Since this is such a valuable part of our store platform, we realized we needed a better way to show you which sales are coming through your store and which were coming through the Marketplace, so we added a few small design elements. Starting today you can now login to your store admin panel and see the total $$ generated through the Marketplace. You can view this data for the current month, last month, two months ago and overall total since you have opened shop. (If the total is $0.00 for that time period, we just don’t show it.)

And each order that comes through the Marketplace will be labeled on the orders page of your admin panel so you can see exactly which ones were brought to you by Storenvy.

At Storenvy, we’re committed to helping you become killer online merchants, and the Marketplace is just one way we make that easier. Happy selling!

Communication is what our entire society is built around. From email to social media, communication has never been easier, quicker or more far-reaching. So why are some brands dropping the ball when it comes to communicating directly with their customers?

Communicate: When your fulfillment falls behind

Running Storenvy support, I can speak firsthand as to the amount of brands that drop the ball when it comes to communicating with their customers. Over half of the Storenvy support requests we receive revolve around customers asking about their orders. When a support request comes in from a customer asking about their order, I immediately reach out to the store to try and grab a status update. I would say in 95% or more of these circumstances the store owner responds quickly with a short message on why they got behind along with an apology. I then forward this message onto the customer, who typically is absolutely ecstatic to know that they will be receiving the order soon.

What I think many stores fail to remember is that in general, people are pretty patient and understanding when it comes to ordering online — we just don’t want to be left in the dark! Everyone gets behind from time to time, and that’s understandable. What isn’t is leaving your customers in the dark when it comes to your orders.

As a store owner it’s extremely important to put yourself in the shoes of a customer. If you placed an order online, what type of turnaround would you expect and appreciate? Would you prefer the company email you to tell you that they were behind and working hard to catch up, or be left to wonder whether your package is going to arrive at all?

If you fall behind, be straightforward and honest with your customers. Send them a short email explaining the situation and give them a timeline on when they can expect to see their product. It’s also a great idea to throw in a few freebies if you can, or at least a discount code for their next order. Showing your customers that you care goes a long way toward creating lifelong returning customers.

Communicate: As a value-add

A couple years back I ran a company called I Will Pong You, which sold a beer pong card game and beer pong t-shirts. A couple weeks after an order was placed I would send an email out to the customer that made a purchase just to see what they thought about the game, if they had any fun stories while playing the game and ask for ideas on how we could improve, and I would also include a discount code. While not everyone responded, everyone that did was blown away that I had taken the time to ask what they thought. I wasn’t trying to sell them on anything other than the fact we cared about their experience. Many of these customers came back and ordered more items simply based on that email alone.

The lesson here is that people are generally receptive to hearing from you after they make a purchase. After all, they have already committed to your product. By simply checking in to make sure they enjoyed their purchase and ask their opinion, it only further reinforces the fact that you care about your business and customer. Showing your customers that there are actual humans running your business will go a long way.

Aside from directly emailing your customers, also make sure that you have active Facebook and Twitter pages. Hold contests, ask questions, gain feedback, simply engage. You can never go wrong by putting yourself out there and showing your current and potential customers what your brand is all about.

In closing, I want to stress how easy and quick it is to keep your customers in-the-know. Not only will your customers appreciate it, but they’ll also be more likely to tell their friends and family about you a make that second purchase.

Enjoy!

1. Pug Life from Fat Sandwich Records | $20 

2. Magnum from Cherry Sauce Clothing | $38.00 

3. Circle Logo from Capitl Clothing | $39.95 

4. Amazing Grace from Walk in Love | $50 

5. Infinite from MUSAE | $36

6. Bird Herd from P is for Panda | $15 

7. Crow from Olde Crow Cabinets | $35 

8. The Pros Are Cons from Contour Hooligans | $40 

9. Hollow Logo from Hollow | $40 

10. Arrows from Doses | $13 

11. Remember to Act from The Love Alliance 

12. Never Sleep from Sleepyhead Clothing | $39.95 

13. School Motto from Liner Note Kids | $57 

14. Blood Diamond from Rise Up Clothing | $39 

15. Kingmaker from Kingmaker | $25 

16. Global Phenomenon from Phenomenon Clothing 

 17. Crest from Conquering Clothing | $29.99

18. You Only Live Once from YOLO | $39.95 

19. Link Sweatshirt from Much Needed Merch | $40.99 

20. Crossbones from Dirty Dudes | $26 

Tell us a little bit about yourselves. 

Lineposters is a partnership between Cayla Ferari and John Breznicky, a graphic designer and engineer respectively.  We’re both originally from upstate New York and we went to college together in Rochester, NY at RIT. That’s where we met and became good friends. After school, we both moved to NYC for work and that’s when we started dating :)

Tell us a bit about where you got the idea to start Lineposters. 

About 2 years ago we moved into our first apartment together and wanted something for our living room that was unique to us and our decorating aesthetic. Cayla had created a line drawing of the NYC subway previously and John suggested we have it made into a large 4′ x 6′ vinyl wall decal. We got so many compliments and requests for prints of the design from our family and friends. We thought to ourselves “why don’t we try to make a business out of this” and Lineposters was born. We started selling on the streets, parks and at different events around NYC during the summer of 2011. We quickly gained popularity and were able to invest all profits from our first poster back into the business to create a variety of new designs and print options. Now, about 7 months after the inaugural poster run, we offer 13 cities, 3 print types, great T-shirts, and have a lot of new adventures lined up for 2012.

What is your favorite item in your store and why? 

Wow! hard question. We take a lot of time to develop new designs and to choose great color-ways. Every time we add new products to our line, we try to top what we’ve done before and we quickly develop a new favorite! However, if we had to choose we’d have to go with the black and white NYC litho print. It’s simple, classic, and sophisticated and will always be a reminder of how we started.

You guys have really been blowing up in the last couple months. What can you attribute the recent success to? 

A lot of it seems to generate from a combination of larger online flash sales we’ve been doing and the retail events we do here in NYC. We’ve gotten so much love from our customers and lucky for us, they like to share their love with others. So many of the people who have seen our stuff in person or on the web have then posted it on their own design blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

.etc. We’ve noticed a real “snowball” effect
.the internet is magic! We truly appreciate all the kind words people have shared about our brand. We’ll continue to keep them happy with tons of new stuff this year!

Have you exhibited at any fairs or festivals and if so how has that been and what you have learned? 

We have. Since we don’t have a permanent store and most of our selling online, short term events and shows are a great way to get face to face time with our customers. We’ve done the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, the ID Pop Shop at Chelsea Market and the Columbus Circle Holiday Fair to name a few. They’ve all been really good for us. Since we’re so new, people are excited to see something different in those venues that they haven’t before. The shows are great since we get the chance to talk to people and get first hand feedback on what they want to see next. It’s actually how we’ve decided which cities to offer after New York

.people ask and we listen! We’re able to use their comments to build our inventory
.how great is that?

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome? 

(from Cayla)

I’m not sure John would agree but it was a challenge for me to stay focused on pushing forward when you’re worried it won’t be successful or that people won’t appreciate it. Starting a business takes a lot of focus and drive but since we were both working full-time in the beginning, it was very tiring. We basically haven’t had a social life in 7 months. However I’m thankful everyday that John had the confidence to push us to where we are now because it’s become bigger than I ever expected and I’ve never been happier.

What’s your ultimate goal for your Lineposters? 

Our ultimate goal would be to create a recognizable brand with a variety of quality products. We obsess on developing high quality products, although we stay up way later than we should every night, the difference in what we put out shows. We’re trying to stay focused on introducing new cities and products

.we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to create their own brand? 

Our advice would be to just go for it. It might seem irrational, but you’re never going to know if you can make it unless you try. It helps to start small and be patient. There are so many people with great ideas and life is too short to not take risks. If you’re passionate and feel you can create something that others will enjoy it’s worth exploring.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy? 

Our favorite thing was working with the team behind the website. They made the setup of our store extremly easy and were willing to customize it to make us happy which was great.

www.lineposters.storenvy.com

Tell us about yourself.

I am Nick Litrenta, and I am a Music Manager and own Define You Apparel. I really enjoy working in music; every day is something new, a challenge, a great artist. I really like traveling and have a passion for business. Define You Is the clothing brand that I run, with a team of other people. I really enjoy it because it ties my love for music, art and fashion together.

Who designs your artwork and how did you decide on your brand image?

We really are a positively inspired line, we want people to be different and push boundaries in a good way. Paul Granese, Joe Horacek, Brian Sheilds and we have a few things in the works we’ll be adding some new designers for. We come up with a concept and pick a designer that will fit what we are looking for and we also value their input.

What inspired you to start your brand?

Basically to spread a positive message and to provide something different to offer people. I really have always had a different sense of style wearing brands like Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Penguin, Macbeth, Etc. Lines from the UK and music t-shirt, but things that can’t be found at every mall and I noticed growing up that many people wore all the same clothing. People always asked about the clothing that I wore, so I started a brand based on it.

You are tied pretty tightly into the music industry even sponsoring a few bands. How has sponsoring bands worked out for you so far?

It’s really cool, because all of the bands I work with I personally am close with and they are really supportive of what we do. Ace Augustine really like the brand and do a great job supporting it. We also work with a band from Sumerian Records called I, The Breather and they have a new record coming out, that you all should check out. It helps give our brand character. We also have so new bands we will be announcing soon.

What’s your goal for your brand?

My Goal for the brand is simple to keep progressing and to inspire other people. We have been approached by buyers from several retailers, but right now we like being independent.

What is your favorite item in your store and why? 

I would have to say our line of Resilient T-Shirts, it was designed with a friend who is literally always on tour and has a really cool sense of style, Matt Greiner and our friend Kaleb Kilmer who builds custom drums. We had a photo shoot with all of us and one of the guys from I, The Breather and it was a blast.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to create their own brand?

I always advise people who ask to really do a ton of research ahead of time and to plan every detail. To surround you’re self with a team of people to help you who know what they are doing. To go out and seek out advice from people who are established in the industry, that way mistakes can be avoided.
What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy?

I really like the community aspect of it; it’s free which makes it easy for someone just starting out. It’s very simple and is easy to track sales.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code with our readers?

15% off code: “Winter” at defineyou.storenvy.com

And you just may find a special autographed item thrown in J

The Storenvy community is filled with stores who have a ton of heart, and in turn, products created with love. If you buy anything from Storenvy, there’s some love in it – because it’s coming from a real person. All this love made it super difficult to choose my fave V-day presents. In honor of February 14, here are my top 14 from the Storenvy marketplace I think do a rad job of spreading the love.

We love you guys, Happy Valentine’s Day! xx Lauren (the guys and Janette)

1. Kenmore Valentine from South End Textiles

2. The Love Mug from The Wanderlust

5. San Francisco Heart Map from Lucius Art

7. Heart Plush from Here is a Heart

8. Things I Love About You Journal from Walk In Love.

9. Robot Love Necklace from Pin Pin Finds

10. Be Mine or Else Craft Tags from Poofy Cheeks

11. Black Heart Bag from The Love Alliance

12. You’re the only fish in the sea for me print from Stay Gold

13. Heart Tee from Urban Sasquatch Clothing

14. Hearts and Buttons Shadow Box from All About Buttons

For our readers that have yet to have their mind’s blown by Everything is Terrible!, can you give us a run down of what you do?

What the fuck! You haven’t had your minds blown by Everything Is Terrible!? Well, for starters, in what sort of hobbit-style hole are you dwelling? Secondly, may I come live with you in your underground home? It’s always been a dream of mine. Once we become holemates, then, oh my, I will talk all night long about the wonders of EIT! It might go a lil’ something like this, “We are a group of poochie pals who find VHS tapes. We edit them into short, comedic, psychedelic videos that we post everyday on our website, www.everythingisterrible.com. Once a year we take all of those videos and tear them apart and sew them back together to make a feature. We take that movie on very long tours, where we dress up in large furry costumes and hold the hands of our viewers as we take them on a journey into their own minds – a journey so journey that something changes. You’re never the same after EIT! That’s us!” I guess it won’t take that long to explain… I really hope that we don’t run out of things to talk about. Oh yeah! Everything Is Terrible! is trying to collect every Jerry Maguire VHS in existence!

If you were to pick one video to sum up EIT! which would it be?

Partying with Rux! I like any video that is too weird to be considered mean-spirited, too visually crazy to ever be called boring, and too short for a viewer to even consider not finishing it. Also, the transformation that we performed here from the original to the video we posted is so great! I like it when what we make it unrecognizable from its former self. Those video molecules take a fully transformative journey! I feel that this is what the videos want. This is why they were sent to us! I also believe that VHS tapes are reincarnated saints!

PARTYIN WITH RUX! from Everything Is Terrible! on Vimeo.

How in the world did EIT! get started and how many people work on the project?

EIT! began on the wings of a dream of a talking dog who had 7-10 pint-sized ninja kid friends. We were those ninja kids! Then we grew up and moved away from each other. We didn’t fit in our ninja robes anymore, the talking dog had passed on to the rainbow bridge, and we had all these damn VHS tapes laying around. So, we started the website to share our finds with each other, ultimately with the goal of making a movie out of them. Then all of our dreams came true!

Your latest DVD project DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! looks absolutely face melting, how long did it take to put together and where/how did you come up with concept? 

Thanks! It is truly a labor of lovehate! It is by the far the hardest and dumbest thing that any of us have ever tried. We’ve been working on it for well over a year now. I spent three months living in Ghoul Skool’s closet, which we called the dog house. I slept on a yoga mat for 6 hours a night, then I spent the remaining 18 hours of everyday combing through every dogdamn dog movie and non-dog movie searching for something that was in the least bit interesting. Most people are surprised to hear that 90% of all videos have dogs in them, but they are for the most part the most boring sights that a pair of eyes could possibly process. Just the most uninspired and repetitive garbage that the most over-payed, over-privileged ‘artists’ could muster. So the next logically step for us, as dog lovers, was to use all of that filth to remake our favorite movie of all time, The Holy Mountain! We wanted to turn our culture’s shit into gold!

Tell us about the DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! Tour. What can people expect if they come to one of the tour stops and where can they purchase tickets?

We love to tour. We just love it so much. We are going everywhere, like 70 cities! People should expect the most crime-biting, all bark and all bite, paws to the walls, furtastic, night of their short lives! A tail to share with their friends’ babies! The live show is like going to Showbiz Pizza, while on a vision quest induced by 40 days of fasting, praying, and constantly ingesting peyote. That pizza is gonna taste sooooo good! RRRRUUUFFFFFFF! For information about tickets and all that, check out www.everythingisterrible.com or our facebook page! We’re gonna have so much fun together!

We’ve heard that the EIT! crew is in full costume at each tour stop. What’s the deal with costumes? Undercover mutant aliens in hiding? 

Actually you heard wrong. We don’t wear costumes. We are dogs. Like i said, RUFF!

With 60 dates on the road for the DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! what are you guys looking forward to most? 

We are so lucky. We get to drive around the country in a van filled with our best friends, go to every thrift store in the country (so many Jerry Maguires to be saved!), meet the nicest and coolest people ever, perform every night, and eat so much delicious pizza! I’m really excited about seeing Spokane for the first time, and returning to Toronto. We like fun!

Let’s talk EIT! merch! We must admit you guys have some hilarious merch available including the one and only Duane tee. What else can customers find in your store and should we expect and new designs in the near future? 

Besides all 3 of our DVDs, which will be the best thing you’ve ever seen. We’ve got shirts, posters, stickers, and all that junk! We’ve also got a new item coming in very soon. I’ll give you a hint. It rhymes with ‘hand-sculpted dashboard duanes!’ Oh dear, and we’ve so many big plans, blacklight everything, jumbo buttons, Cousin Duane’s Olde Timey Culture Jam, yapper clappers! Someday soon all of your dreams will come true!

The floor is yours! Any last parting words or EIT! video recommendations? 

Stop looking for Everything Is Terrible! It was inside of you all along. GET IT OUT! before infection sets in and then you die and go to the rainbow bridge! Love Always, Commodore Gilgamesh! www.everythingisterrible.com

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Chris Moore and I make monsters. I originally went to school for prop / FX design and while I barely worked in that industry, I still had an urge to create. I began creating things for my own collection roughly 12 years ago and after much prodding by others and getting some drive myself, I decided to see if anyone else would be interested in my creations. Scaling down to toy size lets me go crazy without spending like I have a Hollywood budget. I am a huge horror movie fan, so monsters seemed like the thing to start with.

How did you first get started designing toys?

Most of the skills used in toy creation relate directly back to my training. Making molds, engineering articulation (coming soon to my toys!), sculpting, all of this is something I already knew how to do. On top of that I already collect toys, and toys are a great way to fool people who would not consider purchasing artwork into buying art.

What is your favorite item in your store and why?

The Skelechubs, all of them. I wish I’d made more cold cast bronze ones though, that one sold out already. I love cold casting since it gives them heft and really take on the properties of the metal used.

What other artists inspired you to start and create We Become Monsters?

Secret Base for sure, their toys are nuts. Huge Pushead fan as well. In the indie realm, almost anyone who’s been brave enough to jump in and try it has given me inspiration – the gang at October Toys forum, Custom Toy Union, etc..

If you had an alternate life (like a flash sideways in LOST), what would you be doing?

Honestly, toys. I had a phone interview right out of school with a toy company and totally blew it because I was such a snob collection-wise. I dumped on Mattel, Kenner etc..  seconds before the interviewer mentioned they did proto work for those guys all the time. I sometimes wonder what might have been – could have saved me some time.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Time. I work 8-9 hours a day and then come home and lock myself in the garage and do 4-8 on toys. It gets tough to make yourself do that every day. Steven Pressfield’s ‘War of Art’ book really helped keep me going. The gist of it is if you are something, like and artist or writer, you are just going to be miserable if you don’t do the work, all the time. It is brutally true.

What’s your ultimate goal for We Become Monsters?

Short term, to be self sustaining. I want the toys to pay for the materials so I can do art. Long term, pie in the sky? To make a living sharing something I love doing – making toys.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to learn more or start collecting designer toys?

I think everyone eventually drifts over towards indie stuff, and you’d save a ton of dough by starting there. Indie toys are amazing and affordable.  The big boys make some amazing toys but you will pay through the nose for it if you are late to the game. Start small, buy what you love. Get shelves early.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy?

The feature set is fantastic compared to other online storefronts, even the paid options. Number one for me is that it is free – lower start up costs means everything to someone just starting out. Next on my list would be the facebook app. At first I wondered ‘why?’ but I really like how it looks on the We Become Monsters facebook page.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code with our readers?

I actually just created my first one in celebration of the new year. The code ‘2012die’ will get everyone 15% off.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Bianca Beck. I am a stay at home special needs mother to a little man named Skylar, who has an extremely rare birth defect Schizencephaly. I currently reside in South Florida. I absolutely love to paint, craft, sew and cook. I dedicate most of my time to cleaning, or therapy. When I get a break I love having movie nights at home, go sailing with my boyfriend and blog. (www.lovewhatsmissing.com)

What’s the story behind Love What’s Missing?

The following months after my son was diagnosed with Schizencephaly I realized how fragile everything was. He was suffering from infantile spasms which caused daily seizures, his development was deploring, and I knew my place was at home with him. I also realized with his birth defect came more ramifications than just the emotional toll, his medical bills were piling up. Being a stay at home mother has many perks, but I was not okay with a complete lack of income. I wanted independence; to contribute to his medical bills, therapies, and whatever necessities he may have.

Due to the extreme rarity of Schizencephaly, I also wanted to spread awareness. Most doctors, specialists, therapists, and people I have come to meet in our journey have never heard of it. So I began making and selling whatever I could at home, with hopes to educate more people and help Skylar out at the same time. Love What’s Missing derived from the very first time I saw his MRI, and witnessed how much of his brain was actually missing. After months of grieving over my son and these images I came to the conclusion that this vacant space was not going to define him. Schizencephaly will not pave the road to his future or who he will become. I learned to embrace this birth defect with open arms; I learned to love what’s missing.

What is your favorite item in your store and why?

My favorite item is currently the open rose adjustable rings. I’ve been wanting to start making accessories for so long, so I started dabbling a bit with different pieces. They’re perfect for any occasion and compliment any outfit. I wear one every single day.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Overcoming the fear of the unknown. When presented with a life altering situation for your child it changes every aspect of you. I spent over a year plaguing my mind in the “what ifs”, “will he ever”, and dwelling in what could have been. You learn to accept the cards you’ve been dealt with, and as cliché as it sounds- everything really does happen for a reason. Eventually you’ll realize whether your child is a genius, quiet, silly, or disabled, we are all exceptionally blessed to have them in our lives.

What’s your biggest inspiration?

Skylar. Witnessing him progress incredibly in his development, his hugs, kisses, contagious laughter, and his radiating dimples that light up a room is what fuels me. He has this inconceivable inner strength, and stands taller than any other person I know. He’s more resilient than a million men, and his smile compels me to tears. I don’t know another being that’s as influential as my son.

What’s your ultimate goal for Love What’s missing?

I am in the process of working on my most important project for Schizencephaly Awareness. All proceeds will also go towards all of Skylar’s future therapies, medical bills, and hopefully to provide medical insurance for my family. I want to educate the world and open their eyes, create awareness about this developmental birth defect and help out my family. Two great ideas in one. One day after I get us on solid ground I have hopes to start a nonprofit organization, and invest into research to find a cure for Schizencephaly for ones affected in the future.

What’s your advice to someone who wants to create their own brand?

As you can see from my shop, I have a wide range of products and still working every day on new things I want to create. Find something you love to do and don’t ever stop. Always stay optimistic, motivated, and keep your head held high. There is inspiration everywhere around you. There will always be people who will criticize you, and try to fill your mind with negativity. Break through those walls and move forward with a smile, you really can do anything if you put your heart into it.

What is your favorite thing about storenvy?

I went through two different sites before I discovered storenvy, and I absolutely love everything about this site. It’s incredibly easy to use and has a wide range of options to customize your shop. You guys listen to your users; provide great and fast feedback when needed. And most importantly I love the fact there are no fees, if I could hug every one of the staff members of storenvy I would. You guys are awesome; storenvy will always be home for my shop.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code to our readers?

Absolutely. Enter NEW YEARSwhile checking out and receive 10% off your entire order at lovewhatsmissing.storenvy.com

Tell us about yourself. 

I’m Christopher Ha, and I design apparel for Hooligans. I started doing this about two years ago when we felt like just designing for kicks on this new shirt line. I come from Alhambra, a city out by Los Angeles, CA. I was a dancer on our high school dance team and continued on until college. Much of our supporters come from this dance community that you’ve come to see on shows like America’s Best Dance Crew on MTV. I’m currently working at an ad agency and doing this on the side on my free time, so far so great!

Tell us a bit about how your brand got started and the story behind it. 

My brother and his friend thought about starting this brand coming out of high school. It wasn’t long before a couple more of us formed together as a team to get the project rolling full speed. It’s been a rough ride with a lot of ups and downs, but life kind of seems to be that way too.

I am aware that Contour Hooligans is actually a family ordeal. Who in your family plays what parts in the brand and how has it been building a brand with your family? 

I’m currently working with my brother and Dad, and another I consider my brother from another mother. My brother and I began working together from the get-go, he did the promoting and I did the designing. It wasn’t until later we found our Dad’s experience running his own pizza parlor business became handy with our ordeals with stocking and shipping product. My brother from another mother, Vidiu, handles project management and makes sure our company runs smoothly meeting our deadlines, love this guy!

What is your favorite item in your store and why? 

I would consider my favorite item to be the Rich Mahogany crew. The tagline was conceptualized by my brother and I didn’t think of it much at the beginning, but it started to dawn on me, “This was the greatest concept ever!” It represents our brand in the greatest way and it’s just so clever that almost anyone could relate to it. I once went to visit my doctor and one of the nurses were intrigued by the design and asked where to buy it.

Contour Hooligans seems to be tightly tied to breakdancing, was launching Contour Hooligans always part of your plan or something you felt the breakdancing community needed?  

Actually, it’s not just break dancing but a large amount of other types of hip hop choreography. We’ve always been rooted within this community, Contour has definitely played a role within the dance community as a symbol of those who support dance and just the plain expression of their art. You can see how apparent this is by the following we have on Facebook, more than half the posts are dance oriented and supporters post videos with them dancing with our gear. We promote heavily by vending at dance competitions year ’round.

What is your biggest inspiration for creating and growing your brand? 

My biggest inspiration comes from my Dad. He’s been through many hardships in his lifetime and I feel like he’s shown me how to never give up and always look on the bright side of things. Creating this brand was serious fun and taught me many life lessons that could be useful in the future.

What should we be looking forward to from Contour Hooligans in 2012? 

Be on the lookout for many new apparel for active wear. We’ve began exploring different ways we could cater our apparel to those who are physically active and live an expressive lifestyle. We hope this new gear would combine form and function in a way people would come to appreciate.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to create their own brand? 

You can never fail, only find different ways that don’t work. As long as you keep that mindset you can keep going. Determination is hard to maintain but once you’ve mastered it you can do anything.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy? 

Handling web design, I appreciate the ease of use Storenvy is able to provide. I’m working on a mobile version of the website soon and can’t wait to customize the store again.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code with our readers? 

Enter code ENVY for 10% off!