#734 Consistency Wins: Brand, Photos, and Processes at Savannah Sevens

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Business can be a lonely game. But it doesn't have to be. Welcome to Boutique Chat where we explore community over competition and how to scale your company with the balance and the happiness that we all seek. We'll hear from product based businesses of all types, retailers, e commerce and wholesale brands, along with industry experts shaping the future of our industry. I'm your host Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and and I can't wait to chat.

Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. This week I feel like I've got an OG in the house.

Something like that. Well, maybe making me feel a little old.

Oh my God.

We've been at it for a little bit. Gosh, about the same time. Right, ashley, that, yeah, 12, 13 years. Something that we've been doing this right in there.

I feel like you were one of the first boutiques I remember like falling in love with on Instagram and I was like, who's this girl and what she got going? And I love it because I don't know if everyone listening knows I come from a bit of a western background. So your style was exactly my style. So I've loved watching your journey just evolve over the last couple of years. Last several years. We're not feeling old. We're not feeling old. It's all good.

You definitely came from the same background, I feel like with rodeo and just that lifestyle and yeah, I love that. That connects us for sure.

Absolutely. Well, we've got to dig into it. So let's go all the way back to the beginning. What led you to want to open a boutique? How did your story get started? Where did it all come from? Sure.

I, you know, my background really surprises people. I have a degree in construction management and yes, can't hammer a nail straight. So, you know, disclaimer there management. So that's what I went to school for at Oklahoma State. I worked for a commercial construction company in Fort Worth for about four years and moved back to to work for my family's construction company. So I was doing that with, like we said, growing up, rodeoing. I just kind of had developed a natural eye for melding mainstream fashion with traditional western wear. And I just felt like there was this, you know, the, this hole in what was offered. We didn't have a lot of stores around this area that really to shop in general. Right. It was really limited. But then also we didn't have a lot for boutiques in this area. When I lived in Texas, they were on every corner. So I missed that moving back home and I was bored on the weekends, honestly I was, you know, going to barrel races or some rodeos and I was like, I could set up at shows and I could still barrel race. It'd be a side hustle, it'd be fun. And so what started as just a kind of a fun side job kind of became addicting and kind of put all my effort towards that. And within a couple years I was doing that full time. So yeah, unreal.

It really was a gap in the market. Like if I go back to that point, there wasn't like there was a lot of traditional western and then there was boutiques but there really wasn't anybody who had a great meld of the two. And it's so funny because I think about today and there's such a crossover, I mean even mainstream type boutiques pulling in some of our, you know, western fashion. So it's funny how it's just all evolved over time. And did you, when you were first getting started, how fast did you start to build a website? Because I can remember your online business early on, you know, being unique and being one of the first and being quite popular. Where did the website start in the process?

Actually at the beginning I just saw, you know, you didn't have comments sold and all those things at that time to just start selling socially or not really be active on your website and, and for the life of me I couldn't. Well one, I was working two jobs, I was working for my parents construction company and this and I thought there was no way I can manually manage. Please order me a small, here's my email address. And so I was thinking I've got to route everyone to my website. So that was the very start and I just knew that it needed to be an automated process to really be able to provide the best experience or service for everyone. So that was my focus in the, in the very beginning of making sure that that was the only place orders were coming in.

So you had the website and the pop ups. Did you have a brick and mortar for a period of time or was that never on the table?

You know, I like the idea of it, it sounded exciting. But if I was being realistic here in central Kansas there's just not a lot for social life. There's not concerts, there's not this, you know, always something to do. So they're here, you know, you don't have a lot to really dress up for. And I knew I wanted to carry items that were really unique that you didn't see all the time. So I really felt like I had to reach people nationwide and I just didn't feel like there was going to be the traffic in my area that I needed. So even though it sounded fun, I knew I probably shouldn't go that route. I first couple years, did some shows at some rodeo finals, never went to the nfr. Just kind of felt like it was a little saturated for what I was offering. And a little pop up shop in town in Salina for the about three months during the holiday season my first year and then we've offered some kind of exclusive local events for people to come shop. But that was more so in the earlier years.

So at what point did you leave the construction side of your career and decide, okay, there's opportunity here, I'm going to go all in on this. And how'd your parents handle that you were going to come home and work in the family business?

Yeah, they're amazing.

Truly that they're.

I, I don't know that I would be here if it weren't for, you know, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if it weren't for everything that they helped me do to make this get off the ground. So it was about two years before I went full time Savannah Sevens and I was just putting everything back into the business. So I was grateful to have another source of income during that time. But they were the ones my dad obviously amazing. He can build anything. You can dream. And so he built my first shop. He's continued to build every space I've had or finish it out. So you know, he built everything for my shows, the displays, got my trailer ready, you know and my parents wouldn't help me set up at shows. My mom helped me work them. So pretty incredible to have that support from them.

That is pretty incredible. So I've got to know about the space that you're sitting in. So this space is. Tell me, tell me all about it. I'm assuming he helped you build all of this out, but I've always admired it from your photography.

It's beautiful. Thank you.

Yes.

So when I started my parents office they had their offices at their place, they live out in the country for their construction company and I wasn't married at the time, didn't know where I was going to be living long term. So when I would come there to work it was kind of the go to place. So I mean boxes started storing up in their basement. That's where I started laying inventory on the pool table down there. So that's where I was and quickly outgrew that. So my dad's thought was, let's build these little cat, like a little cabin sort of building that can sit out here on place. We'll build it on skids, like steel beams. And you could resell it as a mini cabin when you outgrow it. So what started with one a year and a half later became two. And they had a hallway connecting. So there's two of these buildings like this. And then we had storage containers. And then we were filling up box inventory in the back of my dad's shop. So we're just, you know, bursting at the seams. But this, this space, this is actually the second building. The first one had a shipping counter that we actually now are at this new location. Still have it. And it's extended on that. My dad built hu reclaimed lumber, the rustic ceilings. And we had inventory lining the walls. And then we built another one. And this actually used to have inventory aisles down it, little office in the corner. I mean, this is a 14 by 22 foot, like little building. Oh, yeah. And so, I mean, there's denim shelves we kept adding on top of this and that. And we're shooting pictures on the floor. And so it was just crazy. My dad had some windows that.

Were left from a job that had never been used. Commercial windows that are like floor to ceiling. So this end of this building has natural light that comes in. So it's kind of key in our pictures. So, yeah, kind of crazy that it's evolved. We brought it to the location we're at now where my husband and I live. My dad took a metal horse barn like Morton Building that had dirt floors and stalls and built out the entire warehouse. And then we built a hallway onto this and brought this over just because it was so perfect for the studio.

Oh, my gosh.

And my brother refinished it and did kind of the panel walls and all that. And a couple years ago and kind of gave it a facelift, so.

Oh, my goodness. Well, that's awesome. Like, what an opportunity to have your family be so talented and to help.

I know I didn't get. I didn't get that, you know, to actually be able to do that myself. I didn't have that talent, but they're amazing.

I definitely do not have that talent either. Is the last thing that I am good at. So if anyone's listening, you guys, if you don't follow Savannah Sevens on Instagram, if you don't follow Riley, you have to do it because, Riley, one of the things I've just loved most of watching you grow over the years is your photography. And I feel like it's something that's always set you apart. Like there is just such a unique eye that you have for the angle, the merchandising, the backdrop. And what's really unique about it, you guys, when you're listening, is there's, there's no models. I mean, you do photo shoots and there are models and there's lifestyle and we can kind of talk about your, your eye for all of that. But product wise, I mean, you've set up quite the process of flat lays and hanging photos. How did that all start? Like, did you start by testing it out early on and you were like, oh, this is actually working. Did you feel like you didn't want to be in the photos yourself and so you wanted a different way to shoot? How did that, that whole process evolve for you?

Yes, in the beginning, you know, I know it's so hard when people can't try things on. So I was very much in the mindset, I want to try everything on for our customers. So I buy, you know, a Canon professional camera. Never even look at the guide on.

How to use it.

Give it to my mom, turn it on, and she's not a photographer. I'm not a model. Like, it's just naturally not our strong suits. And I'm like, all right, take some pictures, you know, and so that's how it all started out. So at least when I launched the site, it was all on someone. Obviously a small offering in the beginning and then you're running ragged, you know, you're doing all the things. I mean, I was making my own hang tags for embarrassingly too many years, you know, like to save a dollar and to make it go. So I was kind of like, I've got a shift here. And interestingly enough at that time, so 2014, 2015.

You. Everyone was not so used to everyone putting themselves out there in their face and constancy and couple in your face. It was just not something that everyone was comfortable with. And you know, there was data then that would tell you on Pinterest that it was a high percentage. 75% of things tagged on Pinterest didn't have a face.

So, like people weren't gravitating towards that and you were flat legs were just taking off. It was the thing that people were really liking. They were looking solely at the product instead of, oh, I don't have brunette. You know, I'm not a brunette, I don't have tan skin. I, I don't think that's going to work for me. I mean that's what their minds say in the back of their head. They just don't really know it. So I could get a lot more clothes up quicker with just, you know, I, I think year two finally got you know, a part time employee and then that same year maybe a full time but you know, I should have done that sooner. But doing all things it was how I could more quickly also get product up for our customers. So it just kind of naturally went that way. I'm big on consistency. I'll have a vision for you know, when I started the logo or the branding or anything I wanted, I'm just like I want it to have this feel. I wanted to have a connection to the lifestyle. Hence why we've never shifted to the white background. I just wanted if you're not going to have a person in it. I wanted to give them that connection to who we are and just this kind of anything connected to the rural lifestyle kind of thing. And so I think by maintaining that in our backdrops has kind of told that story when we're not, you know, out doing a lifestyle shoot all the time. It's kind of given that connection. So it's kind of how that evolved.

So how, how many different backdrops do you have now that you're using and how many days a week are you shooting product?

Yes. So that's. I could tell you the answer of what it's been the last eight years and then I can tell you what it's been the last week. So we're kind of making a transition but really we just have, we just use the one background for thing items that are going to be showing best hanging and then the floor for. For the others and I for us not changing it all up allows for some consistency on our website and it's not distracting and sometimes I struggle with oh, it's looked the same forever but it's the clothes that are changing and where you want their focus to be. And also no matter where you see that picture you recognize it as Savannah Sevens. So that's what's worked well for us. So yeah, we just use it to. After realizing I didn't know how to use a professional camera and didn't give myself time to learn how I have just used iPhones so that's a shocking.

To a lot of people because obviously.

I love the quality when we hire professional photographers or photographer for our shoots. But it just was again what we could do in the house and do it Quickly. So that's what we've been doing most recently. Because I want my time. I'm. As the business has evolved, I've continued to figure out who can do something as good or better than I can and hire that person and learn to delegate. And it's provided growth opportunities in house for my own employees.

While allowing me to work on things that I can't delegate. So that's where I've been recently. And I've actually started working with our photographer, Tim Ray Photography. She's here real close to us and has done our spring and fall shoots for us. So now I'm bringing her in a few times, well, a day or two a week to assist. So I'm still styling the looks, but she's shooting it. It's a much quicker editing process. I mean, she's just amazing at what she does. So we're going to do kind of, you know, that same esthetic of our shoot of our photos, but then less time for me. So that's all okay.

We've got to dig into all of that in just a minute. Like your time specifically. But going back to working with her, how? I guess two questions. So you've got all the flat lays and all the hanging photos, which allows you to rapid fire, like go through product, but in order to not lose the aesthetic of the brand. How often were you doing the full photo shoots, like the seasonal photo shoots? How often were you working?

Just high school year. Yes. And it's looked different over the years. And there for probably six or seven years, I was able to use a photographer that's just a couple of hours away. And she's a creative genius and it's just really what helped us get our start. And she could just see the vision and so that was a lot of fun. And she could find, she, she shot photography, photography for seniors. And so she'd be like, oh, I have this girl that's just a natural in front of the camera. And she knew that we weren't looking for some fierce Runway model look. You know, she wanted this. We wanted this all American girl look. And she'd be like, this is your girl, or these are a couple girls I can use. So that was huge. And so really it helped us to have marketing materials, whether at the time we did more so for magazine ads, it helped our website, it showed our customer that this is our style. We do know, you know, like, it does look good on a person. And here's what you get from this. You know, when it comes off of the floor Onto someone. This is our look kind of thing. So I think that's served us well. Would love to do them all the time because I just love the content we get from them. But we put a lot of resources into to them when we do them.

I found a spot on your website. I think it's under lifestyle where you can actually go back and look at some of the photo shoots you've had over the years. So you guys go check that out. But you've done a great job. Like you must have had a massive shot list but then also a massive list of all the different places you could use the photography and I think that's often a miss. Like we get these professional photos in our business but then we don't realize all the different ways we can use them over a span of time. So you mentioned a few, you mentioned of course website, of course, social emails, magazine ads. Where else do you feel like you really try to make sure the branding is spread when you invest in a photo shoot like that?

You know, specific to collections. When someone for us, when they go to shop our flat lays which isn't typical of a lot of websites. I think just seeing something, you know at the start of that collection of getting the vibe or the feeling from it helps. Yeah, really we're using them everywhere. I mean seldom is there a place that we're not using which is crazy. We might only shoot. I mean there was a time where only used to shoot six outfits and I mean every. I mean they were outfits to the nines because we have six. But then I realized I was putting I would have 75 photos of one outfit and then they weren't all getting utilized. So now you know, I've had shoots where I shot 40 outfits one fall in one day. But typically it's more of a 10 to 15 a season and being. But it's not that we're getting 17 different poses head to toe. Do you have details of the outfit? Do you have, you know, different orientations that are going to help you be able to use and it doesn't feel like someone saw the same photo on repeat for three months kind of thing.

Yeah, that's so true. All the angles are so critical. I think that's again something that's often missed. It's here, it's time. Are you ready to start planning 2025? Well, you might have your own day planner, you might have a Google calendar. But let me tell you, I love planning planning with the official boutique boss planner. The boutique boss planner is a day planner that we created here at the Boutique Hub several years ago created by boutique owners for boutique owners. And it's more than a day planner inside. The Boutique Boss Planner is not only your opportunity to operate with a normal day planner with your hours and your time blocks, but it's also a boutique owner's go to resource. Inside there's inventory tracking, social media tracking, monthly reminders and to do to do lists, all kinds of information on how to host a month in review to really track what worked and what didn't in your business this month. But also a planning sheet on how to get ready for the next month in your business. Even if you're going to market, even if you're getting ready for social media content, there's tools, tips and ideas and checklists to keep you on track and organized all year long inside of the Boutique Boss Planner. So check out the link in the show notes for for access to the 2025 Boutique Boss Planner or visit BoutiqueBoss store.com.

Back to your flat lays and just thinking about like the full outfit. Do you have some things that you just love? Like they're your go tos and your merchandising? Because when I look at your flat lays or your hanging photos, like there's always at least five items I would say in every shot. Like maybe you're not even selling the denim, but the denim's folded up in the corner so it kind of still gives that full outfit feel. What's your rule of thumb as you're merchandising those flat lays and hanging photos? Mm.

When I started we didn't carry footwear or denim and so that was tough. And then I'd have, you know, I would bring denim that we didn't carry to style. I even say I have this one pair, we should frame it on the wall. But I called it the magic pair of jeans because it had very, you know, some variation in color and heavy distressing and just made like every outfit look good and it's, it's too funny. But you know, now that we offer full circle head to toe pieces and you know, just keeping those items handy to pull and I guess it's just.

For me it's, it's a lot of lighting of just making sure that you have good lighting and then.

I don't know, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna pick for me, I'm picking pieces, I'm picking the leg opening that you're actually going to wear with this top. I'm not gonna pick. Oh well, this Just looks good with it. And oh, my gosh, you know, you can't pick a barrel jean and then style it with a tall cowboy boot. You know, like, it might look fun or cool and the colors might be right. But I be. I'm very intentional about what I style with. Like, I would take this off the floor and I would put it on myself so that when our customers are like, what do I style this with? This is legitly what we would style this and what we would wear. And so I guess I don't try to, oh, I'm going to put this in there because we really need to sell this. This is what really I would truly wear together with it. So I think along those lines and just reflection and, you know, is something way too blue and it throws the color of the picture off of just, you know, does it help this top cell? Does it truly look good? And then, you know, you pick which piece you have to have with it and then you build. Okay, well then this completes this and this gives it balance kind of thing.

Yeah, huge. Makes a huge difference. And I'm sure this is something you mentioned earlier, but I've got to dig into it. You talked about Pinterest, and I'm sure a lot of this came from just the styling and, and what you saw working on Pinterest. Talk about, like, is, is Pinterest still a huge part of your strategy today? How much traffic is coming from Pinterest for you? Or what's kind of that strategy with pinning right now?

I had good advice from, I think it was an SEO company years ago when I first started, and they just said, the work that you're doing on Pinterest today has nothing to do with your sales today. It's months. It's years down the road. Yeah. And so I honestly want to put even more effort there, but it's just you can't do all the things, so you gotta, you know, just prioritize. But it's consistently something we do with pinning our products to our page. And we've been more involved there some years than others, but the consistency of just getting it there is what has, in the beginning really grew my following largely. So, I mean, on interest and I think helped get us a lot of traction. I think we could still develop it more, but I think it's something worth consistently doing. That doesn't take much time to do, do you?

You're on Shopify. Correct. So are you automatically, like, using Pinterest as a sales channel and it's automatically pinning for you when you're uploading product or what's kind of your process to pin right now?

We had previously used Tailwind and it was pretty, I mean, quick and easy. I mean, I think similar in what, you know, you could do through Shopify as well. It's worked for us, but I mean, all the time Shopify is smart with and continuing to offer things in house. It's kind of like Amazon, right? They just winning products themselves. So, yeah, Tailwind was a great option.

Because you could schedule all of your pins and it would repin for you and it would do all these wonderful things. But how nice to have it like right in Shopify right now too. Yeah, you. Something that I think is really unique about how you've grown your business is you have all these neat collaborations, like you're always trying something new, like speaking of the furniture in the background and denim and. Right. They're so cute. So you're always thinking of like, what's next? And it's going to make Savannah Sevens different than anybody else who's out there. How did some of those collaboration strategies start for you and how do you go about knowing, you know, how deep to go into a collaboration with somebody?

Definitely, you know, we were just naturally doing it without kind of realizing, you know, I think, I mean, if I think back, gosh, I was doing it with, you know, one of my great friends, Erin Petrosi, that has silo silver. You know, she make jewelry. Yeah, it was beautiful turquoise western jewelry. It's not like she could wholesale, but we'd have one design. It was like a nausea ring that no one else is carrying. You could get for a short time at Savannah Sevens or, you know, if I think back, it was kind of always something to do because you were looking for something unique. But so many times it would be from someone that didn't have opportunity to wholesale. So it'd be these limited time things. And then it evolved into doing exclusive denim with Ariat and probably about. I might be off on this, but about three years ago we were like, we need to do this consistently and we need to give this some direction and show our following, you know, highlight these brands that we're collaborating with. And so we called it Trailblaze in the west. And there for about a year and a half every month we were doing a new collaboration with Fed Stew area kinds. I mean, and then we're just like, we're running ragged, you know, but it was pretty cool to do it with those big brands. But I think really what drove that vision for trailblazing the west was. I find it hard to be able to give back in this industry. I feel like on the wholesale side, I have had a lot of mentors or people that just, you know, really believed in what you're doing and really helped you in so many ways. And it's sort of hard.

When you're don't want to directly be giving back in what will become your competition, you.

Know what I mean?

Like, you can help, but you have to kind of pick and choose of like who and how that is. And so I'm like the makers, you know, I have become with friends with so many makers in this, in the western industry. And they're just, I'm not an artist and so they just wow me all the time of all the things that they can do. And I just thought this is an incredible way. I mean, we did a few big brands, but most of them were small makers. And it was like, hey, it's only a month, you know, it's. I know it's not something you can do long term, but could we have this exclusive product with you? And I just hoped that it would help give exposure to maybe a new following or customer base they didn't have. And I felt like that was hopefully a way I could get back in the industry that that made sense, you know, and so I think that we've had a lot of successful partnerships that I hope has helped other businesses as well.

It really is a win, win. And that's, I mean, it's interesting because that's what the western industry, I feel like is all about. It's all about collaboration. And it's such a niche, it's just such a niche lifestyle that if I love what I'm going to buy at Savannah Sevens for apparel, like clearly I'm going to love this furniture because it's all a part of this lifestyle. What advice would you give to somebody maybe who is not even in the western industry and they're thinking about, you know, trying to find some unique collaborations for themselves. Are there any do's or don'ts that you would give to anyone listening?

Oh, gosh. I mean, I've had a lot of lessons learned, but.

Probably really just thinking about your customer. So like you said, if you're not even in the western industry, what is your customer or in, I'm assuming you as a business owner or essentially are your customer because you're probably doing an offering that fits you so you understand your customer and what are other products? What are other things that you use on the daily or love or who you love following and that already connects to you. You're going to connect to that business or business owner and you guys are going to hit it off and it's going to be an easy yes.

And.

And you're going to be passionate about telling that story or that collaboration. And so your following is just going to be on the edge of their seat. I feel like. Yeah, it's kind of probably even exactly what you sell. You know what I mean? I don't sell furniture, but it was a very cool collaboration that was very interesting and unexpected.

It was, it was, it was awesome. I mean, that definitely had everyone's attention. It was well done. You also, so speaking about giving back within industry, but you also give back outside of the industry. So when I was looking at your website, you've got this collaboration with a college rodeo team and other things you're doing in your community. Tell me about some of those external collaborations and give backs you've done.

Yes. You know, when you were talking about advice or different things, something that comes to mind. So many times we have done collaborations or things that are huge ideas and then all of a sudden we're like, we don't have the manpower for this and we work through it. But I would say come up with all your ideas and then tap the brakes, you know, and be intentional about what you're doing. Like, this is a really cool idea, but the amount of time it's going to take to manage that, maybe we table that idea or find a version of that. And so for a lot of years, I just love how some of the big Western brands have supported you and I growing up in high school rodeo, college rodeo. You know, I love how the big brands in Western have supported that just like they do pro rodeo. And so that's a really cool thing. And they'll have patch programs and things and, you know, sponsorships, but I like how they manage it. And then that it's, hey, if I'm going to give you a scholarship, like, let me see what you're doing and you know, kind of follow along with what these kids are doing. But I'm like, we open this up, I don't know how we manage that. You know what I mean? And just vetting who applies and really getting it in the hands of who deserves it. And so as we were thinking through that, Peyton, our marketing manager, you know, I said, I think, do we want to support like some high school radio athletes and you know, in different states or what does that look like? And so she started looking, this is last summer, started looking who had done well at nationals, where were some states we should reach out to first. And then she saw that, you know, a lot of them are graduating. Some of them were going out to Fort Hays State University here in western Kansas, just an hour and a half from us. That's where my nephew was going as a freshman and my brother had went to school there. So it just kind of like they felt like this obvious answer and they're, they're a good sized school without being huge. So they just have a little more of a rural feel than these age universities. And they were growing their team, doing good things. And so we just reached out to them and said, you know, we'd really like to support what you're doing. And they were all excited about it and it was just really cool to get the feedback from the student athletes and just what that meant to them, getting them freedom, helping with some sponsorship shirts, helping with their rodeo. And so it's just cool to see that, you know, it. The rodeo athlete in college is a little next level. You don't just, you know, sleep in, barely make it to class.

You've got horses to feed before you've.

Got horses to exercise, practice. Just like a lot of other, you know, athletes in college or people that are involved in things outside of schoolwork, it takes a lot and just have a lot of respect for them and what they're doing and what they're building.

Absolutely. And you've got some beautiful photos to go along with it.

Haynes, actually our very first photographer we ever worked with for a lot of years, she lives out there and came and did that just on our free time and that was incredible.

Yeah, that's a really cool idea. So one thing that I really wanted to come back to, and you kind of alluded to this a few different times of the processes that you are building so that you can kind of take a step back from some of the things that you've been heavily involved with over the years. And I think you mentioned something like getting your life back a little bit more. More. And I think you and I both know because, I mean, we've both been in this game for a long time. It's easy to go all in. Like the beginning, you're hustling, you're trying to figure it out, you're building this business, but then all of a sudden, you know, you're, you're doing all kinds of other things in your life and having a family and wanting to get some of your time back as well. So what are some things you've been able to build? Systems, processes, strategies that have allowed your team to run more efficient so that you could just get a little bit more of your time and focus back to, to look and work on other things?

Sure. It's been a gradual process. I definitely.

You know, most recent is, you know, I won't be editing pictures or, you know, it'll be so much faster. But you know, as I look back, I mean, I used to, I mean I used to do all the things and so gradually, you know, at first it was the customer service where I'm like, okay, you know, I don't have to manage all of that. And then it was, they were hand, you know, Tiffany is our operations manager and she, you know, took on speaking with our wholesalers, staying on top of our restock. So it just was kind of this gradual process. You know, I had had where I was doing kind of a consultant type basis for help with marketing and then we brought it fully in house and took one of my employees who was helping me operations and she just, Peyton just bloomed in that role and really grew and has continued to just self educate and, and do. Amazing at that. So do that kind of gradually as it felt right, you know, and honestly, I'd say do it sooner than you think. You think, oh, I can't afford that. And you know, Laura Benson will always tell you that, you know, she's one that I feel like I've looked up to over the years and have gotten to know her here in the last couple years a little more. But, you know, one of her biggest regret is I should have hired someone maybe even more qualified than me in that position, but sooner than I did. We all are reluctant to be like, oh, I can't afford it. But if you kind of want to stop being overwhelmed or want to get to that next stepping stone of where you want your business, it is so worth investment and it will, it will definitely pay for itself in doing that. So that's helped huge. It's a little surprising, I don't know if I'm going to say embarrassing to say that we just automated our website or our warehouse last summer, I'm always like, it's 2024. Why is this still happening? When you work with people and it seems cumbersome and I'm like, yeah, 2024. And we're just now doing barcodes and you know, bins and.

So. And that was a huge part of being part of a business group of, of Lauras and just the other women there that were super helpful in trying to navigate that overhaul of the warehouse. So now it's so fast and it's so amazing. So that's been huge recently.

Well, that's a good mentor to have in that space. I was in her warehouse several times and saw what she had built and it was incredible. Incredible. So that's, that's great advice from her for sure. All right. Well, Riley, this is awesome. So many good conversations. I have a few more questions left. I've got a lightning round if you're good.

Yeah. Okay.

All right, first question. I give you two hours back in your day to focus on income generating activity. What do you focus on first?

Getting deeper. Dive into our finances. I just, you operate and what is really eating up more and not and producing the least results. I look at stuff sometimes and I'm like, oh my gosh, that's a win. We need to capitalize on more. Or yeah, like, oh, this is eating up too many resources. Why are we doing this? And so I see these. But then you just keep doing the things that have a deadline in three hours and you never get there. You know what I mean? You do, but not as quickly as I would like to. So just really, I like to look at whether it's the website and how can we improve our customer service or customer experience to, you know, how can we do something more efficient, do it better? So I think that's something for sure. That just would speed things up and be more lucrative, I guess.

Yeah, I love that you said that because I think a lot of people say I'm intimidated by the numbers, but when you look at it like, no, these are dollars and there's dollars hiding in my business, there's dollars to be found. When I do all of these other, you know, external things, it always comes dollars. I think that's huge. So second question, kind of along those lines. What is one metric that you live and die by? Like, you always have to know what this metric is and what's one metric that you wish you knew more about, but you're just still learning about this metric?

You know, I spent a lot of time, you know, we have a really low return rate and I think it's because of amount of detail that goes into all our processes that has really helped that. But I, you know, I look at that. I use a lot for sales on history, so on how to buy. So I feel like I really honed in on that and it has served us really well. I don't feel Lost, scared, worried, don't know what we're doing. When I had to market, like, I've got a direction and then I come back and review and fine tune. So that has been huge. And I feel like something that served us well over the years and, you know, I feel like I need to dive in deeper to the lifespan of the product. How long is it here, how what's the turn, you know, and when it sells well, it sells well, but we can't. I don't feel like as a retailer who's reselling and you, you. The availability of product to restock is what it is. You have no control over it. It's limited, not producing much of our own. I mean, we have some exclusive product, but outside of that, we don't have the control to be like, oh, these are the winners. I mean, the, those platforms are all like, well, let us tell you what's winning to order more of. And I'm like, you know, you can't order that exact same product. And we already know what's winning. I'm going to go buy something similar again. I know what our customers like that kind of thing. So it's more of, you know, looking at how do we offload inventory that has sat here too long. And I don't think that I have ever taken the time to, to really manage that like I should or use the right resources, probably.

Yeah. Markdown strategies. Huge, huge piece of business. All right, what's the unsexiest but most impactful process that you have in your business?

Oh, gosh.

There'S probably a lot of them.

We work in a very compact space. Every time we add on or give us more space, we fill it up instantly and it can feel a little chaotic. I. You know, whenever they say, when you build your next building, how much room do you give? Way more than you thought, you know, and so we're always bursting at the seams, but we make it work and we use every bit of our space. So probably that it's just sometimes chaotic.

All right, what is. What's been the hardest lesson that you've had to learn in business?

There's two things real quick. So it's probably. There's been opportunities that have come my way that we. That has created our business to grow so much. And I can probably think of, you know, four or five, and it's been great. But then the. Everything has a season. So just know that when it's good, it's good and it has a season and sometimes it's gonna hurt or not be what you want it to be. When it kind of wraps up and comes to an end. And you can't be bitter about it because it took you two steps forward. Even if it took you one back, you still got one forward, you know, and so everything's gonna have a season. So there's that. And.

Probably, you know, it's addicting when you start these businesses. They. They go off the ground and they're making it where maybe you can quit your other job and you kick, you know, the more. The harder you work, the more success you have. And so you go, go, go, go. And, you know, two years in, I guess my husband and I got married another year later, had first kid, two years later, another kid. It's a blur. I don't remember my babies as babies almost. And that's like a lot of guilt that I carry. So I just feel like you got a life short. So make sure that, you know all the places you're growing and going. If it's the perfect time of your life to just all in and head down and look at nothing else, that's great. But don't pass up still having a life, you know what I mean? Like, business will still be there. It'll be okay. It may not grow at the rate that you had dreamed, but I probably would have slowed down a little.

Amen. That's great advice. That's really, really great advice. All right, last thing. Best advice for retailers who are listening. And I'm going to say best advice in terms of building a brand like you've built, you've built something highly recognizable, very well known, what's the best advice for those who are wanting to do the same?

Probably be very, very clear in your vision of what it is you want to do. You know, when I was creating a logo, a brand, the name, the aesthetic of the tags, what my website was going to look like, who I was reaching, who I was speaking to, why they would get what I was doing. It was all built out in my head and paper probably too, you know, but be very clear on that vision and take the time to do the details right. The little details that no one else is going to notice makes up that whole esthetic. So don't, you know, don't go so much too much time that it's not worth your effort. But, you know, be intentional about what you do. And you're going to want to do all the things every three hours in your day, you're going to learn of something else. You could be doing better or more for your business. Do not download every app and every platform that can prove your business. You're going to be overwhelmed. Prioritize all the things you want to do. This is attainable. I can do it. And it will be lucrative. It will make sense to do. Do that one. Do it well, then do the next thing. Like, do not try to do all the things. And I think that just helps you provide that consistency.

Yeah, that's spot on. That's absolutely true. Um, man. Well, Riley, this is so awesome. I'm so glad that we caught up, you guys. We ran into each other at Market here, gosh, a month ago, or however long ago it was. It was so good to see you. And I was like, hey, I haven't had you on the podcast yet. You have to come and join me. So I'm so glad that this all worked out.

Well, thank you for asking me. It's fun. We could talk for hours. So we'll definitely have to catch up at more of these markets and put our heads together because it's fun talking. Talking shop. So, yes, absolutely, you guys, I'll link.

Up all of Riley's information in the show notes today. Go give her a follow. Get inspired. This has been awesome. Congratulations on all the years and all the things that you've built, and best of luck on everything that's coming next. Thank you.

Same to you, Ashley. Appreciate it.

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