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Post Some Love Small Business Podcast | Glaze Fire Interview
This week on the Post Some Love podcast, Steve Strauss interviews Mary Loveless of Glaze Fire, a paint-your-own pottery studio bringing creativity to Los Feliz. Listen to her story and the importance of positive online reviews.
Celebrating Small Business
We’ve collected some of our best articles and interviews to celebrate Small Business Month. Learn more about social media strategy, customer acquisition and listen to our new podcasts to help your business thrive.
Watch our Facebook Q&A: How to get more positive online reviews
Listen to our SBC Contributor and “Queen of Facebook” Mari Smith discuss the world of online reviews: how to win positive ones, how to navigate pesky bad ones and more.
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There are many instances where declining business can be beneficial to the growth of a small business. In her latest video, Carol Roth details three circumstances where saying no is saying yes – to a… (Show moreShow less)
There are many instances where declining business can be beneficial to the growth of a small business. In her latest video, Carol Roth details three circumstances where saying no is saying yes – to a… (Show moreShow less)in General BusinessLike (0)
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diane thisell, arrangr, zab3qw!, teknnika, specialdevents, conroy.salmon, collinsjordan, and cliffordwillis updated avatars:
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Make this your first stop for answers to your questions, resources, and options for Credit and Lending for your business. I've bookmarked the page for future reference. Resource Center: Credit… (Show moreShow less)
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Credit and Lending Collection: Credit insight for every step of your business journey. Our library of resources below can assist you whether you’re applying for credit for the first time, trying to… (Show moreShow less)in Credit & LendingLike (0)
Matters Most
Successful entrepreneurs know that the ability to adapt to challenges is key to their success. There may be no better example of successfully pivoting your business than that of my friends, Wally and… (Show moreShow less)
Successful entrepreneurs know that the ability to adapt to challenges is key to their success. There may be no better example of successfully pivoting your business than that of my friends, Wally and… (Show moreShow less)in General BusinessLike (0)
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Hey, Six years ago, I bought a condo by securing a mortgage from a nearby credit union. During that period, I had a job in a multinational firm based in Ontario. So, it wasn't a difficult task… (Show moreShow less)
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Thank you so much, Ani! I hope others would come up with great ideas and suggestions!
Is your business affected by seasonal tourism? Do you take steps to be sure you're prepared for the summer tourist season? Expert Rieva Lesonsky brings us another great article with some of the… (Show moreShow less)
in General BusinessLike (0)
You may have heard the term "slash careers," where people work with two types of careers. A slash career means that you have a day job that brings in most of your income, but have a second job or… (Show moreShow less)
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This is a great post! I've never heard the term "slash careers. I agree, it can be very fulfilling to have a second, completely separate, career. When I was younger I ran lights for a semi-local band…
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Make this your first stop for answers to your questions, resources, and options for Credit and Lending for your business. I've bookmarked the page for future reference. Resource Center: Credit and Lending Have you previously...
Make this your first stop for answers to your questions, resources, and options for Credit and Lending for your business. I've bookmarked the page for future reference.
Resource Center: Credit and Lending
Have you previously explored any of the resources listed on that page? Feel free to share your experience and insight with the community.
--Lisa
Hey, Six years ago, I bought a condo by securing a mortgage from a nearby credit union. During that period, I had a job in a multinational firm based in Ontario. So, it wasn't a difficult task for me to pay the monthly bill. The...
Hey,
Six years ago, I bought a condo by securing a mortgage from a nearby credit union. During that period, I had a job in a multinational firm based in Ontario. So, it wasn't a difficult task for me to pay the monthly bill. The situations changed so quickly and I lost my job. I'm planning to consolidate my debts so that it would help me to reduce the monthly payments.
Debt consolidation could help in combining several unsecured debts including credit cards, bills and other mortgages. I have heard about a few professionals and bankruptcy trustees in Toronto offering consultation on debt consolidation. What are the documents needed for debt consolidation? If you know something related to this, please let me know!
Is your business affected by seasonal tourism? Do you take steps to be sure you're prepared for the summer tourist season? Expert Rieva Lesonsky brings us another great article with some of the things we can do to make sure we're ready for the...
Is your business affected by seasonal tourism? Do you take steps to be sure you're prepared for the summer tourist season? Expert Rieva Lesonsky brings us another great article with some of the things we can do to make sure we're ready for the influx of business the more pleasant weather is sure to bring.
8 Steps to Prepare Your Business for Summer Tourists
Enjoy!
--Lisa
You may have heard the term "slash careers," where people work with two types of careers. A slash career means that you have a day job that brings in most of your income, but have a second job or self-employment gig that also brings in revenue....
You may have heard the term "slash careers," where people work with two types of careers.
A slash career means that you have a day job that brings in most of your income, but have a second job or self-employment gig that also brings in revenue.
For instance I once knew a highly-regarded professor who also played in a Greek band on weekends. He played at weddings, funerals and parties.
He effectively lived in two worlds. His bandmates didn't really understand his academic job. His academics barely realized his musical talent.
Bank of America Business Advantage Small Business Community contributor Mari Smith will host a Twitter Chat on Tuesday (5/22) from 4:30-5:30pm ET, about connecting with your community through social media. Be sure to follow Mari at Mari...
Bank of America Business Advantage Small Business Community contributor Mari Smith will host a Twitter Chat on Tuesday (5/22) from 4:30-5:30pm ET, about connecting with your community through social media. Be sure to follow Mari at Mari Smith Ⓜ️ Top Facebook Marketing Expert (@MariSmith) on Twitter and join her and other Bank of America Small Business Community experts for this great discussion! You won't want to miss this opportunity to learn about Social Media strategies that will help you start and/or grow your small business.
How do you use social media to connect with your community? We'd love to hear what has worked (and hasn't worked) for you and your business.
Cheers,
-Rebecca
Expert Karen Harrison brings us proven tips for improving or protecting your cash flow. Remember, improving your cash flow can increase your profit margins because you won't have to take advantage of available credit. The 5 Strategies for...
Expert Karen Harrison brings us proven tips for improving or protecting your cash flow. Remember, improving your cash flow can increase your profit margins because you won't have to take advantage of available credit.
The 5 Strategies for Improving Cash Flow Management
Enjoy!
--Lisa
In Kentucky, where coal was the main industry for decades, a new seed of hope is growing in a post-coal era. The Appalachian Comeback Story: How an Agricultural Startup Plans to Revitalize Coal Country Enjoy! --Lisa
In Kentucky, where coal was the main industry for decades, a new seed of hope is growing in a post-coal era.
The Appalachian Comeback Story: How an Agricultural Startup Plans to Revitalize Coal Country
Enjoy!
--Lisa
A Q&A column in Forbes online introduced a dilemma from a mid-career manager. He's applying for a job in a city. He lives 45 miles away. He doesn't mind the commute. He'd be willing to move closer to the city, once he gets a job. But employers...
A Q&A column in Forbes online introduced a dilemma from a mid-career manager.
He's applying for a job in a city. He lives 45 miles away. He doesn't mind the commute. He'd be willing to move closer to the city, once he gets a job.
But employers are leery of hiring him. They fear he'll be delayed by snow and ice. And they wonder,
"Why would anyone want to live out in the middle of nowhere?"
The columnist, Liz Ryan, provided a good solution. Get a PO Box in the city and use that as your address.
You'll get very little correspondence by surface mail anyway. Nowadays it's all email, text and phone.
If asked, "Where do you live?" the applicant can say, "I'm staying in the suburbs for now. When I get a new job, I'll decide where to live."
He's being truthful. He's just not disclosing personal information.
Interesting solution, LUCKIEST
Tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm ET/12:30 PT our very own Small Business Community contributor Mari Smith will be hosting a Facebook Live event on her Facebook page. Mari will answer your questions about how to win positive reviews from your...
Tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm ET/12:30 PT our very own Small Business Community contributor Mari Smith will be hosting a Facebook Live event on her Facebook page. Mari will answer your questions about how to win positive reviews from your customers. You can participate and join in the discussion at: Mari Smith - Home | Facebook .
You won't want to miss this great opportunity to learn more about how to grow your business through quality customer reviews. What’s the best review you’ve received from a customer? We'd love for your to share them with the community!
Cheers,
-Rebecca
Here in the US, many of us are celebrating Mother's Day. Hope yours is a good one! However, you'll keep peace in the family when you separate business from personal, almost always. LUCKIEST
Here in the US, many of us are celebrating Mother's Day. Hope yours is a good one!
However, you'll keep peace in the family when you separate business from personal, almost always.
LUCKIEST
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There are many instances where declining business can be beneficial to the growth of a small business. In her latest video, Carol Roth details three circumstances where saying no is saying yes – to a healthy bottom line. ...
There are many instances where declining business can be beneficial to the growth of a small business. In her latest video, Carol Roth details three circumstances where saying no is saying yes – to a healthy bottom line.
Transcript:
Hey it’s Carol Roth, and I want to talk to you today about the best time to turn away business. Now, as an entrepreneur you are probably always chasing that almighty dollar, but unfortunately, chasing cash is not a business strategy. So if you want to grow your business, here are the times that you should say no and actually turn away business.
The first time is when somebody won't pay you what your worth. You obviously have a rate that you’ve set based on what you think your value is, what the market thinks your value is, your time, your experience, your skill set, your network. If somebody is not willing to pay you, especially as an established business, anywhere near what your rate is then feel free to walk away. It gives you that opportunity and that time to go find clients who will pay you what your worth.
The next time you should turn down business is when somebody is asking you to do something that isn’t core to your mission and strategy. You should have a goal and a benchmark for everything that you do. And certainly sometimes clients offer cash to do other things, but if that’s not aligned with what your business is doing or where you want it to go, then again say no in order for you to have that opportunity to grow your business.
And then the last time you should say no is when something turns out to be a time suck, or at least when you assume it will be a time suck, even if somebody is willing to pay your rate. If you know that it is going to take you ten times as long as it would take you with another client to do the same thing, well, that is probably on a per hour basis and is not the right dollar amount for your time. Something is going to be so time consuming and so painful for you as a business owner, then again, just say no.
Now, I know it’s hard as a business owner to turn down business, but if you want to make room for those new opportunities, you have to learn to just say no. So, join me in turning down the things that aren’t relevant and start pursuing the things that are.
About Carol Roth
Carol Roth is the creator of the Future File ® legacy planning system, “recovering” investment banker, billion-dollar dealmaker, investor, entrepreneur, national media personality and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Entrepreneur Equation. She is a judge on the Mark Burnett-produced technology competition show, America’s Greatest Makers and TV host and contributor, including host of Microsoft’s Office Small Business Academy. She is also an advisor to companies ranging from startups to major multi-national corporations and has an action figure made in her own likeness.
Web: www.CarolRoth.com or Twitter: @CarolJSRoth.
You can read more articles from Carol Roth by clicking here
Bank of America, N.A. engages with Carol Roth to provide informational materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Carol Roth is a registered trademark, used pursuant to license. The third parties within articles are used under license from Carol Roth. Consult your financial, legal and accounting advisors, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.
Credit and Lending Collection: Credit insight for every step of your business journey. Our library of resources below can assist you whether you’re applying for credit for the first time, trying to build it or looking for a fresh start.
Credit and Lending Collection: Credit insight for every step of your business journey.
Our library of resources below can assist you whether you’re applying for credit for the first time, trying to build it or looking for a fresh start.
Successful entrepreneurs know that the ability to adapt to challenges is key to their success. There may be no better example of successfully pivoting your business than that of my friends, Wally and Adam Rizza. It started in 1995, when a...
Successful entrepreneurs know that the ability to adapt to challenges is key to their success. There may be no better example of successfully pivoting your business than that of my friends, Wally and Adam Rizza.
It started in 1995, when a branch from my next-door neighbor’s tree broke my window. The family sent one of their sons, Wally Rizza, a quiet 20-year-old, to do the repairs.
Wally asked what I did. I told him I was the editor of Entrepreneur magazine. Several weeks later, Wally asked me to help him apply to open a kiosk selling sunglasses at one of the country’s first entertailment (yes, that’s what they called it) complexes, the Irvine Spectrum, in Irvine, Calif. 
By November 1995, he’d started a company, Sunscape, and opened that kiosk. A week later, Wally’s 15-year-old brother, Adam, started working there—for free. Within the month, Wally made the high schooler a partner. A pattern emerged: Wally scouted new locations and opportunities, and Adam managed the kiosks.
In just a few years, they had 23 kiosks across Southern California, at hot spots like Universal City and Downtown Disney. Sales were good; profits were so-so. One reason: Wally was buying products from middlemen in Los Angeles. I told him they’d never make real money unless they went to China to buy direct.
Despite having no connections and little access to information (this was early in the age of the internet), Wally headed to an eyewear trade show in Hong Kong, where he heard about Wenzhou, an “eyewear town” in China. He immediately headed there, checked into an “Americanized” hotel, where he met Sunny, whose job entailed hanging out in hotel lobbies, waiting for entrepreneurs to check in. Sunny connected him to a factory where Sunscape still does business today.
“China is [now] much easier for competitors to access,” Adam says, recalling that initial journey. “Anyone can be an importer these days. You don’t even need to go to China. You can find suppliers online, using resources like Alibaba.com.”
From Retail to Wholesale
Importing directly from China improved Sunscape’s margins and profits. Then came 9/11. As the retail market started collapsing, the brothers realized they had to pivot to survive, and they began exploring wholesaling.
One day in 2002, the three of us visited a local mall to scope out stores catering to the junior market. “You need to be in every one of these stores,” I told them. “I have no idea how to make that happen, but you need to figure it out.”
They met a broker specializing in junior chains, and she got them into Claire’s, a store for tweens and teens. Other clients quickly followed, including well-known brands such as Urban Outfitters, Limited Too (now Justice), and Hot Topic. Directing all their efforts towards wholesaling fashion-forward, affordable sunglasses for teenagers, Wally, now chairman, and Adam, now president, got their products into Tilly’s, PacSun, and Nordstrom.
A Vision for Success
In 2008, the Great Recession created another speed bump: Teens weren’t spending as much. Pivoting yet again, the Rizzas targeted the military, getting their products on PX bases around the world. They also realized that while fashion sunglasses are never a necessity, reading glasses are. In 2012, they began targeting the 40+ market, selling readers into mass market stores like CVS and to the U.S. military.
In 2013, Adam said, “We realized we needed to diversify and added tech accessories, such as phone cases, cables and chargers to our merchandise mix.” But the following year, just as the tech side of the business was taking off, a longshoremen’s strike shut down Los Angeles Harbor. Sunscape products sat on ships with no personnel to unload them. The strike lasted through the lucrative holiday shopping season, preventing Sunscape from delivering $500,000 worth of seasonal merchandise. They later had to offload the goods at deep discounts.
For a small company, losing a half million dollars in sales is devastating—and demoralizing. But you have to soldier on. For 2018, their initial goals were to focus on the B2B market, and sell to club stores like Costco. But, as true entrepreneurs, Adam says, “We realized we needed to pivot again. When you max out your distribution channels, you need to create new ones.”
Instead of abandoning the B2C market, they embraced it, launching Sunbox, a “sunscription” company, where consumers can subscribe and get a reusable box of sunglasses or readers delivered monthly. “As the population ages,” Adam says, “readers will become a bigger part of the business.”
Eyes on the Horizon
Although they ship 3 – 5 million units a year, Adam says, “that’s still not enough.” For years their online presence has been minimal. Though Sunscape has an active Instagram account, they plan to build a better website and create a presence on Amazon.
Though he’s a Gen X’er, the 38-year-old single dad thinks like a millennial. Social causes are important to him. “My long-term goal is to build a solid brand and give back to the community. I plan to work half my life and spend the rest giving back.”
Despite the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial life, Adam says, he wouldn’t change a thing. “There’s nothing more exciting than being an entrepreneur,” he says. “As Reid Hoffman [cofounder of LinkedIn] says, ‘We jump off a cliff, and build a plane as we’re falling.’ What could be better than that?”
Read more interviews of small business owners:
NAWBO CEO, Jen Earle, Leads the Way to a New Era of Opportunity for Women Business Owners
6 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from the NFL’s First Female Coach
About Rieva Lesonsky
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO and Co-founder of GrowBiz Media, a custom content and media company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship, and the blog SmallBizDaily.com. A nationally known speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, Rieva has been covering America’s entrepreneurs for more than 30 years. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was the long-time Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. Lesonsky has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and numerous local and national television programs, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Martha Stewart Show and Oprah.
Lesonsky regularly writes about small business for numerous websites and for corporations targeting entrepreneurs. Many organizations have recognized Lesonsky for her tireless devotion to helping entrepreneurs. She served on the Small Business Administration’s National Advisory Council for six years, was honored by the SBA as a Small Business Media Advocate and a Woman in Business Advocate, and received the prestigious Lou Campanelli award from SCORE. She is a long-time member of the Business Journalists Hall of Fame.
Web: www.growbizmedia.com or Twitter: @Rieva
You can read more articles from Rieva Lesonsky by clicking here
Bank of America, N.A. engages with Rieva Lesonsky to provide informational materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Rieva Lesonsky is a registered trademark, used pursuant to license. The third parties within articles are used under license from Rieva Lesonsky. Consult your financial, legal and accounting advisors, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.
Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. ©2017 Bank of America Corporation
Is your business in an area that attracts a lot of summer tourists? Lodging and car services aren’t the only businesses that can benefit from tourism. Almost any entrepreneur can market to out-of-town vacationers—the secret is advance...
Is your business in an area that attracts a lot of summer tourists? Lodging and car services aren’t the only businesses that can benefit from tourism. Almost any entrepreneur can market to out-of-town vacationers—the secret is advance planning. Here are eight steps to prepare your business for a profitable tourist season.
1. Create a forecast. Review last tourist season’s sales, and research economic and tourism trends in your area – among your target tourists. For example, the U.S. Travel Association’s monthly U.S. Travel Outlook says the majority of travelers looking for hotels are planning to stay in the Southeast and West — good news if your business is in Florida or California. If your region typically attracts foreign tourists, a favorable exchange rate for them could mean more visitors for you. With these estimates in hand, you’ll be better able to budget and plan for tourist season. 
2. Schedule staffing. When targeting tourists as customers, you only have one chance to make a good impression. If you expect to be busier than normal during tourist season, be sure to plan for adequate staff—or expect tourists to head for your competitors instead. Start advertising for temporary tourist season hires, or work with a temporary staffing agency to get staff on board and up-to-speed before the season hits in earnest.
3. Plan your marketing campaign. Based on your target customers, identify the best places to put your marketing dollars, and create a detailed marketing calendar. Start with monthly activities, and then break it down into weekly and daily activities (such as number of social media posts per day). This calendar will ensure you don’t miss any opportunities to promote your company, no matter how hectic business gets.
4. Get social. Engage with social media travel influencers that your target tourists follow. If they share or retweet your social media posts, their audience just might check you out. Writing or sharing blog posts about fun things to do in your city is another great way to attract travelers’ attention.
Related: The Small Business Owner's Guide to Social Media
5. Review your reviews. Online ratings and reviews are major factors in tourists' decisions. If your business is listed on Yelp, TripAdvisor or local review sites, check your reviews to make sure they’re current, and respond to any poor reviews. It’s also a good idea to acknowledge positive reviews, as well. If you’re not on these sites, now is the time to get listed and encourage reviews from regular customers to build your reputation among travelers.
Related: How to Boost Positive Online Reviews for Your Business – And Deal with Those Pesky Bad Ones
6. Update your local search listings, website and online presence. What’s the first thing you do when you visit a new city? Chances are you grab your smartphone to look up the best restaurants, bars, tourist sites and stores. Make sure your business is listed on local search directories, with current and accurate information. Add any information that will especially appeal to tourists, such as local menu specialties at your restaurant, or guided tours of local sites. Using location-related keywords in your website content, online ads and search listings helps your business show up in online searches.
Related: Why Local SEO Matters More Than Ever (and 4 Steps to Success)
7. Check the calendar. Do big events in your area draw lots of tourists? Check a calendar of upcoming events and reach out to the organizers to see how you can get involved. Whether you sell products at a booth, sponsor the event or give out free samples, you’ll find plenty of ways to promote your business.
8. Partner up. Joining forces with other businesses that benefit from the tourist season, such as hotels, restaurants, shuttle services or guided tours, exposes your business to their tourist customers as well. Create a mutually beneficial marketing plan that you and your partner businesses can employ to boost everyone’s sales.
Taking these steps now will hopefully lead to a more profitable tourist season this summer. Do you own a retail business? Check out my top hacks for retailers to profit from summer tourists.
About Rieva Lesonsky
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO and Co-founder of GrowBiz Media, a custom content and media company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship, and the blog SmallBizDaily.com. A nationally known speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, Rieva has been covering America’s entrepreneurs for more than 30 years. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was the long-time Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. Lesonsky has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and numerous local and national television programs, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Martha Stewart Show and Oprah.
Lesonsky regularly writes about small business for numerous websites and for corporations targeting entrepreneurs. Many organizations have recognized Lesonsky for her tireless devotion to helping entrepreneurs. She served on the Small Business Administration’s National Advisory Council for six years, was honored by the SBA as a Small Business Media Advocate and a Woman in Business Advocate, and received the prestigious Lou Campanelli award from SCORE. She is a long-time member of the Business Journalists Hall of Fame.
Web: www.growbizmedia.com or Twitter: @Rieva
You can read more articles from Rieva Lesonsky by clicking here
Bank of America, N.A. engages with Rieva Lesonsky to provide informational materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Rieva Lesonsky is a registered trademark, used pursuant to license. The third parties within articles are used under license from Rieva Lesonsky. Consult your financial, legal and accounting advisors, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.
Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. ©2017 Bank of America Corporation
Better relationships. Better Business. We’re celebrating Small Business Month. During Small Business Month, we’re focused on helping you make more meaningful connections with your customers and your community. That’s why...
Better relationships. Better Business. We’re celebrating Small Business Month.
During Small Business Month, we’re focused on helping you make more meaningful connections with your customers and your community. That’s why we’ve pulled together some of our best articles and interviews with fellow entrepreneurs about social media strategy and other topics to help your business. Be sure to check back on this page throughout the month as we add new ideas to improve sales, generate loyalty and build a stronger community connection.
This week on the Post Some Love podcast, Steve Strauss interviews Mary Loveless of Glaze Fire, a paint-your-own pottery studio bringing creativity to Los Feliz. Listen to her story and the importance of positive online reviews. Post Some...
This week on the Post Some Love podcast, Steve Strauss interviews Mary Loveless of Glaze Fire, a paint-your-own pottery studio bringing creativity to Los Feliz. Listen to her story and the importance of positive online reviews.
Post Some Love: Glaze Fire Podcast Transcript
Steve Strauss: When you get a review that is less than stellar, does it make you contact the person?
Mary Loveless: I’ve only gotten three.
Steve Strauss: You've only gotten three. Well that says a lot about you.
Mary Loveless: And I can like recite verbatim all of them to you probably right now.
Steve Strauss: So, obviously, your reviews are important to your business.
Mary Loveless: Of course.
Steve Strauss: Hi, I'm Steve Strauss, U.S.A. Today's senior small business columnist and author of the Small Business Bible and you're listening to the “Post Some Love” series on the Bank of America's small business podcast. This is the series where we speak with small business owners about their journey and share some of their great customer reviews. I am delighted to welcome to the show Mary Loveless, co-owner of Glaze Fire to the “Post Some Love” series. Glaze Fire is a paint-your-own pottery studio created by cousins Mary and Sara Loveless. Now nearing its third year in business, Glaze Fire is infusing creativity and individuality into their Los Feliz community in Los Angeles. They play host to countless birthday parties, baby showers, girls’ night out, that kind of thing, but also to families and first dates and celebrities as well as, these days, a younger crowd looking for a creative release. This is an artistic boutique and, as evidenced by their online reviews, which we will get to and share some today, the studio and the business seems to be as hot as their kiln. So, Mary welcome to the show. Great to have you.
Mary Loveless: Thank you. Thank you so much.
Steve Strauss: So, why don't we started beginning? How did you get started? How did you decide to start this business and what's your background such that, you know, this is what you wanted to do?
Mary Loveless: I went to art school. So, business kind of is not part of the curriculum. I did take one course called entrepreneurship and I, at the time, was like, this won't apply to me. I won’t need this.
Steve Strauss: Famous last words, right?
Mary Loveless: Exactly. So, like most Los Angeles people, I kind of did a little of this, a little of that all in an artistic kind of realm, you know, drawing menus on chalkboards fancy restaurants calligraphy on invitations, just random things, art instruction for children was a big part of that and, just over time, got tired of hustling and hoping I sold a painting every month and, instead, needed something a little more steady. So, as far as small businesses go, this one is at least still in my pocket. We're still doing art, yeah.
Steve Strauss: Do you have an entrepreneurial background at all? Does it run in the family? Did your parents do it or not?
Mary Loveless: Yes, in college too, I mean, my first kind of money making schemes were art instruction for kids’ camps and, you know, kind of babysitting on the next level and I did that in college and would support my work-study with that kind of work and my dad left his lucrative, steady job and started his own firm, which was a risk, when we were young and I remember it being like a ‘hope it works’ kind of thing but, yeah, I guess nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Steve Strauss: Mary, I'm wondering if you could tell us about how you teamed up with your cousin and what each of you brings to the partnership and to the business.
Mary Loveless: So, Sara was kind of a Hail Mary pass for me. My original business partner in this enterprise chickened out once it looked like it was all going to happen and left me in Limbo and I called Sara and was like, hey, this is really crazy but, if you're not doing anything, want to move to Los Angeles and start a business, and she was like, I'll be there in three weeks. So, and then she came in like slept on my couch for six months and we figured this out.
Steve Strauss: So, you're the artist. You have an art background.
Mary Loveless: Exactly.
Steve Strauss: What is Sara’s background?
Mary Loveless: She is like a professional organizer, actually and literally, I mean like literally. She also has a closet organizing business called The Tidy Project and she helps people with like severe hoarding issues also. So she's a very, not only can she organize your things, she can help you organize your thoughts. She's a very level-headed, rational, very well-thought-through, whereas I make a snap decision and I'm not rethinking it. It's done and so that was one of the perks of being from the large Loveless family home that you can call people you trust and they'll show up.
Steve Strauss: Well, and that's fantastic. One thing I know about a great business and a great partnership is: each part of the team fills in the gaps of the other and it turned out, in your case, as you said, serendipitous that you have one person that has the art background, one person who has the organizing background. I’m sure she can do some of the art and you can do some of the organizing but, to have different people who can do different things and bring it, makes the whole a whole lot stronger, I think.
Mary Loveless: Yeah, we're both each the firstborn of our families and our dads are Irish twins in birth order and also in looks and kind of personalities. So we're very similar. I mean, she got to L.A. and we were driving I was like, okay, I'm going to drive you over to Vermont and Hillhurst and we’re just going to walk up and down. Our store has to be somewhere on these two streets and she was driving us over and she got in the right lane right when it was allowed for extra non-traffic and she started zipping through L.A. and I was like, yes, this is going to work. Like, she's just like me. She’s type A. I don't even have to, it's just how we were raised and that compatibility can't have been taught except for that we were raised together, essentially.
Steve Strauss: Oh, that’s fantastic. So what brought you to what obviously is the pottery studio and working with your cousin? How did you actually come up with this idea and then place it where you placed it in Los Feliz?
Mary Loveless: The Los Feliz location is a basic business school exercise. We drew a five mile radius map around all of our competition and Los Feliz was the only big hole in Los Angeles.
Steve Strauss: Very smart, uh-huh.
Mary Loveless: So that kind of sorted itself out. It didn't hurt that it happens to be in a really hip, fun location. The community respects and wants to support independent mom and pops. So that was just serendipitous. That was more just like a math chart. I mean, even in my business plan, when I was trying to get financing, that was like a big color printout with all the circles. So that was its own thing but, once figuring that out, it then took six or seven months of walking the streets every day before we found our actual brick and mortar location.
Steve Strauss: And what was it about a pottery studio that made you, you know, there's all sorts of things people can do with their art and that's kind of a unique and different one?
Mary Loveless: Well, this one is just facilitating other people to create art. We do sell custom paintings and you can commission us to make something personalized for a gift but, mostly, it's people who are painting their own projects. So, in that sense, it's more just, you know, people have more of a connection to something that they made, obviously, than something that they're just picking up off the shelf to purchase.
Steve Strauss: Well, I mean, it's funny. Anyone who's done it, I've done it, knows what a fun experience it can be and I'm sure that it doesn't hurt that Los Feliz is a real family-oriented community these days, right. In fact, here, one of the things we do in this podcast is we share some love, right, some of the reviews and things you got online. So I’m going to read a couple of these to you throughout the interview and just get your comments. Let me read one that we found. ‘What a fun place! They definitely understand how to create a warm and inviting environment. My daughter and I had a great time painting and talking it would be the perfect place for a painting party. These kind of small businesses make the world a better place.’
Kind of nice to hear that kind of thing, right?
Mary Loveless: It is. It really is, especially because this is a very community-oriented business. We are there all the time. It's a labor-intensive business too. The kiln has to be loaded, unloaded. The pieces have to be dipped in the glaze and then prepped for the kiln. Not only do we hope we give each person love but each, piece pottery piece gets handled by our staff, like multiple times. We appreciate that because it is such enmeshed, engrossed, you know, I guess the non-millennial remote. It's the opposite of the remote commute job.
Steve Strauss: Right. Interested in something you just said about it's a very community based-business. Was that the plan from the start and how do you nurture and foster community?
Mary Loveless: I don't know that it was the plan but it definitely was an aim. Part of our financing is through the Small Business Administration and our loan is called the Community Advantage Loan. So, obviously, we geared and we knew that this would be part of enriching the community in which we're in. It's a meeting place. It’s a, just the fact that we have our doors open seven days a week for twelve hours a day means that there's always a smiling, friendly face for you to go and talk about art with in the neighborhood and we do have, this neighborhood is full of fun local characters. I sometimes feel like I'm in The Truman Show. You know, like people walking their dogs. They, like, stop. I’m like, hey, Bob, how's the kids, you know. It's really great.
Steve Strauss: Now, that’s community. That’s awesome.
Mary Loveless: Yeah, exactly. I mean, we do have a little water bowl out in front. The dogs all stop and, yeah. It's, I even have friends who are like, they don't really, necessarily make plans with me. They just know I'm going to be at the shop and come in.
Steve Strauss: Well, and that can really be unique in Los Angeles. I grew up in Southern California and, a lot of times, people come there who weren't from there and they don't feel a sense of community. They don't feel grounded but most Los Feliz is a smaller little subsection of Los Angeles and.
Mary Loveless: Right, it’s a walking neighborhood.
Steve Strauss: Right, it's a walking neighborhood and the fact that you created a sense of community is unique. That's got to be a nice selling point for your business.
Mary Loveless: The walking neighborhood thing is so different from most neighborhoods and L.A. I can walk to work. I can walk to two movie theaters. I can walk to three grocery stores. It's really unusual for most of L.A.
Steve Strauss: Now, you're in business for almost three years, is that accurate?
Mary Loveless: That is accurate, September, 2015 we opened.
Steve Strauss: Congratulations. That's no small feat, right?
Mary Loveless: It’s not, no. Thank you.
Steve Strauss: What have been the challenges along the way for you, would you say?
Mary Loveless: Just like with every business, we've made mistakes. It took us maybe seven or eight months before we found the location and, during that time, we kind of explored other avenues within the same kind of umbrella of ways we could make it work without a brick and mortar location and we made some big purchases that probably were not necessary, I would. If I could like go back and we had bought like a fancy camera, thinking we were going to need this for our Instagram and for photographing parties and then an iPhone 6 has a camera that's as fancy as. Anyways, so there's been some money that we've spent but I wish we hadn’t but you live and you learn.
Steve Strauss: You know, I always counsel small businesses that you're going to make a mistake. You're going to make several mistakes. It's life. It's business. That is what happens. The key is to really try and avoid those killer expensive mistakes and it sounds like you learned your lesson. We've all done that. You spend too much here or there or on-ad or whatever the case may be but you're here to tell the tale, right?
Mary Loveless: Yes, for now.
Steve Strauss: Let me read another one of your reviews. ‘What a fun activity this was! My wife and I went here for our fifth wedding anniversary. I picked it because we've done paint night before and I figured a more creative, fun outlet would be really fun for us. The staff was so kind and informative, especially to us non-sculptors.’ So that's got to be a big part of it too, that you're teaching people, maybe who’re non-artists how to have fun with the process.
Mary Loveless: Exactly. The thing that is really nice, though, we have 400, at any given time, choices of pottery to choose from and it's anything from just a blank, circle plate to a plate that's printed like a sea turtle with little bitty squares of the shells. So the difference between those, I would say, is a blank plate is sometimes harder. You have the whole realm of what could happen on this plate. Whereas, the sea turtle, it's more like a paint by numbers paint night kind of experience where you're really just relaxing and filling in with the paintbrush. So we see the whole gamut of that skill level and can accommodate for anything. I just posted to our Instagram today a painting of an octopus that is incredible. I can't do anything like that. It's really fun, also, for me to be able to see what comes out of the kiln but, alternatively, you could pick a Tiki mug and just paint it and like, oh, I just picked the eye color and I picked that mouth color and I. So it's also BYOB. So it's fun for the whole level of adults, I would say, professionals too, just chilling.
Steve Strauss: You are listening to the Post Some Love series on the Bank of America podcast. I'm Steve Strauss and I am speaking with Mary Loveless, the co-owner of Glaze Fire in Los Angeles. Mary, it sounds to me like you get all sorts of different people in your studio and that you maybe focus your marketing and your branding and your events, even, to different communities. So, you bring in the kids and the families, you bring in the dates, you bring in, maybe even corporate events. Is that accurate?
Mary Loveless: Yes, very much so.
Steve Strauss: Tell us about that a little bit.
Mary Loveless: Well, I mean, when we first opened, I thought it would be primarily kids and families and we really geared towards that but just the walk-in customers looked more like me and Sara, just young adults looking for something a little more chill and something where they could connect to their friends, learn more about their friends than playing darts at the bar. We haven't really done, in any really targeted way, traditional marketing. I guess it's all been just the social media, the people posting reviews, the. It's a brave new world. I, mean we post in the Los Feliz Ledger, which is our local paper. That's like, you know, I think they're like a super tiny, just in print like around Los Feliz. I, yeah. The target, that's another thing that's just been serendipitous. We haven't really done much targeted. We've done a couple of the post office mailers where we do the whole zip code but I think that's it.
Steve Strauss: Well, let me read one more of those reviews that you just mentioned from the Los Feliz Ledger. ‘We recently did a corporate team building event here and we had a blast. It was so much fun bonding with colleagues over painting and wine, great selection of pieces and reasonably-priced, really cute atmosphere, and a very helpful staff.’ So, again and again, we keep hearing about how great your staff is and this idea of wine, so that you geared to, obviously, adults as well.
Mary Loveless: Yes and they're right. My staff is amazing. Everyone who's on staff is doing their own really cool art hustle. Like, Mia is a singer-songwriter. Allie’s a photographer. Morgan's a photographer. Allie’s like a poet and she's doing this really cool eBook animation of her poetry. Becca is a model and also does custom painting and art. It's everyone who's on staff is very in the community. So, yes, I guess it's cool when you meet the owner but also I would say like some of my staff members are way cooler than me. Like, I’m just the shop keep and they’re, like, going to be famous singer-songwriters.
Steve Strauss: So you look at that. That's one reason you're really successful: because you're giving everyone their due.
Mary Loveless: Well, I'm very blessed and also, not only are they talented in what they do, but they're also all of the store samples are painted by them. So you can see each personality in what they paint. Like, Katie puts really silly faces on everything and you can go to her website and get her custom ceramics at katiekimmelart.com. Like, even if they’re are singing and songwriting is their thing, they're also skilled technicians at painting pottery. It’s, like, pretty great.
Steve Strauss: Pretty great. So you mentioned reviews and I’d like to drill down into that a little bit because that is one of things we really focus on a lot, obviously, on the “Post Some Love” series. How important are reviews to you?
Mary Loveless: They’re incredibly important. If I were to get, it's the main course of feedback, I guess. It's also, you know, a brave new world. It's, sometimes even, for example, there's some reviews that I get that they're still positive but I'm like, oh, this is something like, oh, we can work on. It's, I mean like, as I'm in this booth right now, I’ve been looking around. One of our reviews says that it was loud and they're right. Like, one screaming baby in the store makes it really loud and I don't have the Miss America silence photo booth for them to step into and, even though the review was like, ‘we had a great time, we’re coming back, I can't wait,’ it still gives me anxiety.
Steve Strauss: I'm wondering how online reviews may affect your offline world. We've talked quite a bit about reviews and how they're affecting your business. Los Feliz is a, as you said, small community. It’s a walking community and, for people who are not in Los Feliz, they may not know about your business. So it seems to me that one of the benefits of getting reviews online is that people, in a more broad sense, can find out about your business. Has that been proven to be true for you?
Mary Loveless: Yes, definitely, I would say, especially through the other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, that's a little more true. If, when Bella Thorne posts about painting pottery, obviously, a whole lot more people see it than who are just scrolling through my feed. So I think the reviews definitely more just corroborate the other exposure. They're like, what is this, and then they type it and you always kind of like, am I going to go to this place that the celebrity says is cool. Let's check the Yelp reviews first. I think it's more just like we've been vetted.
Steve Strauss: Yeah but celebrity endorsements don't hurt, right?
Mary Loveless: Of course not. We don't ask for them. I mean, we couldn't afford a celebrity post. That’s insane but that's the other thing where I was saying about how it means so much more that people write these positive reviews or that they post about it without asking because that means they really, genuinely enjoyed the experience and that it meant a lot to them. It's like the extra above and beyond. It's really cool.
Steve Strauss: You know, last I looked, you had 58 Yelp reviews and that's a nice number. Do you actively seek out reviews?
Mary Loveless: No.
Steve Strauss: Do you look for people to review or is it an organic thing?
Mary Loveless: No, we don't. Sara’s sister was one of our first reviews and I even was like, I don't know how I feel about this. This is a little like it's cheating and I think that's the only one that's not someone that organically came in, which is really incredible because, for me, I've only left like two Yelp reviews on my whole life. One was a five star and one was, you know, I wish it could have been zero stars. So, for people to actually go home and sit and type and post something means that they had an amazing experience, not just like an okay experience. It means that they like really, really liked it. So that's cool.
Steve Strauss: Yeah, I mean, think about that. The event is over. They’re home in their home and they think, I've got to share this experience with everybody else. You know, I mentioned my youth in Southern California. My dad had carpet stores and he once had a giant banner in his carpet store. It said ‘our word-of-mouth advertising starts with you’, right. He loved word-of-mouth and, to me, these days word-of-mouth is really word-of-click. It is online. It is, whether it's someone forwards your e-newsletter on or they retweet your tweet or they go to your Instagram, they like what you're doing, they like you and Facebook, or give you a review, right. That is what word-of-mouth is looking like for businesses in today's world, isn’t it?
Mary Loveless: It is yeah, and, unfortunately, it's almost the first and only course of feedback. You know, people are more likely to probably leave a review than they are to call me up and be like, hey, I want to tell you how great it was.
Steve Strauss: Interesting.
Mary Loveless: You know, isn't that weird?
Steve Strauss: Yeah it is kind of weird. When you get a review that's less than stellar, does it make you contact the person?
Mary Loveless: We’ve only gotten three.
Steve Strauss: You’ve only gotten three. Well, that says a lot about you.
Mary Loveless: And I can, like, recite verbatim all of them to you, probably right now.
Steve Strauss: So, obviously reviews are important to your business.
Mary Loveless: Of course.
Steve Strauss: Yeah. When you get a positive review, though, it must feel like it validates all the hard work you've all put into this.
Mary Loveless: It does, yeah. It really does and, because, like I said, it's, at least if most people are like me, leaving a review means that the experience was not just great. It was extra special and you needed to share it. That's the only time I've ever taken the time to leave a review. So it does mean a lot.
Steve Strauss: Well, fantastic. We've really enjoyed having you with us today, Mary. As I said, we're speaking with Mary Loveless, the co-founder of Glaze Fire in Los Angeles and, if you're ever there and you need an event and you got some time, head on over. And, Mary, if people want to find you, want to find your store, learn more about how they may come participate in a great time you're having there, where should they go to find that out?
Mary Loveless: Our website is glazefire.com and, on Instagram, we’re @glazefire.
Steve Strauss: Well, fantastic. Thank you. Congratulations for all your success and thank you so much for being with us today.
Mary Loveless: Thank you. Thank you so much. This was fun.
Steve Strauss: Bank of America is committed to helping small business owners achieve lasting growth and is now asking everyone for their support in helping small businesses grow by asking them to Post Some Love. We know that positive online reviews views help drive small business success. So we’re encouraging everyone to do just that. Choose your favorite small business and write a positive online review. Bank of America does not endorse or guarantee the perspectives, the advice, or the products or services sold by any business referenced within this podcast. Copyright 2018, Bank of America Corporation.
This week on the Post Some Live podcast, Steve Strauss interviews Daria Knowles of Hot Skwash. Hot Skwash by Daria is a family business that designs and manufactures high-end home décor. Listen to her story about moms coming together and...
This week on the Post Some Live podcast, Steve Strauss interviews Daria Knowles of Hot Skwash. Hot Skwash by Daria is a family business that designs and manufactures high-end home décor. Listen to her story about moms coming together and the importance of positive online reviews.
Post Some Love: Hot Skwash Podcast Transcript
Intro music
Steve Strauss: So, you were a stay-at-home mom at the time?
Daria Knowles: Yeah! Stay-at-home. Just moved here, had been here for about a year. Met some other mommies at school that loved the pumpkins, and had said “oh, I’d love to go into the field and get stems with you.” And I’m thinking ok… Well as soon as Richard…Richard from Richard Blooms he came back in January with 12,000 dollars in orders, I immediately called my friends and said, “I need help.”
Music
Steve Strauss: Hi! I’m Steve Strauss, USA Today’s Senior Small Business Columnist. And author [00:00:30] of the Small Business Bible and you’re listening to the Post Some Love series on Bank of America’s small business podcast. This is the series where we speak with small business owners about their journey and share some of their great customer reviews. This episode of Post Some Love features Daria Knowles of Hot Skwash. Located just outside of beautiful Portland, Oregon, Hot Skwash by Daria is a family business that designs and manufactures high-end couture tabletop décor. It was a business that evolved from a modest home-based hobby selling crafts to family and friends, to a 9,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that employs over 20 people, and distributes their home décor to over 500 independent retailers as well as some really big-name clients, like Gump’s and a whole lot more. So, Daria, great to have you on the show!
Daria Knowles: Thank you.
Steve Strauss: Why don’t you tell us, just to start with, a little bit about yourself, how long have you been in business, that kind of thing.
Daria Knowles: Well, I’m originally from the East Coast. And, I was a stay-at-home mom, two small children, and I decided, how can I make a little extra money? Really, just a little mad money, and…
Steve Strauss: Had you ever been an entrepreneur before?
Daria Knowles: No, when I was little I used to knit and sew mittens, and I used to knit sweaters and sell them because I’ve always been, sort of, “what can I make?” And my mom taught me to knit when I was very, very little. And I’ve always been in love with textiles, and fabric, and yarn. And honestly, at the time I was living in Arizona with two small kids and I saw this fabric pumpkin with a stick stem, and I was sort of looking at lots of fabrics at that time as well, because we moved into a new house and I wanted drapes, and I wasn’t going to pay a fortune for the drapes. So, I really started admiring all the different types of high-end fabrics. So, when I saw this pumpkin, I thought “wow, this is so cool. What a great idea! It’s so simple, though. Why didn’t I think of that?”
Steve Strauss: So, obviously you’re a crafty person.
Daria Knowles: Yeah, I am.
Steve Strauss: You’ve done that for fun at home, things like that.
Daria Knowles: Yep, yep. I do have an art history background and growing up on the East Coast my father would take me to the museums and the MET all the time. He was definitely a lover of the arts. And, I do think that that was sort of influential. So, as I saw this, I’m thinking “how could I play with this?” And so, I sort of experimented and created this velvet pumpkin and got a real pumpkin stem. And you know, “wow this is great, I love it, it’s so fun” and my friends thought they were the coolest thing. So, I just started making them and doing little home shows by collecting stems that were on the ground in October after the majority of the pumpkins had been collected. And so there was the first pumpkin, really. And once I moved to Oregon, some of my friends here said, “you should put them in a store.” I’m thinking, really? And, so I did, and then I went to one little teeny, tiny farm and the owner said “you should really take those to R Blooms” and I’m thinking what’s R Blooms? You know, I’ve been here a year. And so, I did, and I brought in a little book and a couple samples and said, “oh, I have these pumpkins, it’s just a little home thing,” but I was told maybe you might like them. And they loved them. Richard Bloom came to the house, and at the time, I had pumpkins all over the table because they were in one store and they said “these pumpkins are the hottest thing ever.”
Steve Strauss: So, I got to say, I was telling you this off the air, my wife is an interior designer and she loves your product. And if people want to know what we’re talking about, because it’s a little hard to imagine it if you haven’t seen it. You should go to Daria’s website which is hotskwash.com, which is h-o-t-s-k-w-a-s-h.com, and then you can see a picture of her incredible designs. Because they’re really, very beautiful. They’re velvet pumpkins, and corn, and cashmere and different products like that. And so, it’s really evolved. So, you start out with one store…
Daria Knowles: One store…
Steve Strauss: And I wonder because a lot of people might see a pumpkin in an art store, and maybe think “oh, that’s a beautiful pumpkin” and maybe even make one at home. But, what was it that compelled you to try and turn that into a business?
Daria Knowles: Well, initially it was there was no intention to start a business. It was really, like I said, just a little pocket money for a stay-at-home mom. And at the time it was 2008, the market was horrific, but I was doing these little home shows and people loved them and then I dabbled in a couple little stores, and Richard picked it up, and he said…
Steve Strauss: And Richard is…
Daria Knowles: Richard from Richard Bloom’s…
Steve Strauss: Ah, okay.
Daria Knowles: And, he said “you have done it! This is couture tabletop.” And I thought, “okay… You’re kidding me!” But, he took them to Atlanta, which is the premiere gift and home furnishings show. At the time, he was the creative director for an ornament line, and just wanted the pumpkins as display, and said “I just want them as a backdrop.” Well, once he brought them there and buyers across the country saw them, they were literally running up to the showroom – “where do I get these pumpkins?” And, he calls me and says, “I think we’re going to have to take some orders on these pumpkins, and he came home with 12,000 dollars in orders.
Steve Strauss: That’s the kind of story you love to hear.
Daria Knowles: Crazy.
Steve Strauss: Crazy great, right? How old were your kids at the time?
Daria Knowles: My son was probably six, and my daughter was eleven.
Steve Strauss: So, you were a stay-at-home mom at that time?
Daria Knowles: Yeah, stay-at-home. Just moved here, had been here for about a year. Met some other mommies at school that loved the pumpkins and had said “oh I’d love to go in the field and get stems with you” and I’m thinking, okay… Well as soon as he came back in January with 12,000 dollars in orders, I immediately called my friends and said, “I need help.” And so, it started in the kitchen, I had one other gal that helped me. And once I fulfilled orders for the following fall, then more stores started seeing them as they travelled across the United States. And started seeing… “oh I saw these in Chicago, I saw these in Arizona…” and they started calling me, and the business grew. And I had 13 women in my kitchen, you could not walk through the house.
Steve Strauss: So, let’s get to that in a second, the name of the show is Post Some Love, and what I’d like to do is read one of the online reviews we found about your business. And have you comment and tell us what you think about it. “Your pumpkins are the perfect addition to any fall décor, mine is a tiny one but I love it. I have seen many knock-offs but none display the careful craftsmanship as yours.” And I’ve seen your pumpkins as well, and your other products, they’re really beautifully made and very well done. Did it take a long time to perfect what you were doing, at the start?
Daria Knowles: Yes, it really did. I think that they’ve definitely evolved. When we first started making them, it was “we have to make it look seamless. We have to make it look natural. We have to make it look like that pumpkin stem is really truly growing out of the velvet. And I think that it took off so ferociously because it sort of tricks the mind. We’ve married this very high-end, luxury silk velvet with a natural creation. Mother earth, you know this mother nature has its natural stem and it’s beautiful in its own right, and you pair them and it sort of tricks the eye. And everybody loves pumpkins. I think there’s a sensibility about pumpkins that takes people back to their childhood. Every October when they go to that pumpkin field, and they see pumpkins, and it’s just a joyful time.
Steve Strauss: Well, let me read another review then. Apropos of that. “Love Hot Skwash pumpkins, I have an addiction to them year-round.”
That’s exactly what you’re saying, right?
Daria Knowles: Yeah, there’s something about pumpkins, in general. So, I think that we’re fortunate to have found that niche. The pumpkin then, we were waiting to see what was left over from the pumpkin fields to get stems. Then we realized, people are really falling in love with these stems! How do we get great stems? So, we had to sort of evolve and talk to our farmers and decide, well can you grow just the right varieties for certain stems and they absolutely thought we were crazy! You know, they were just - “what do you want?”
Steve Strauss: So, how did you go… I’m always interested in how someone scales a business. You weren’t an entrepreneur, obviously in your heart you’re an entrepreneur, but at that time you were learning about business. So, Richard Bloom came back from his show with 12,000 orders… 12,000 dollars in orders or 12,000 orders?
Daria Knowles: 12,000 dollars in orders.
Steve Strauss: And what did you do? How did you decide to scale your business at that point?
Daria Knowles: Well, first it was- what do we name it?
Steve Strauss: You weren’t even at that place yet?
Daria Knowles: We were just pumpkins by Daria. And so, people kept saying, “these pumpkins are so hot, they’re so hot.” And I’m thinking, ooh hot squash, that’s very catchy. That was easy, and my husband is really into computers and web, and so he’s like we can make a little website so people can look at the product. We had no intention of selling direct we were just going to be with stores. So I was learning as I was going but my gut told me, you want to make sure you’re focusing on this niche market. And Richard was incredibly helpful in encouraging me to stay high end. It’s a very luxurious looking product, focus on marketing to luxury stores… “You should do Atlanta.” So, I thought okay, I gotta go find velvet. Then it was sourcing velvet wholesale, and what are we filling it with? And how do we get the raw materials wholesale? And where do we get our tags? Where do we get the little gun that puts the label...? I mean, everything! It’s comical. I used to drive my minivan down to Grand and Benedicts to fill it with bags of peanuts and drive it home!
Steve Strauss: So, you started out as small as you can start, part time, at home.
Daria Knowles: Small as you can. I would go and pick up stems from local farms, I used to bring them home and I used to dry them in the oven, and the whole house would smell like manure. And the kids – “what are you making mom?” And it was ridiculous!
Steve Strauss: Right. Daria, one of the things I really like about your business is that there’s a sense of community about it. From the beginning, you hired other moms and they came to work with and for you. Why don’t you tell me about that?
Daria Knowles: That is true. Once Richard Bloom took them to Atlanta and came back with some orders we realized that, okay, this could potentially grow. We’re not even trying, and we have to ship out of state now. So, I literally drove up to the Safeway and saw my girlfriend Karen. She’s selling Girl Scout cookies with her daughter, and I roll down the window, and I’m like “Karen! How much do you love the pumpkins?” And she says “what’s going on?” And I said well, I need you to come to my house on Monday. And so, she came, and so my other good friend Lanie, and I had Karen, and Karen’s like “well, why don’t we call Shannon,” like “okay.” And so, then we get more orders, well we need a shipper, and then we need somebody to sign and tag, the more we tried to present it as this professional, beautiful, quality product we realized- “oh well we need somebody to help us with this, and we need someone to help us with this.” I mean, we used to just call it the stitch and bitch. I mean, we were having so much fun. I mean, they didn’t even care, it wasn’t work. The kids would get on the bus at 7:30 in the morning, and the moms would come to the house at 2:30/3 o’clock. The bus driver would literally drop off 10, 12 kids at my house. And the foyer was the shipping. They’d drop off their backpacks, the shoes, I have two huge 150-pound Mastiffs. The peanuts are falling over, and Lisa who is doing the shipping is thinking – “something’s gotta give here.” So, the kids would run in, have their snacks, go out, jump on the trampoline, and the moms would work until 4:30/5 o’clock, go home, and I would say maybe 4 or 5 of them, they’d come back at night 7:30/8 o’clock, and we’d be making pumpkins until 11 o’clock… We’d drink wine and watch movies!
Steve Strauss: How fun was that, right? Well, you know, there’s lots of ways to run a small business. That’s how you should run a small business.
Daria Knowles: Well, you know that was the start!
Steve Strauss: And you know, people could be in your situation and hire people and have a very assembly line kind of thing, but you clearly went in the complete opposite direction to create a community that was invested in you, and your success, and in the product’s success, right?
Daria Knowles: I didn’t realize how important that was early on. I just knew, I don’t know anybody. I have a few friends, and they know people. And when we were having so much fun doing it, and people were buying it and loving it, we soon realized this recipe seems to be important. And so-and-so’s husband is out of work, and it’d be great if she could make a little cash. And I had like 3 or 4 women in the neighborhood that were just so grateful to have any money coming in. So that became also a strong reason, so I had women within a 1 mile radius some of them walked, some of them drove. The kids came, they’d help sort pumpkins. It became a lot of fun for the whole community of West Lynn. We expanded into the garage, and neighbors thought – “what are they doing in there?” But it was fun, and we loved that. We loved being all part of something that was taking off. It felt special, and they all loved being part of that.
Steve Strauss: Well, we do call this the Post Some Love podcast, and clearly when you love something so much, people get it.
Daria Knowles: I think positivity spreads, it’s infectious. I think you put the positive out there and if it’s natural and you love it, other people will too. It’s worked for us.
Steve Strauss: Fantastic. One of the things that I love you did from the start and it was very smart on your part is to know what you’re doing, and who your trying to sell it to. And creating a brand around that. Because one thing I always say is a great brand is very specific, and doesn’t attract everybody, it may even turn some people off, it may not be their thing. Someone may not want high-end beautiful, luxury pumpkins for their home because they have a different kind of home. But for the people who it does attract, what you’ve done is hit that right on the head.
Daria Knowles: I think that Richard definitely encouraged me, but there was a common sense about that point, that early on I saw what types of stores were attracted to it. And I saw between the first time Richard brought it and the first time we did the show in Atlanta there were knock-offs. And I thought ooh, okay, that’s flattering but that’s maybe not a great thing. They’re going to saturate my idea, we have to be the Rolls Royce of this category. So, we tried to get into the premier stores Gump’s, Niemen Marcus, and we were successful very early on, getting into those stores. So, we secured that we’re the Rolls Royce of this category.
Steve Strauss: Fantastic, let’s read another review then. “Hot Skwash is the original. I’ve seen others try and copy this amazing creativity, and they fall short every time I see one. I’m needing one more for my collection, the feathers are amazing” So, have knock-offs been an issue for you in your business?
Daria Knowles: Yes and no. Yes, it’s happened, nobody really is in love with the process. They’re creating a commodity. And I don’t want it to be a commodity. I really am catering to people who love it. And like I said, I didn’t start a business to support my family. I started this business and when that I realized I’m employing people in 2008 when their husbands can’t get work and stores are actually spending money on my product and they’re up 20%. I’m feeling like this is more about them than it is about me making money. And for them to continue to be successful, we have to care about this product.
Steve Strauss: I think that’s true for all great small businesses, that’s one thing I have seen. Is, look we all like to make money, making money is great. But making money for the great small business it’s a goal, but certainly isn’t usually the main goal. It’s about creating something your passionate about, or making a difference, those are the things it sounds like have been important to you.
Daria Knowles: I’ve been fortunate enough to let that be what drives me. As soon I saw somebody else trying to create a crappy pumpkin with velveteen and a plastic stem. I thought, okay, well we really got to elevate it. We have to continue to find ways to have the most spectacular stems. Richard said oh, you have to sign them in gold, everyone has to be signed. Then I came out with Swarovski crystal embellished pumpkins when we started selling to Niemen Marcus, and then we had fully beaded pumpkins that were all hand beaded, and then I started doing one of a kind pumpkins with designer Valentino and Pucci.
Steve Strauss: So how big is your business now? I mentioned in the intro that you have a 9000-square foot facility.
Daria Knowles: Nine thousand square foot facility.
Steve Strauss: How many people do you employ?
Daria Knowles: We have anywhere from 20 to 25 depending on the time of the year.
Steve Strauss: And mostly it’s other moms, is that right?
Daria Knowles: They are other moms, now they are working moms! But, I still have three people that are original moms that started in the house with me. And then I have other people, part time / full time sewers, people who just do crystals, my shipping department, it’s a big learning curve.
Steve Strauss: So, I’m speaking with Daria Knowles of Hot Skwash by Daria and you mentioned the learning curve, what have been the challenges for you along the way?
Daria Knowles: I think every time we grow, and take on something new. We have to go through the process of- is this going to work? If we’re going to invest in the labor in putting Swarovski crystal on this, how do we get them on there? How long should it take? What are the right tools? What is the right glue, if you will. How much should it cost me to make this, how am I going to price this? Oh, I love making that, but it takes 2 hours to make it.
Steve Strauss: Right, so is it trial and error mostly?
Daria Knowles: A lot of trial and error, shipping is huge especially when you’re dealing with cooperates, they have all these specifications and compliances and the first time I had a compliance manual that’s 36 pages, I’m thinking do I need a lawyer? I’m still just that stay at home mom, but you get savvy fast.
Steve Strauss: So, one of the things that’s very interesting about businesses is often people will start a business because they’re passionate about something, so they find a pumpkin that they love and they decide to turn it into a business. That part of your business, no one can teach you that. How to make this beautiful pumpkin in front of me right now is something you’ve learned and perfected. But there’s so many other things that go into running a business that allow you to make and sell your pumpkins. And that is the hiring, the firing, labor, insurance, taxes, marketing. Did you bring in help, did you hire experts, did you figure it out, what did you do?
Daria Knowles: I do think that there’s some common sense that is innate to an entrepreneur. We didn’t pay rent in the house, but when we started and we had to hire and fire. It was natural. I had all these other women who had no business background, I’m like well we need to have a team that’s cohesive and has to work well together. And that became apparent very quickly and we had created a community within Hot Skwash that we loved so much working together, that we were all willing to work harder at finding out the answers. Because we wanted to continue this team and the success. So with shipping we had FedEx come in and say “you need to tell us the best way”, and once they saw how much we were shipping then they agreed to negotiate rates every year. And so, you learn as you go for sure. As far as doing ads and what not, I think for me it’s natural. When I am paging through, I stop at something that’s eye catching. And I always had this idea that if you want people to think your something special, you better present yourself as something special. So, we went right in and did a full-page ad,
Steve Strauss: Where did you do that?
Daria Knowles: In any of the market magazines, pre-show magazines. Like, we’re going to do a full page.
Steve Strauss: So, you just went for it?
Daria Knowles: Yeah, you know as long as it looks good, they’ll stop and read it, they’ll read it if there stopped visually. And so that was sort of common sense to me, and people came in. We learned early on that our product and our print got people to come to see us. They had never seen anything like it before I think it was a combination of its unique home décor piece, and just showing it. Like this is what we make, not a lot of words, just - Hot Skwash and come see us here - and that was enough. I think if you present it in a luxurious way, and have these great ads then people are going to come and that worked for us. We were fortunate enough to learn that. Then we would do some trade magazines, a little bit, and then I got on Instagram and really started learning like people are really responding to these images.
Steve Strauss: Sounds to me, like the keys of your success is, if I can distill it a little bit, is One, mentorship is really important to you, right?
Daria Knowles: Yes, staying on track, for sure.
Steve Strauss: Second, teamwork, you’ve created a great team. And third, there’s this passionate word of mouth about your business. Is that accurate?
Daria Knowles: Yeah, I think that deciding early on who do you want to be, who do you want to cater to, who is your customer, what’s your demographic. That was very, very important early on. If we want to maintain that demographic, and we want to cater to that niche market, we have to create this exceptional niche product: very handmade, incredible quality, we have to keep elevating it, we have to keep coming out with new things, people love the brand for the customer service and for the quality. So, whatever we bring them, has to possess those same handmade quality. And they trust the brand. We had a choice early on, the same year that we picked up Niemen Marcus, we were approached by another big name that had many, many stores but a totally different demographic, it could’ve been incredibly lucrative. We turned them down.
Steve Strauss: Because…?
Daria Knowles: It would’ve been one and done, had we thrown the seat up, then it would’ve been good for maybe one or two seasons. Then we would’ve lost our high-end market entirely.
Steve Strauss: Well you clearly know who your market is, and who you want to market to. And people, in that market, really respond to your business. In fact, let me ask you about some of the reviews you’ve gotten, I’ve been reading a couple of these reviews, here’s one more. In fact, how about have you read it.
Daria Knowles: “Just when I think that Daria simply can’t top what she’s done already, she comes up with a stunning creation unlike anything before it, absolutely amazing”
Steve Strauss: So, right, is that kind of what you get from people?
Daria Knowles: I do, and I think that at a certain point once we did the pumpkins and were in Neman’s and Gump’s it’s like okay, well what’s next? The fear of, what if I can’t deliver something new? It encourages me to never just sit idly and assume that, oh well this should be good for three years, I always wanted to bring something new. And I think it has to be of that level of oh wow.
Steve Strauss: To the point that people in fact will write reviews about your business online, how important are reviews for your business?
Daria Knowles: I think that is what keeps me going.
Steve Strauss: And why is that?
Daria Knowles: I am doing this for them. When they don’t love it anymore, I’m not doing it anymore. Because my job is… I love employing people and I love creating that community for everyone, but the morale and the bigger reason if they’re not loving it anymore, then I’m just a commodity at that point. It’s not special.
Steve Strauss: The fact that people not only buy it, and like it, and put it in their home, but actually go online and share their experience with others, is kind of amazing. Right? This idea of reviews… You know I mentioned to you, my dad was an entrepreneur he started off with one carpet store and he grew it to 14, and then at the end of his career he was back to one giant carpet warehouse. He was marketing wizard, my dad, really, very successful, and at the end of his career when he had one giant carpet warehouse, his marketing had boiled down to one thing. He had a big banner it said “our word of mouth advertising starts with you”.
Daria Knowles: It’s true!
Steve Strauss: And word of mouth we all know is the most important kind of advertising, but these days it takes a different form than when my dad was an entrepreneur. You know, it shows up as online reviews, shares, and things like that. You clearly get that from your business you’re your clientele.
Daria Knowles: We do, and that was a huge learning curve for me, because I can’t even do a word document. I have the compute skills of someone who’s never seen a computer. I mean it’s terrible! For my husband, this is his world. For me getting on Instagram and Facebook, and doing anything online was a little, ehhhh… But once I saw I post a picture on Instagram and I get likes, and people love it and they share it. Or they’ll send me emails – “I bought your pumpkin.” And I really started to understand how unique and how special it is. And after 10 years doing one-of-a-kind and having people call me to do custom one-of-a-kinds, it’s special. I know this is why I’m doing it, these people love it, and if my market shrinks, that’s fine, I’m fine with that. Because I really, I don’t want to sell out. I don’t want to manufacture in China and just stick a stem on it.
Steve Strauss: You won’t get word of mouth, you won’t get reviews, you won’t get love, those things, right? If you just did it the other way.
Daria Knowles: It’s just a thing. And I love creating. I think that that’s the selfish part of it, I love creating, what can I make out of this? I’ll go to a trade show and see a jeweler. There’s this jeweler Tzuri Gueta from Paris and he does silicone and silk jewelry. And I saw it in New York, and I thought “that is the coolest thing! How can I put that on my pumpkin? And I had this beautiful coral, Valentino fabric, and this Tzuri Gueta almost sculpture coral, and [00:30:00] I put it on top of it, and it’s magnificent! And I look up Tzuri Gueta and he’s prolific and Paris and works with Gaultier and all the high fashion designers, and I’m wow! This is so exciting! Or I’ll find fascinators from Germany that I put on the pumpkins, and they’re like these giant feather hats, and people respond. And I learned, you have to create that drama. The more creative you can be, people want to be surprised when they go to trade shows. I want people to come to my booth in Atlanta just to see it, even if they don’t buy pumpkins. If that makes them happy, then I’m happy!
Steve Strauss: Awesome. Well Daria, we’re just about out of time. If people want to know more about your creations, see them, get them, where might they go find you and them?
Daria Knowles: Nationally, well, you can always go online at Gump’s, Love Feast, R Blooms, Shop.com, small, high-end boutiques across the country.
Steve Strauss: And at hotskwash.com.
Daria Knowles: hotskwash.com!
Steve Strauss: Great. And Daria Knowles thank you for being with us today.
Daria Knowles: Thank you for having me!
Steve Strauss: And congratulations on all your success.
Daria Knowles: Thank you!
Steve Strauss: Bank of America is committed to helping small business owners achieve lasting growth. And is now asking everyone for their support helping small businesses grow and asking them to Post Some Love. We know that positive online reviews help drive small business success. So, we’re encouraging everyone to do just that. Choose your favorite small business, and write a positive online review. Bank of America does not endorse or guarantee the perspectives, the advice, or the products or services sold by any business referenced within this podcast. Copyright 2018. Bank of America Corporation.
2017 was a thrilling year for Jonathan Webb, founder and CEO of AppHarvest, an agricultural startup in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Webb managed to start, grow and raise the necessary capital to make AppHarvest a reality. He secured an...
2017 was a thrilling year for Jonathan Webb, founder and CEO of AppHarvest, an agricultural startup in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Webb managed to start, grow and raise the necessary capital to make AppHarvest a reality. He secured an investment from AOL cofounder Steve Case’s seed fund, Rise of the Rest, in addition to funding from other major players in the agriculture industry.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Webb to learn more about his company and his desire to economically revitalize the Appalachian region.
1. What is AppHarvest?
AppHarvest is an agricultural startup that will soon break ground on its first $60 million greenhouse. We selected Pikeville, Kentucky, due to its location and access to nearly 70% of the U.S. population within a day's drive. Utilizing revolutionary growing techniques, AppHarvest will supply sustainable produce to consumers nationally.
2. Why do you believe there is a need for AppHarvest in Appalachia?
Eastern Kentucky has experienced crippling economic decline due to the decline of coal. The unemployment rate is nearly double the national average. The workforce is rooted in faith and grit, and it will persevere. As a result, several major political figures have partnered with us to bring jobs back to Pikeville.
“We are planting seeds of innovation and hope in Eastern Kentucky with home-grown engineers, like AppHarvest, leading the way as we strive to bring Silicon Valley to Silicon Holler,” said Republican U.S. Representative Hal Rogers. “We are developing a high-tech workforce for high-tech enterprise in the Appalachian region to elevate our competitive edge for jobs and economic development. The resiliency and sheer talent of our people are the very reasons why we are able to diversify our economy and advance incredible ideas, like these high-tech greenhouses, in one of the most rural parts of the country.”
3. How did you get started in the agricultural sector? Why agriculture instead of the existing job landscape?
My background is in large scale solar development. I believe high-tech agricultural is like solar development 10 years ago. We will see a spike in the development of high-tech greenhouses and indoor farming because we can compete with conventional farmers, and consumers are demanding local/regional produce that is higher quality and without pesticides and non-GMO seeds.
4. In a short time, you've managed to bring all sides together (politics, local governments, business leaders etc.) to make AppHarvest become a reality. Why was this necessary for the success of AppHarvest?
Partnering with a community and state was a critical part of our strategy. Eastern Kentucky wanted to pursue this with us and together we will make the region the high-tech greenhouse capital of the U.S.
5. You've raised funds and partnered with industry titans like Steve Case and J.D. Vance. Investors believe in your vision for the region. Why?
The agricultural system in the U.S. is broken and many winners are going to help fix it. AppHarvest will be one of the many winners. Here’s how we differentiate ourselves:
- No pesticides: Our integrated pest management system removes harsh chemical pesticides from the equation.
- Non-GMO seeds: What we grow is what you get – no health-harming genetic modifications necessary.
- 80 percent less water: Our greenhouse will operate using 80 percent less water than that typical open field agriculture.
- Diesel fuel use reduced by 75 percent: Our location positions us to use one-quarter of the transportation fuel compared to produce shipped cross country from the U.S. West Coast and Mexico.
6. What advice would you give entrepreneurs or small business owners that need to raise capital for their business?
Find a community that wants to work with you and partner with that community. Cities across America would love to work with entrepreneurs. I encourage folks to get out of the four or five major markets and go back home or into a city that wants you.
It all starts with the groundbreaking
The idea for your business is important. One of the most helpful pieces of advice Webb shared was the importance of finding partners in cities that want you. In other words, you must build relationships in your quest to start or grow your business.
Visit www.AppHarvest.com, if you want to learn more about Jonathan Webb and his company’s efforts to change the financial landscape by bringing jobs and opportunity back to Eastern Kentucky.
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Get answers and information about business financing
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Read about how Bank of America is invested in a cleaner planet
About Ebong Eka
Ebong Eka is no stranger to the world of personal finance. As a certified public accountant and former professional basketball player he offers a fresh perspective to small business planning and executing. With over fifteen years of accounting, tax & small business experience with firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche and CohnReznick, Ebong provides practical money solutions tailored to the everyday person, the aspiring entrepreneur or the small business owner.
Ebong is the founder of EKAnomics, a sales, pricing and leadership firm. He is also the founder of Ericorp Consulting, Inc., a tax and management consulting firm. Ebong is the author of “Start Me Up! The-No-Business-Plan, Business Plan.”
Ebong is also the founder of The $250 Tax Pro, which provides tax preparation and consulting services in the Washington, DC area.
Web: www.ebongeka.com or Twitter: @EbongEka.
You can read more articles from Ebong Eka by clicking here
Bank of America, N.A. engages with Ebong Eka to provide informational materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Ebong Eka is a registered trademark, used pursuant to license. The third parties within articles are used under license from Ebong Eka. Consult your financial, legal and accounting advisors, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.
Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. ©2017 Bank of America Corporation
Eighty-two percent of businesses fail due to poor cash-flow management, according to a study by Jessie Hagen of US Bank, cited on the SCORE website. The most common cash flow contributors for small business failure include unexpected...
Eighty-two percent of businesses fail due to poor cash-flow management, according to a study by Jessie Hagen of US Bank, cited on the SCORE website.
The most common cash flow contributors for small business failure include unexpected growth, insufficient capital, poor inventory management, lack of available credit to manage cash flow, and comingling of business and personal funds, according to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).
Planning is the key to successful cash flow management. Here are five valuable practices for small business owners to assist with establishing a healthy cash flow.
1. Get paid ASAP. Leveraging electronic payment options is an excellent strategy to get paid faster as they are processed more quickly than standard transactions. There are a variety of options for online payments: same-day funding with merchant services, ACH payments, wire transfers, electronic check scanner for larger checks, or mobile check deposits for smaller items – all easily managed from your office or online. If you can be paid in advance or at point-of-sale, do so; otherwise, invoice often, secure deposits, provide incentives for early payments, and tightly manage receivables.
2. Never be short on cash. Establishing a line of credit to cover cash flow gaps or shortfalls, caused from timing differences between payables and receivables, seasonality, or short-term cash needs (less than one year). There is no cash advance fee when leveraging a line of credit – think of it as ready cash to meet immediate cash needs.
3. Delay cash outflows. Try using a small business line of credit as a cash flow tool, providing a typically lower cost alternative to other forms of credit. Also, a small business owner can set up extended payment terms with vendors/suppliers, and leverage electronic payments to control cash disbursements. If you can’t delay payments, attempt to negotiate payment discounts for early payments to create a positive margin. For day-to-day expenses such as office supplies or gas, a small business credit card is a great solution because it provides a grace period on interest up to 30-45 days and may even pay you cash or rewards in the process. Look for a small business card without an annual fee.
4. Hold onto your cash. Leverage today’s low-cost, long-term financing to purchase and/or refinance assets, such as commercial vehicles, equipment, and commercial real estate, as this could help your business sustain needed liquidity. Securing a long-term low rate today could mean rate protection for the future, which can help you secure low monthly payments for improved cash flow and budgeting.
5. Pay yourself, not a landlord. Buying instead of leasing owner-occupied commercial real estate can help stabilize payments, protect against rent increases, build equity, and create an asset that can be sold, borrowed against, or leased to third parties. If you work from home, consider a residential home mortgage loan. Many small business owners are surprised to learn that purchasing can often be more affordable than renting or leasing.
Simple strategies can create big wins. By maintaining a mindset that cash is king, and exercising strategies to maximize cash flow, small business owners are better prepared to manage growth, change, and unexpected surprises, as well as take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. Meeting with a small business banker can help you evaluate your business priorities, including your cash flow needs, and identify the right financial tools to help your business succeed.
Related: Learn more about cash management tools for your small business, from Bank of America.
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Karen Harrison, SVP, National Credit Performance Manager
As Senior Vice President, Small Business National Credit Performance Manager, Karen Harrison is responsible for delivering credit solutions to priority small business clients across the United States, while also ensuring clients benefit from the full franchise value of Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. In this capacity, she manages a national team of credit performance managers, serving more than 3 million small business clients nationwide.
Karen is actively engaged in the community and is a recipient of the Global Diversity and Inclusion award at Bank of America. She currently serves as the Executive Sponsor for Bank of America Community Volunteers/San Diego Market, Chairman of LEAD for Women, San Diego Chapter, as well as serves on the Board of Directors for LEAD San Diego, Junior Achievement and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), San Diego Chapter, the Women’s Leadership Council for the United Way, and the California’s Women Leaders Network at Bank of America. She is a former Big Sister for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. An honors graduate, Karen holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BA from California State University, Fresno. Karen is married, resides in San Diego, California, and has eight Godchildren.
ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA’S COMMITMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS
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Small Business Profile: Sweet Beginnings While the economy is improving, certain communities remain behind the curve in terms of employment and opportunities. For example, while national unemployment hovers at just over 4 percent...
Small Business Profile: Sweet Beginnings
While the economy is improving, certain communities remain behind the curve in terms of employment and opportunities. For example, while national unemployment hovers at just over 4 percent nationwide, in Chicago’s North Lawndale community, unemployment is around 23 percent.
However, in every challenge there is opportunity. Brenda Palms Barber, the CEO of Sweet Beginnings, LLC, decided to take things into her own hands. “As a frustrated leader of a nonprofit with a mission to improve the earnings potential of the North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives, I knew I had to provide our participants with the second chance they so desired and greatly needed,” she said. “If the employers in North Lawndale would not be willing to hire our program graduates, then it was in my and my team’s own hands to create a way.” 
Palms Barber helped create Sweet Beginnings as a social enterprise that trains the formerly incarcerated for jobs in manufacturing, food service, customer service, hospitality, retail and more. They do this in part through their beelove® brand of certified, natural urban honey and honey-infused skincare products. As they say on their website, the company is “where your purchase transforms lives.” Sweet Beginnings’ growth allows them to employ traditionally difficult to train individuals, and to empower them with financial and life skills to help build independent and more meaningful lives.
Employees at Sweet Beginnings start with job readiness training, which is provided by Sweet Beginnings’ non-profit parent company, the North Lawndale Employment Network. Currently, Sweet Beginnings has eight employees, all of whom spent time in prison.
Sweet Beginnings beelove products don’t just provide opportunity, they are fantastic natural products that are beloved – no pun intended – by locals and celebrities alike. The company says that due to the support of married entertainers Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, who recently talked about the company’s products in People magazine, their most popular product is currently their beelove nourish & smooth body cream.
Having a small business dedicated to teaching skills to former prisoners has had a tremendous impact in North Lawndale. , “When communities are ravaged by poverty and violence, generations of families suffer as neighborhoods are drained of their primary wage earners, investment from local business owners and a tax base which can support community social resources,” Palms Barber said. Now, between beekeeping (which Sweet Beginnings does to make their honey-based products), harvesting and selling honey and honey-infused products, they provide transitional jobs for those returning to the workforce, while developing important and tangible skills the participants can use to become more competitive in the job market.
The results speak for themselves. Sweet Beginnings says that more than 75 percent of those who complete their program will go on to secure permanent positions with other employers, start their own business or enter into post-secondary education. Fewer than 8 percent will return to prison.
As in any small business, Sweet Beginnings employees learn a number of skills. The company says their employees learn manufacturing, sales, inventory, quality control, customer service and digital literacy, which transfers to positions in a wide variety of industries.
Sweet Beginnings has a goal to provide transitional employment to at least 60 citizens returning from incarceration and other hard-to-employ jobseekers in the next three years. To do so, the company is expanding distribution. In addition to selling products via their beelove website, they also sell in all Mariano’s Fresh Markets, Hudson’s at O’Hare and Midway International airports and other Chicago-based retailers. They are looking for other retail partners.
If you are looking to make a social impact with your small business, Palms Barber has some additional tips to share.
- “First, it is important for a social enterprise to be in clear alignment with the mission of the nonprofit organization. I also learned it’s wise to listen and embrace your critics’ feedback because they will lift up critical gaps in your business assumptions that you may be blind to address, resulting in a stronger business model. One thing about Sweet Beginnings is clear – we have done nothing traditional or conventional. Be open and willing to carve a new path and create a new direction for the business. Not every social enterprise will fit into a neat box.”
- “Another key piece of advice is the importance of engaging and retaining professional legal counsel. Invest in legal counsel upfront because they will guide the legal structure that supports your long-term vision.
- “Finally, I have to say that everything takes longer then you think it ever, ever, ever will. It takes time to grow a messy idea to a profitable business!”
Everything worthwhile takes time, and it is clear Sweet Beginnings’ time invested is really paying off.
To learn more about Sweet Beginnings’ beelove products and mission, visit their website.
Bank of America's related social efforts:
Bank of America helps neighborhoods in need get access to critical funding and assistance.
About Carol Roth
Carol Roth is the creator of the Future File ® legacy planning system, “recovering” investment banker, billion-dollar dealmaker, investor, entrepreneur, national media personality and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Entrepreneur Equation. She is a judge on the Mark Burnett-produced technology competition show, America’s Greatest Makers and TV host and contributor, including host of Microsoft’s Office Small Business Academy. She is also an advisor to companies ranging from startups to major multi-national corporations and has an action figure made in her own likeness.
Web: www.CarolRoth.com or Twitter: @CarolJSRoth.
You can read more articles from Carol Roth by clicking here
Bank of America, N.A. engages with Carol Roth to provide informational materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Carol Roth is a registered trademark, used pursuant to license. The third parties within articles are used under license from Carol Roth. Consult your financial, legal and accounting advisors, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.
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