#261: The Importance of Finding Your Why with Jess Ekstrom, Founder of Headbands of Hope and Author

It's episode number 261 with Jess Ekstrom, the founder of Headbands of Hope. Let's talk about your business strategy and the juicy details of what actually works from mainstream fashion to fashion on Main street and the entire ecosystem behind it. How do we scale your company and do it with the balance and the happiness that we all seek? Let's hear from those insiders, experts and strategists that actually make it happen. I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and I can't wait to chat.

For those of you who have been.

Around the Boutique Hub for a while, you've probably heard me talk quite a bit about the importance of knowing your why and how being in business isn't about selling a widget or making money, putting cash in the bank, dressing up in pretty clothes, all the things, you name it, right? Business is about something so much bigger. It's about a why that sets us on fire. Because if you've been in business for any period of time, you guys, you know the ups and downs that come with it. It is not all rainbows and unicorns. There's great days and there's really hard days. And unless we have something that truly sets our soul on fire to get us through both the highs and the lows of business, it can be hard to keep going. That's why I love today's message so much. Because Jess speaks to the heart of why we're in business and how our businesses can serve a greater purpose on on this earth. Jess Ekstrom is the founder of Headbands of Hope and you're going to hear all about that in a minute. And how she donates headbands to children who are going through and battling cancer as she sells each one of her products. She also is the author of Chasing the Bright side and is a well known keynote public speaker who inspires women and entrepreneurs all over the world to follow their greatest dreams and to build businesses with purposes. Guys, Jess is truly a visionary, truly a leader and someone I think you're going to be so motivated and inspired by. I can't wait for you to hear her story and to think deeply about how your business can have an even, even greater impact in the world around you. Especially in a post pandemic world. Get ready to meet my friend, Jess Ekstrom, the founder of Headbands of Hope.

Hey you guys. I am so excited about our guest this week. I know you have probably heard her story somewhere along the lines because she's been covered in every major media out there is, but also a fellow member of our boutique industry. I'm so excited to welcome Jess Ekstrom, the founder of Headbands of Hope and author of Chasing the Bright side, to the show today. Jess, thanks for being with us.

Thanks for having me. I am excited to be here.

Oh, man. You and I were just chatting that we could probably squirrel on so many different topics today. But more than anything, you know, I think we're in this crazy time period right now that has brought all of us back to the reality of there has to be a purpose to what we're doing every day. We can't wake up every day just to chase, you know, selling clothes in a boutique or, like, selling a product. Like, there has to be meaning for us to go through the grind that we're in, and we have to love what we're doing to survive the grind that we're in. And I think that's, like, the message that you share is so powerful and beautiful. I can't wait for everybody to hear all about it. So let's kind of start at the beginning, if you don't mind. Like, I always love the context of how did this journey start and lead you into Headbands of Hope, first of all.

Yeah, I mean, it's literally exactly like, what you were saying is that I felt like I was really called to something, which is why I feel like right now, especially that optimism is the new grid. You know, it is how we are getting through this by having to believe in what we're doing. And that's, for me, started literally in the most magical place on earth in Disney World. I don't know if there's any Disney fans over here, but I was there when I was in college as a intern, and I was a PhotoPass photographer. Have you ever been to Disney before?

Actually, I haven't. Is that weird?

That is weird. That's usually not the answer I get. That's usually. I know.

We did not get. We grew up, like, kind of poor, did not go on vacations as kids. So it's my dream to take my kids to Disney, because I've never been there.

I mean, it is expensive. Like, I remember, like, it was. Yeah, pretty. Pretty penny to be. But when I was there. So I didn't know if you were familiar because there was always these people that want to take your picture as PhotoPass photographers, and that was my job. I was there as a photographer in Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and my favorite thing that I got to do was I got to photograph Kids that were there on their wish through the Make A Wish Foundation. And so I got to see them, like meeting the princesses or seeing the castle for the first time. And I just absolutely fell in love with the foundation. And so when I got back to school my sophomore year at NC State, I applied for an internship for Make a Wish. And I wasn't really doing like the most glamorous things at this internship. You know, I was like licking envelopes or cold calling people for donations. And it was like on paper it just seemed so boring or tedious. But I just remember having so much energy when I was there because it didn't matter, you know, what I was doing because I just felt so clearly connected to why I was doing it. And every single thing I did, I could draw a straight line to helping Make a wish come true. And so I started to have this like, you know, 17, 18 year old revelation and thought that maybe, you know, our lives and these careers that we choose for ourselves doesn't have to be something where we clock in and clock out and, you know, wait for a paycheck in the mail. It can be something where every day when our alarm goes off, we know that it matters that we're there like, that our efforts are building something bigger than us. And it was towards the end of this internship and I had worked really hard and they decided they were going to give me a little bit more responsibility to cap off the summer. And they assigned me a wish child. And so I got to be the coordinator for this girl's wish. And her name's Renee and she wanted to go to Disney World to meet Sleeping Beauty. She was very clear about the terms of that agreement, like Sleeping Beauty or bust. And so I was like working with the parks to make sure that Sleeping Beauty, you know, was going to be there for their meals and meet and greets and plan this, like princess going away party with her and her friends. And everything started to come together. But unfortunately, about a week before she was supposed to go on her wish, her cancer took a bad turn. And they ended up sending her home from the hospital. And they said that she was too sick to go on her wish to Disney World. And I remember being in the office that day and hearing my boss on the phone with the family and all of this unfolding and just thinking to myself, like, you know, this just, this can't be the story. This can't be like how it goes. And because we have these, you know, these experiences that are these tangible life events that we can't Control. Maybe you were forced to close your store, or maybe, you know, you can't control what the weather is or if there's traffic on the highway. But our stories are how we really internalize and respond to our life experiences. So although we might not be able to control everything that happens in our day, we can always control the meaning that we give to it and what we do next. And so I went on to Google, and I looked up this local costume shop in Charlotte and got this Sleeping Beauty costume. And a few hours later, I arrived on her doorstep dressed as Sleeping Beauty and spent the whole day with this girl and her family. And in character, she totally bought it. And it was just one of the clearest before and after moments of my life. And she was wearing a headband that day, and it was like a trend that I had seen that kids would lose their hair to chemotherapy. Love to wear headbands after hair loss as opposed to wigs or hats. And that was the moment that I thought, why not me? And just got that kick of passion to. To just go for it. Oh, my gosh.

I have goosebumps thinking about that. Had you. I mean, just thinking about kids with cancer, had you been, like, anyone in your family gone through that, or was that, like, your first, like, it's a real life or death feeling you get of man. This is. This is so much bigger than me, and I feel like cancer, especially. I hate that C word.

Yeah.

It just changes our entire perspective on life in an instant.

I felt like that was my first introduction to humanity. And I know that sounds super deep, but it was, like, the first time I realized just how precious life is and moments and stories and people. And it's also one of the things I realized. It's the small things that. That make us who we are, that we can bring joy to other people's life. And that's why I'm so proud of Headbands of Hope, is that we gift the small things that make a big impact. For every headband sold, we donate one to a child with an illness. And we're living proof that you don't have to always start a revolution or solve world hunger or do these big things to make a big impact.

Oh, my gosh, that's so true. It's all the small things that matter. I think about as a cancer survivor, but again, being an adult, I guess a college student. At that time, there was a wig charity near me that would for every wig bought, you got a free wig. And same thing like, when you're a Cancer patient. And I'm sure you've seen this all people want to do, especially during chemo when you feel like you've lost your sense of identity is you just want to feel normal. You just want people to treat you like normal. You want to feel normal. So what you've created has given that to people.

And even, just like, even right now with, you know, I was thinking about this, like boutiques and fashion, like being in quarantine like that I am right now, I'm like, man, what I would give for just like a new outfit to feel normal or just like something where you look in the mirror and you feel good about yourself. And that's what I think. Like fashion can do that for people. And that small, you know, like that, that, that small thing that can just make such a big impact on your confidence and self esteem and just that, that train of thought that we have, that inner dialogue that can just change everything.

Yeah, I, I say that a lot. Like at the end of the podcast, especially when I interview boutique owners, it's, it's always going back to what is the big why in your business? Because I think a lot of people do look at fashion as, oh, it's vain or it's a non essential business or whatever. But when you're in it, you know that it's a, like you're impacting people's lives, you're building confidence, you're giving them something that they cannot find anywhere else. You are a counselor for your customers. I mean, I could go on and on.

Absolutely.

There's always a bigger purpose.

Yeah.

So how did you lean into that? Like, did you go home? Did you start making headbands like.

They look like crap? So moving on from that. But, uh, but I mean, going back to the confidence things real quick, it made me think about like the first time I knew this was working was I had started shipping headbands to different hospitals. I hadn't even sold any yet. I just wanted to see if this is what people wanted and maybe get some stories. And this mom wrote me a letter and she said that her daughter was in remission from cancer, but that she didn't want to go to kindergarten because. Because she thought that everyone would think that she was a boy because her hair hadn't grown back yet. And then she got her pink flower crown headband at the hospital for her checkup that day. And she got home from the hospital and laid out her backpack and her like hello Kitty school supplies. And she was like, mom, when does kindergarten start? And that Headband, that simple accessory just gave her that confidence to feel like herself again. And so that was when I knew, like, okay, this has to work. And so I was a college student at the time, and I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't even spell entrepreneur. I was in a communications class. Like, had absolutely no clue what to do. But I just started to see, okay, what do I have? What's within my control? And I went to a. First, I needed a business plan, because I heard that was something you needed. Now, I think that's debatable, but I thought I needed a business plan. Yeah. And so I went to. I literally went on my school directory, and, like, any professor that was smiling in their photo, I, like, emailed them and asked them for 15 minutes of their time to, like, figure out what a business plan is. And then I needed a logo. And so I went to a graphic design class and waited for the class to get out and went in and introduced myself to the teacher, and I said to her, I was like, you know what would be a great idea is if for your next class assignment, everyone had to make headbands of Hope logo. And I picked the best one. And that was how I got my first Headbands of Hope logo. And then when I needed a website, I met with this computer design student every day for lunch for her to teach me how to do, like, Photoshop and Shopify, and I paid her in Chipotle burritos, and that was how I got my website. So little by little, like, things started to come together. Not by focusing on, like, what I didn't have, but just by looking at what was right in front of me. Because I think, especially with entrepreneurship, it's so easy to look over the fence and think, like, well, I need investors, and I need, you know, more experience. And we all just have to start, like, with who we are, where we are, with what we have, and realize that, like, every expert was once beginner. You know, everyone that we know that is so good at something or so successful once had no idea what they were doing. And that's pretty empowering because that means that it could be anyone. So why not you?

Oh, my gosh. I couldn't agree with that more. Especially now, in the midst of, like, the new world that we're in, I'll call it. It feels like, you know, we lived and died by the weight of other people's expectations of what we should or we shouldn't be doing. But now where everyone is literally on the same level, trying to Figure out their new normal. Like, this is the time to try the new thing. Because you can quote, unquote, fail, if that's actually the word you want to use, which, you know, failure is opportunity. And who, like, what does it matter? Like, everyone is on the same page trying to try something new. So what a beautiful way to think about it. And you're absolutely right. Like, this is a rabbit hole we could definitely go down of. You don't need a business plan. All you need is a minimum viable product. You just have to prove the concept and then run in that direction and use exactly what you have in your control. Beautiful way that you illustrated that we all have that same opportunity. What do I have? What can I affect right now? And I'm going to lean in that direction.

What can I do today? You know, And I think that sometimes when we think about, like, let's just say winning the super bowl, we don't even get the first down because we're like, oh, but I have to win the Super Bowl. And so then we don't do the small things that we need to get ourselves there. And so just by thinking about, like, what feels light to me today, and by doing those small things, it breaks that seal of fear. Like, you know, when you have a daunting task, like, for me, it's cleaning a house. I'm like, I hate cleaning. And I'm like, kind of a mess sometimes. And so you're like, I can't clean this whole house. But then you tell yourself, well, I'm just going to clean the kitchen. And you clean the kitchen, and then you realize you're just kind of on a roll. And so you keep going and you clean the bathroom. And if all you had to do was just clean the kitchen, but it breaks that seal of fear. So whatever your plan is or whatever you want to do with your business, whether that's start or expand, like, what is the small thing that you can do to break that seal of fear and realize that it's not so scary? And I think that a lot of times, too, we get caught in the planning, we get stuck in the ideation when we get clarity, when we engage. And I can't say that enough is like, I've had so many plans that I've, like, spreadsheets and color coded, and this is my projections for this and blah, blah, blah. And the minute you start, it changes and you learn something that you would have no idea, you know, when you were planning. So we get planned and we engage. And so sometimes we just have to. Just have to take that first step.

Yeah. So you started selling headbands first, direct to consumer. Did you set up a Shopify site or where did you start to sell to consumers first with your headbands?

So I first set up a Shopify site and I had two products, two different headbands on there. Before that, it was kind of a long story, but I'll give you a Spark Notes version. I had been working with this manufacturer in Kansas, and she told me that the material that I wanted to use was like a really rare material that she had to buy in bulk to make these headbands. And that was going to be a really large initial order, and then it would go down over time. And I, like, I didn't know anything about product development or sourcing. Like, I had no idea. So I'm like, okay, that sounds legit. And she sent me over the invoice for the first round of production, and it was for $10,000. That's about $9,500 more than what I have in my bank account at the time, being a college student. And so I started to do some research to try to figure out, like, how to get that money and thought, like, maybe I can try to get an investor or a loan from the bank. My dad is also an entrepreneur and he had seen my business plan and he wanted to be my first investor. He thought it was a good idea. He didn't want me to be tied to a bank. And it was like the. One of the first times that I was, like, just so excited that he believed in this idea and believed in me and shook his hand and set up like a payment plan of how I was going to pay him back. And I ran to the bank, I wired this factory the money, and I never heard from them again. Ah, stop it.

I hate these stories.

I know, I know. I'll move on from it, but I just want it. It's an important detail as to how it got started, because then after, long story, we went to court, all this stuff, but ended up not getting the money back because it was already gone. Learned a lot about contracts, deposits, legal system, anywho, big learning opportunity. But for so long, like, I thought that that meant I wasn't qualified, you know, to be doing this. And we can just be so quick to draw a line from our wounds to our worth. You know, the. Those mistakes that we make to who we are as people, when it's just a normal part of the process. It. When you're, when you're playing big like, things are going to happen, and that's just signs that you're going for it. But it took me a while to realize that. But I ended up starting my Shopify website with two headbands from this supplier that I found on Etsy who let me buy really, really low minimums because I didn't have, you know, I was negative 10,000 at the moment and just wanted to get something up there and get started. So I started with those two products, launched my website April 25, 2012, and my first order was from my mom.

Yes, thank you, mom.

Still my number one customer today. The warehouse will call me and be like, your mom just placed another order. But for it. It was a while before I started getting orders from people I didn't know. And I remember when that happened, it was like this article in fitness magazine. And this was 2012, when blogging was, like, really popular. And it was these five fitness bloggers to watch. And I reached out to each one and I said, I'm starting this company, Headbands of Hope. You know, for every headband sold, we donate one to a child with cancer. If I send you some, will you like. If you like them, will you share about it on your blog? After I reached out to five of the. All five of them, two of them got back to me. One ended up posting. And I remember the day that she posted, I got, like $500 worth of orders from people I didn't know, and that felt like I made it. I was like, holy cow, someone out there has purchased this thing that I created, and they have no idea who I am. And that was when, like, I felt like, okay, this is. This is going to work.

Man. That is so, so cool. So how did you. I want to back up, because you were talking about fitness magazine, right? They were in fitness magazine. You started to reach out, to collaborate, people started to buy, but all of a sudden, you started to find yourself in all these magazines and, like, from a business strategy standpoint, how did you do that? I know there's so many people that would love, like, how do I use PR to my advantage? How do I tell my story? How do I get, you know, that type of reach? How long after that 2012 point did you start to get yourself into magazines and use pr?

Oh, totally. Like, so I first got started when I was in. Right after I started Headbands of Hope in college. I interned at the Today show in New York for the summer. And so I was in broadcast, like, you know, in. In the weeds, if you will. And When I had like off days, I would literally just like find anyone that I could that worked in media and try to set up these meetings and just like, just let, just get me in there. And I would come in with like a box of headbands, give my pitch. Really nothing ever came from it for a long time. But then I would keep this file of any kind of contact that I had, whether it's a local news contact, a magazine contact, a broadcast contact, and just keep it on this like Google sheet. And then anytime something cool would happen with Headbands of Hope or a new product or a donation milestone, I would personally reach out to this list that I started creating. Another good way to do that is a service called haro. It stands for help a reporter out. And it's basically an email that you get every day where reporters are looking to talk to people for stories. So sometimes there will be something in there that's like, hey, we're looking for a gift guide for Lauren Conrad's favorite things, or, you know, whatever it might be. And so we would always just pitch to those. And little by little, we started to grow our reach. And then once we had the finances, we had a, did hire a PR firm for some different campaigns that we were doing. But it was really just like swallowing your pride and being persistent.

Oh, man. And that's the key. And that's something, I mean, just like in our conversations about all aspects of business, I think that's something that you are so good at that I feel like I'm learning from and that all of us can learn from is the answer is always no unless you ask. Like you, you've got to be very persistent and continue to knock down those doors. And we've been talking recently inside of retail boot camp. We did like a whole module on primary and that was kind of the thing like, how can I serve someone? And it goes back to Haro, really, because you're helping someone fill a need, but how can I serve them? And then just follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up. Just like you did with all those press contacts too.

And something I like to say is that the aftermath of a no will never be life ruining, but the aftermath of a yes could be life changing. Oh my gosh, say it again.

Drop the mic.

That was so good. The aftermath of a no will never be life ruining, but the aftermath of a yes could be life changing. So when you look at the odds, you might as well make the ask. And so like when you're faced with those two options and I think one of the important things is to take your ego out of it. Like, this isn't about you. This isn't like, if someone says no, that doesn't mean that they don't like you or. And when you can just separate yourself, like from you and the product. And I think it makes it easier to look at it from almost like a cost benefit analysis of like, well, what would happen if they said yes? Like, we could get this. If they said no, we're still fine. So definitely shoot your shot.

Oh, man, that needs to go on a quote card.

That's so good. Good, I'm glad. I think it's like sometimes when you just spell it out, it makes it, the scary thing seem really simple.

Yeah, absolutely. Do you feel like, you know, I just think about the world that we live in today and how much more Today people are interested in brands with story and things that are made in America and things that have a positive, uplifting message. Like, you're not just another number. You're not just another apparel company or accessory company. Like, there's purpose. And the same is possible for boutique owners too, really. Like, they have to have a great story or mission behind what they're doing. How do you, I mean, like, clearly you have an amazing story and amazing why behind your brand? How do you think others that are listening can find, like their own meaningful story that is around their brand that's going to help them land more press or become more memorable, or it's going to help consumers become more attractive to them because they feel like they're impacting the greater good?

I would focus on one thing, you know, like, what is that one impact that you want to have? Is it going to be from where your products are made? Is it going to be from where some of the money goes? Is it going to be from where like a one for one model where inventory is donated? Is it going to be from the kind of people that you hire? Are you giving opportunity? Is it going to be from things that you can do for your community, you know, at a local level with your store? And what is that one thing that you guys want to do and then stick to that. And then if you can have, you know, every month at Headbands of Hope, we have our KPI meetings where we can look at all these different areas of our business. Email, social sales, wholesale, what's working, what's not. But then always have a, like an impact, measurable impact number. So is it how many headbands he donated this month or whatever? How many dollars or how many people you helped. And that is great morale for the business. But then it also keeps like that why in sight. And the reason why I say one thing is because I think that sometimes, and I'm so guilty of this, of like being like, oh my gosh, what's the fish? And finding Nemo Dory where she's like chasing shiny things and you want to do everything, but then by trying to do everything, you end up really doing nothing. And for a while I was like, oh, we can have headbands for breast cancer, we can do headbands for these people and this and that. And then it just starts to get blurry that you end up not really making a dent in anything. So there are so many different ways to make an impact in your business. And notice I say business because you don't have to be a non profit in order to make a difference. And I'm a really big advocate, if you will, of not having to choose between making a living and making a difference. I think that for so long we felt like that had to be a choice, you know, in our life of either we work for the man and we have a stable, you know, life, or we sacrifice all of that and do something good. And I don't think that it has to be like that anymore. Especially, you know, when you're in consumer products and especially with boutiques and brands. Like you can find a lane that does both.

You know, I was just interviewing not too long ago, Ezra Firestone on this podcast and he's one of my favorite e commerce experts in the world. And I love his tagline. It's serve the world unselfishly in profit. And he talks about how, I mean really, it just goes back to the analogy of like, like you said, you don't have to be a non profit to do great things. Like you can build a great business that makes money, that sells lots of things, it has profit. But at the same time then you can serve a greater purpose. You can serve your why, you can serve your mission, you can donate that profit, but it's okay for you to have a successful business at the same time, right? I think that just really illustrates your point of like you can, you can have both and make a great impact on the world.

And I think it goes back to the question of who do you serve? You know, and that can be your why. And when you can connect what you're doing with why you're doing becomes instead of a job, it becomes a service. Starbucks at their annual meeting, they like Line their back wall with a thousand grande Starbucks coffee cups. And on each one, they wrote a moment that could happen at Starbucks. You know, whether it's a student studying for their exam or couple on a first date or someone going into a job interview because they wanted to remind their top executives, leaders around the world of the people behind each cup of coffee that they serve. And so how can you do that, you know, at a level for your. For your business that works for you? How can you put. How can you put service first? What's important to your community? One of the things that we do at Headbands of Hope with our stores is that we let our stores pick the hospital that they want their donation to go to. So if a boutique in Tampa, you know, places an order with us for 100 headbands, then they can donate 100 headbands to, you know, Children's Hospital in Tampa. And so that way they can. They can have that, like, on a localized level and serve the people in their community. And we want to help them do that.

I love that. How did you. Speaking of boutiques, you know, from a strategy standpoint, how did you branch from going direct to consumer into wholesale? Because obviously, you can. You serve the world on such a much larger platform when you're partnering with boutiques to do it. What was that transition like for you?

Wasn't smooth. Let me tell you that. Literally. Irene, remember the first store that I ever got was this boutique called Clothes Hound in Raleigh, North Carolina. And I went in there with a box of headbands. Like, I didn't. I didn't know what a trade show was. I didn't know what a line book, catalog, none of it. And I had a box of headbands and went in, asked for the manager, told them, you know what I did, what I was selling, and would they be interested? And she's like, cool. Like, what are your minimums? Like, what are minimums? I have no idea. And she was so kind to, like, talk me through it and tell me how things work. She's like, so, do you have a display? I'm like, clearly not. And so I remember, like, going in there with, like, a cork board for their display, which was such an awful idea because you end up, like, puncturing the headbands. But she was so. She just gave me so much grace and taught me so many things, that first store. And she gave me the confidence to then be like, okay, I'm gonna go sign up for Atlanta Apparel, or I'm gonna go into other stores and have A printed catalog that I'm gonna hand them. So the first big move we did was going to Atlanta Apparel, and I, again, had no idea what I was doing. I forgot tablecloths. You know, I had this, like, banner that I, you know, printed. I was just all over the place. And it was actually kind of a funny story. The booth beside me, this girl was, like, standing on the table hanging her banner. And then the table, like, folded, and she fell. And I ended up, like, going up and, like, catching her, like, a real, like, meet cute situation in a movie. And she's now our wholesale director at Headbands, like, seven years later. So we laugh about that, like, first trade show experience.

I laugh. I feel like those first trade shows.

You don't know what. Nightmare. Nightmare. But then we really started to gain traction once we kept coming back. But first, I didn't come back for three years after that. I was so traumatized after my first trade show because I maybe made two orders from people that just probably felt bad for me. I hired my sister to come, and she doesn't know anything about fans. And, like, it was just literally awful that I, like, ran away with, like, my tail in between my legs, like, I'm never doing this again. And then I decided to go back and. And kind of knew the game plan a little bit. And I remember one thing I did was I didn't have. Instead of printing catalogs, I got these flash drives, custom flash drives printed on vistaprint with, like, our logo on it. And then in the cat in the flash drive was our catalog, a donation video. Like, a video from me about why I started this. And, like, an order form. And those flash drives, like, made people stop and talk to me because it was different. And so I kept doing that. And then people. I kept trying to figure out ways that we could also be different. And so then we started partnering with the show and hosted braid bars at the main floor, where you would get your hair braided and you'd get a headband. And of course, while you're sitting there getting your hair braided, I'm giving you my elevator pitch and telling you to come to our booth. And that was really great for traffic as well. Just, like, figuring out, how can we be different and stand out.

Oh, my gosh, that's so smart. So smart. Now you've also kind of pivoted into. You have masks that you're doing today as well, correct?

Yeah. So when Covid happened and then we realized that there was a shortage of masks, we kind of came together as A team. First, we were already worried about our business. You know, we had no idea what was going to happen and are people going to be shopping? And we're like, well, why don't we just meet people with what they need right now? And right now it's masks. And so we stopped production of headbands for a little bit and started making masks and shifted our model. For every headband sold, we donate a mask to a healthcare worker. And in just a few weeks, we've donated over 50,000 masks. And we sold out of our tube turbines, which are these, like, almost like bandana like, headbands that are really great for facial coverage. And so we have been rushing, like, to get more inventory in. But those pivots were really great to be able to. I keep saying this, but meet people where they are. And I think that that's so important to do as a business. And I think being a small business is helpful in that because it's. You're so agile and easy to pivot. Like, it's way easier to turn around, you know, a speedboat than a cruise ship. And so, like, for us to be able to really be quick on our feet is some of the benefits of being a small business that I think sometimes we forget about. Yeah.

Oh, man, so true. And again, going back to the impact you can make every step of the way, you also have a book. I mean, I feel like I'm like, and this and this and this. You've got all these amazing things going on. Talk to me about the book.

So Chasing the Bright side came out in November with Harper Collins, and it was totally one of those, like, I mean, just lifelong moments of can't believe this is happening. I've always loved writing, and I wanted to write a book about a lot of what we're talking about now of just like, you don't have to have it all figured out to do something good. And it's really that key to success isn't about having the skill sets. It's about doing something that you believe in, because that will be the ticket to your resilience. And that will be what separates you from the rest, is feeling like you're scratching an itch. You know, you're solving a problem, you're providing a need, you're serving people. And so chasing the bright side is how we can do that in our life, in our business, how we can use optimism to really activate our purpose in our life and just be in control over our own story. And so it's been so cool to See the success of it. Apple picked it as their audiobook of the month, which I was like, oh, my gosh, that's awesome. And funny story, when I was recording the audiobook in Nashville, I was recording at this, like, music studio, and Chris Stapleton was in there recording. I know. And I got a picture with him and tried to play it cool, but definitely didn't. I was like, I had so many regrets. I was like, I should have asked. Asked him to come read a line from the book. Like, how crazy would that have been? Like, only on audible, you'll get the Stapleton version. Oh, my gosh.

Yeah. And forward by Chris Stapleton.

Oh, my gosh.

While I was petting his beard, like, what?

Literally so many regrets. I panicked. I'll admit it. I totally get it.

That is so cool. We'll link it up. So if you guys are interested in the book, you can catch that. But I think what a great time for that because I think so many people now, and I'm not just talking about the boutique world either. I think everyone in general now is finding that they don't want to spend time being unfulfilled anymore. You know, I just think we all are, like, leaning into that. How do I live life with purpose? How do I do what makes me happy every day? I think there's going to be a lot of people changing careers, changing paths.

After this, which, you know, I think that this is such a. Like, this pause is giving so much time for reflection, even with myself, and just how sometimes caught up I've been in, like, the attention of all of this and, and really focusing more on alignment. But I think right now, chasing the bright side has had, like, a spurt of sales during. During quarantine, because this is the message that, that we need right now. And understanding that, yes, there's going to be problems, but new problems also mean new solutions. Because optimism isn't about being happy all the time. Optimism isn't a mood, it's a strategy. So it's like, how can we use optimism? And not in a way that we're like, you know, throwing flowers in the air and like, always being happy, but how can we use it to bring good to our community and just have this confidence that the future is going to be good? And I think that's what we really need. Even uncertain times. It doesn't mean that the future has to be bad.

Oh, that's so good. It's. Yeah, I so agree with that. It's knowing that everyone's going to have a down moment, but it's what you do next is that's what optimism is the next action you're going to take after you have that moment. That's so beautiful.

And I think also, like when we talk about fulfillment and that's what we really want, you know, we want to, yes, success, whatever success means to us, but we all just want to feel like we're doing something that matters. But a lot of times we think about fulfillment as a destination we hit one day. But fulfillment is really more of a choice to how we live our life every day. And so instead of thinking of like, oh, once I can get this new, open up this new location, or once I can get this event off the ground, or once I can, you know, build this expansion or get this amount of staff or revenue or whatever it is that we're kind of like gripping as that outcome and instead think of like every day as a chance to live that out. It makes the process just more enjoyable. And I think that when we're having fun, we also like end up just doing more.

Yeah, so true. So true, man. Jess, thank you so much for spending time together today. I, I know you also, like, not only have the book, not only have these brands, but also had a virtual event as well. We better talk about that as well. Talk to me about your, your tiptoe into the water of event planning.

Oh my gosh. I know we were chatting a little bit before we started recording because I think we're both in the season of pivots right now, just like everyone else. But we were hosting the Bright side conference. You know, the book is Chasing the Bright side, doing the Bright side Conference in March. And we had all these plans, had been planning it for like two years and 400 women coming out and trampolines and, you know, food and speakers from around the world and, and it was March 21st and if anyone remembers like when things started to go down, it was like six or seven days before that. So we ended up having to cancel and just in this knee jerk reaction we felt like, okay, if we're going to email 400 people that were canceling this event, we also need to have the pivot. So we're like, okay, we'll make it virtual. And didn't know how we were going to do that, but that's what we're doing. And so we ended up releasing our virtual summit and made it, made it pre recorded so people can still sign up and watch the speakers. Brightsideconference.com if you want to take a look. We have the co founder of Netflix speaking there. We were able to really expand our speaker lineup because we're not asking them to like fly across the country, you know, we're asking them to flip on their computer for a few minutes and drop some knowledge. And so we were supposed to again have like 350, 400 people show up to the in person conference. And we've now had over 3,000 people register for the virtual conference. So it has been an awesome turn of events where I really feel like this message of optimism, which is the theme of the conference, can be a much wider spread than what we could have done at a localized level. So it's been. That's one thing that I've learned throughout all this is just like commit to the pivot. Whatever it is that you're doing, whatever shifts that you have to make, just go all in with it. Because living in limbo, you know, doesn't work. Whether you're like one foot in your in person event, one fit in a virtual event, or whatever it is that you're doing, just decide. And whatever you decide, that is the right choice, like, and just go forward with it.

Yeah, man. New new doors, new opportunities.

Yeah, yeah. New problems, new solutions.

Exactly. I love it. So you. Oh, man. Boutique Summit. Moving on up. We're changing it.

I know. I'm excited to hear what you guys are gonna do for sure.

Oh, man. Well, let's do this lightning round. We've got a couple minutes left.

Left.

I always ask, like some fun questions.

Let's do it.

Favorite podcast?

Oh. Armchair expert with back shepherd.

Oh, my gosh.

It's such a good one. So honest.

I love him. Love the marriage. All the things.

Me too.

Favorite book?

Oh, one that probably had the most impact. Start with why Simon Sinek.

He's so good. So deep.

So deep.

So deep. Favorite trend at the moment.

Oh, virtual. I know maybe you were thinking like fashion trend, but I was like, people are turning gatherings virtual. I feel like that's a trend right now that I love and I always will love. Headband trends, of course.

How about what's one trend? Okay, I'll say fashion trend that you wish would come back.

Oh, fashion trend that I wish would come back. Well, I am so glad that high waisted jeans are back. Can we never do low rise again? Yes. Muffin top mama. Yeah, right. And then I really love, like. And it's kind of coming back now. A lot of like the 90s, like athleisure, kind of like Adidas stuff. We brought scrunchies. Back on the website, and those have been killer. So I love, like, that 90s stuff coming back.

Love that. Is there a trend that you do not love that you wish would go away?

That's a good question. Not a huge fan of, like, of the crop tops right now. Like, I'm kind of over it. I think it. It can go well. And it's all about. I like things that are flattering on, like, a lot of different bodies, you know? And so those are things that I sometimes feel like, okay, can we move them on out? If. If it's very selective about who it looks good on.

Good point. What scares you the most? Snakes, payroll, or Internet trolls?

Yeah. Yeah, that's what scares me the most. Because Internet trolls, like, I have a, you know, rule that I'm like, I'm not going to take advice from someone who isn't walking in it right now, and snakes I can handle. But payroll, it's not that it scares me. I think that it just matters the most.

Yeah, man. That's the thing no one tells you about being in business that will keep you up at night is making sure, like, payroll's good, you can take care of your people. Like, you feel like everyone's dinner table is riding on your shoulders. Totally.

And especially. Especially with right now. Like, we haven't gotten the paycheck protection yet, and it's just like, oh, come on, please. Like, it's just. I mean. But my team has been awesome with, like, pivoting and being able to kind of keep us afloat, but it's just. It's tough.

Yeah. Crazy times, man. Jess, this was so awesome to have you on the show. I love everything that you're doing. 100% support. You cannot wait to work together more in the future, which I'm sure we'll be doing and sharing with everybody, but you're a boss. Thank you for shining your bright light into the world.

The world needs that so much for having me. And I just want to say, you guys have been, like, a bright light for Headbands of Hope right now. Our wholesale director. I'll just tell you a story after, you know, Covid was happening, and we had a meeting, and our wholesale director had been feeling, like, obviously super panicked about all of this, and she said that she watched a video from you guys about how to pivot and, like, stay afloat, and it was something. You guys did it so quick. I mean, right when all of this was coming out. And she just felt. She said that she felt rejuvenated, she felt optimistic. And, like, ready to take on these challenges because of your video. And she sent it to the whole team. And so we've just been really, really grateful that you guys are providing such a strong community and resources for people in this business. It's truly been amazing to watch.

Oh, man. That means a lot. Thank you. And I mean, as you know, sometimes you get so busy in the daily grind of, like, putting the things out there and you hope it has impact so that to hear that it does.

Help has impact that stop and smell the roses because they're there.

Appreciate it, girl.

Oh, man.

All right, well, guys, follow up with Jess. Make sure to give her a follow on the Gram follow Headbands of Hope. We'll put all the links in the show notes plus links to get the book, and you'll be hearing more from her soon. But, Jess, thanks again.

Thanks for having me, you guys.

I hope you are so fired up after this episode.

I know that every single one of us collectively can have such a greater impact on the world around us when we are in business for the right reasons and we're pulling in the same direction. I love Jess's story and how she's inspired wholesale companies, retail companies, companies like the Boutique Hub, to do even more with our purpose. Now, something else I'm really excited to tell you is that my friend Jess is also going to be speaking at the 2020 virtual summit. Now, if you haven't heard about the Virtual Summit yet, it's all new because of the pandemic and our opportunity, I'll call it, to not host the 2020 Boutique Summit in person. We went virtual and my friend Jess gave us some tips on how to do that along the way after hosting her own virtual conference. So what better person for you to hear from in the flesh online is our friend, Jess Ekstrom. And if you want more details on the 2020 virtual summit, how to grab a ticket and watch from the comfort of your couch while wearing your sweatpants. Check out the show notes. I've got all the details down below. You'll hear more about Jess's presentation and the 30 plus industry experts that we're bringing together just for you guys. I cannot wait to see you there. Hey, guys, thank you so much for listening to this episode.

We hope that you loved it.

Don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a rating and review down below for a chance to be one of our featured listeners each and every week. For more information on our spirit of community over competition and how to access complete show notes and bonus downloads from our guests. Head on over to the boutiquehub.com and join the community.

We'll see you next week, Sam.