Meet Wrifton Graham | Owner; Rockhound Rock Shop

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wrifton Graham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wrifton, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Being my own boss meant I didn’t have to work long hours, be told what to do anymore and I could make a lot of money, is what everyone told me when I wanted to start my own business. Boy were they wrong. I am the last one to get paid if money is tight, work pretty much 24/7, because if you aren’t thinking about work every waking hour, then your hearts just not in it, and when someone calls in sick, you’re dropping everything and taking up the slack.

Aside from all that, it is true, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Luckily I enjoy getting up every day and going to work.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our current business, the Rockhound Rock Shop, was actually born due to Covid. We had owned an Antique Mall, in the same building, for about 10 years when Covid hit. We were forced to close for 3 months and when we re-opened, the booth rental formula for the antiques was no longer going to work. We had already been trying our rocks in one of the back rooms of the antique mall and they had been selling surprising well considering they were out of context with the rest of the mall. When we decided we needed to do something different, we went with rocks. I know what you’re saying, rocks? Yes! We already have a passion for them as a hobby, so building a business around it allowed us to show that passion to others and Rockhound Rock Shop was born.

A few things I have learned over the years, especially with the ups and down of the economy since the crash in 2007/2008 is be diversified with what you do day to day at work. Don’t leave all your eggs in one basket, because if the economy decides it no longer wants what’s in your basket, you have nothing to fall back on. I work for Michigan State University Extension, I have my Real Estate license, I am a gemologists and that’s one of the main reasons we opened the restaurant, so we had our toe in a different industry in case everyone decided money was too tight to purchase rocks.

Also, make sure you are OK with change. If you are not a person that does will with change, retail is not where you belong. You need to be OK with completely removing something you installed just two weeks ago, because the world of retail changes a lot and you need to be able to roll with the punches.

Today we boast being the Largest Rock Shop in Michigan, but haven’t yet started to advertise Largest in the Midwest yet, even though we are certain we are the largest. We now have two buildings, a 30 foot outside Pan-for-Gems are complete with water tower and waterfall, as well as a restaurant across the street called Prospectors BBQ & Bakery. Our newest addition coming in 2026 will be the Michigan Mineral Museum, which will also be located on our rock campus.

We carry rocks, books, meteorites, fossils, cabochons, loose gems, lots of sterling silver jewelry, metaphysical home decor, tarot cards, over 225 different tumbles, lots of rough materials and even offer lapidary classes, pan for gems and geode cracking while you’re here.

We can guarantee, you’ve never been to a place quite like Rockhound Rock Shop.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a lot of people I can credit with helping me get where I am today, but above all, my parents are the ones that get the most credit. Growing up in a crib in their small businesses, I credit my interests and “no fear” of starting something new to their encouragement and involvement over the years. They have help me learn the ways of getting set up for success and I wouldn’t be here today without their input.

Website: www.RockhoundRockShop.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockhoundRocks