Shore Bags

Made from sustainable raw materials in our family factory, ShoreBags's mission is to help reduce the amount of single-use plastic in the environment and empower local communities. We believe in ethical and fair manufacturing practices, transparent supply chains and creating bags that reflect the best in functionality and eco-fashion. Shop at https://shorebags.com/ and use code "FRIENDS30" for 30% off. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to the Preppy Podcast, and I'm your host, Patricia May Olson. I'll be interviewing the brands, businesses, and influencers who are keeping the modern preppy lifestyle alive. Each Tuesday I'll bring you a new episode, but if you're craving more preppy, then shop the merch and listen to past episodes at the preppy podcast.com and be sure to follow at the preppy podcast and me, Patricia underscore May underscore Olsen on Instagram. I am talking with Niddy, who she is one of the founders behind Shore Bags, which actually started from her dad's business. Um, but her and her sister put their own spin on it and took over a few years ago. And I just love what the brand is doing. They make amazing tote bags and handbags with raw materials from their family factory. They're sustainable and ethical, but of course they are preppy as well. Um, so I really enjoyed this conversation about what they're doing to put their own spin on the company. Um, one of those things is their patch bar that you can add patches to the totes on their website. Um, but I really enjoyed talking about what ethical and sustainable means to them and how they achieve that because sometimes when you were doing so, then you're sacrificing quality. Um, so this was a really captivating part of the conversation that I think you will enjoy just as much as I did. And actually, the ladies who are attending the Camp Preppy in the Hamptons next week are all receiving a shore bag. And you guys, if you followed me for a few years, you've definitely seen their bags on my Instagram feed over the past couple years. Um, but before we get into this week's episode, let me remind you about Club Preppy. So, first there was Camp Preppy, and I had so many requests in between the camps for the ladies to get together for more activities. So that's how Club Preppy came to be. Basically, we have at least one virtual event per month. So it could be anything from a wine tasting to floral arranging, um, to tips on accessorizing or branding. And then members also get exclusive discount codes to some of my favorite brands and people I've interviewed on this podcast. And finally, they also get at least one treat in the mail per month. So it could be a tote bag, it could be a notebook, um, just something exclusive and generally branded to the group. And of course, everyone gets involved in a private group chat where members can support each other, cheer each other on, share links to their favorite preppy finds. Um, it's just such a great community, and we would love to have you as part of it. So just go to the preppypodcast.com to find out about membership and more information. And one other teaser is in the next week, I will be sharing our upcoming Camp Preppy retreats. Um, people who are part of Club Preppy get first dibs on them before then I share them with the podcast listeners, email subscribers, and social media. So definitely make sure you join, make sure you subscribe, you follow, and do all of the things. All right, let's get into this week's episode. All right, so why don't you first let everyone know who you are, where you live, and what you do.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Yeah, so my name is Nidhi Sharma. I am um the owner of Shore Bags, which is a family-owned business. Um, our dad, my sister and I actually own it. Um I am the main operator and she is she um is our sales person, um, and she joined a couple years ago actually. Um, but I've been doing this since 2016 um as a side hustle. It started out. Um I I'm an engineer, I'm an electrical engineer by profession. I had a certification job. I was doing what you know I was supposed to do right out of college, but um it's something that we've been around, the business, cotton canvas, our factory. Um, our dad started it in the 90s. So it was something that was always in the back of my mind, but was never really a plan A until it became more fun because he was into promotional items. So, you know, when you go to a convention and you get a little toad or a thank you gift, um, so it was a little bit less interesting than retail ready, really high top quality, fashionable items, which is what obviously was my interest. So um started shore bags in 2016, um, just kind of you know, to see where it goes. And then, you know, when we start getting started getting some of our larger clients in 2021 is when I officially quit my job as an engineer and then went full-time into shore bags. So I've been doing this for about five years full-time.

SPEAKER_02 5:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

And um, and yeah, I mean, that's and it feels really natural because, like I said, it was uh a medium we were already familiar with and working. You grew up around it, right? Grew up around it, and my cousin owns the factory in India where we make these bags. Okay. So um it was a family affair through and through, right? So, you know, it there was so many less barriers for us because it was a family business, which is very fortunate. Most people don't have that, I you know, because they need to find a source, etc. So for us, it was easier to do that. So it's kind of just morphed into where it is today. I didn't really have a big plan, but it just was I was having fun with it and we were being successful with it. So here we are.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

You were putting your own your own spin on it, which I love. Um and I I can't remember the first time I discovered your bags, but a few years ago, I have a few of your um totes, which I absolutely love. And you all will be part of Camp Preppy, um, the Hamptons event in April. So I am just thrilled to have you here to chat and learn more about you and the company. So let's back up a little bit and tell me about you as a kid. Obviously, you grew up around the family business. Um, and like you mentioned, you you went into something before joining the family business. But as a kid, were you someone that was creative or entrepreneurial, or would you go with your family to the factories or your dad's office? Like what was your childhood like?

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Yeah, that's actually a good question. So I I want to say I was I and I was reflecting on this um a few weeks ago actually, when my son and I were talking, he's 13, so he's at that age where you know we're starting to talk about what do you like? What do you want to do? What are your um, you know, what do you gravitate toward? And um, and I was going back to what I was doing at his age and starting at like almost nine, 10 years old, I would have I grew up in India until I was 13. So I moved here, you know, right when I started, I like finished eighth grade, and I moved here. So I had uh my friends through kindergarten until eighth grade. I had the same group of friends in India, and we grew up in in Bombay, or it's called Mumbai now, which is a really big metropolitan area. It's like the New York City of um of India. So it's not the capital region, but it's very uh culturally forward and um kind of ahead of the rest of the country, I feel like, in a lot of ways. So um I had a really good group of friends, and there was one of my friends who lived in the same, we lived in apartments uh in India, and she lived in my um apartment complex. And her and I every summer or break would do something where we were like, what can we do? So we actually uh we I was a big fan of comic books. So uh we would like put on like rental stations where we would like go downstairs and have a little table and be like, anybody want to rent a comic? I mean, obviously it seems silly at the time of like, why would anybody want this? But we were always trying to find a way to hustle using what we had because we didn't have the power to really create anything at the time. Um, so I I did delve into those kind of random projects where you know it seemed like it's not you're not doing it for the money, you're doing it for the thrill of being able to sell something and somebody wanting what you have. And I think I've always kind of enjoyed that. Um, and while uh while we were doing some of those things, I also, as I got older, I started a couple clothing brands, which didn't do very well. But you know, there's a whole Indian diaspora of a lot of there's a lot of Indian population, and we have very specific dresses and custom wear that we wear for weddings and festivals. So uh I saw a need there, and then I had a tailor in India who I worked with to create custom design wear for people, and we only had like four clients, but it was so hard to do that that I was like, oh, I this is a whole separate um type of work that I'm not, you know, it's not factory work, it's actually way more intricate and hand sewn work. So I did try um a few different things. We did some skinware that that didn't do well either, skincare rather. So yeah, I mean, I've kind of always been, I've had an itch to make things that people want. And it it's interesting. It's not that I'm passionate, it needs to be this one thing. It's just about creating the most perfect version of whatever it is that you're selling and finding out what people really resonate with. So it has been, I would say, in the DNA somewhere over the course of, you know, since I was 10, probably 10 or so.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

That is so cool. I I find that a lot with the entrepreneurs that I interview on this podcast, that when we look back, we find little bits of, you know, ourselves now back then, which is so cool. Um, so it sounds like you had that entrepreneurial spirit and dabbled a little bit in it throughout life. So then when it came time for college, then where and what did you study? Obviously, I guess engineering is what you said your background is. And how did you land there then from being surrounded, you know, by family businesses and having this creative aspect? What drove you to that um field to study initially?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

You know, I think in that sense, I really look at myself as a typical millennial in that, you know, when we were growing up, the parents were like, yeah, this is great. This is a family business, it's a backup, but you still need to have a nine to five. You still need to, what are you, what are you gonna do to be independent and support yourself? So it unfortunately the itch wasn't large enough for me to be like, I don't need to go to college, I'm just gonna do this, right? It was like, it was a question in my mind. I was like, well, maybe one day if I'm successful, I can run my own business. But until then, I still need to sustain myself. So um, luckily I was good at a couple different things in school. If I had to do it all over again, actually, I wouldn't have selected engineering. I was just newspaper, I was in the school newspaper. I was, I won several awards for writing. I probably would have gone somewhere in there. Um, but at that time, it was like, okay, what's gonna get me a job very quickly when I graduate, right? Because that's it in the early 2000s, that was the mindset of most people, I think. You know, we were growing up, and I'm obviously aging myself as I say that, but um, it was just, it was just natural to be like, okay, you know, I'm good at science and math. I got a full scholarship. I first went to actually Valparaiso University, which is right in northwest Indiana. We're located in uh Chesterton, Indiana, which is right outside of Chicago. That's where I went to high school and grew up. So they gave me a full scholarship. I went there for a year. Um, I found it very small. It's a very small Lutheran school. And uh coming from a small town already, I was like, I need to get out and just kind of see what else is out there. So um I actually ended up going to Kettering University. It's in Flint, Michigan. Um it's it's only an engineering school. It used to be called General Motors Institute. And what it is, before GM would send all their engineers there to train. And what was really appealing to me then was that you would go to school for three months, your semesters were only three months long, and then you work for three months for an actual company. So I actually worked for General Motors through my four years of college, okay. Um, where I was in different positions. So I was a plant manager or like plant floor supervisor where I would work with union workers, and I would go into the engineering department and try to fix a paint robot. So it was very interesting. It was like, and I would go to different um different plants. So sometimes in Michigan, sometimes in Fort Wayne, Indiana. So they would move me around. So I had a very practical education, uh, even though I wasn't really enjoying the subject matter as much as you know you would think uh for someone doing electrical engineering. I really enjoyed the people aspect of it, just being around different types of uh, you know, starting all the way from a union worker or a union like leader to, you know, a high plant manager who's an engineering lead. So it was very interesting to deal with those dynamics. And so yeah, I mean, that's where I went and I finished and I graduated and I got my job offer from GM at their headquarters in Detroit, and I declined it because I wanted to come back to Chicago. So then I ended up at Underwriters Laboratories, uh, which is if you pick up anything electronic and uh you'll see a circle with the letters U L on it. Oh that's the company I worked for from 2017 to 2021 until I uh yeah, and then yeah, so it was it's been a journey. I went through two different phases, but um it was, you know, I learned so much from every one of them. Yeah. Uh but I would say if I had to do it again, I would probably switch my majors because I wasn't as good as I could have been if I would have been doing something I actually loved as opposed to chasing a job.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

That's true. Well, it sounded like you got great experience then with this college and even, you know, with your career. Um, and almost that satisfaction of doing something on your own without your family before joining the business, right? Like knowing you can and um being confident in yourself, I'm sure, is invaluable, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Yes, absolutely. And it it to this day, I use all those skills, right? I mean, being able to talk to different people, no matter how you know disconnected they are from what you're doing, um, being able to relate to them and bring things to them in a way that they care about, that's the skill you need no matter what you're doing, and especially as an entrepreneur, because you're, you know, my dad always says your suppliers are more important than your clients. So yeah, having those relationships with, yeah. I mean, because that's really what gives your product uh the beauty and the you know uniqueness that you're uh that you're trying to sell. So yeah, it was it was very uh useful in my interpersonal relationships, that whole experience.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

So now before we get into you joining the family business, tell catch us up a little bit on shore bags, like how it initially got started, how your dad started it. Um, you mentioned a little bit that it started with promotional items. So just give us a little bit more background, maybe, on it, um, leading us up then to when you decide to join the team.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Yeah. So actually, shore bags uh was not my dad's business. His business was another business called Indicus Bag. It was he sold at now. Um that was his uh primary business was lightweight, cotton, canvas, totes. So um his whole industry where he was serving ASI, PPAI, so basically the advertising um world, specifically in the promo business. So uh it was really not that interesting to me. And I I used to work with him a lot, like because you know, as a family business, you're you know, he'd be like, hey, I need you know your help this weekend or something, especially when we were much smaller. We would constantly show up and help our dad. Um, so it was kind of like a chore for a while. I was like, yeah, whatever, it's there, you know. Um, it's only when he sold it, when he sold, when he started talking about selling it and closing the entire chapter that I started getting this itch. I'm like, wait a minute, you're just gonna sell it? What about our factory? And he said, Hey, you know, the factory can have other clients. It doesn't, we we don't have to be your only client for the factory. So it's really uh right around like side, like I said, around 2016, 2017 is when I started realizing he's trying to retire now and that now is a time that if we want to do something, this is it, right? Because once the once you close the shop, once the warehouse is gone, it becomes it becomes like any other business, you're not really taking advantage of what's there. Um, so at that point, actually, I uh we met Jim, Jim Harbison, who you've met, who is our creative director. Um, and him and I started chatting about our vision for you know a brand. And he was he was a creative in the space. We had used him for some marketing material, and then um I really resonated with his style and his, you know, his cleanliness and aesthetic. So um ended up then talking to my dad and said, Hey, listen, you want to sell your business, that's great. Um, we want to actually kind of branch out and do our own thing on the side. And he was like, okay, you know, he he really didn't guide us or wasn't a barrier either. He was just like, hey, you tell me what you need and I'm happy to help. Because it was really not his space, even like he was like, I don't really know how retail works. He's like, I've only worked in advertising and wholesale. This is a whole new beast. You're gonna have to figure that out. I can't really help you. So some of it was like learning on the job, but having him uh give us access to the factory, and then eventually he said, Hey, use my warehouse, pay me rent. But you can you don't have to create this whole infrastructure right now. Let's just see where it goes. So um, yeah, it's literally started out as like, we'll see where it goes. I don't even know if it's gonna last six months. So there was no like giant plan and like, you know, oh, this is our forecast. It was like, we're gonna just throw things at the wall and see what works. Yeah. Um, and that's kind of how it started. And then, you know, soon one became like five clients and then five became 50. Um, and I really think for us, the main um when we started when we started putting a line together and we got our first set of products in, um, and we started going to the shows, the trade shows is that's what really turned things around for us because we were like, okay, wow, like people are gravitating. It's not something that's in our head. We are offering something that people are looking for.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Um, and then we dug in, right? Because at that point, then we had to take a risk at that point. We're like, let's just go in and get everything here and we'll see where it goes.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Yeah. Well, so it sounds like your dad was great as sort of like an advisor. Like he just when you needed something answered or needed advice on something, it sounded like he was able to guide you. And obviously, you know, on the podcast, I think one of the hardest things people have with starting a business is finding out where to get it manufactured. And so it sounds like you you had that which helped you, but then you had to find what what would make it different, what would put your spin on it, and how um to get a different type of clients, not advertisers and promotional items. So um, with then trade shows, you mentioned trade shows and a lot of uh guests that I've had on the podcast, we talk about getting into trade shows. Which one did you go to first and sort of what what product assortment did you bring? Like what were your first sets of items that you were bringing to the market?

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, those are good questions. So um I actually are for we got our trade show started at the Atlanta market. So that was we started, I think again, I think 2018, 17 or 18 was the first time we went there. Um we we did the winter show, we had a great show, we had a lot of, you know, for new business, even having like 15 to 20 leads is like wow, like you know, we have we have something here. So uh we started doing that show and literally we did that show like clockwork for probably until COVID. Um, we would show up to every winter and fall show for that. Um, and as far as the assortment, so if you're you know, if you're familiar with shore bags, we obviously offer some of the silhouettes are very familiar. There's there's so they're our classic totes, or you've seen these other places. Um, and then some of the items like our jute, etc., at that time was very new. Uh, you know, obviously now you have other brands that are doing something similar. So we literally just took our most natural, um ubiquitous sort of evergreen styles with us and put that as the front and center. And then we just added a little bit of spin to like, for example, our classic totes, right? They are everyone has seen that tote, but what we did to elevate was we okay, let's add 360-degree organization inside. So it's you're not just dumping everything in there. There's a there's the thought process, okay, we're gonna have one large slip pocket. If someone wants to put a tablet, there's three small other pockets. So just doing those kind of small feature upgrades so that when people are looking at something familiar and they look inside, they're like, oh, this is different, right? This is something that's familiar and yet it's an upgrade from what I have, which that's what we started doing. So even if our you look at our something as simple as our all-in-pouch, it's very simple, but then you look at the detail, look at the hardware, and look at the zip pull. It's there's a lot of intention. There's a trim there, then there's a zigzag stitching on top of the pole. We didn't have to do any of that. We did that because we saw that that was what people were really like. That's the attention to detail that people were gonna look for. So I would say Atlanta and getting really honest feedback on our first set of products set us up to then keep those principles as we design everything. I'm like, it's okay to bring something familiar, just make it better. Don't just bring something else that's very comparable to what's already out there.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

So that was that's a great piece of advice right there, that quote right there. I I think that was excellent.

unknown 21:58

Great.

SPEAKER_00 21:59

So Um, so then uh tell me first of all, like the name Sure Bags. Where did that come from? How'd you guys land there? Um, and I assume, you know, while while you're going to market, you're also developing a website so that you can sell these products, maybe social media as well. Like, what did the marketing plan sort of look like and the name?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Yeah, great. So shore bags, um, you know, we're in the part of Indiana where we actually have a beach and people don't know that, right? Because when you say Indiana, people are like, oh, cornfields and landlocked. I'm like, no, no, there's a northwest part of Indiana right outside of Chicago. So we're only about an hour from downtown, and we have the entire Lake Michigan uh shore right uh in our backyard. So every summer we would go there as kids, and it was just very like second nature to us. But we realize that most people don't realize that. And we also can see the uh downtown Chicago from our town beach, you know, on a really clear summer night. That's how nice and like close we are to um Lake Michigan. So that's kind of what influenced us for the name because we wanted it to be regionally um kind of focused in the sense that we wanted to lay the compass there. They're like, we are from this part of the country, we're from the Midwest, but we're also very um uh inspired by the shore, by being going to the beach. And then also, like I said, I grew up in Bombay, which was a beach city. I mean, we every weekend we would go to the beach. Uh, it's an island city. So I we resonated with that part of the brand. Um, and then um we actually played around with a few different colors, but once we hit that logo with the red and white sale, it was just it was just golden. We were like, all right, this is this is it, you know, we're gonna just go with it. We're not shifting any anything else, except maybe we changed around some of our taglines. But essentially, the name is uh just kind of summarizes where we're from and what we're about. And we're about, you know, that coastal beach vacation life, and whether that happens to be the shore, you know, a lake, a pond, or a pool, like wherever, you know, fun takes you kind of thing. So that's the name, that's where the name comes from. Um, as far as the marketing, you know, again, we threw a lot of things at the wall. And I will say we at the time when we were doing it, um, you know, between before 2018, 2019, if you remember, SEO was all things. It's been a thing, right? Like throw money and then keywords, and so we did all that. And um eventually we ended up at a place where we're like, you know, organic content is the best content, right? So then we kind of instead of paying for ads, which we saw was not really giving us the returns, or and a lot of times I actually find it hard to justify it because you're spending so much money up front. Of course, you're gonna get something in return, but how many of those people are repeats? If they're constantly just uh responding to whatever's in front of them, they're not really your customer, right? You want somebody who keeps coming back to you even when there's all that other noise there. So it kind of was working against us that whole strategy. I'm like, we're just picking uh customers right now, we're not picking the right customers, right? So so then we kind of backed up and I'm like, listen, we're gonna dial down. We're only gonna do one or two emails a week. I mean, and to this day, we keep to that, right? I mean, there's so many brands who every day they'll hit you with something. And I'm just like, that's just noise.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Like you stop reading it then.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

You do. You're like, I I I know here they are again, back in my inbox, you know, spamming me. So our our marketing strategy just became more a less is more, and always be like pointed at what you're trying to get at. Just telling people you're great is not a good strategy. I'm like, either you have to have something in there for them. Yes, you can message, but have something for them. Hey, try us. Here's something for you to visit us. So um, and it's still that's what we do. I we literally just sit down every to this day, every quarter, we sit down and make our entire quarter calendar and we pretty much stick to it. I mean, there are things that happen and that we have to change, or hey, our new styles are coming in, but maybe that's gonna be another four weeks now. So we need to come up with something else. So we'll do our like, you know, kind of rotating, rolling campaigns, but for the most part, we really like to stick to a schedule and not spend more time or money than needed, which is seems counterintuitive sometimes, right? Because they're like, well, you need to be out there. I'm like, you really don't. You just need to have be at the right place at the right time, and then people will come to you. So for me, really, it's been more less is more is kind of been my strategy with marketing.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

And really, it sounds like leaning into your best customers, the customers that are loyal and they'll come back again and they'll they'll be your form of advertising, referring you to their friends. That was yeah. Um, so you know, I know sustainability is a big part of your brand as well. Can you talk a little bit about that to my audience?

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Yeah, sure. So, you know, for me, like this whole sustainability, eco-friendly has kind of become like dirty words in the sense that people use them way too much, right? It is just like greenwashing it. Uh, everything is eco-friendly, everything is sustainable. So we kind of like made a decision to really define what it is that we're doing here. And um, eco-friendly for us means not only just that is the product itself uh completely clean, it's also about what what is it doing for you in the world? Like, is it is it eliminating another toxic um product that you would use instead? Is it bringing, is it making something easier for you? So um initially our goal was to only make biodegradable products, right? Which we did stick with almost until two years ago, uh, until we established our big sewer collection, which has been like very popular. Um, and it that's completely a um, you know, waterproof brand. It's it's PVC and that's not biodegradable, obviously. Uh, but it is also we were trying to, when we were trying to sell our canvas as waterproof, that doesn't work because now you're creating the the product isn't made for that. You're oh you're using the product in a way that's uh wearing it down, right? Because now you're now you have to clean it more, you can't really wash it, it gets moldy. So we said now it also eco-friendly also means being smart about what products you're using. Yeah, so we decided to take that turn and we said, listen, for us, eco-friendly is like I said, elimination of single-use plastics, um, trying to limit the amount of toxicity that you're putting in the process, and what are you like exposing your people to? So, sustainability to me goes with that in the sense that we wanted to create an environment of manufacturing and supply chain that is both eco-friendly and sustainable, which means we can keep repeating it. And the people who work for us are there because we treat them well, they're part of the community, and that's a big part of our brand ethos, right? Even to this day, like in our factory, we have about 300 workers, and I would say last time I checked up, almost 70% of them have been with us for over 10 years. That is that's very hard to find in a manufacturing environment, especially in a developing country like India, where you have so much turnover and people just leave. So, we our goal was to that's the part of sustainability that I really resonate with. I'm like, we want to create a community and a uh process where it's fixed, predictable, and we're doing good for other people in our supply chain besides just making a great product. So it's all the way from who we source from, how we make the product, and what is the product, that whole chain is how we try to be sustainable and as biodegradable as possible. And we can't always win. Like, for example, I for a while we stopped wrapping all of our totes in in polybags because we were we we have to do that. Yeah, and we were like, oh, we're gonna eliminate plastic, we have to stop doing that. We did that against my factory's recommendation. They were like, you're gonna regret this. We went through it, and then sure enough, when we got all our bags, they were, you know, they had mold on them, some of them, because they've been sitting on uh a boat for 45 days with moisture, etc. So we had to like come to the reality, like you can't say these things. You can't say I'm never gonna touch plastic or use plastic. You just have to say that that's your center. You're you're you're always trying to reduce and eliminate as much as possible, but you can't completely negate it. And as long as you're honest about it, I think people understand it. Um, and that's what we're doing. And you know, we're constantly trying to improve our processes as well. Like when we first came out with the PVC, it was very weird, like the material, because we were trying to be like, let's try to be as clean as possible. You know, we'll find the best source. And we did, but then it smelled all weird, right? And so then like people are opening their bags and they're like, uh, it's a great product, but it smells funky. I'm like, uh-oh, that's not gonna work. So then we had to completely switch over to another factory that also doesn't use toxins, but is not as smelly, maybe it's not as thick. So that it's a process. As long as you're constantly trying to do better and your heart is in the right place, which is what we're trying to do, I think that we consider ourselves a sustainable and eco-funding brand.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

No, it sounds like everything is done really intentionally, and I think that's important too, as it's done with intention. Um, so for someone listening who might not be familiar with straw bags yet, can you let us know your best seller and then what your current favorite is?

SPEAKER_01 31:43

Oh, okay. Well, that's gonna be tricky because my current favorite is not even out yet. A little sneak peek then. A little sneak peek. I'll show you that. Um, so I think our best sellers have right now, I would say, are depending on who the the buyer is. So our B2B is a separate, uh, you know, our wholesaler friends or yeah, our companies that buy from us, they are looking our natural colorways are always the most popular because it's kind of like gives them a blank canvas, right? So just like our mini tote, but it's gonna be all natural with the natural trims, our wine bag is gonna be all natural, our medium and large totes, those are by far branding favorites. So anybody who wants to really get their branding out will use those bags. Um, as far as the uh the direct to consumer or our retail clients, they love color. So that's actually the opposite of my wholesalers, where they're I I sell a lot of bright colors, whether it's our large classics or our big sewers. I've constantly been a bestseller embroidering them. They make they look very significant. So um, yeah, I think I would say our classics, our big sewer. Um, my personal favorite, and actually everyone around here, I would say Jim would agree with this as well, is the utility tote, which is our 24-ounce, uh, it's a very cute um kind of a crossbody, which and then you can kind of take off the shoulder strap and it becomes a wristbag. It's very pretty. Um, that's my personal favorite. And then right now I'm gonna show you this. So this is my this is our Avalon. So pretty. It's very cute. It's got a little pocket in there that's so classic and preppy. It really is, and then you just kind of throw a monogram or something on it, it would look just gorgeous. Um, this is currently my favorite. It fits my laptop, my it's got it fits so much in here, even though it's so small. And this is actually our only one of our only 24-ounce dyed totes. We're coming out with this this this summer.

SPEAKER_02 33:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:43

Where so, because usually uh this is probably too much information, but just so let's hear it. Um, canvas gets softer as you dye it. So, you know, if you to look at anything natural, it'll always stand up on its own, it'll have a lot of structural integrity. Yeah, you can use that same weight canvas, and when you dye it into a navy or a black, it will soften because the canvas just absorbs all the dye. So, even though it's the same thickness, it looks like not as significant just because it's dyed. So we were hearing that a lot from our customers. They're like, Well, why is your dye different? I'm like, it's not, it's literally the same, it's 20 ounce, but I get what you're saying. So, this is kind of for the people who want that structure, but they don't want to just go plain canvas. Yeah, um, the 24 ounce lets us do that, where we can, it's a significant enough material to do things to it without needing any support or inserts or anything like that. So, um, yeah, so I'm very excited about this line. Uh, this one comes in two different sizes, and I feel like that um compares to our Carmel tote, which is another popular bag. Um, that is also one of my favorites from our line.

SPEAKER_00 34:50

Oh my gosh, that that is such a classic, like preppy, amazing tote bag that you just showed us. So I'm excited for that. Now I was looking on your website and I noticed you have a patch bar, which I believe is pretty new because I don't remember seeing it a few months ago. Um, and I'm so into things that can be personalized, that can be a little whimsy, you can put your own spin on it. So can you tell us a little bit about that? Like how it works, how many patches you can put on, what the turnaround to get those is?

SPEAKER_01 35:17

Yeah, so that's you know, patches are all the craze right now. And we actually got into it because um, I I'm I don't know if you saw this, but we supplied the Kelly Clarkson show this year with all their guest gift bags. So when any celebrity that comes on her show, they give them, they give them like a goodie bag and they actually chose a shore bag. So uh we printed and customized that that utility tote that I was talking about before they actually did that in a black color and their print on it. So when she brought us on their show, she's the one who started talking about patches while we were on air. So it was and it was so it was kind of a natural way for us to be like, let's lean on this and just kind of you know go with it because so many of our customers are doing that as well, like our wholesale customers. So we wanted we're not trying to compete with our wholesale audience, they're just so much better at the stuff than we are, but we just wanted to give our retail customers an opportunity to design something. So we have actually a whole separate product now on our website. It's right now we're only offering it on our medium totes, but there's four predetermined locations that you can select what you want. So whether you want a theme, maybe you're an outdoorsy person or maybe you're a reader, or so we've tried to stay in certain themes so that you can pick patches that speak to you. And then we also have the ability to add a monogram on top of that so you know you can further embroider it. So it's all just part of that one single product. You just find look for it, just call it it's called the patch tote. You go on our website and you find it and you just design it there. And turnaround, usually uh it took a little bit longer in the beginning because we were waiting for our patches to get it, and we actually got a couple orders. We're like, oh, we don't even have the patches yet. So let's just let's uh wait for that. But now we are all stocked, and I think right now we're at less than a week of turnaround to ship, so it's you know, it's a great gift, it's a great gifting item, and of course, even gift yourself something. I mean, I always am like, you know, we always talk thinking about other people sometimes, you know, you're like, I'm gonna do this for me. So it's a great way to just buy yourself something neat and we make a great Mother's Day gift too, I feel like. Absolutely. And Mother's Day, you know, everybody needs to buy their mom something. So, you know, put it in the bag and give it to her.

SPEAKER_00 37:33

I love that. Um, so it sounds like this Kelly Clarkson moment was definitely a pinch me um sort of experience, something you're really proud of that was great for the brand. Any other pinch me moments um or things you're really proud of or were really exciting that you were able to do with the brand?

SPEAKER_01 37:53

Uh yeah, so we actually we've been on Good Morning America for deals and steals a few times. Um that was that's always exciting. I mean, we're not on there, but just seeing our bags there and just, you know, and and seeing people want something that we are selling by the hundreds is just it's just great because it's just a validation of that we're doing something right. Um, we also were on QVC, actually, and that's really what made me quit my job in 2021 is we got a really nice size order with QVC. We don't work with them anymore because it just they're almost too large for us. Um, and uh the business uh the our business relationship kind of evolved in a way where it was better for us to not work together. Sometimes you have to make those decisions. But that was a real pinch me moment. That was the first time where we were um on TV TV, right? Like I know nobody watches QVC, but we were at that time. And uh going on there multiple times trying to sell uh with the host was very exciting. So I I think that really what started it, where we're like, oh, okay, we can this is something people are interested in enough to want to, you know, watch on television. Because my dad was like, who's gonna want to know about toad bags? I'm like, you'll be surprised. People bags are all the things. So it's that was definitely anytime, even now, like we we always pitching to uh GMA and you know other partners. Um anytime we even get like a peak of interest, it's very exciting, even no matter how many times we've done it, is just it's a cool um it's a cool validation to see other people are also interested in it.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Yeah, and now I'm curious then, um, going off that question, who would be like an absolute dream if they carried one of your bags? Like a celebrity, a royal, an influencer, like who would you love to see your bag with?

SPEAKER_01 39:46

Um, you know, I you know, we we had done an event for Rachel Zoe. Um so she um she would that was kind of a cool outreach. Now, as far as a celebrity, I'm I'm not really into those kind of endorsements. Not that I wouldn't welcome it. Yeah to me, always it's been about uh for me, like I I still get excited when I see my regular customer repost something or create a reel. To me, that's always felt a little bit more. I just feel like the influencer space, and I'm not trying to say anything bad about any influencers because I know they're very important, but what I'm saying is I feel like they're uh it's hard for me to tell what's authentic now, yeah. Right. So um I would really want anybody who's like truly appreciative of the product to just to me, that is just whether it's my neighbor next door or whether it's a celebrity, to me, that an honest review is most welcome to me as opposed to an endorsement, if that makes sense. Um, so but that's a good question. I haven't really even thought about it because we like I said, we don't really do PR, we don't do anything. Like, you know, I I have people who I have um another one of our team members who's actually running starting to run our TikTok and he's always talking about this PR thing. I'm like, I don't, I'm like, at the end of the day, I hope I can see the value in it, but for me right now, it's like for anyone who's genuinely using the product and has good things to say, yeah, um, and sharing it, that's ideal to me. That's just affirms everything that we're trying to do.

SPEAKER_00 41:17

Yeah, I feel like that's a theme. We're kind of talking about leaning into your best customers, um, and they're they're sort of your advertisers, but it's it's genuine and it's real, right? They're using their own money to buy it and and really um, you know, value the brand. So, what piece of advice would you give someone, you know, just starting out in a business or maybe going through a tough time in their business, or someone that wants to take the leap to be an entrepreneur? Like, what's one piece of advice you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_01 41:46

Um, I would say start is number one. Because, you know, it that's the hardest thing, honestly. Like it's uh taking that first step, right? Um now it's easier said than done. So I would say before you take the first step, if you have um, if you have identified a market need and if you have a supplier, don't even think about it. Because to me, I think those are those two are the most important pieces, right? There has to be interest in the market and you have to be able to deliver marketing, website, logistics, those are problems, those are easy and fun problem, not easy, maybe it's hard, but it's fun problem to solve, right? It's a good problem to have. It's like, oh, how am I gonna to fix this? Because I feel like a lot of times I've talked to people, they think too far ahead. They're like, well, if this happens, then what am I gonna do? I'm like, why don't you just start? When you get to your 10th or 12th order and things start to uh get complicated, you'll solve the problem. So I would say the most important thing is to find out how you're gonna produce it, whether if you're a maker yourself, that's perfect because then you've already solved that problem. And then just have a need, and everything else will I cannot stress enough how well people um reward you if you have a good product, yeah, right? I think people, your customers will talk to you besides uh talking to you. They'll just you'll see it in your sales, you'll see it in your email inbox from your people. So just have faith in the process and be patient because it is a very slow turn. Sometimes you see all these viral moments, and people are like, well, if they can do it, then I can do it. Well, it's not always can translate. And uh I I fall into that trap too sometimes. I'm like, well, they started at the same time and they're five times as big as us. What are they doing differently? And then I have to remind myself that I'm running my business in a different, like I said, sustainable growth that we can handle. We don't have investor seed money to just throw money at every problem. So just be patient with yourself and don't compare yourself to lean into the journey for sure. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

So since this is the preppy podcast, I always ask everyone what does preppy mean to you? So, how would you describe preppy?

SPEAKER_01 43:56

Oh, preppy is I would say I do. Think it's timeless because uh I think there's uh preppiness might change what is preppy, but a a preppy uh product or person to me is someone who's very trendy, but at the same time has like this uh timeless elegance to it, right? Um, where it's like if you look at an old polo ad or a Ralph Lauren campaign, like to me that screams like uh Northeast charm. Um, so to me, that's what it is. I do associate it more with like New York, Nantucket, the East Coast than I would in any other part of the country. Yeah uh and uh most of my customers are preppy. They're preppy, preppy, uh preppy is our base. So I, you know, I love preppy, I enjoy uh people who appreciate beautiful things, and I think that's a lot of it is a visual aesthetic as well.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

Yeah, that's a great answer. I definitely think you know a coastal lifestyle, I think your bags, they are all preppy for sure. So it's wonderful. So my final question is where can people find you? Let them know your website, social media handles so they can shop, support, and follow along.

SPEAKER_01 45:13

Yeah, amazing. So we are on our website, shorebags.com. Uh, right here, you can use uh, I'm gonna drop a code, Friends30, 30% off. Uh, you know, all retail sales uh if you want to use that code. Um, and we're also on Instagram. We just started a TikTok channel. I don't know what's going on with it. I'm not even on TikTok. So, but I've been told it's doing okay. Um, and uh we're also if we're wholesalers, we're on fair. So if you purchase uh B2B from there, uh we're a top shop rated there. So yeah, I mean just type in shorebags and you know, always just reach out to info at shorebags.com for anything. We're very good with getting back to you. So very excited to be here.

SPEAKER_00 45:57

Thank you so much. I absolutely loved learning more about you and your business. Um, so thank you for being on the Preppy Podcast.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

Thank you so much, Patricia. It was nice to be here too.

SPEAKER_00 46:07

Thank you so much for listening to the Preppy Podcast. I hope this put a little prep in your step for the day. Please subscribe, rate, and review on wherever you listen to your podcast, and follow along with at the preppy podcast on social media.