When I’m approached by people who want to start a business and they ask for advice, I always pause and take a deep breath. Where do I start? Starting a business is HARD. It’s a dream come true but the day-to-day isn’t glam and your self-confidence can take a serious hit.

Here’s what I tell them:

Get a partner

This little gem of advice was in almost every “Starting a Business article” I read. Only problem is I read them AFTER I started Hair Fairy. The jist of it is, with a shared vision, partners can divide up the work and each bring different but synergistic strengths to running a business. In place of a true business partner, I had huge support from my parents and my sisters. But if I were to do this again, I’d find someone with the passion and time to run the company with me.

Be flexible and able to pivot

Soon after we launched, we had many people tell us they loved their daughter/grand daughter’s Hair Fairy and asked if we had a women’s version they could buy. We quickly repackaged some inventory with a lavender sachet in place of Harriet and in a box that spoke to benefits for women and teens. Today about half of our sales come from our women and teens line.

Hire professionals so you can focus on what you're good at

I would rather have a root canal than spend a morning in QuickBooks. As the owner, I know I need to keep a close eye on our financials and how to reconcile every month. But when I can, I hire this and other pieces of the business out to experts so I can focus on what I like to do.

Stick to your ethics

I felt sick when our first manufacturing order arrived from China and every box was wrapped in plastic. I knew this was standard and something stores deal with every day. But knowing I was contributing to thousands of plastic bags being thrown out eventually made my heart hurt. When it came time to replenish our inventory we did a number of things including we redesigned all of our packaging which is now made from recycled paper, manufactured and printed in the US and recyclable itself. We also switched to local US based manufacturing (more on that later!) and our sewing partner delivers the goods without the plastic. I feel good making business decision that while may not be the cheapest, allow me to sleep better at night.

Find some inspiration and keep it flowing

I am addicted to the podcast “How I Built this” by Guy Raz. When I’m feeling stuck or down, it’s better than a glass of wine and therapy. Guy Raz interviews entrepreneurs and how they got started and the stories are riveting, inspiring and sometimes downright funny. People he’s interviewed include Bobbi Brown, Lisa Price, Howard Schultz and one of my very favorites was Kate Spade. Do yourself a favor and start listening. 

I would love to hear inspiration you use to turn an idea into a business. Or if you have any other questions, feel free to email me and we can chat!

Pictures are from the delivery and unpacking of our first shipment AND first photoshoot!

This Mother’s Day, let’s take time to invest a little in ourselves. Here are some quick ideas!

Reflect on good memories.

When I look back on pictures of my kids when they were babies and little people, I’m so surprised at how fast time flies. It also helps me gain perspective and remind myself of the saying, “The days are long and the years are short.” Photos help me visually see the impact I am making on my children. Take a few minutes to look through your photos and reflect on the influence you’ve had in their lives.

Pamper your skin.

Take time to pamper your skin. Get a facial, make a homemade facial mask, or purchase a quality exfoliating cream or moisturizer. Relax in a lavender bubble bath. Trust me, taking a little time to focus on skincare will make you feel more rejuvenated and ready to conquer motherhood again.

Get a good night’s sleep.

It has been said that moms lose about nine hours of sleep each week. Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to gain some of that back. Prepare a good sleep environment by eliminating distractions in your room – noises, bright light, electronics, etc. Sleeping on satin sheets can help to regulate your body temperature while you sleep and reduce friction that pulls on your skin and hair.

Buy yourself a gift.

Go ahead, splurge a little. Buy that something that you’ve been needing, or better yet, wanting. (Like a quality, satin pillowcase. Wink.) If splurging could be too risky for your budget, then set an amount within your budget. Sometimes it is nice to be able to buy a little something for ourselves.

Take a small vacation – alone.

Sometimes we just need a little hiatus from mothering. A little alone time can restore our energy and allow us to be the mothers we want to be – more energetic, loving, and patient. Treat yourself to a small getaway, just you. You will come back rejuvenated and happy. If a trip isn’t possible, try an afternoon away or even an hour to recharge. You’ll be surprised how even over a short period of “you” time, you’ll feel refreshed.

Finally, Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there. Pat yourselves on the back. You’re doing the hardest but most rewarding job on the planet!

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

And because we should be thinking about the impact we’re having on the planet every day, I think about what I’m doing to use less, reuse more and recycle. The good news is sleeping on a satin pillowcase is a small way to do all three. Here’s how:

1. Use less hair product

By sleeping on satin, you prevent the friction that causes dry, damaged and frizzy hair. Because of this, you can significantly reduce the amount of hair products you buy such as detangling sprays, smoothing serums and other stuff.

2. Less in landfills

I used to use a bottle of detangling spray every 2 weeks on my daughter’s hair. I always felt guilty about all of the plastic bottles we went through. Once she started sleeping on satin, our plastic recycling was significantly reduced. We only had to buy detangling spray a few times a year to help with really rough mornings. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase meant we had to recycle approximately 90% less bottles! 

3. Fewer blow-outs and styling sessions

A customer just emailed and said she was skeptical at first but is now a believer because she can go 2 to 3 days LONGER between her professional blow-outs thanks to Hair Fairy.  So your styling time and time in the chair at your local dry bar is freed up for other things (and other things to spend on)!

4. Satin lasts for years

We’re still sleeping on the satin pillowcases that were prototypes for the original Hair Fairy. Some are going on 8+ years old!  Because they’re made of satin, we wash them with our sheets and other bedding. Easy-peasy. Talk about reusing! Just don’t wash them with velcro. Trust us on this one. 

So congratulations! By sleeping on Hair Fairy, you’re doing one more thing to help our great planet stay green and beautiful!

(Like the photo? Its me walking across a creek on a backpacking trip this summer. Talk about seeing Mother Nature in all her glory!)

As we've interacted with store owners, we've gotten questions around wanting the "research" on the benefits of sleeping on satin. Of course we knew about less tangles and bedhead at night and we knew a little bit about the benefits for skin. But once we dove deep into what experts have to say, we were surprised (and delighted!) to read about all of the benefits we didn't know. 

So to save you hours of online research, I've put together this handy list of the Top 10 Benefits of Sleeping on a Satin Pillowcase. 

1. Prevents night tangles, frizzy hair and bed head
2. Easier brushing and styling in the morning
3. Maintains natural hair moisture
4. Prevents hair damage and hair loss
5. Prolongs salon blow-outs and hair styling
6. Maintains body temperature – stays cooler in warmer months and warmer in cooler months.
7. Prevents perspiration at night – the lower thread count allows for more air circulation
8. Protects eye lashes and eye lash extensions by lessening the drag and potential snagging on regular pillowcases
9. Prevents sleep lines and wrinkles and helps to maintain a healthy complexion
10. The American Cancer Society recommends a satin pillowcase for chemotherapy symptom relief. Patients receiving chemotherapy can slow hair loss and sooth dry and tender scalps by sleeping on satin.

It's safe to say anyone with a head (and that's most of us!) could use a Hair Fairy pillowcase. In case you're still wanting more, you can read testimonials from happy Hair Fairy customers here. 

Sources:

www.haircaremanual.com

www.cancer.org

www.ehow.com

I always have a hard time getting back into the groove after the holidays. It’s now the third week of January and I’m still finding my energy flagging. Whether it’s the cold and short days Seattle brings this time of year or lingering fatigue from the holidays, I’m once again dragging myself through January.

My mom put it perfectly when she said, “January feels like one long Monday.”

This year, I’m fighting the blahs more than usual. My pre-holiday frenzy was in a much higher gear because it was my running Hair Fairy. It was a great first holiday season but the effort and energy that went into it has caught up with me.

Yet there’s so much to do! I have big work deadlines and even bigger goals so I need to get motivated. Fast.

For inspiration (and yes - part procrastination) I did a few searches on productivity tips and ideas. No one article nailed it for me personally so I made my own list of what helps me to be productive:

1. Start planning on Sunday

Spending time on Sunday, even just 30 minutes, looking at my calendar, reviewing deadlines and determining what I need to get done by the end of the week gives me a huge leg up Monday morning.

Most important, it helps ease the anxiety of Monday morning. I can relax more Sunday night, sleep better and I’m much calmer getting my kids off to school Monday morning.

2. Make lists and note what’s a “task” vs. a “project”

I am a task junky. I love making lists and crossing tasks off when I complete them. But I tend to do all of the quick tasks first, leaving the projects that take longer to, well, sit on my list for too long.

Now I make lists and note what’s a task (takes less then 30 minutes to complete) and what’s a project. Then prioritize and set aside the right amount of time to get a combination of projects and tasks done.

3. Exercise

I try to swim, run or do yoga 4 to 5 times a week. Emphasis on "try" cause sometimes I'm lucky to get 3 days in. If I schedule workout time like a meeting and treat it as mandatory, I’m more likely to actually get out and do it. And the endorphins give me a second wind to finish the work day strong.

4. Make time for creative think

During my last full time position, I was so crushingly miserable, I was creatively depleted. It wasn’t until I decided to quit and take time off that I was able to free my mind, think creatively and start putting the pieces of Hair Fairy together.

Now I know being able to just quit a job and take time off is a luxury few have. But a mini break such as raking leaves, a walk with the dog or even reading the New York Times helps me think up new ideas or better way to approach a problem I’m trying to solve.

5. End the day with an organized desk and notes for the next day

I worked with a woman who told me at the end of every workday, she would tidy her desk, review the schedule for the next day and update her “to do” list.

Now, if you saw my desk, you wouldn’t call it tidy. I have organized “piles” for most of the week. But I’m going to attempt to break 15 minutes earlier, clean up and update my list. This habit will help me get a jump-start every morning.

I will stop short of calling these 5 strategies my New Years Resolution but will commit to making these a habit in 2015. Now back to work!

I’m excited to be returning home to Oakland, California for the weekend. It's a quick business development trip for Hair Fairy but I'm looking forward to spending time with my sister, nieces and friends I grew up with. I’ve lived in Seattle longer than I lived in Oakland but I still think of it as home.

I moved away from Oakland when I was 18 to go to the University of Washington and save for one summer, I never moved back. I was drawn to Seattle for its natural beauty and cultural “coolness” – grunge music was at its height and Microsoft was the tech behemoth making Seattle a hub for tech innovation. Starbucks was still a local coffee chain and I would bring a bag of beans down to my parents for Christmas as it was a novelty! Amazon didn’t exist yet.

Gawd I’m old.

Anyways, Oakland at that time was not hip. Not. At All.

San Francisco and even Berkeley eclipsed Oakland in the cool department. But I carried my Oakland heritage like a tough girl badge of honor. It was fun to see how people responded when I told them where I was from. And when I returned to Oakland and rode BART or jogged around Lake Merritt remembering my days on the crew team, I appreciated the beautiful, diverse "rough around the edges" city that it is. 

I miss it.

Now Oakland has come into its own. I read a New York Times article about Oakland being to San Francisco what Brooklyn is to Manhattan. WOW. 

There’s a company called Oaklandish that has all Oakland-inspired apparel. One of their most recent designs has a sweatshirt that says, “Oakland, where my story begins”. That sums it up for me.

Oakland is where my story begins.

Here’s a run down of where I plan to go and do while I’m there:

Claremont Hotel

YES! I’m staying here and I’m GIDDY about it. The Claremont is a grand hotel in the foothills of Berkeley (within blocks of Oakland). Whenever I’m in San Francisco or flying into the Bay Area, I look for the big white structure in the hillside to get my bearings. I have never been inside the hotel so I anticipate feeling like Eloise at The Plaza.

Peets Coffee on Domingo

Before they sold gourmet whole bean coffee in grocery stores, my dad and I would go here every weekend to get the weekly supply of coffee and an espresso brownie to share. Peets is in Seattle now and every time I go in one, I feel like a little kid.

Sweet Dreams

I love shopping on College Avenue and Sweet Dreams was within walking distance of my aunt and uncle's house by the Cal campus. My cousins and sister would walk down and buy giant jaw breakers, licorice ropes and gummie bears and walk back loaded with sugary loot!

Ruby’s Garden

My aunt suggested I go here and drop off a Hair Fairy sample. From her previous posts on Facebook shopping here, I know I’m going to go gaga over their selection and will likely pick up a few Christmas gifts while I’m there.

Creative Growth Vice + Virtue Holiday Show

Creative Growth Art Center serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development and exhibition. Their Holiday open house on Friday will feature art for sale by their resident artists, live music and yummy treats! 

Leslie Evers

Leslie is a long time friend of my cousin and has created a line of classic yet modern women’s wear. She designs many of her own fabrics and works with local manufacturers. I can’t wait to buy something special here. For myself. Lesley, please open a store in Seattle!

Oakland Supply Co.

This is a new concept shop I heard about on Facebook featuring American and locally made products, perfect for more Christmas shopping. Just looking at their website/tumblr page gives me ideas. It also gets me to Jack London Square and the waterfront. 

 Any place else I should not miss while I'm there?

Press release:

New Satin Pillowcases Sprinkle Fairy Dust on Morning Routine: Leave Little Girls' Hair Tangle-free

Hair Fairy satin pillowcases customize generations-old hair solution just for girls; each pillowcase includes adorable Harriet doll

Seattle, WA - November 20, 2014 – Hairy Fairy Bedding Company has launched Hair Fairy, a new line of satin pillowcases that put an end to one of the most dreaded morning routines for little girls (and their caregivers): brushing tangles and frizzes out of their delicate hair. Available just in time for Christmas, Hair Fairy pillowcases are specifically designed for girls aged three and up, and for all hair types. Plus, each Hair Fairy pillowcase comes with an adorable Harriet fairy doll tucked into a special pocket.

A Generations-old Solution for Today’s Little Girl

The benefits of sleeping on a satin pillowcase have been known for generations: satin maintains salon styling and promotes smooth frizz-free hair and healthy skin. But, until now, no one has designed a satin pillowcase specifically for little girls.

Born of one busy mother’s frustration with her daughter’s daily ‘tangles,’ Hair Fairy was launched by Seattle-based entrepreneur Eliza Kelly to solve the stressful (painful!) and time-consuming detangling of little girls’ hair. The special tight weave and high sheen of Hair Fairy’s luxurious satin retains hair moisture, avoiding the rat’s nests that come from the friction of sleeping on cotton or cotton blend pillowcases*. And, to make it especially appealing to little girls, Hair Fairy created the charming plush Harriet fairy doll as part of the pillowcase, complete with her own untangled tresses and special story.

“With Hair Fairy, parents and caregivers no longer have to spend precious morning time combing out tangles or spend money on detangler sprays or special brushes,” said Kelly. “Hair Fairy takes the stress out of morning hair prep time, helps make hair shiny and girls love the feel of sleeping on satin. And, because they are made of machine washable satin, the pillowcases are easy to care for. In short, Hair Fairy makes sleeping a dream!”

What Hair Fairy Moms are Saying:

Says Barbara, the very satisfied mom of Talia: “Talia has been using the Hair Fairy Satin pillowcase since late August. We (and I do mean "we") love it! She has exceptionally thick, wavy hair that always ended up in a mess of tangles in the morning. Now, NO MORE TANGLES! I have heartily recommended these pillowcases to family and friends. Also, I love the doll's backstory. So cute!”

Erin, Kate’s mom, concurs: “My daughter hated having her hair brushed in the morning. Now, I brush her hair quickly before bedtime and after she sleeps on her Hair Fairy pillowcase, I hardly have to brush it in the morning! It’s less dry and tangled. She’s ready to go and we’re all a lot happier!”

Hair Fairy Product details:

• Luxurious medium-weight satin
• Durable, easy-to-care for and machine washable
• Fits a standard size pillow
• Three dreamy colors: Cloud White, Cotton Candy Pink and Preppy Polka Dot
• Comes with a plush Harriet doll, who has long blue hair, a white nightie and her own special tangled-hair story
• Pillowcases are only $32.00 each
• Available for sale at http://tanglefreedreams.com/ 

*Hair Fairy prevents tangles, but does not undo tangles that already exist. Hair should be brushed before going to bed.

About Hair Fairy Bedding Company

Hair Fairy Bedding Company produces the only satin pillowcases designed specifically for girls and their hair problems. Using a generations-tested idea, Hair Fairy pillowcases prevent nighttime hair tangles, frizz and bed head, making morning brush-outs easier and stress-free for both girls and their parents/caregivers. The pillowcases are made from high quality, machine-washable satin, fit standard size pillows and come with a plush Harriet doll to keep bad hair tangles away. Hair Fairy Bedding Company was launched in 2014 by Eliza Kelly, a Seattle-based entrepreneur and mother of a former tangled-haired girl.

Hair Fairy Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com. (424) 603-4340

“So, are you sewing the pillowcases and the doll when orders come in?”

“Um, no,” is my emphatic response.

I don’t sew which is odd because my mom and both of my sisters are amazing sewers. I love the idea of sewing my own clothes, home decor items, gifts, etc. But I can’t sew a straight seam to save my life.

More importantly, I didn’t want to worry about production. When orders come in, I want to be able to pull product off the shelf knowing it was produced to a high degree of quality and durability. I also wanted to focus on sales and marketing and operations. 

Finding and determining the right production source was my steepest learning curve when starting the business. My initial preference was to keep production in the US, because I’m a big believer in supporting jobs here at home. Who isn’t? I also wanted to be closer to the production source and have a collaborative, hands-on role in the creation of my vision.

After more than eight months researching and talking to US-based sew rooms, I hit a wall. The price points were just too high. Second, most sew rooms weren’t interested in the handwork required to create Harriet and were leery of sewing satin. Because of the slippery nature of the fabric it’s a pain in the rear to work with.

At this point, I stalled out. My vision was not panning out here. It took a friend and mentor to tell me to “Get over it.” He pointed out the obvious - most soft goods are produced overseas. Walk your local Target aisles or any store for that matter. A small start-up should be able to benefit from the same overseas production facilities and the lower associated production cost as the big guys. So I shook it off and made the decision to take my production business overseas.

In a nut shell, here are the three reasons why:

1. Low price points

If you can’t model your wholesale and retail price points around profitability, there’s no point in going into business. If I were to produce here in the US, I’d need to set a retail price for one pillowcase and doll at around $70 to make even a slim margin. Thus pricing me out of a many target markets I wanted to market to.

The price per unit I was quoted from a number of China-based manufacturers ranged between 1/4 to 1/3 of what US sew houses were quoting me. This was eye opening and is the crux of our love/hate relationship with Made in China products. More on this in another blog post soon!

The drawback to overseas manufacturing for a capital constrained start-up is the minimums are higher than domestic production. This means your initial investment for inventory, while lower per unit, is likely going to be higher. Making the decision to make this investment for thousands as opposed to a few hundred made me more committed to making Hair Fairy successful.

2. High-quality

I did engage with one domestic sew house to the point of paying them to create samples. They were bad. Despite using patterns and fabric I provided, I was very disappointed.

This is NOT to say all domestic sewing is bad quality. I know many small businesses here in Seattle alone who are using local sew rooms. For me though, it wasn’t working. This was the one facility I could find that agreed to consider the my business. If this was the first impression of the quality I would get from them, I couldn’t risk it.

In contrast, the samples I got from the manufacturer I ultimately worked with in China were exceptional. After one round of adjustments, they were perfect. Even more, I put the cases through almost a dozen wash tests and they stood up to all tests. This was the quality I wanted my customers to experience

3. Trust

Once I found the manufacturer I ultimately worked with, it just felt right. I was introduced to him via my soft toy pattern maker. She had worked with him at a large toy company before they both went independent. He is based in Seoul with production facilities in China. Although he worked with impressive big name toy companies, he wanted my business and was willing to work with me.

I was also assured of the working conditions of his facilities. This really mattered to me. I couldn’t ethically sell a kids product that was made in sub-par conditions by slave child labor. While I didn’t physically visit his facility, he assured me and invited me to visit anytime.   I also saw pictures and talked to other clients of his who assured me I was working with the best in the business.

A lot goes into making the decision to join the global economy, manufacture overseas and import product to sell here in the US. My experience, while summarized here, had a lot of twists and turns and a fair amount of funny stories and anxiety-induced sleepless nights which I'll share soon here!

I love the planning. I especially love campaign planning. Setting sales goals, working on incentives and then determining how to use all of the marketing channels – social, email, blogging, search engine marketing, etc. to get the word out. I live by my “to do” lists. So Friday means I get to cross off and start rebuilding the new “to do” list for next week. And then let my mind rest and dream over the weekend.

So the warm fuzzy Friday feeling I’m having this morning lead me to this story in Fast Company "4 Habits of People Who Follow Their Dreams." For those who know me, you know Hair Fairy has been a dream for a while so this headline caught my eye.

In it, Stephanie Vozza writes about childhood dreams (for a while, my dream was to be a Hollywood star – really.) “Along the way, however, most dreams get derailed. It could be because we form new dreams or outgrow the idea. Often its because we’re told that our dreams aren’t realistic."

I recommend reading the article if you want some warm and fuzzy Friday inspiration too! But here are the crib notes and my quick commentary:

4 Habits of People Who Follow Their Dreams

1. They Don’t Take Rejection Personally - Okay, frickin' hard to do. I have my fair share of pity parties so I know personally it’s hard to pick yourself back off the mat. Over and over again. Stephen King got so many rejection letters, he would hang them from a nail. The nail was replaced with a spike after the nail couldn’t hold the weight.

2. They Make Their Own Opportunities - Steven Spielberg directed my favorite movie of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark but I didn’t know he was rejected from USC film school THREE TIMES. So he squatted in an office at Universal Studios until they hired him. Seriously, read the article because depending on my mood, he could be considered ballsy or sort of nuts (likely both).

3. They Find an Advocate - My parents have been my advocates. When I first started talking about “the Hair Fairy idea” and transitioned in and out of a few career moves over 8 years, my mom would always say, “What about Hair Fairy?” Their support deserves its own blog post soon! But just gotta say it, HF wouldn’t be real without them

4. They Use Naysayers to Fuel Their Drive - I use to crumble when I got negative feedback at work. But age and maturity have transformed me from a self-doubter to someone with a good degree of self confidence and pretty thick skin. Whenever I was confronted with someone really negative or toxic, I would channel my dad’s wise (and somewhat crude) words, “F--- ‘em.” And then move on. I’ll wait till my kids are a little older to share this advice verbatim with them.

Done right, timelines communicate growth and momentum and are used to commemorate anniversaries, in presentations for investment capital and included in annual reports. Milestones could include launch date, first major client win, 100^th employee, major product launches, etc.

So back to my experience - creating a company timeline from scratch makes me go into “deer in headlights” mode. Few organizations have on-staff historians to track major milestones. This means a lucky marketing person or two gets to run around and glean what happened and when with the people who were there. Usually this entails trying to get time with the founders/execs who would look at you blankly wondering why you were wasting their time and yours asking about something that happened X number of years ago. All of you corporate communications people are nodding your heads vigorously! 

So why am I writing about this? Having recently launched Hair Fairy, I’ve been celebrating key “firsts”. And just as important to me is all of the “firsts” that happened before our launch date. Starting Hair Fairy has been a steep learning curve because manufacturing, importing and retailing is all new to me. Knowing what it took to get to the point of transacting and hearing from happy customers makes the “before launch” milestones just as important as the “after launch” ones.

So here it is. The first Hair Fairy timeline. In Powerpoint of course. And because I’m in this for the long haul, I’ll keep adding to it. In a year a year (or five) I’ll look back and celebrate how far we’ve come.

In the piece, Michael Cascio, a former exec at the National Geographic Channel, A&E and Animal Planet, writes about what he learned working as a janitor at Wolf Trap, a performing arts venue in Virginia. While working in “the bottom rung of show business” he learned about the importance of showing up on time, appreciating your co-workers and understanding the work hierarchy.

I especially loved this reflection, “Even now, when handling a garbage bag, I create a strong bond by making two handles from the sides and tying them together in a knot at the top. After that, almost nothing can fall out of the bag.”

Two thoughts came to mind after reading this: 1. Does he really take out his own garbage? and 2. Husbands, take note of that technique!!

Since reading Cascio’s article, I’ve thought a lot about my first job and what I learned.

In high school, to pay for my car insurance and gas money, I worked at the REI store in Berkeley. It was the second REI store to open and thus its internal store code was 02. When I moved to Seattle to go to the University of Washington, I got a job working at store 01 – the “mother ship”. I felt like I was moving up in the REI universe! At the time, there were about a dozen stores. Now, there are over 40.

This was before REI moved into its current hip flagship store with the 3-story rock climbing wall and outdoor bike paths. Old time Seattelites stillremember the original REI that occupied an old building on Pike St and 11^th. Previously a car dealership, broad ramps connected the floors and there was no modern HVAC system. We employees learned to dress in layers.

During my time at both stores, I worked in Shoes, Books and Clothing departments. We had to wear green vests with lots of pockets for pens, transfer slips and membership forms. Wearing the green vest meant you were an expert and easy for customers to spot when they had questions.

For those of you who’ve worked retail, you know its hard work. You have to be customer service oriented which means you have to actually be nice to people - hoards of them - who you don’t know and likely won’t see again. You have to understand their needs, size them correctly, find the right shoe/boot/sandle, fit them and help them to make a decision. Then when you’re done, you clean up and move onto the next person.

Just as important as the customer service, you have to know the technical spec of outdoor gear. From Vibram soles, to Gore-tex liners to the best guidebooks for hiking the PCT, you have to know your stuff.

I would come home exhausted, my legs and back aching only to get up and do it again the next evening.

Working at REI, I learned quickly that I was never going to know and understand every product in my department. It would have taken years and an encyclopedic-sized memory. Once I realized this, I looked for the next best resource. And that turned out to be my fellow green vesters.

On the floor, I would eavesdrop on my co-workers while they helped customers to learn more about the products. When I had a customer who needed more help than I could provide, I’d ask a more knowledgeable co-worker for an assist and take mental notes. In the process, I became a better sales person and customers trusted me more because I wasn’t making stuff up. (Note to youngsters working at REI: making stuff up is not a good strategy. Selling someone a waterproof jacket that is anything but waterproof doesn’t go over to well in our climate.)

When you’re new in the workforce, it’s hard to admit to co-workers you don’t know something. It’s even harder when you’re older and you’re doing something new for the first time – like start a kids bedding company.

In the two and a half years it took me to develop Hair Fairy from an idea to reality, I tapped a lot of people for help. A lot.

The most helpful group? Colleagues from my previous jobs. Thank you LinkedIn!!

I’ve been lucky to work at some great places with smart people so when I hit a wall and got stuck, I’d think, “Who might know how to do this?” and then I’d get on the phone or shoot of an email and offer them lunch or a cup of coffee.

Every time I asked for help, I got answers or an introduction to someone even more knowledgeable. No one, NOT ONCE, turned me down. From asking about manufacturing and importing, to reviewing my business plan financials to proof reading my website, all of my work was touched by a network of colleagues.

Now undoubtabley I’d finish most conversations slightly panicked realizing the more I learned, the less I knew (definitely a good topic for another blog post some day) but without my network and the drive to mine it, Hair Fairy wouldn’t exist today and I’d still be dreaming about the satin pillow case and doll I “someday” wanted to create and sell.

Thank you Cascio for your humble reflections. It’s comforting to know people in high places started out scrubbing toilets and taking out the trash.

And thank you REI for hiring me way back when.

And deep gratitude to my network that helped me scale this mountain one step at a time. You are all green vesters to me!

Old Seattle REI on Capitol Hill. 

An early Saturday morning in June found me at a photography studio in Ballard.  My experience in corporate marketing meant this wasn’t my first time on set. What was so momentous was this was the first of (hopefully) many photo shoots for my company, Hair Fairy Bedding.  I was anxious and tired. But mostly, I wanted to remember this day as the start of something big.

In my marketing roles at companies, I’d been responsible for supporting and building a corporate brand that was established and owned by others. That morning in June, the images being snapped would be the cornerstone for the brand I was building. My brand. That felt huge.

I had a tiny start-up budget, but I didn’t want to skimp on the photography. After talking to a number of local professionals (all referred to me by former colleagues  - the power of referrals!), I selected Barta Photo. Run by husband/wife team Patrick Barta and Lyn Porterfield, I loved his clean style and aesthetic. And let’s face it, Tyson, their 8 year old yellow lab sort of cinched the deal. Barta brought in photo stylist and kid wrangler              Lisa B.

I was lucky to draft the daughters of friends from work, school and church. The girls were excited to be models and did beautifully, hamming it up for the camera one moment and pretending to be asleep the next. My daughter Grace also stepped up.  Her hair woes 8 years ago were the catalyst for discovering satin pillowcases and ultimately founding Hair Fairy. Later, my husband and son showed up to make it truly a family affair.

So six girls, one boy, three moms, a dog named Tyson, and a handful of others all packed in to the studio to create the images you see on the website here. The time lapse video will give you a glimpse of the energy and controlled chaos of that morning.  

I love the way they all turned out and how Patrick captured the Hair Fairy brand of fun, happy and comfort so perfectly. And the images above were just a few that made me laugh. I hope you enjoy them too!

My idea for Hair Fairy came when my daughter was around 3 years old. Like most parents, the morning routine was often hard. I was pretty lax about what she wore (she dressed herself). But I held basic hygiene standards – hair had to be brushed, teeth clean and face washed.

Hair brushing was terrible and soon reminded me how much brushing out morning tangles hurt when I was  little . No amount of brushing or hair conditioning the night before helped.

One morning at pre-school drop, a sympathetic mom noticed our red rimmed eyes (yes, I fought back tears a few times too) and suggested she sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase.

My reaction: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?

And then: WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS BEFORE??

Internet searches let me in on a long held practice -  sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase alleviates friction between the hair and cotton pillowcase. Women use it as a beauty aid as it makes for smooth morning hair without frizz or bedhead. I couldn’t find any information on tangle prevention in little girls but was worth a try. I was DESPERATE.

The only pillowcases I could find were cheap and made with tacky rough satin and that wasn’t going to fly. Eww. So we (okay, my mom) quickly made a case out of medium weight satin. Grace loved it and most importantly, IT WORKED. She woke up with glossy tangle free hair. When I slept on it, my hair looked so good, I didn’t need to brush it.  Problem solved.

Life went on and I continued to work a day job – mostly in high tech but a few years with an international non-profit.  During this time, I learned a lot about running a business, managing big teams and launching products into the marketplace. The idea of creating a product for girls and their parents to solve an age-old problem of stressful morning brushouts never left my head. Today, all of that professional experience has resulted in what you see – Hair Fairy Bedding Company.

I‘ve learned so much throughout this process. I’ve also had a lot of help along the way. And I’ll continue to learn, grow and reflect on what its like to start a small company and get it into market and grow the heck out of it.

So my invitation to you is to follow me on this adventure. I’ll keep it short, entertaining and worth your time because I know its precious. And hopefully along the way, inspire some to make their own ideas a reality.