapes became the new currency, and suddenly, mom-and-pop shops were competing with corporate chains that could sell at a fraction of the price. It wasn’t just the products that changed. The very culture was shifting from a community-driven, artisanal approach to a hyper-competitive, price-cutting landscape.
O’Steen’s experience speaks directly to today’s smoke shop owners facing similar challenges. As big-box stores entered the market and e-commerce giants became the go-to for accessories, the traditional head shop culture of curated goods and personal connection began to fade. “Smoke shops used to be places where people gathered, connected, and explored. I used to sit right down on the rugs covering my floors with my customers and distributors and just chill out,” she says. “Now it’s just about transactions, and I find that disheartening.”
Customers today have too many options. They’re looking for something real, a shop that feels like it has a soul. And if you can give them that, they’ll come back – even in a world full of convenience store vapes.
The Fire That Almost Ended YB Normal — and the Rebirth That Followed
In 2017, disaster struck. A fire broke out on Thanksgiving morning, devastating YB Norml and leaving O’Steen standing in front of a burned-out building with nothing but memories of the shop she’d poured her heart into. “I’d just had a baby, and here I was, trying to figure out if it was even possible to start over,” she recalled.
But O’Steen’s resilience saw her through. She found a smaller location, albeit more generic, across the street, salvaged what she could, and began the process of rebuilding. “I wasn’t ready to let go of the community we’d built,” she said. Customers followed her to the new location, proof that YB Norml was more than just a store; it was a vibe that couldn’t be replaced.
While trying to adapt to the vape boom and shifting customer expectations, O’Steen realized if she wanted to stay relevant, it was time to evolve. She leaned back into her artistic roots, creating a new line of YB Norml-branded products, including holographic grinders, color-changing pipes, and artistically designed rolling trays. Her goal was to bring the artistry of YB Norml to a wider audience through wholesale distribution. “I wanted my products to stand out, not just sit in a display case next to generic pieces,” she says.
At trade shows, her booth has become as much of an attraction as the store once was, with Persian rugs, fairy lights, and a vibe that transports visitors back to YB Norml’s heyday. “People come to trade shows and sit on the floor in my booth, just like they did in the shop,” O’Steen added. “I wanted to bring the vibe of YB Norml to these shows, make it feel like a mini-store. And honestly, it’s working.
For those who remember the quirky, hole-in-the-wall headshops, YB Norml’s evolution is a poignant reminder and valuable blueprint for staying true to your roots while adapting to a changing market. There’s still a place for authenticity, artistry and passion. “If you’re in this business just to make money, people will see through it,” O’Steen emphasized. “Customers today have too many options. They’re looking for something real, a shop that feels like it has a soul. And if you can give them that, they’ll come back – even in a world full of convenience store vapes.”
In O’Steen’s view, retail may be changing, but the spirit of community is as essential as ever, even if that community now stretches across trade show floors and online platforms. “The shops that will survive are the ones that create a memorable experience, not just a transaction,” she concluded.
For YB Norml, the journey is far from over. O’Steen is an endlessly passionate artist who continues to create, design and push forward the brand she built from literal ashes.
