Ashley Farland / DandyLion Designs
Start Here Podcast | Episode #90 | 05/09/24
Who knew being a chef in New York City would inspire Ashley to start a luxury home goods business? Founder of DandyLion Designs, Ashley Farland, joins us to share her captivating journey into the realm of luxury goods, but with a unique twist – her creations are crafted from deadstock materials. With a commitment to premium materials and sustainability, DandyLion Designs is taking luxury to the next level. Did we mention it’s a fraction of the price?
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TRANSCRIPT
Ashley Farland 00:00
I love Jackson Hole, first of all, and I was there visiting and I went in there and I showed them two pillows that I had made. And they were like, these are amazing. So I was like, great. So I went home and I like made a bunch. And when it came back, they bought 100. So I was like, Wow, that’s pretty awesome. And then they just kept reordering. Like they were like, they really, he goes this is now our signature pillow for our store.
Sam RG 00:28
From Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies it’s Start Here a podcast sharing the stories of active, aspiring, and accidental entrepreneurs. Today we sit down with Ashley Farley, founder of Dandylion as lifestyle brand committed to expert craftsmanship, quality materials and sustainability. Welcome. This is Sam Roach-Gerber
David Bradbury 00:47
and David Bradbury
Sam RG 00:47
Recording from the Consolidated Communications Technology hub in downtown Burlington, Vermont. Hi, Ashley.
Ashley Farland 00:54
Hi
Sam RG 00:55
Dave is so excited. He’s like jumping out of his chair.
David Bradbury 00:58
I joked it’s like it’s like pillow weather or something, you know, just comfortable days and mud season. I just, you know, it’s perfect time to have an entrepreneur that makes comfort furnishings.
Sam RG 01:12
All right. I love it. And that energy is palpable. And I appreciate that. All right, Ashley, let’s I’m like taking it down a notch from Dave over here. I’ll be the boring person today.
David Bradbury 01:23
The caffeine will wear off soon.
Sam RG 01:24
Yeah yeah. So tell us about what is Dandylion? How did you come up with this. Oh, and what made you I mean, I think you clearly chose to go a high end route is that because the materials that you discovered were super high end and you had to kind of like run with that?
Ashley Farland 01:30
So Dandylion are soft textiles, we’re going to enter the whole space of the home. But for right now we have the pillows, we have three collections. And we have a blanket. And it’s all upcycled. So it’s 100% upcycled material, or deadstock, whatever you want to call it an industry. But basically, there’s a tremendous amount of beautiful surplus material out there that companies discard because either they have because they’ve trained their customers to expect every season to see a new collection. So like that’s their model. So they have like new color, new dye lots, new patterns, new everything. So at the end of that season, if they are stuck with in their mind 50 yards or or under they, it’s, there’s no use. So a lot of times they’ll go to warehouses, hopefully or they’ll just go direct to landfills, because they can’t hold this stuff for that long. So I saw an opportunity in the market to use this beautiful material. So that’s what Dandylion does. We take existing material out there, deadstock, and repurpose it into home textiles. No, I mean, the deadstock is a problem among all brackets, I’m just the most interested inthe luxury division. I just, I also one of our hallmarks is for it to be heirloom. And a lot of people use that word but I really know that when people buy our pillows, like they don’t pill like the cashmere is long staple, long staple under-sheared, it’s usually combed, not sheared. So it’s there’s like a very different quality level. And when you have that level of quality, you don’t need to dispose of it or want to. So like the colors are correct in my mind. They, the fabrics are luxurious, they drape a certain way we use a lot of attire, which is unique in home textiles, because that has a higher quality to begin with. Because people are willing to pay for very high end bespoke attire clothing, so we actually just line it so that it can be used for upholstery. But I just wanted to stay in a space. It’s what I am. Not to sound like a snob, but it’s really what I like. And it’s really where I lived in the my mind of like, I just like to I’d rather have a lot less of things but have them to be on point.
David Bradbury 04:16
You’re like the opposite of a snob. So I mean, we have a few minutes left to go, but we’ll see but so far so good, Ashley. All right, tell us about your background, like oh, like it’s not easy to jump in entrepreneurship. And, you know, how did you get here? What what professional?
Ashley Farland 04:33
I’m a burning entrepreneur like I’ve always I mean from, you know, a child up, I’ve always been the girl that’s like, we can do this and like business wise, I’m just always in that mind of like, how could we make this into a business? So my background professionally was I was a chef, but I also had a catering firm in New York City. So as a side hustle I was the chef ambassador for Exclusive Resorts for New York City. Well, actually nationally, but like my I took care of all their penthouses in, in New York City. So that was my side hustle. So they had offered to their do I was just getting to granule.\
Sam RG 05:16
No this is like, what? I’m sorry please don’t stop.
Ashley Farland 05:20
Okay. So this was this was like, my first entrepreneurial step was, I was a chef worked at really top restaurants in New York. And so Exclusive Resorts came to me, they asked me if I would take care of all of their private dinners. Well, it was too much. And I was already working full time at Gramercy Tavern. But I had a roster of all the chefs that I had worked with. So that’s really high paid off my culinary and my culinary,
David Bradbury 05:44
by by assigning the chefs to the properties.
Ashley Farland 05:47
So what we would do is I was working all the time with them, doing the dinners, and then either like going into work and be like, who can work Thursday who can work Friday, you know, and then in my apartment, I had all of the stocks, and I had all of the like, so I had a menu and I had, so that was like, my first entrepreneurial thing was like, we had all of these. We were executing…
David Bradbury 06:08
Oh my god, it’s like a talent agency and a logistics business, funny front desk sort of stuff. So…
Sam RG 06:15
That makes me me stressed out Just hearing that, like your shoulders went up when you started talking about it sounds exhausting
Ashley Farland 06:21
Oh, it was amazing because it was like it was, you know, the company, the corporate money dollar was coming in. So like they were paying me and I was paying the chef’s like because as a chef, like, the better the restaurant you work in, the less you get paid. So you know, which is
David Bradbury 06:35
I watch the bear I know all about.
Ashley Farland 06:37
Like I’m making $12 an hour there. Everyone there is like we’re working at Gramercy Tavern, we’re making 12 bucks an hour. But this side hustle was amazing, because these guys, I would charge 500 for the dinner. Cut, the company would be paying for it. And then I’d pay my guys two 350. And then they’d get the tip. I’d make 150 passive, and it was like, and then if I did the dinner, of course it would be but it was like it was such a sweet gig for two years. And then Exclusive Resorts no longer offered that because it was like, you know too much.
David Bradbury 07:06
Alright, so you liked that you had a taste of that. And then what what else? Was there another business before Dandylion?
Ashley Farland 07:14
Amuse Buche was the business and then Dandylion So then I was a private chef. And that’s what Dandylion came from the desire to not want to do that anymore. Like to just…
David Bradbury 07:25
so being a private chef and some of these residences or, you know, penthouse that you described, is that when you sort of are checking out their furnishings and seeing the fabrics and pillows that might have come from some of the the big high end brands?
Ashley Farland 07:40
Absolutely. Yeah, so you’re getting this exposure all the time. And you’re also seeing these price tags, and you’re like, dude, we can we can beat this, like this is actually a market here. So like, in my mind, I think I was always, it was percolating about like, what an opportunity this is, because these brands and these pillows, or these anything that was in the home was just extraordinary. But it was also extraordinary, the prices were offensive, you know, I mean, it was just, you couldn’t even you couldn’t even imagine, like, what, where they could go and then you would see it and you’d be like, This is reality. And this is really what people are willing to do. And I’m like, how sweet would it be? Like when I started doing this, I’m like, This is amazing, we are actually delivering that quality, like Dandylion, I think delivers the quality of any home I’ve ever worked in. And but we’re at a fraction of the price, even though we’re very expensive, but we’re still at a fraction of the price of what those brands yield.
Sam RG 08:34
Can you talk a little bit about how you knew where to go? Price point wise, what was in the market, how you knew there was space for your business in the market?
Ashley Farland 08:44
So I’m still trying to figure out the price point wise, because it keeps raising. Yeah, like I was mentioning to you earlier, because it’s one of those things that like, while I have an entrepreneurial spirit, I don’t have a business, enough business experience to know how to how to price things how like what really is the cost of goods, when you include the rent, and you include the utilities and you like I was just doing cut time and you don’t mean like so the figuring out where to land on pricing is very difficult because I have a vertical model and I go direct, or I do direct and I do wholesale.
David Bradbury 09:21
I don’t think anybody has the answer to it’s all dynamic testing. And you know, maybe Amazon has it down because they own the world. But yeah, you’re not alone in that regard.
Ashley Farland 09:32
It’s really hard.
Sam RG 09:34
Yeah. And like, you know, costs are one thing, like you can price stuff out by cost and then determining your margin, but then you have to look at what other people are doing where you’re competing with what’s their budget, like? It’s an art not a science, I think in many ways.
David Bradbury 09:48
And Sam tot, like you can’t touch the fabric over a website. Yeah, right. So like that’s the other hurdle for folks. And you may be at a point where there’s enough trust in the brand and enough You know, chatter out there and reviews and stuff where that’s not a barrier. But I know folks have a problem with that.
Sam RG 10:07
Yeah. Yeah, I think you’re not alone that you’re kind of still figuring it out.
Ashley Farland 10:11
I love that you guys understand what goes into it? Yeah, like because it is I didn’t understand it. And it’s like, I’m still trying to grapple with it. It’s really, it’s a challenge.
Sam RG 10:22
Yeah, constantly changing. So one of the things I want to talk to you about is, it sounds like you have a really kind of interesting path from being a chef, without any knowledge of being a seamstress or anything like that, to opening your business. Can you talk about working with some local companies and how you kind of upscaled yourself to get to a position to be able to do this?
Ashley Farland 10:43
Is that a lot? Yeah, sure. So, um, cause I was a chef, and I had never even thought, I’d never even turned on a sewing machine. So I took a course in quilting. And I was like, Oh, this is really interesting. I actually love this. It was interesting how it lays and I have an obsession for textiles. So I was like, huh, so then, as a chef, you know, the only way you get better, or, you know, to be an outlier is the 10,000 hours, that kind of benchmark idea. So I was like, Well, you certainly aren’t going to get it from just quilting, you know. So it’s like, you’re gonna have to, like, really embrace this. And you have to understand it from a level where people actually are doing this as a business. So I, you know, had logged a lot of hours as it’s quilting, the three quilts and three months bakes, like one was a king. Yeah, I mean… Oh my god. They’re intricate ones. You know, these quilts are like, so I had a teacher, Joan, who still works with me, actually, to this day, she helps me with the blanket. She’s amazing Jones Schwartsleaf. But yeah, so I decided to go work for a business that I respected a lot. And I think he might be the best when it comes to like work manipulating leather, and like really understanding machines and understanding the business, Queen City Dry Goods. So not random.
Sam RG 12:00
He’s amazing.
Ashley Farland 12:01
He’s amazing. Yeah, he’s amazing. And so he let me in, and I was like, I don’t have a lot of experience have made these quilts. And so he’s like, it’s okay, I can train you. And he’s like, sometimes that’s even better. So I worked with him for a year. And then making shoes. So he makes the Vermont house shoe. And so and he, you know, it takes, I don’t know, seven or eight different machines to do a shoe because you have to skive it, you have to, you know, split you have to use you know, there’s a round, there’s all sorts of machines that go into. So like, I really learned how to, like what it would take to manipulate material. And I’d never worked with leather. So he was amazed. He’s really a wealth of knowledge, we’re really lucky to have him and now he’s doing his new sneaker, which is cool. But then when the Fourbital factory came available, I went to Matt and I told him, I really would like this opportunity, since I don’t have a desire to build shoes. And if I ever bring that division into Dandylion, I absolutely want Queen City to take, you know, I have a hand in that one. But I’d like to learn how to do clothing, because I think it’s a more it’s a better fit for where I’m going with my business. So he’s supported me 100%. And then I went over to Fourbital, which is a very interesting business that we are fortunate very fortunate to have in Burlington because they train up. And that’s their whole model is education. So they went through their curriculum was a graduate, I don’t even know what I was a graduate of. But it’s a graduate program. But it is like, It certifies you. It’s like you can do all these steps.
Sam RG 12:02
Yeah.
Ashley Farland 12:03
And then they, you know, and then I worked repetition. So like, that’s the key. So that’s what, and then that’s what you do as a chef. And that’s what you do in any of these trades. It’s just you got to get your hands in it and like make it.
David Bradbury 13:51
Fourbital too you had probably a benefit of just seeing some of the equipment they were using. They’re sourcing and you know, Carie Strobeck and Jordan Leach are awesome. Yeah, as well. And it’s really a pretty neat facility on Pine Street.
Ashley Farland 14:05
Yes, it’s a very neat facility. And it’s like, I love how they’re, you know, it’s pretty deep roster now people that they have working for them. So that was a very great opportunity and actually helped me a lot with getting to this point now where I feel really comfortable. Yeah. Because because I had no experience. I mean, I think Dandylion now is two years old, and I started sewing two and a half years ago.
Sam RG 14:30
And there was nowhere to learn before like, you know, you had to like go on front porch forum maybe and like find, you know, your neighbor that used to sew quilts and maybe you can get 45 minutes of their time, right, like…
Ashley Farland 14:42
That was my initial approach.
Sam RG 14:43
Yeah.
Ashley Farland 14:44
That’s Joan.
Sam RG 14:45
Yes, exactly.
Ashley Farland 14:47
She was my front porch forum ad.
Sam RG 14:48
Yeah. So people to start businesses like you really need to be trained properly. And so it’s such an awesome service to have in our community.
David Bradbury 14:57
So sort of on that thread like going from an idea to launching Dandylion like, what was the toughest part? Was it you getting comfortable and the skills to make something? Or was it on the design? aspect? Or was it the sourcing?
Ashley Farland 15:15
What was the most?
David Bradbury 15:16
Yeah, what was the most difficult aspect for you?
Ashley Farland 15:20
The sewing for me was. The design is natural for me. Like I really, I’ve always had an aesthetic that I love. You know, whether anyone else does or not, I don’t know. But it’s I think it’s working right now. So design wise is like, that’s where I want to live. The sewing was definitely the most is my challenge. You know, I mean, I did pillows, because they’re probably the most simple thing to you know, it’s a square, you know, I mean, and we do it, well, we really do it well, but like, that’s where I landed because I was like, oh, boy, I mean, it’s you don’t even I mean, even after two years of working commercially, you know, it’s not like, I mean, I wouldn’t feel like I’m not gonna grow Dandylion out, like we’re gonna bring in the talent for that.
David Bradbury 16:01
And it’s probably familiar because it’s sort of an apprentice like model. What like, training to be a chef. Yeah.
Ashley Farland 16:01
Well, like I stay in my lane, for sure. But it’s I don’t
David Bradbury 16:13
think you stay in anybody’s lane. That’s my conclusion. But anyway,
Sam RG 16:18
so tell us about like early days getting started. You knew how to so you left Fourbital, like what happened next?
Ashley Farland 16:21
So early days of this was, yeah, moonlit at nighttime making my pillows. Pat Santner and I were the ones that were like, started this whole thing with making the pillows her and I were both doing batch work. And then I was really just I went to one store out west, and they absolutely loved the suit material turned into home textiles. And so this is mountain dandy and they’re fantastic. And they’ve been my greatest partner, but I had no idea that it could really hold traction the way it did. So they bought like 400 pillows from me last year. And they use my pillows in the Southfork Lodge. The, he was the designer, Christian was the designer for Southfork Lodge, which is Jimmy Kimmel’s Fly Fishing Lodge. So they used all my pillows for that project. And then I realized that like I couldn’t do a full time job. So I kind of like fell into this humming of business because Dandylion was Dandylion. And really it started because I just found that logo, like I found the illustration. And I was obsessed with it. This is actually a cool story. So I was obsessed with this line illustration that I found. And I mentioned it to my old, this is a very dear friend of mine who was my doorman at Lund University, and he knew that I wanted to start this business and he knew that I didn’t, I had the fear of it. So and it was an expensive line illustrations like 3000. So he, he for my birthday, bought it for me. And it was… I love him.
Sam RG 17:55
I’m getting a little emotional.
Ashley Farland 17:56
He bought it for me. And he said, I believe in you know, it was like he gave it to me and he was like, just I won’t curse but like he’s like just do it. You don’t need like just this is like what you need to do like this is what you’ve always wanted to do. It’s owned well and it’s also owned that for the woman to make the the Dandylion the letters you know the the actual size, the font, the actual design of the font. So he went bought that for me had it and I was like she had it turned into an icon so like so it’s now the icon not a line illustration. And and he’s really the reason why it started. Because…
David Bradbury 18:37
Wow!
Ashley Farland 18:38
That was like, you know, he literally was like, go do it like us like you have the talent. Just do it. So that’s pretty cool. And like that’s what I’ve gotten this whole business has been like because I don’t come from money. I sold my house for this. I mean, it’s like I’m all in.
David Bradbury 18:55
Can I get his phone number?
Ashley Farland 18:56
Oh, he’s incredible. Like this. Mahmoud is like amazing. He was like he let me past curfew and that was in London because curfew there’s like 11 o’clock and like at 21, 11:00PM is not a reasonable time.
David Bradbury 19:12
They call them angel investors for a reason or and this is just an angel that did it.
Sam RG 19:16
He gave you that kick in the ass. You need it.
Ashley Farland 19:18
He gave me the kick in the ass and you told me I just believe in you and you should see the letter. So in my in my store, in my store. There’s the letter that he wrote me that speaks about like how much he believes in me where he sees me going and never returned. It’s a really cool so I have it framed in the store but it’s like I’ve had like, but that’s the kind of people I’ve had in my I’m sorry, we’re over time it was that Exclusive Resorts conversation?
David Bradbury 19:43
No, no. I don’t know how to follow that up with a question. Sounds like we don’t have the tissues in the room anymore. I don’t know what happened to that. Sorry.
Sam RG 19:53
Well, I wanted to like you made it sound like you walked into a store with a pillow and got an order for 400. Like is that really how that happened or was it? Did you like go to a ton of places first?
Ashley Farland 20:03
No, I went to one store. Zeroed in on these guys,
Sam RG 20:06
You were like they understand my product.
Ashley Farland 20:09
Well, I love Jackson Hole, first of all. Yeah. And I was there visiting. And I went in there and I showed them two pillows that I had made. And they were like, these are amazing. So I was like, great. So I went home and I like, made a bunch. And when it came back, they bought all 100. So I was like, wow, like, it’s pretty awesome. And then they just kept reordering. Like, they were like, they really he goes, this is now our signature pillow for our store. He’s like, That’s, I believe, like, and he just loves everything. Like he’s really in the same. You know, when you walk in somewhere, and you like, these are my people this makes sense to me. Like their design aesthetic, their, his sensibility, just and he was like, I love that this vintage, he calls it vintage is deadstock. But they they like to, I don’t think everyone likes using the word deadstock.
David Bradbury 20:56
There’s some name? Yeah, I could see that.
Ashley Farland 20:59
But he calls them all vintage. But you know that he like he cared a lot about that he cares a lot. They have a business, that’s, you know, they do a lot of things. One of their companies is only like US made, you know, so like all of the things all the hallmarks that we were standing for. They were like, doubling down on. And that’s why I think that they and it’s just really works in their showroom.
David Bradbury 21:21
Yeah, that’s so great. So you have a physical store, like in real life and Ecommerce, like how, why do you have both? Or what’s the advantage of having people come in?
Ashley Farland 21:34
So, I have the, the store is actually probably more of a workshop. I mean, it’s it does have a vignette in the front so you can actually see what a Dandylion would experience how you would see that in your home. But no one comes to visit me. If I was to be completely honest.
David Bradbury 21:50
Sounds like a challenge Sam, road trip.
Sam RG 21:51
Yeah, here we come.
David Bradbury 21:53
You want the deadstock to show up. We’re coming lady.
Ashley Farland 22:01
Yeah, so when people come they I do think they love it, though. They’re like, Oh, my God, this is happening. This was behind the Kenny’s drug in like Heinsburg, like there’s no one like believes that this is happening. But, it, no one really comes. So I do want to have our store. Like I would love to have a store. And that will come and you know, I’m sure but the the comm the Ecommerce is probably my driver right now. You know, I mean, that’s where I’m getting. It’s amazing, though, I get these orders. And I’m like, Huh, where’s that on the map? Like it’s…
David Bradbury 22:29
Isn’t it so cool. And that like your phone jingles?
Ashley Farland 22:31
It’s so much fun to wake up in the morning.
David Bradbury 22:33
And you’re like, oh an orders in right? And all your products are they designed to fit in a box of a certain size or weight just so it can go through what UPS whatever you shipped through is that?
Ashley Farland 22:44
I’m getting better at this. So I have the boxes like in the future. I want to have a dandy anyway, I want to have like standardized boxes. We’re getting better at figuring this one out. But yes, they all fit in. And it’s like, I try as much as possible to like have no dead space. And you know, like when it’s these kind of random objects, like the pottery that we have are like different. But the pillows that’s an easy one like those. And yeah, it’s amazing what we can get into a box.
David Bradbury 23:12
It’s like a really important, totally unsexy part of the business is figuring out that crap right? Yeah.
Sam RG 23:19
Interesting. Oh, Dave went straight to the boxes.
David Bradbury 23:22
Yeah, well, when I had a failed water cooler export company at one point, at one point and like finding, shpping the damn things were really a problem. So I know a lot more about box design. And yeah, I wish I was shipping a pillow instead of a $2,000 Water Cooler.
Ashley Farland 23:37
I bet you do.
Sam RG 23:38
So you’re what is the sort of breakdown of your sales now between like direct to consumer or…
Ashley Farland 23:46
Wholesale? So you know, b2b is definitely my leader. That’s what we that’s what we strategized. Yep. So we have. I just really picked ups, six new stores in Colorado. So that’s in there. Great. So that’s, and then I’m going to go out to California. I’m doing a road trip through New England. We have a really actually I probably can, can I announce it and we may have to take it out. But
Break 24:16
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Ashley Farland 24:56
Pampanoosuc Mills, I’m partnering with them and we’re gonna do a collaboration because we share the same ethos of like kind of really, truly heirloom quality. They care a lot that it’s made and you know, Vermonts specific. Yeah. If not US, and, and they’re just a high quality, 50 year old family.
David Bradbury 25:15
High quality, been around forever, I still can’t spell their name. So…
Ashley Farland 25:19
Me neither.
David Bradbury 25:19
Yeah okay, great.
Ashley Farland 25:21
I just call them Pampy. It’s what they call themselves. So I’m like, but that’s going to be pretty cool.
Sam RG 25:27
It’s really cool.
Ashley Farland 25:28
We will be in five of their showrooms. And we just, I went down there to visit them, and they’re super excited. They love the pillows. And so that’s going to be a really, I think, easy partnership, because it makes sense. Yeah. And so that’s, I’m excited because I don’t haven’t had a lot of representation locally, as much. So it’s like, that’s, that’s a great one. I have Burlington furniture. Yep. And I also have Stephanie Grace, who’s a ceramist, who kind of curates her showroom like in a beautiful art studio. And she only picks like five different brands that she outsides sources. So it really looks good with her hard goods. But um, but that’s it for Vermont. So like, it’s really been nice to have, you know, to have this Pampy.
David Bradbury 26:11
Do you have any partnerships on the fabric side? That makes you say, this is like, Oh, this is like Gucci’s fabric can you like…
Ashley Farland 26:20
Yeah.
David Bradbury 26:21
Really?
Ashley Farland 26:22
Well, I don’t have so I have direct for, I have direct with a couple of big companies that will not allow me to talk about it just because they don’t want to pretend they want to pretend like they don’t have deadstock. Or that. No, I’m just joking. No, actually, I think it’s an advantage to them to start getting in front of it. That’s what I keep saying to them. I’m like, let’s announce actually the fact that you’ve actually figured out your supply chain, and you’ve actually figured this out. But for now, I can’t announce them. But all of the fabric is certified that comes to me. So like Loro Piana, Zania, Catan. Those, I don’t get them straight from them, I get them from their tailors. But it all comes with their tags with their salvage line having that so it’s, you know, I buy it that way. So until they until they tell me I can’t. We’re moving forward with letting people know that that’s exactly it’s first tier. These truly runway brands that we work with. I love that. That’s pretty fun.
Sam RG 27:19
It’s really cool. And I think it’s such a good story for both brands. Right?
Ashley Farland 27:23
I think it’s a win. Yeah, I don’t see that where there’s any problem with the reality is there, it’s just it would be too much of a course correction for them to change their model. Yeah. And for them to figure out like how, you know, and we’re delivering their quality, the quality that they see, like their quality of, of material, we we elevate it, I think with the pillows, because they’re really well.
David Bradbury 27:47
It’s not any anything to their brand or anything like that. Yeah, that’s important.
Sam RG 27:52
So one of the things I want to talk about, as you’ve obviously made some really big sales, and I think that’s something that does not come naturally to a lot of founders, and it’s really scary. Can you talk a little bit about how you’ve made some of those big sales and what any tips or strategies you might have for other founders.
Ashley Farland 28:10
Sales is really challenging because people don’t respond to emails. Yeah. So I have to literally show up and just say, Hi, I actually wrote that email. And the other one too, don’t worry about it. I know everyone’s so busy.
Sam RG 28:23
With like a pillow under your arm?
Ashley Farland 28:25
With like hockey bags two hockey, I don’t usually come with the attack. I do the sneak attack. So I usually have them in my trunk. And I parked as close as possible. And I introduce myself and so I actually have them right here. So then we like then they’re like, She’s not going anywhere.
David Bradbury 28:39
I love it. You’re so right. I mean electronics are easy to ignore. Yeah.
Ashley Farland 28:46
So yeah, so that’s how we’ve secured the sales. I get on that road. I mean, I really I just came back from Colorado, I was burning it up. But in this I zero in on the stores that I think are a good fit. And and then I just get in front of them. And then when they see the product, yeah, I actually I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a no that, you know, not to sound arrogant, but like it’s…
David Bradbury 29:07
Would you sell for some of our tech portfolio company?
Ashley Farland 29:11
100%. Yeah, I actually think that our suiting material should go into like, I’m like, how do we get in front of like Tesla, or Rivian? Or like the showroom where like, we can actually get those pillows in there like just the showroom just to like, because there’s people who actually wear the suits in the past, typically more than me, like, I want to connect a dot with people who actually resonates with them that they used to wear these suits. Oh, how cute. Now they’re turned into homes and not cute, but like, you know, I mean, like how, like, you know, it’s…
David Bradbury 29:39
Well, Kimball and Elon, listen to the podcast regularly, I’m sure so.
Ashley Farland 29:44
I just think it would be such a fun thing to see in a corporate setting, like these pillowqs should just start showing up at some of these. I don’t care if it’s a bank. I don’t care but it’s like it’s so such an obvious connection and sometimes the suits really like it’s such a great, they’re so beautiful as a home textile. But like, we’ll see, to be continued. I’ll let you guys know when we land the place, the Tesla showrooms.
Sam RG 30:11
I have no doubt.
Ashley Farland 30:12
You have to dream that way. What’s that saying is if you’re not if people don’t laugh at your dreams, that you’re not dreaming large enough, but it’s like, that’s the truth. I mean, I think that when people hear me like, where I want to go with things, some people are like, that’s pretty lofty. I mean, like, why wouldn’t you go there,
David Bradbury 30:28
You come across as pretty undeniable, right? Which is like a really…
Sam RG 30:31
Dave is going to walk out of here with a…
David Bradbury 30:33
No I’m getting a pillow, I want a startup pillow. Like one you can cry into, sleep at night, you know, like.
Ashley Farland 30:40
Well we guarantee one side of that pillow is always soft enough to lay your head on. That’s what I’m, that’s another thing that I literally insist on. Like, one side has to be layable. Because that’s the problem that most men say like, my wife does great job decorating, but like, man, they’re uncomfortable,
David Bradbury 30:57
Scratchy or rough.
Ashley Farland 30:59
I’m like, just turn that baby upside down. You got the you know, 70% cashmere 30% silk velvet on the cheekbones.
Sam RG 31:08
Don’t mind if I do, yeah, right. Um, you mentioned selling your house at one point, which I feel like is a good segue into how have you funded this business? Have you just bootstrapped the whole thing?
Ashley Farland 31:19
Oh, it’s a complete bootstrap. Like I cook. I teach a cooking class on Mondays, and I live in his house for free. Amazing, it’s amazing. It’s a funny story. I mean, literally, it’s almost it’s sad enough. But actually pretty funny, like, so this guy, and he’s the dearest friend. But he goes, while we were cooking. And he was like, I mean, if you want to just do this as a paper, I love the barter thing in Vermont, because that’s. So that’s literally everything has been so bootstrapped. You wouldn’t even believe it. Like I don’t even and then I have the most amazing people from the state that helped me. So like Heidi Krantz. And Scott Halston. And I can give you a bunch of people.
David Bradbury 32:05
That that Vermont, small business development center.
Ashley Farland 32:08
Oh my god they don’t kind of help me. So like, I have truly talented resources, who are helping me with this business. Who reach, who meet me once a week, and we like really do deep dives into like, strategy plays. So I’m not paying for that. Yeah. You know, I live for free. My rent is pretty controlled in Hinesburg. Yeah, stuff. It’s, you know, a little bit behind the scenes, but it’s, you know, I’m really doing things. My car is as simple as that. I mean, I’m really doing things for the greater good of like getting this business up. Because I don’t want an investor who’s going to be doing widgets like I don’t want, we’re not ready for that. But we have some serious people are really looking at this business right now. So that’s in the future,
David Bradbury 32:54
Well given how do you describe how big you want to make it or the potential needs? Yeah, you’ll need that.
Sam RG 33:01
Can, Can you talk a little bit more specifically about Heidi and Scott, and like, how you found and reach out to them and what that relationship has been like, because I think that’s one of the things that Dave and I kind of harp on with entrepreneurs is like, go use these free resources that are available.
Ashley Farland 33:16
The talent of Vermont is incredible. So I found them. So Embrace was the first grant that I received, the only grant I’ve received. But that was John Greegaly. And he connected me with Heidi, and Heidi, and I, I think she thought that I was like, whoa, this girl’s got a lot of ideas. But there’s, but then I think that she saw that my drive was so see, I was so serious about it, that she was like, Okay, I’ll take notice, you know, and then she just, she came to my showroom, and she was like, you are really onto something. And so she really decided to like hone in, but like, the Vermont resources, like if you meet them, they will meet you on a level that you haven’t you can’t even imagine how good our our Vermont resources and they’re free. It’s like, so I feel like I am getting grants.
David Bradbury 34:07
And I love that about Vermont. I mean, our size is our advantage, that sense of community, right? We all pass each other on the same roads over and over and over and the access to to leaders and people with specific skills and expertise. Just pay it forward. Because maybe we all have kids that want to work here someday, or we need a more vibrant place. And I think that’s just again, it’s our superpower.
Ashley Farland 34:33
It really is in people don’t quite understand it. And then when you really see it, you’re like, wow, Vermont is there’s so many extraordinary people living among us. It was amazing. Yeah, yeah.
Sam RG 34:45
Tell us about that one.
Ashley Farland 34:46
I’m like anyone that has a business that’s starting. I’m like, get into Launch VT. I was telling my friend Paula, I was like you got to get in next year. Do not forget because it helped me so much. I mean, I still work with Steve Redman. But he’s you You know, that’s, uh, he gifted me, that’s another thing. So like these people out of nowhere will do these inkind things because they’re like, I believe in what you’re doing. And I want to, like, get you to that next level. But that’s like the Vermont spirit. I really think that even the people that like, I don’t know if they can or can’t afford, it doesn’t really matter, because like, they’re doing it here. I mean, it’s like some of these people really can’t afford it like some other people. And they just generously give. But ya Launch VT was incredible, because they actually gave me a pool. I mean, I’m here today. Because someone, I met at Launch VT. And he connected me to you guys, because, you know, but it’s like the the resources here and the people that donate their time, and they really believe in that program, and they really want to see you because it’s, it’s daunting. There’s so many things to figure out when you’re, when you’re starting a business.
David Bradbury 35:53
And you’re doing it as a solopreneur.
Ashley Farland 35:56
I’m like dying to partner.
David Bradbury 35:58
Do you have a pet or something? Can they go over shipping, or?
Ashley Farland 36:03
Oh, totally.wWouldn’t that be great?
Sam RG 36:05
Oh, man, train him up.
Ashley Farland 36:07
Yeah.
Sam RG 36:08
Um, can you talk a little bit about the growth of your company? And how like, what’s your you’re talking about dreaming big here. So like, what is the end goal? Give us your kind of vision for what this company looks like in a few years?
Ashley Farland 36:21
Well, Ralph Lauren started with a necktie. So I, you know, I’m starting with the pillow. That’s our kind of slogan, my mind. Yeah. So I mean, I see he tackles I mean, I don’t want to follow all of the things that they’ve done. But it’s not that they’re, I mean, it’s just I, I think that we can go to the whole home division, I think we can truly be a lifestyle brand. I don’t see why we don’t tackle all of the soft goods within a home, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, living room, like all of the spaces, imagine all the soft goods that we could actually do internally. And then I think, you know, doing, doing clothing. I mean, I think the dandy look couldn’t be and I think we should actually hit the globe, on, you know, where we can, I mean, yes, I want to be international, like I really don’t see this as just being a US company. And we were already national. So I really think that we can definitely go big and do soft textiles. And then the areas where I don’t care to explore would be like, we have this beautiful leather company that I think I love the way that they produce, manufacture. And they do a great job. So I don’t even want to touch that. Like just use Sololuna and then my friend Eric Bonner, who does the ceramic,s until he can’t handle the volume. I mean, I just like that certain people are great at what they do. Matt Rana maybe he’ll do our slippers. But you know what I mean? Like things I don’t think that we’ll ever tackle, because there’s other artists that do it. So well. Yep, that I really liked that. Because then it brings in the artistry and it brings in like so. I don’t desire to be one of these companies that we do everything. But I do think that we can actually capture all of the soft textiles. I mean, right now I’ve been, yesterday I was meeting with someone about doing this fire bag, like like, like a little fire. Oh, yeah. Carrying bag and working with Sololuna on doing like the the carrying thing that you know. So there’s, there’s things that I’m trying to, like get outside of just doing a pillow. But for right now, I think we I keep getting told by the mentors, that we have to stay in our lane, and we have to get known for pillows, and be really known for our quality. And then we can keep growing. I want to grow now
Sam RG 38:29
Go narrow and deep.
Ashley Farland 38:30
Cut narrow and deep. Yeah. So that’s what I keep. And I’m just listening to them.
David Bradbury 38:35
Yeah, I mean, cause I mean, you’d have to scale your team and organization. And that’s a whole other one learning curve. If you haven’t done it before, but you’ve managed people clearly before, it might require a little bit of capital from a bank or you might have to sell the Subaru someday, but..
Ashley Farland 38:55
Never ever.
David Bradbury 38:56
Never right?
Ashley Farland 38:58
My mechanic told me he was like, this is a really nice one, it’s really good under the hood and everything. I was like, great.
David Bradbury 39:03
Some of the best advice I’ve ever given out here at VCET was, the team when Next Capital started, they recruited a young engineer and she came up from the city and their first question was, there’s no public transportation here. Like, where do I go for a car and what do I want? And I’m like Subaru right down the street. There you go. It was awesome.
Ashley Farland 39:24
I’m a believer now.
Sam RG 39:26
They’re the best.
Ashley Farland 39:28
They really are.
Sam RG 39:28
Yeah.
David Bradbury 39:30
Okay.
Sam RG 39:31
It’s time
David Bradbury 39:32
it’s time. Magic Wand time. That’s gonna say pretend like you have superpowers, but you’re, you’re almost there. Okay, so if you could change one thing in Vermont with your magic wand, what would you change?
Ashley Farland 39:50
Taxes. They’re so hard. They’re so big. It’s really expensive state to operate in. I also would like to have more I mean, if there are a lot of grants out there, I haven’t found them, you know, so I mean, but that’s just selfishly, like I like, like… That’s fine. But I think taxes are really tough. I really would like for us to figure out, and also, you know, and sorry, but like Burlington right now is just, it’s really sad to see what’s going on, you know, it’s just, it’s driving out businesses it’s really, we have to figure out internally, what we’re, how we’re going to fix this epidemic that I mean, this is really a problem. You know, it’s, it’s sad, you know, and I would like to, I mean, there’s a lot of things that I’d like to see, but I am pretty proud of Vermont. I really love that. You know, we’re one of the only states that didn’t vote for Trump. I mean, I shouldn’t talk politics, but I think that’s awesome. You know, so I mean, You are gonna have to edit a lot.
David Bradbury 40:46
It’s your time talk about what you want.
Sam RG 40:51
No.
Ashley Farland 40:52
But you know, I don’t know, Vermont’s doing a lot of good things. It’s just I am sad about the city. I am sad. It is true about the public transportation. It’s really it’s, it’s it’s difficult and with more people moving in and with more…
David Bradbury 41:06
Small population things are sometimes tough. Yeah, for that.
Ashley Farland 41:11
But we’re doing a lot of things right here. So…
Sam RG 41:14
More of that stuff.
David Bradbury 41:16
Awesome. Ashley, thank you so much for sharing. Feels like the first couple innings of this journey right?
Sam RG 41:23
I really want to like up my softgoods game now.
David Bradbury 41:27
Do you want to go sewing class?
Sam RG 41:29
Yeah I kind of do.
David Bradbury 41:29
Maybe that’s our next team retreat.
Sam RG 41:30
All right.
Ashley Farland 41:32
Perfect.
David Bradbury 41:32
Can you imagine like I like…
Sam RG 41:34
Don’t let me near any of your fabric though. I need to start on like burlap.
Ashley Farland 41:39
I shouldn’t have let myself near some of this fabric in the very beginning. I was like when I think about the mutil, you know like how I mutilized this stuff I was like, oh my god like I wish I still had fabric, yeah. totally.
Sam RG 41:51
Yeah.
Ashley Farland 41:52
But now I’m super precious.
David Bradbury 41:54
Great. Thank you. This has been Start Here, a podcast sharing the stories of active, aspiring, and accidental entrepreneurs. This series is supported by the Vermont Technology Council and Consolidated Communications. Let’s go stitch!
