From Fear To Faith: Taking The Jump To Start A Business With Lena Schlabach

In a world full of turmoil, despair and darkness, you need to carry the light. Season three of the Get Attitude podcast is where we will ignite your mind, your heart and your attitude. And welcome to the Get Attitude podcast. I am your host, Glenn Bill. But you probably already know that. International best selling Author of the ABCs of Attitude, Keynote speaker and award winning podcast with podcaster with my good friend and producer Jason Aaron here with us, ladies and gentlemen, I am telling you, if you came here to get some attitude, you are going to get some attitude. We are going to speak with the CEO of Farmhouse Frocks. And if you've ever wondered how you can bridge the gap from where you are to where you want to be and from who you are to who you want to become, our guest today may exemplify that trait more than any guest we've had. And I'm so excited to bring her up, to have her tell her story and to have her give you the answers and insights on how she manifested the destiny that she lives today. The one and only Lena Slayball, CEO of Farmhouse Frocks. Lena, welcome to the Get Attitude podcast.

Thank you. Thank you for having me. This is such an honor to be here.

Well, it's been. We're in our third season. Our season is called Carry the Light and we look for people that carry the light and with your smile and your winning attitude. I literally texted her three hours ago. She's in Hawaii, so it's probably 4am she said, Hell yes, Glenn, let's do this. Now. That's the attitude we're looking for. Lena, talk to us about, I just want to know, how do you define attitude? What does attitude mean to you and who was your first attitude coach?

Oh, I love this. I think also the best opportunities come from being spontaneous. So thank you for having me on this morning. And sometimes the best things happen when you don't have to think about it and just do it. And I definitely think that is my attitude. I'm a doer. And my first attitude coach was probably Lee Shawn Shaw. He is a, he is a local businessman in Ohio and he was, he is a doer also and he, he actually taught me how to not have 10 businesses at once. I love developing and starting new businesses and, and I had a couple business and he was like, he helped me focus on where I needed to be and to build my empire where, where it was, where my strength was. And that's how I built Farmhouse Frocks. I've been in business for nine years. We make fashion design and 35Amish women in my community sew my clothing and I design everything. I started my clothing brand because I wanted cute clothes as a plus size woman and little did I know everybody wants cute clothes as a plus size woman. I made this dress for the Hawaii dress for this trip and I only sold a select amount of this dress because of the fabric. And yeah, I don't know if that answered your question. I'm kind of going off, I'm so. I, I think there's so much power in, in meditating and manifesting your future and then being a doer and doing it when the opportunities are there. I made 100,000 masks during the pandemic. And therefore that's why I'm sitting here. I always say you got to make hay while the hay is ripe. And I did.

And you made 100,000 what?

Masks. Masks during the pandemic.

Did you really? Wow.

And was that a church provided $400,000 and in labor for my community. And they, you know, the Amish don't cash their stimulus checks and it was a great opportunity for my community to make an income during that time. It was, it was a force to be a reckon. When we did that in two months.

Now let me ask you, you've been in business nine years. Do you mind telling us like what, what's the gross revenue of your company? Well.

You know, the last couple years we did over a million. The year before last when we did the masks, we did 2 million. But you know, when the masks was over, I was like back to the frocks. We had to pivot. And in the beginning I was like, I don't want to sell a $10 item and pussy toe around this $10 item. And it taught me a lot realizing how much you can do in multitude. And yeah, that's a whole nother book. I'm writing a book right now. It's called More Faith than Fear. And I make all my decisions out of faith, not fear. When I need to make a decision, I go, are you making this decision out of faith or fear? And it's always my answer is in black and white of what I need to do. And sometimes I need to jump off a mountain and I have no net to catch me. And that's why I'm where I'm at today. I have no fear. Doing nothing is failing. Trying is not failing. And sometimes in my head I just think when such big things that I have to do, I just think practice that way in your head. If you think about practice, if you practice something you're allowed to fail at it.

Yes.

Sometimes I just tell myself, just practice on this. Just do it. Because not doing it is failing.

Amen. Now talk to me about growing up in an Amish community and now becoming the CEO of this brand that is blowing up and going crazy and doing a lot of good. But just, just tell. Give me a little bit of the backstory of what it was like being a little girl growing up in an Amish town. And how the heck did you end up starting your own, your own business?

I always dreamt. I remember when I was nine years old, I would pray that I would not fall in love with the Amish man because I did not want to be a housewife wife with 12 kids. And I did end up marrying an Amish man for 28 years and I've been single for two. And I always tell people this is kind of off on its own. Little I'm in my second roomspringa roomspringa in teenage years is when the Amish go wild. But I left when I was 18 and my parents, thankfully I kept a good relationship with them. I lived beside them for 20 years. They're still Amish today. I have good relationships with my siblings and my parents. Thankfully I was growing up in an Amish community. My dad was an Amish family that accepted me for my decisions. And my dad was a big entrepreneur, has a big business and so some of that stayed with me. He's good with numbers and I feel that's one of my strengths. I wanted to have cute clothes as a plus size woman and that's how I started my brand. And little did I know that every size woman wants my clothes. So like this dress, we make it in seven sizes, so we make it all the way from extra small to 3x. There's very few people, companies that make clothing that have all sizes. And so we also have a brand, a very powerful message that we sew the tag on the inside and when the woman that sews the tag on the inside prays for the woman that will wear the garment. So it's really a lot of very. It's made with love and has a message to each peace.

I've always thought about doing that with ties. So you put like a motivational message inside of each piece of clothing?

Yes. Yeah. Like you're 100% beautiful, 100% God made, 100% worthy, 100% enough. Women have so much self doubt with themselves. I'm not just talking about with clothing, but women believe lies that they heard from a Child. I mean, I would say maybe not just women. Women have. Have. Have insecurities with their clothing, probably more than men, but they just believe these lies that they are not enough or they. That they have to lose 10 pounds to be beautiful. And I really embrace just the now where you're at and be your best self right now. Don't always want to be somewhere to go somewhere. A lot of times people wait their whole life for what they want in.

Life, and you don't wait. So tell me, like when it was nine. When you were nine years ago, right?

Nine years old.

No, no, I know.

No, but nine years ago. Oh, I like that. You think I'm 25. Right.

Exactly when you started Farmhouse Frocks, number one. I'm dying to know. Tell me about how you got the name. But like, as you stood there, however old that you were, how did you go about raising the money and starting your own business?

Oh, I can't wait to tell you. I'm sorry.

Good. I asked the right question then.

Yes. Yes. So I went and bought used sheets at the local thrift store, and that's how I started. And when I look back, I can't believe, like I now buy 80 yard bolts of fabric for one piece, you know, one. And now I buy thousands and thousands and thousands of yards of fabric a year out of mostly. So you went, you started this things come.

Your. Your fabric started from a thrift store?

Yes.

Isn't that.

We. We did. We were 30 days old and we did. A country living magazine asked us to come do a show in Stone Mountain in Atlanta, and I had no idea what I was doing. I left with 12 Rubbermaid full of frocks, made my first 10,000, and that's how I started my business.

So. And I'm just a dumb man. So a frock is a piece of clothing.

That's how a lot of times in another country they call homemade clothing frocks. Like in Europe.

Awesome. How many siblings do you have?

I have three. I'm in the middle. I have one sister that's still Amish, and she makes all my patterns.

Cool. So it's a family business? A little bit.

I used to do this with my daughters for seven years.

Wow.

And now they have their own. My youngest daughter is 20 years old, does social media coaching. We used to do that. I do mentoring and coaching on the side too.

Oh, cool. Cool. And so what do you coach women for?

Small business development, branding, social media, goal setting.

Awesome. And what do you think the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs are making today.

That they don't get on social media. They're scared of it.

Interesting.

I think social media is the best tool for connection. I'm all about connecting and it's such a great form to connect. It is like. And the whole reels thing, you people just are intimidated with running stuff. Then they make excuses or they want to have a hundred thousand followers. I, I laid awake in bed at night building this social media platform. It's all organic.

Yeah. That is so, so cool. And so how long did it take for you to get to your hundred thousand followers?

Well, nine years.

Yeah. So there you go.

You know, I could have done it better and I could have, you know, I could have, would have, should have, you know, but that is, I probably that or they don't. They. People talk about what they want to do and they don't do it. That's what I find with my coaching. Biggest mistake was it took me a long time to get the right. You know, I'm a creator, so I didn't like the financial part of the bookkeeping. So I would say that clears your head, that makes you confident in what you're doing. I waited probably five years in until I got that, the handle of that, you know, with QuickBooks and having everything streamlined that I know my margins and you know, the biggest thing is don't get married to your ideas. You put blood, sweat and tears in a line like we did a baby line or a linen line for a bedding line. If it doesn't make you money, get rid of it.

Right, Right. And so you learn that it's a.

Hobby if you're not making money.

Right. So I was going to ask you what were. What have been the darkest days for you in your nine years of owning this business and how did you get past it?

I know exactly. It's when I had a fire, my studio, we had a fire. We opened a second location in Florida and I had to literally feed the people with the fish in the basket. And I didn't know how it would happen to create enough merchandise because a homemade merchandise, American made merchandise. It takes time and I pay a fair wage. And you know, I was trying to open a second location and then reopening my studio, my old where we had it. I also bought downtown, the most beautiful downtown building. It's 1876. I'm only the fourth business owner having this amazing building in my hometown downtown. That is really, I would say that is that. And just in the midst of making those hundred thousand masks, it was a great thing. But I got up at 4am and fell into bed at 11pm and it was. That was for two months straight. You know, normally I'd rest on Sunday. I wasn't resting. So I would say those were some of my darkest times. I still have. You know, it's not like you ever just arrived. It's just new challenges. If it's employees building your team, sourcing, there's always new challenges. But I always say to my team, if you bring me the problem, have a solution. Usually it's just about finding solutions to whatever it is.

Sure. Tell me about this mask thing. Did you just do that out of the goodness of your heart? You didn't charge for the mask, you just made it.

Oh, yes, I charged. Hell yeah. I was working, so I was providing.

I got you.

The thing is like people would ask me, oh, you shouldn't charge for the mask. And everybody was sitting at home bored. Excuse me, I'm working. I'm. I bought 90 bolts of 80 yard bolts of fabric, cost me almost $50,000 that I had to smuggle out of California because people couldn't even go to the factories to send it to me. Then we ran out of elastic. So, yes, I do have my beach home because I made a hundred thousand masks.

Okay, and. But now you're out of the mask business. The mask business is done.

Yeah.

What, what, what was your best selling frock?

Oh, the Rita Romper.

All right, the Reader Romper. So when you guys go there, hit the reader. Tell me, why was the Rita Romper your number one?

No, the Rita Romper is the best seller because of the fit. It's a linen bib overall. And you know, it ties, it's adjustable. It's just the right fit for overall and for all size women.

That's cool. Do you have any famous people that love your stuff?

Yes, we have some country music stars. Ruthie Collins, she ended up singing at my daughter's wedding from Nashville. For you and I, yeah, we've, we've had. We also use influencers, like influencers on, on, you know, on Instagram where they're famous people with big accounts.

Right now you have to pay those influencers, right?

Yes.

Do you?

Yes.

Do you pay them a commission or do they want the check up front?

We use tool. Oh my gosh, I cannot think of the tool. But we use a tool that is an app and it's connected that they use share that app and that we, of course they always get all the clothes for free, but it's like they get a certain percentage and with our Website, we can track what sells through what they share. And then the 15th on every month the affiliate link gets paid and it really works. It's, it's definitely. I would recommend it and I always look to see, you know, we get a lot of contacts of people wanting to be influencers for us, but we, I look at their engagement and, and.

They, it either works or it doesn't.

They have to be a certain number or they have to be engaged in their comments. They don't. They, they have to be connected to their followers, basically.

Sure, sure. Do you have, what, what's that number for you? 100,000 or more or.

No, it's not necessarily about the numbers and, and how many followers you have. There is a, there's also a tracker that we do and we put in an account and we see how much their engagement is because it could be like somebody with 25,000 followers and she has great engagement and people love everything she shares and will use them.

Yeah, I got you. Interesting. If I could, I'd like to step back because, you know, I'm not real educated in the Amish lifestyle and the Amish quote, unquote, unquote attitude. Could you enlighten us a little bit about the attitude of the Amish? What you've learned, you know, what you did learn. I guess you're still Amish. What the Amish have taught.

No, I'm not Amish.

You're not Amish. Okay.

Once you're Amish, you're not always Amish.

I got you. So, so what is the attitude of the Amish and, and what were the best things that you learned from them?

Oh, work ethic. Ah, nice. Trustworthy, interesting and, and very, very good work. Like you can trust work. You don't have to. I mean there are people, they make mistakes just like everybody else. But in all general, their work is good. You know, I'm so grateful. The loyalty. They're just good people. I was raised in a family where we. You worked hard and you, you didn't complain. Everything was possible. And so it also reflects, depends on what family you grow up in. But I really feel very fortunate to have my heritage I have because I feel it got me to where I'm at today.

Yeah, that's cool. So what's the future of farmhouse frocks for you? Have you put out a 5 or 10 year vision? Are you planning on doing what you're doing or what's going on for your future long term?

You know, I always, I think more and more it is getting harder to make an American made product and make a margin from it. We're in a society right now where the support is not as much. People want fast, fast fashion. So it's, it's just to keep connecting with my followers. They are so loyal. They will support me if they feel connected with me. And of course, I have bigger dreams, bigger visions for farmhouse frocks. I want to, you know, start my own podcast, do a lot more mentoring and coaching, a lot more. I have an amazing team. I have six in house. A full time photographer, a full time uploader, full time assistant, you know, to make it work. When I, I live in Florida. I have a house in Florida. I just moved there full time. And then I have this business in Ohio. And so I travel back and forth every week, every other week to spend time with my team, to develop to. I still do all the buying and sourcing. So this trip was really about finalizing my book. And also, you know, this time of year you make new visions and new goals. It's the time of year where we're all setting new goals if it's personal or business. And I'm just really reflecting and I just want to maybe re gear my designs of my frocks and, and have it a little more exclusive like this dress where, where you can only buy 15 of them. And so I'm, I'm, I'm reflecting. I, I could tell you better in a week from now exactly where my vision is. I, I do have a lot of notes on what I want to do, but if I don't have a plan of action, it's not going to happen.

Sure, sure. And that book is going to be called More Faith than Fear. Can't wait to see that come out. I'm so excited for you. And so you're trying to finish that and polish that book out, huh?

Yes. Down there in Hawaii with Harper Collins. I have a publisher and I found my ghostwriter at a tiki bar in Florida.

Oh my God.

Amazing. Yeah. I have so many amazing connections through wherever I go. And this is a little bit what I wanted to talk to you about. When I seen your title of your podcast, I was like, that's it. It's all about attitude and it's all about the energy you bring into the room. And I can walk in the room. I can. Usually I have these, I have to, I should have brought them. But I usually have big glasses on everywhere I go and my brand is on the inside of those temples and that is my business card.

I love it. Your brand Is on the inside of the little.

Let me show you.

Well, you, you must. Now I'm guessing that I don't want.

To disappear on you, but this is usually just because of our impromptu.

So.

So do you have these huge glasses and everywhere I go, people just go, I like your glasses. I like your glasses.

Oh, those are so Kardashian. It's not even funny. I love it now. Do you make those in manufacture, people.

Call me Amish Kardashian.

Do you make those?

Well, I brand these are not American made, so I order them and then I put the brand on the inside.

Jason, I think Renee needs a pair or five. I mean, for sure.

Yeah. So the. So this is how I roll. I say the bigger everywhere I go. When people say, I like your glasses, I say the bigger the glasses, the classier the ass.

I love it. I love it. Well, I think those are just so.

Your typical Amish crew.

I would say you're probably not typical. I don't think that that's true. Talk to me about this adventure you had in writing a book. Was it hard to harder than you thought?

And oh, so much.

And how does a ghostwriter work?

So I, I think I've been writing this book for six years, honestly, because what happens is things change in your life. Two years ago I, I got a divorce. Everything changed in my book, you know, because I want to be very conscious and of my children and my ex husband. We have good relationships and I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but I always want that. I will, I would. I can't be fake. I'm. I will speak honesty. I'm passionate about everything I speak about. I would say put yourself on island with your ghost writer. The ghost writer is basically will write out the words. I record it on the phone or either I take it in my notes on the airplane and they transfer my story into. Or my words into. A story is basically what a ghostwriter is sometimes. A ghostwriter can be that you're writing everything and they proofread it.

Yes. Yeah. Just to make it flow and if it's okay. A lot of our people come to this podcast because they're stressed out. Right. Because they want to get attitude and you've had a of lot life altering experience this thing called divorce. Those gappers, that's what we call our listeners. The gappers that have been through divorce or maybe going through a divorce or maybe know they're going through a divorce but the other spouse doesn't. What's your advice to them? On keeping a positive attitude as that shift in your life and that identity changes. Can you just speak to what you went through and how you've been able to get through it and cope?

I, you know, I'm so, I'm so passionate about staying positive. And it's, it's like, it's a mental decision you make when you get up in the morning of what you feed your ears, your eyes, and that is what goes in your head. So I listen to a lot of music. I listen to a lot of positive podcasts. I am very intentional of what I speak out to not speak of. Like I say, killing a prayer. If you pray for something, then, like, let's say you tell me, I'll tell you. Glenn, can you pray for this? I really am struggling with whatever it is and I ask you to pray for it. I shouldn't be going over to my next friend asking her to pray for it. Because you already prayed for it. I believed it. Now it's going to happen. And when I say this will happen, like a negative of what I asked you to pray for, it's killing the prayer. I don't believe it'll happen.

Interesting.

Getting back to the question about divorce is basically is like letting death go. I mentally think of a river flowing down, a river flowing by you, and a fall leaf will come floating on top of the water down the river. You don't go and stop that leaf from flowing down the river. You let it keep flowing. Or if you see a car driving by on the road, you just let it go right on by. And that's what I do with my negative thoughts. Or when things people say things about myself. You really find out who your true friends are and family when you go through a divorce. So I was very intentional who I surrounded myself with and how they supported me. But if something is said about me that I don't need to own, that's not mine that I don't need, I need to let it flow, keep flowing down the river. And I was tried to be really intentional of not becoming a victim and becoming an overcomer and just saying, you know, not claiming of my identity as. Hi, I'm Lena Slabaugh. I'm going through a divorce. Hi, I'm Lena Slabaugh. I am finding my freedom. I'm happy. I know my mood in the room this day because I am part of this room and not the person that is living with me. That is negative. That sounds like I'm an oxymoron of what I just said, but that's beautiful. I do believe that. That I was so sad because 28 years of marriage is a long time and a lot of work.

Yeah.

And I was sad for probably the first six months after the divorce. And everything I do is very fast. You know, I got counseling to get me through to that point. When I began counseling, I said, I need to. I know I'm not going to change him. I know I need to change myself. And I don't want a divorce. So you help me get there. I just knew I had to change my mindset because I was not happy. And finally she was like, lena, treat it like your business. If something's not right with your business, you put a system in place. I go, you can't treat a marriage like a business. She goes, why? I was like, okay. And that's when it just really clicked. And it made me realize that I was not in a healthy situation and I needed to be somewhere else. And one day I woke up six months after the divorce, and I just kept feeling really sad. And I woke up and I realized, this is what you want, Lena. You are living your best life. Enjoy it right now. I was on a catamaran doing a photo shoot, and I come up out of that catamaran. It was like a. Like I flipped a switch. And I live my life fully every day, not wishing for what I wish would have been, but realizing I am living my best life right now.

Oh, that is so beautiful. I think that's going to help some folks who are battling maybe the. Some of the same things that you have. I want to get back to the book. More faith than fear.

Can I. Can I piggyback that with something really quick?

Well, of course. Please do. Please do.

I feel. I'm sorry, I didn't even answer.

No, no, do it. I want.

I feel passionate about this. A lot of times we. The actual act of doing. The thought of the fear of doing something that is so big is not that I'm on here to try and promote you guys getting a divorce. I'm not saying that. But the fear of doing something is bigger than the action.

Right.

Like, a lot of times our head does not allow us to do something because of the fear. And it's actually not even that hard to do if you just do it.

Right. Right. I think that's such a great point, that whether it's starting a business, starting a business is a lot easier than thinking about starting a business and failing. Right. Or ending a relationship might be a lot easier than it is than thinking about Ending a relationship.

And I always say I promote like happy marriage. I see happy marriages and I. I desire that for myself one day. But I, for me, I think if you always do what you always done, you always have what you always had.

Yes, yes.

If you want better, just do something different.

I love it. So who's the most positive person in your life? Like who's your best friend? Or who's the person in your life that always lifts you up? And how do they do that?

I have two best friends that do that and they've been the one who has been my friend for 25 years. Her name is Cheryl Stauffer. She has a big interior design business and she is just. She has been spoken. I remember when I first started a blog and it was I used to have a Lena Zamish granola. I used to have a granola company. That company brought me to this company. But I. And then I have my best friend Candy at home and she's more about for my mind, for energy and letting things go and thinking positively and speaking life into me on a daily basis and believing the best for me. And she started as a Farmhouse Rock fan and I became friends with her after my divorce. And she just has supported me no matter where I'm at, you know, being single, dating again. She just has just been there for me, unjudged liking me as I am, speaking life into me daily. And I do that a lot for others. So it's nice to have somebody like that in your own life. You know what it's like when you're up here as a business person. Sometimes you just feel very lonely. I'm sure you get that too.

Sure. Well, yeah. I mean, we're out changing the world, right? That's what we do. And sometimes that's a lonely job. Let's talk a little bit more just about the book. I just kind of wanted more faith than fear. Could you just give me maybe one or two, maybe three of the main themes of the book or maybe one of the chapters or what's the lesson or the moral of the book that you're trying to get across?

The moral of the book is an inspiration. It's going to be like a coffee table book with short chapters. And it's kind of also my saying my story of how I was raised. A lot of people are very intrigued that I was an Amish girl. So I'll share, you know, my childhood, growing up. But I want. I love having I see the world in pictures. So I'll have pictures of My community, pictures of my life, my homes, my travels in with the chapters. I like to have easy reads, not just a whole picture book filled with words.

Yeah. Oh, that sounds good. What was the toughest part of your childhood growing up?

That's a good question. I would say the toughest part was probably I went to a one room schoolhouse and, you know, you always were friends with the people that were your age. And we lived in southern part of Ohio and there weren't a lot of girls my age. And of course you weren't friends with boys and with the, you know, so I was always by myself. You know, I was by myself in the grades. I was by myself. There was just not a lot of girls my age. So I would say that was probably not having friends.

Yeah. Battling. Battling loneliness now.

Friends are so important to me because of that.

Yeah. Yeah. How. How did you cope with loneliness or how would you advise somebody to cope with.

And it was like I always was drawn to older people, so I just made my own community. And, you know, and I still am doing it. You know, I already have friends here in Hawaii that I like, that I create. Like I had. I feel like one of my superpowers is I've never met a stranger.

Yes. Yeah. Well, I know I felt very close to you from the second we started texting this morning, which is so cool. It sounds like your biggest challenge right now might be continuing to make homemade products in America. I'm curious, what do you feel are the biggest challenges for you, both business wise and personally for you coming up in the next few years?

Business wise? I'm not one to get on here and talk about politics because I don't like to talk about politics, especially not in a platform like this.

Yes.

But I know I, I was harder. It was easier to make American Made product that people really support American made when you know who was president.

Yeah.

But you know, I don't agree because he should have shut his mouth sometimes. Right, Whatever.

Right.

But. But in all honesty, I would say I don't like to focus on what my challenge is. So I, I love it. I, I really, I just take it as it comes. You know, if. Whatever it is, I think the biggest thing is not making excuses and just pivot. Like if this, you know, I'm big with social media. So if social media comes out and it's all video, then we need to figure it out.

Right.

And not make excuses. I just think keep keeping up with the trends. And, you know, I had to use a lot of jersey knit during the Pandemic, elastic waist. You know, because people are working from home, you just have to adjust. You know, we were linen clothing, all linen and cotton before the pandemic. I had to change it because people like soft stuff. You know, people like to be comfortable. They like elastic waist.

So certainly your superpower not only is always having every friend when you enter the room, but it's also being able to pivot and be. It seems like you're a very decisive person. You don't like to be in the middle and indecisive. What's your thought on being decisive?

You got me on point right there. I'm just like, I'm a hell yes or a hell no girl. If I'm all for it or not at all. If I don't feel it in my belly, it's not for me.

I love it. I love it.

Well, making all running a big company, and I'm the buyer. I. I hand pick every textile. I hand pick every glasses, every earring, every home goods. I hand pick every. And if you would be indecisive, you couldn't do it.

Yeah. So where do you go to pick your textiles? Where do you go to?

Well, I always say I don't share my sources, but I do have. I go to the LA Textile show twice a year.

Wow.

And then sometimes I go to the New York one and occasionally I go to the Dallas one. But mostly la. I love to try, and I love the vibe of Malibu. And I'm always inspired when I travel for new designs. I'll see somebody wear something. I try and stay with Sweden and the whole Western because they're ahead of where we're at.

Wow, that sounds so bourgeois. How about you? I love it. So you go to la. I bet LA just loves you. You show up down there, huh? What. What's an LA? What's an LA textile show? Like. Like, is there like 5,000 people, 10,000 people?

I remember when I first got it, I felt like a little Amish girl showing up there. I had no idea what I was doing. Kind of like the Country Living Fair When I was 30 days, I had no idea what I was doing. I remember getting in the elevator and with these high executive designers, and I was like, well, I'm here, you know? And now I, you know, everything you do, you just learn. I learn like it's. I walk through and I, I could just be a. Like, I want that. That I just don't waste a lot of time. I just, I, I now fly in. Well, we usually do photo shoots. But I can usually go to the textile show and turn around and be back home in three days.

Are you kind of known there? Do people like know who you are now?

Well, like now you're trying to make me sound egotistic a little bit.

No, I'm not.

I do. When I'm at the airport, when I'm out, people recognize me.

They do.

I can't believe it. Like out in Florida, I'll be at the drum circle and people everywhere will ask me to have the selfie. But LA probably is bigger playing ground. I don't know. They, I mean, the companies recognize me because, I mean, I'm their client, but I don't know. I have these big brand people know me. I don't think so. I'm still the little Amish girl showing up, you know.

Now Farmhouse Frocks. Do you only have one bricks and mortar store and that's in Ohio? That's it.

I did have a second location, but it. I had a. I thought it was a dream to have a second location in my dream vacation place in Sarasota. That was the biggest mistake. My daughter moved there four months in. She was like homesick, wanted to come home. It was so stressful. It was successful, but stressful. And I just had to eliminate it after a year.

And what a great. What again? Decisiveness. Right. So Gappers Lena has given us a message on several different fronts. Sometimes you got to roll with the punches, sometimes, sometimes don't focus on the biggest challenges. Sometimes you got to be decisive. Sometimes you can't fall in love with your idea because it will cost you money. And sometimes you got to shut down a store that your daughter's in. So you've just given us such a great menu or a buffet of different things to think about, about attitude. Lena and I really appreciate you doing that. What I always like to end our show with Lena is just for you to give a message of hope to the people that are listening to us today. The little Amish girl who's become a million dollar revenue dressmaker with an unbelievable Instagram account. If you could just speak to the people that are in their car, walking on the beach, riding their bike on the treadmill. What's your message of hope for our Gappers today?

I would say you get back what you put out. So be intentional what you're giving out. If you're going down to the coffee shop, tell that lady she looks good. If you're going, if, if you're going in the airport and a man smells good when you're walking by, tell him he smells good. You get what you put out. That same energy will come back to you. If you think everybody's in a bad mood today, guess what? It's you.

I love it. I love it. Lena Slayball, it was so great to meet you. So great to interview Farmhouse Frocks is something that you want to see. Check her out on Instagram, go to her website, buy all your Christmas gifts there. And more Faith in Fear that's going to be coming out in 2023. I suggest you buy that book. You have been a light to our podcast. Lena. Thank you so much much for joining us on the Get Attitude podcast.

Thank you. Glenn.