Preppy Podcast
The Preppy Podcast features interviews every Tuesday with the brands, businesses and influencers who are keeping the modern preppy lifestyle alive.
Preppy Podcast
Midspring Sport
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Shannon Arniel and Meredith Carmody are the co-founders of Midspring, a preppy women’s golf and activewear brand designed to bridge the gap between performance and feminine style.
Best friends since childhood, Shannon and Meredith grew up playing golf together in Connecticut, where their shared love for the game—and frustration with the lack of stylish, flattering women’s golf apparel—sparked the idea for their brand decades later. Their journey spans friendship through school, careers, marriage, and motherhood, all while staying connected through golf.
Shannon brings deep fashion industry experience, having worked with brands and retailers including Barneys New York, Kate Spade, Evereve and Brandon Maxwell. Meredith contributes a strong background in retail and a lifelong connection to golf as both a family tradition and business networking tool.
Inspired by the season when golf returns and confidence blooms, Midspring was created to help women feel stylish and empowered from the course to everyday life.
You're listening to the Preppy Podcast, and I'm your host, Patricia May Olsen. 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 chop the merch and listen to past episodes at thepreppy podcast.com and be sure to follow at the preppy podcast and me, Patricia underscore May underscore Olson on Instagram. This week I have a fabulous episode. We are chatting with the two founders of Midspring Sport. And if you know me, if you follow me on Instagram, then you know I'm in my golfing girl era. I've been golfing the past couple of years with my friends, taking lessons, and just really enjoying the sport. So Midspring Sport is one of my favorite golf brands. I get so many compliments on their pieces when I wear them. And they're really changing the golf game for women, I would say. We talk a lot about that on this episode, about how they started this brand so that you don't feel like you have to change between golfing and then going to the clubhouse for drinks. They're pieces that you can wear even off the court, um, or off the course, um, you know, running errands, things like that. And still so well made. We talk about their background, how they were friends for many years, came up with this idea, and it kind of is the perfect balance between both of their skills and personalities. Um, so I've really, really enjoyed this conversation, and I know all of you will as well. Before we get into that episode, though, a few housekeeping reminders as always. The first being our Camp Reppy in Colorado is a month away, which is so wild. There are tickets still available. Um, so let me know if you have any questions. I would love to see you there. We have some really great things planned. Um, some of those things include a beautiful tablescape with Spoonflower, the fabric company. Um, we are also doing, of course, watercolors. We're doing mahjong, needlepoint, um, even some more outdoor activities like going on a nature walk, collecting flowers, and then doing really fun arts and crafts and projects with flowers as well. And the gift bag, the welcome bag, whatever you want to call it, is top-notch. I mean, you you know what to expect from me, and you know that I really come through with these welcome gift bags. Uh, we have brands like Lorna Moray, uh, Ink and Aloy, um, Paper Eliza. So many great products that I'm thrilled to share with campers there. Uh, so get your tickets at the preppypodcast.com. And then also we have Barnsley Resort uh later this summer, and finally Kenny Bunkport in October. There's only a few tickets left to that though, so get those while you still can. And feel free to shop at the Preppy Podcast as well. I current some products from past podcast guests as well as some exclusive products on there as well. So happy shopping, and hopefully, I will see you at one of the upcoming camps. Okay, so why don't both of you ladies first let everyone know who you are, where you live, and then what you both do together?
SPEAKER_01So I'm Shannon and I'm one of the co-founders of Midspring. I currently live in Wineka, Illinois, so the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. But I'm originally from Connecticut, which is where I met Meredith.
SPEAKER_04And I'm Meredith. I am the other co-founder of Midspring, and I live in Ridgefield, Connecticut in Beerfield County. Um, and this is our hometown, and I recently, or I guess a year ago, moved back um with my family.
SPEAKER_00Excellent. And so you both have Midspring together, and I have been following you on social media for a bit now, and I just love your classic preppy styles. I'm someone um who golfs not very well, but I still enjoy it. Um, and I love how you guys are offering more feminine classic preppy pieces. Um, and I really enjoyed on your website, and we'll talk more about you know the brand and everything. But how you said a piece that you can wear like and play golf, and you don't feel like you have to change before you get drinks at the club. And I think that really stands out to me and uh like describes the brand so perfectly.
SPEAKER_01Well, first off, thank you. Um we I do I do want to say that it is not a requirement to play golf to wear midspring. We definitely want to make sure that you know golf is at our core, but the pieces are super transitional. And we do want, you know, a coup, you know, our customers to just have the right things if they also just get offered to play. But you speaking about the not having to change, that is all Meredith's ammo. That was a huge part for Meredith.
SPEAKER_04Um, and I'll let you take that part because so when I um, you know, would play either with my dad, my brothers, my husband, people in business, it was always so frustrating to me as one of the few women's women out there playing, that the men would go straight from the ninth or the eighteenth uh green into the bar, and then the ladies would run and get changed. And I was like, why are we changing? And it would just be like nobody really wanted to continue on into the social element after you know the round in what they were wearing. So the the course to cocktails, and really we say course to courts to cocktails because we like to kind of curtail to the club lifestyle, um, uh was a big piece in like we want to feel like we are proud to continue to wear this. And it it could be to the grocery store, like anywhere you kind of left that green you wanted to change and you saw other people not changing. The men wear their their polos to work, to you know, dinner, to anywhere, and the the ladies weren't. Um, and and to a certain extent aren't. And so that is that um that element of versatility that you want to wear it to dinner, even if you didn't play the round, is so important for us. And yeah, mainly because I was kind of frustrated that the guys were getting a head start at the um 19th hole and the ladies weren't.
SPEAKER_00I love that.
SPEAKER_01We do throw in too, we throw in um conference. It's quartz, course to quartz to cocktails, to carpools, to conference calls. Like there's a lot of C's in there that you could throw in that are end uses as well.
SPEAKER_00That it works for I love that and makes it easy if it's all C's. I love alliteration and like you know, the Property Podcast, Patricia, Peak to PR, everything for me is P. So I get it. Um, well, ladies, first tell me a little bit about you as kids. So were you entrepreneurial? Were you creative? Did you grow up, you know, playing golf or tennis? Um, what were you each like during childhood?
SPEAKER_01So I grew up living overseas. Um, and when we were overseas, uh, so this is before I moved to Connecticut, met met Meredith. Um, our home base was my grandparents' house in Wilmington, North Carolina, and they lived on a golf course. So every summer we'd definitely come, we'd come back there for a majority of the summer, and we'd I'd always, you know, be on the putting green or watching people play on the hole outside their their house. So that was always something sort of ingrained in my family. Um, from a from a you know, more of a um creative standpoint. I think I, I mean, I loved clothes. I've always loved fashion. Um, my parents really wanted me to go more of the business or um legal route. And so I did that for college, but um, I was at the same time head of merchandising for my sorority, and so I was outfitting all of this. So I always tried to find that creative outlet and I started my career in finance and quickly pivoted and went back to Parsons and sort of went into that fashion route. So I'd say, like both of these, you know, golf and and fashion were things that were kind of part of my DNA. And then when I moved to Ridgefield, Meredith and I grew up, you know, that was um around middle school, and we played golf together um at our at our country club over the summers.
SPEAKER_00Very cool. What about you, Meredith?
SPEAKER_04So I uh as as mentioned, I grew I moved back to my hometown. So it's not that I've always lived here, but um this is I was born in Ridgefield and raised here. And so from you know, a really young age, um I started going to that club that Shannon and I grew up together at. And it was summers were very structured where um every morning there was a swim team, and I think it was Mondays and Wednesdays were tennis, and Tuesdays and Thursdays were golf. And so it was kind of that like lifestyle of like making sure that you had the outfits to go play all the things and like so it was yes, very structured around like playing those things at least twice a week, and then Friday or Saturday, like you might go out with your parent and play as well. And so there was a lot of golf tennis ingrained in my childhood, and it wasn't really competitive. Like I never went to play on a golf team in high school or anything, although now I kind of regret that because it just would have been really fun. But um, it it it continued to be something that I used into into adulthood and and also I'm the youngest of three. I have two older brothers, and so like as the youngest, the baby, the only girl, it was very um uh competitive. Like I had to keep up with the with the boys a little bit, um, uh which sort of plays into like my story of being even even in corporate America and being like one of the only women playing with all the the men. Um but in terms of like being involved in things, I feel like I was always sort of like raising my hand to be involved in different like philanthropic organizations. I my first job in high school was at a retail store in town, and so that's like my itty bitty bit of fish fashion resume. But um, yeah, it's mostly just really growing up in and around a golf course that has driven my passion for it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, definitely. It sounds like both of you have always had an appreciation for fashion and clothes. Um, and I think growing up playing sports, regardless if they're country club sports or you know, they're lacrosse or soccer, whatever, it teaches you such great skills, um, whether it's like communicating and working with other people, um, being social, like being a team player. Um, there's so many skills that I think help form you as a young adult.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Wait, also hold on, Meredith. Was there even a golf team at our high school? There was. What? Was there a female golf team?
SPEAKER_04Yep. There wasn't.
SPEAKER_01Do we know anyone who was on this?
SPEAKER_04We do.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. Okay, sorry. Well, you know, like Ridgefield was so lacrosse heavy. Yeah. Like it was both Meredith and I played lacrosse. I don't even think that even came into my peripheral as an option.
SPEAKER_04Me neither. It just wasn't like it was kind of like everybody got into lacrosse or soccer, um, and that's like what most people did. But well, Sarefield County is such a like lacrosse haven, right? So yeah, and that's what we played. But it's like thinking about those, you know, like what's gonna get you further. Like, you're never gonna play a professional women's lacrosse. Uh-huh. I wasn't going to.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04But neither. Yeah. So I kind of think about it and I'm like, and now like we have, you know, I look at my kids and I'm like, play golf, get your scholarships. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. I feel like so many of us have things like that growing up that we look back and we're like, oh, we should have stuck with that, or we should have done that. Like for me, it was I had a blog very, very early on when I think I was a senior in high school, but I would stop it and then like start it again. And like, I was like, if I would have just continued, I could have been like, you know, Blair Edy from Atlantic Pacific these days or something.
SPEAKER_01And you even like, yes. Yeah, you could have, or something navy, like you think about her. Yeah, like Darren Turnace. Yeah, you were there. You had it. You just needed yes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we all have those little regrets growing up. Um, so tell me both then. You know, you mentioned a little bit, Shannon, about um that you went and and studied um law, I think you said, but then went back to fashion school. Tell me about that journey, about what you studied, what you came out um with a degree in sort of your first journey in your career. And then same with you, Meredith.
SPEAKER_01Sure. You just made me sound a lot more smart than I am. I I mean, I was pre-law um at Michigan. And so um, yes, I didn't like technically study law, I guess, but it was just one of those social science um, you know, degrees. Yeah. And then I actually enter in finance. So I came out of school and I went to a hedge fund. And so I worked at a hedge fund um for the first two years out of college, which was foundationally, I would never want to do that over in any way. It was like the best start to my career. I think it built a lot of ingrained a lot of things in me, um, created great connections for me. And but I knew that it wasn't for me long term. I really needed this creative outlet. And I um I knew though that I needed to get some more experience first. So I went to Parsons. They had this fashion business program. I mean, I used to write to NYU. I at the time Meredith and I were roommates in New York, and I wrote to NYU and Columbia and was trying to, there was no fashion business degree within an MBA because I was gonna go back to school to um just for my MBA. And um I had a lot of people that I spoke with, you know, I think it's really important always to get the coffee dates or the whether it's it's like a drink after work and learn from people. And some of the biggest advice I got was it's boots on the ground experience in fashion. You know, you going and getting your master's or like an MBA isn't gonna help you then get into the fashion element of it. It is if you want to go be in more of the admin, you know, the like the CEO of a major brand, something like that, where you can try to, you know, parlay them. So I went to Parsons, did this kind of master. It was basically to like learn about the different facets of fashion. And while I was doing that, I worked for Brandon Maxwell. Um, then I worked for Kate Spade. So I was in merchandising there and merchandising design, and then I left from there and I was at Barney's. And so I was at Barney's, I was a buyer for Barney's, and that was an incredible experience. Um, and so I was there until the end. Um, I basically was a consultant for new brands. I was constantly finding them and helping them, you know, how are they going to take it to market because we had so much exclusive brands and product. Um, so it was an amazing experience. Um, and after that, I moved, my husband and I moved out west, um, Midwest. And so we were in Minnesota and I worked for Ever Eve and I ran their sweaters and dresses business. So, all in all, I had these different tools from different areas working in, I did some private label with Barney's, designing into that. I um had a heavy hand in design and fit at EverEve. I did merchandising, I did buying, and I was just like, there's this huge toolbox, and I just feel like I need to put it to work. And so um, that was my side of, you know, kind of coming to Meredith and being like, there is a huge void here, but I know I can't do it myself, and I know someone else who has a lot more experience being the consumer of it, and that's Meredith.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Yeah. So my actual uh corporate America resume is not as relevant, but it is I kind of coming out of college, or I guess in college I was a marketing major, and so I wanted to, I thought I wanted to go into advertising and marketing. And so I worked at um some of the big advertising agencies as internships, and then I ended up graduating from college and going into commercial real estate and working for CPU. Um, and you know, the sales experience that I have there is it's uh you know, selling a service, not a product, so it's very different, but it's still a sales, you know, how to build um new markets, new territories, and then also kind of taking that bit of marketing experience that I have in terms of how to market products that I learned in advertising and trying to apply that. But the golfing piece, so I did, like I said, I continued to play golf into adulthood and it was used socially, but also in a corporate environment. And so observing sort of like what the ladies were doing at the outings and what they were wearing and how they were changing and um what the real need was for. And then when it comes to the so we have three pillars as a business, and there's the um fashion femininity, which you can see in the pantones, the preppy, the preppy polish aesthetic that we have, uh, and the and the patterns, and then we have the flattering fits and like all Shannon and her background, and that is like taking things that are designed for women, like we just we want to primarily design for women, not worry about what the men's styles look like. Design really feminine, flattering, um uh you know, designs for all of our products, blanking on the word I was trying to use there. And then the performance functionality, and that really we both come down on that, but I definitely like I I fight for pockets, um, and Shannon then designs them to not add bulk to the hips, which like none of us want. Um, so it is really just that performance functionality piece that I think is where I wear test things and we benefit from from that piece of me.
SPEAKER_00Definitely well, so there's a few things that I love about this journey and your stories. Um, I think that it's great that you guys have been friends for so long and kept up that friendship, like even moving to New York and then decided to start a brand together. I think that is so cool. And it sounds like you're the perfect like yin and yang for each other um with your skills and way of thinking and everything and your backgrounds. So I think that's so cool. I I don't know that many friends that have gone into business together, and it sounds like you guys um are doing it really well. So I think that's like total best friend goals.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Thank you. Well, we also like I'm the oldest of three, Meredith's the youngest of three. I'm five nine, almost five ten. Meredith is five three, almost five, four. And so we we kind of come with these different, you know, even more so building on that, it is really nice that we like we have grown up together, you know, we were roommates in college, or sorry, roommates out of college, we've been in each other's weddings, we've done all the things together, but we like kind of take it in different ways. So we sort of represent, like I sort of put on the hat of the I'm a um sort of the novice golfer. So like I definitely I played, but then you know, I was like traveling to Paris and like when I was working in fashion, there really wasn't this time to play golf. So I come in looking at it with like the lens of okay, where's the where is some more of that transitional? You know, Meredith and I both play both, but we have to have like kind of like what's our goals because we want to make sure just like with who we are and how our looks and everything like that, we are catering to a larger group of women. So yeah.
SPEAKER_04And exactly that, like there is the lady that will play every week in our league, and she needs something functional to wear, but also she wants to feel nice. And then there's the woman that might play once a summer and wants to feel good about what she's investing in, and like where else can I possibly wear that? And we think about both of those women's when we women when we design each piece because that's important. We want to be appropriate for you to buy in the pro shop, but also we want you to come to our website and and find us that way and not feel like it's something that you would only buy in in a pro shop. So it's catering to everyone.
SPEAKER_00No, I love that. I feel like right now, um, and maybe it's because during COVID, like hobbies, whether they're golf or mahjong or whatever, became so popular that we're seeing all of these great brands like yourself enter the market for women. And I'm just waiting for like the pro shops to catch up because I feel like even my local pro shop has like not great women's clothing at all, but you guys exist online and it's like I want to see you guys in more shops. So I'm curious then tell me about the launch in terms of what's your plan to launch direct to consumer? Did you do some um approaching pro shops? Did you go to any of like the PGA shows? What did like that look like um in terms of getting the word out in marketing?
SPEAKER_01So we are in 120 pro shops.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. Okay, so I just need you locally in mine.
SPEAKER_01No, and that's all Meredith. You just talked to her. We are, we actually, so I'll take the beginning of this because from a buying lens and the planning was me, but then Meredith can take kind of like the second half of the question. So when we were launching, having been a buyer for so long, um, I was very adamant to Meredith. I was like, we have to go direct to consumer, we have to learn about our customer, we have to figure out like the little kinks, we're gonna introduce things and realize that's not great. I mean, you have to like wear test and figure out from product quality perspective. Like I just was like, I would never launch and go direct to wholesale. There's just too much risk there. You need to learn about yourself and your customer and build on it. So we launched our first collection. It did really well for them for us for direct to consumer. But right off the bat, similar to what you said, we had women coming up to us being like, We'd love, I love you in my pro shop. I'd love for, you know, can I introduce you to our merchandiser, our pro? And so we did test at first um a few pro shops to, you know, get the reaction. I mean, it was amazing direct-to-consumer reaction we got, but also just from like a wholesale perspective. And then we launched our resort collection that November. And we kind of one of the catalysts of how we grew so quickly was um we had a custom of a customer of ours who lived down in Palm Beach, and she she's there all year round, and she's like, My girlfriends all come back in November. It is like the start of our season. I'd love to throw a trunk show for you. So we were like, great, we'll go down and we'll have this trunk show. And then we met with about six clubs down there and got into all six. And so that was kind of the start. And then we went to the PGA show in February and the ramp up. I mean, we've just been doubling, quadrupling our club count at a much faster pace than we thought. Um, while now working to sort of get direct to consumer to that place. Okay. Okay. That makes sense.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And the strategy has been so it started by, you know, anybody who is a member anywhere, like if you would please let your club know about us, we would really appreciate that. And that was, I mean, that still is part of the strategy. And that's really like the word of mouth and the recommendation to bring us in really helps. But now what we see is happening is ladies are members at multiple clubs and they're going and like kind of pollinating to from Florida up to Connecticut or wherever it may be, Chicago. Um, so there's that of the actual member, but now what's really cool to see is happening is that the actual merchandisers, because it is a really small world. There is, you know, you go to the PGA show, and yes, it's a million square feet of vendors, but like you end up seeing your your customers, you see them introduce you to their friends. Um, and so what's happened was a lot of merchandisers are now telling their friends to bring us in because the product is doing really well in the shop. And arguably that's like even cooler to see than the members because it's the people actually selling the product, vouching for the quality, seeing every seeing all of our competition and choosing to recommend us. Um, and then to add to that, because now we're at a point where you know they're we're it's it's growing quite fast. We've added two um sales reps. So um we are growing the team and these people can help us to support bringing on even more clubs and helping just to keep a really good customer service. Um, you know, we don't want to get too bogged down by having too many. That's why we're adding support for us so that we can continue to give each club really the focus it it needs from our brand.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And sort of to quickly piggyback on that, I think it's important to know that the golf world, similar to the fashion world, similar to I think most worlds, they're really small. And I think that there's an authenticity of Meredith and I having both grown up golfing, we continue to golf. Like I have a fashion background, Meredith has a wholesale, like a sales background. There is a lot of people who are just trying to like jump on the bandwagon, like, you know, whether it's mahjong, whether it's needlepoint, whether it's golf, and start these brands. And, you know, the true golfers can read right through that. And so, you know, it isn't, it's just important to note that like, yes, it's been, we've had a lot of great success, but we are so fortunate for about it. But we spent a long time preparing and building and having this ready to, you know, cater and deliver to that too, which is I think important for anyone who wants to start a brand. Like, just because it's hot doesn't mean you should like just jump in. Um, because it is something that um I think that's where it's also you can get that first order, but getting that second order and for them to continue to buy is almost more rewarding.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. No, I see that all the time, even working in PR. There's so many brands I feel like that start sort of as like a hobby, or like someone's kids went away to school now, and so they have extra time and they, you know, like doing whatever, so they start something, but there's not really, you know, the background or um sometimes the knowledge. And I'm all for chasing your dreams and you know, trying something and doing something, but I do think long term it leads to harder things and and they burn out quicker because they realize like they actually don't want to do this. There's more work to it, or um, they're really not in it for the right reasons, right? Absolutely, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And it is it is something too, even with the women's golf, like the people in our business, like we we know all the other founders, we're all sort of friends. We have these different um, I think, aesthetics, which is really nice. Like, we are kind of considered that, like, we're the preppy brand, um, which is really cool. We also know though, like, we're gonna show something and know that that pro is going to be like the members can wear this on the course. You know, they don't have to like we know what they're expecting, even from like an etiquette perspective. And we did trademark elevate your dress code because we are trying to take the dress code and take it where there is that fashion femininity preppy sense of style while still adhering to you know the traditions and etiquette of the game.
SPEAKER_00Yes. I want to touch on um, because I know Meredith, you mentioned this before, like playing golf in the corporate world, and there's a lot of guys, and um, it's almost like a man's world. And I feel like with golf, it it still sort of is, even though there's so many more women playing these days and you know, um, golf influencers who are women, but even at our country club, like the men's locker room has their own bar and like ours doesn't for the limits. So I'm curious, like almost like what you've seen in terms of being a woman in this still male-dominated business, I would assume, and any advice for people dealing with that? Because I think that goes across the board, like not if you're just in the golf realm, but a lot of people in corporate. Um, so any tips for that, navigating that or um uh okay.
SPEAKER_04Yes, I do. So yeah, we see it too, and it even comes down to like we get asked to do like, hey, can you participate in what we're doing as a tea gift for the ladies member guest? And here's the budget, and the budget's like a fraction of what it is for the men's, and so it's just really interesting to see. I think that like each club, it's like almost like there's safety numbers, and the ladies like there are a lot of clubs that we work with who have really high women participation, and therefore the women get more focus. And so, to me, like if it's if your friends like maybe want to get in, but they're a little bit intimidated, like just get into golf, get in, get in now. The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna get. And I said that to my friend recently. She was like, I think I, you know, I really do want to take up golf, but I'm waiting for XYZ. And I was like, don't wait for that. Just just get in, like start playing now. It's something that you can take with you forever. Um, and I also think like try to compete and get good. I have a really great story. My one of my best friends from college, her uh mom is a really good golfer. And she, when she joined her country club in the 90s, the rule was that on Saturday mornings, men could only play and women couldn't play until afternoon. And she uh had a corporate job and she was like, I actually like I need to play in the mornings because that's when my husband's available to watch the kids. I I work all week. Like I belong here, I'm the primary member. And so there was this whole stink about her getting a tea time. And she went and ended up playing in the club championship and winning. And she was better than the men on the course that wanted to keep her off the course at certain times. And so there was some funny words exchanged between, you know, her and some of these guys at the club, but like ultimately she went and proved herself that she is just as good, actually better than them. And so I think there's like nothing more empowering, empowering and like awesome than like showing up and being being really good, like going and get the lessons. And and that's not to say that you have to be good to play. This is not like this is not to say like get into golf and try to win the club championship. It's just to say, like, you are you can be there, you're worthy, you're just as good. Like, just put yourself out there. And it's kind of like anything in life. Like, don't wait just to pick something up, just get into it, and you'll find your group. And like what I have found is that the ladies are actually pretty welcoming. Um, and so that's my advice is like do not wait, just just pick it up. And and if you didn't love the clothes you're wearing, now you can shop midspring and you'll feel great in what you're in your golfing in.
SPEAKER_00Yes, exactly. Even I always say that as long as I look good on the golf course, like I feel so much better. Um, and I think an important lesson there is like advocating for yourself, which in any industry or any any sort of business, like always advocating for yourself. Um, and like you mentioned, if if you're showing up and taking part of it and adding to these numbers for women, then that's just helping other women and the future too, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I think it's yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER_01Um, one of my dad's favorite quotes that he'll say is if you're dressed apart, people are just gonna think you're having a bad day. And that's really, you know, back to this whole confidence thing. Um, I don't know if you've read the book Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg, but a lot of that, you know, parallels into this. It's, you know, the women who they come into a boardroom full of men. And I did this when I started my career in finance, right? I was at a predominantly male firm. Um, I would never sit at the table. I would always stand in the back. And that is just very much part of the DNA. Like women will be the ones, oh, you go first, right? Not be like, I deserve to sit at this table at this table just as much as anyone else.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And that also goes for that, you know, for the course, right? That she was like, I deserve to have a tea time as much as anyone else. And I think that's, you know, the fashion is the armor of everyday life. There's a way that how you dress can help make you feel better about how you know you go about your day. And that's what we're trying to do with mid spring.
SPEAKER_00I love that. That's a great clip there. Uh, fashion is the armor for the everyday.
SPEAKER_01That is not my quote. That is, um, that's also just so you know, that is um, is it David Cunningham? He's um uh uh was a famous photographer. Um I'm gonna make sure that I have that right, but I'm believing so I'll come back to you. Okay.
SPEAKER_04Um, and I also just I I guess I kind of forgot to lean the plane a little bit on that story. Um, she did go on to get the roles at the club change so that she could play in the morning.
SPEAKER_00Okay. I love that.
SPEAKER_04That's just sort of like it totally what you said, advocate for yourself and put yourself out there and you got to be in it to win it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, a thousand percent. So I want to touch a little bit on um like colors, patterns. I know we talked about fit and um the pieces being able to be worn and look fashionable, but actually be able to move in. But tell me about more about your patterns, your colors, um, that sort of thing.
SPEAKER_01Yes. So to start, it was Bill Cunningham, and he said, fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. So just want to make sure I have my facts just through there. Um, to so go back to your question. So we with midspring, we sort of, it's a triple entendre. And one of them is the florals that um, you know, in midspring, midspring is the time of year that Meredith and I would start to play golf in Connecticut. That's where you're starting to play golf um in Pennsylvania, uh, in Illinois, a lot of the country, right? Midspring is this time that we're heading into midspring now. And so what we wanted to make sure is like the florals, we have florals, floral prints. You'll see with our we trademarked our golf cart um that I think Meredith's actually wearing the golf cart. I have the golf clubs over um, yes, this is what you'll be, this is the one that you'll be getting. Um, and um we have a golf club, but we tried to, you know, do these sort of non-print print florals and other florals that um to us we wanted to kind of represent, you know, a preppy. We have our underpar and pink, and then we also have um our um, oh my gosh, birdies in blue. Yes, wow. Um, so we feel like the the navies belong in that birdies in blue. It's a little bit more Americana, coastal, and then our underpar and pink are the pinks and greens, where you know, growing up Meredith and I are our favorite colors, were always that pink and green. And so you'll see that there's some mix, right? Yes. There is um, thank you for keeping it alive. There is this mix and match too. Like you can kind of live in either of these, depending. We kind of look at it like in our heads, we see who's buying maybe more of the underpar and pink versus the birdies in blue. Um, skill set-wise, it's any either or. Um, but maybe in the corporate world, she's also wearing a little bit more of our um birdies in blue because we've got a great pant that works and we've got this great jacket. Things that feel a little more transitional in that sense, where the underpar and pink, I mean the floral dresses and just the really bright colors and pops of fun. Um, but as we continue with each collection, we make sure that those pantones stay the same. So um, of course, they'll change a little if the fabrics change, because like, you know, different fabrics hold color. But the intention behind it is that as mid spring grows, so does your closet of options. So you can pull from different seasons and continue to wear and make new outfits for yourself. Yeah. And kind of a layer on that is because with, you know, clubs, you have all these member guests and you have, you know, uh member member days. And and with that or um, you know, different events, you you like to dress like other women, you know, that's like a big thing and the themes. It's really fun to get get dressed up. But women are different. Some some want to wear a dress, someone wanna some wear want to wear, you know, top and squirt, some only like, you know, I've got my lucky white top and I'll wear a printed squirt. So we make sure that there's a ton of different options. We know every woman is different, they're built differently, they like different things, but there's ways to keep create again that cohesion so that there's more options there too.
SPEAKER_00Excellent. No, I love that because I I'm thinking about one of my best friends that I play a lot of golf with, and like she is a blue girl and I'm a pink girl. So I feel like you're either one or the other. I'm like, there's there is crossover, but there's one that you gravitate towards like the most, right? Um, so I love that you're doing both of those. And it is almost two different girls, but they can mix and match. Um, and then what you said about everyone having a different silhouette that they gravitate towards, like I'm more hippie, so I do like a little bit of a fuller skirt versus something straight down. But that um girl that I'm talking about that I golf with, you know, she's not as hippie and she prefers more of like a fitted straight-down silhouette. Uh so I think that's so smart that you you really are thinking about, you know, these customers as you're designing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And too, I think a big thing is like timeless, ageless. So we have customers who are in their 30s but are also in their 70s and kind of everywhere in between. And and by the way, there's like outliers on both ends. Yeah. So we like to say that like you, yes, this is like a very appropriate, you know, style for you to wear anywhere, um, but that it is age agnostic as well, because like you don't want to be in your 30s and feeling like you're in something, let's just call it frumpy, or you're in your 70s and you're dressing too young. Like, we really do try to make it bridge the gap of all of these different age groups because at the end of the day, you know, like uh we don't want to wear crop tops. We know that that's kind of like, you know, a style, but this is just more timeless, something that you'll have in your closet for years and years to come and feel good about.
SPEAKER_00I'm curious then, speaking about styles, which is each of yours personal favorite from your collections, and then what's like your overall bestseller, would you say?
SPEAKER_04Well, you're asking us to have favorite children or your favorite right now.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's such a great question. Are you kidding? I love it. I sort of like love it, but um, yeah, it is it is sort of you know putting in a box. But I can answer our best seller is definitely the golf cart sweater. That is the perfect gift, the perfect throw over the shoulders. Um, I mean, I'd say it's the ivory navy combo, but the navy white combo is really picking up. And I think her with like a white jean in the summer is just perfection.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um, we also have like a, you know, not to give things away, but we have this like navy gingham coming out that with that is just, I mean, put me on a boat in Nantucket. Like that is gonna be the best look. Um you want to go first, Meredith?
SPEAKER_04Um, yeah. So I I mean, I love our I love our this past season Tatum score, future season tailor score. It's just a really nice straight fit sort. Um, with the piping down the side, so it's very flattering. It creates like just nice lines for the eyes. So I like from a squirt perspective perspective, love. I just but all of our squirts have built-in shorts that match the um actual score with tea holders. So like truly I love all of them. Bethany's amazing. Um, Kate Kylie, and so from a squirt perspective, but I also really love our dresses. Our dresses, our Parker dress that's at right now, you'll see that, like Shannon just said in the gingham as well. Um, and I am I'm a dress girl. I like to have one piece to to put on and dress, and but also um our skirt top combos create dress looks. And I keep looking this way because I'm just looking at my hanging rack. But um, yeah, it's just that it's that really seamless, flattering like one piece, whether it is a dress or whether it's a skirt top combo that that looks looks great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, and I actually say what I'm wearing. So this we currently have it in Navy. So this is our LA Puff polo. Basically, when we were starting, I said to Meredith, like, what is our defining? We've got to have this defining item. Because if you think about it, Burberry with the trench coat. Like a lot of brands that have been sort of um, you know, heritage brands started with one item that they can like, and then they built. But what is your defining piece? And so I said to Meredith, we need to create a more feminine polo because it's like this whole people say shrink it or pink it, which I mean, I'm sorry. That's no. So we were like, how do we define something that's like more unique and you can also wear it off course? So we originally had what was called the Darby, and that was a button front with a collar. And this is our new Ellie. And so we have her out right now in Navy, and the white is coming out next week, next month.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01Um, but it's just like it's perfect for on or off course, and it has just enough little puff detail that's super feminine. And so, yeah, I would say that this is something like I'm really proud of for us because it is different when you come into when you go into a pro shop and you're like another polo. This is something that kind of sits a little differently.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I'm gonna need to try that one because I have not found a good polo yet for me. I'm like busty um in my chest, and so I find like some are really tight or some are like very not flattering and you know, kind of have no form then on me. Um, so this though, I love the puff sleeve and the little zipper. So I'm gonna have to try that.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it is um, it is just enough where it's very flattering, even like regardless of your, I'd say, even if you find yourself to feel a little bit more um wider shoulders, like it's it's nothing we we spent a lot of time trying to perfect this, and I too am very busty, and I'd say this is this is a great top.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, and what you just said about um tops being boxy over like my one of my biggest issues was always like that all my tops felt so long and boxy that like if you wore them out, it was like, okay, wait, this isn't really a great look. I feel like I'm like wearing a dress over my skirt, and if you tuck them in, they would like bunch because there was so much fabric at the bottom.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So we have really spent time to make sure that our lengths are appropriate to leave out or tuck in. Okay. So, like, that's one thing. Like the shirt length was a big, big issue for me on on most things in my closet. It was just like, yeah, they shrank it and shrink it and but like they weren't shrinking it right.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, I'm short like you too. I'm only five two. So that, yeah, okay, yeah. Um, now, speaking of customers, who would be your absolute dream customer? If you could pick anyone to wear midspring, like who who would that be? Who embodies the brand so well, would you think?
SPEAKER_04I would love to outfit Katie Courick because she, I know she plays rackets, she's out in the Hamptons. She just, and I grew up on her. I grew up on her and on the Today Show, and she has kids, Shannon, and mine's ages, and I just love her. I think she's so fun.
SPEAKER_00Definitely. I feel like she supports a lot of Connecticut brands too, if I'm wrong, right?
SPEAKER_04And women, small women-owned businesses. She definitely does some like unboxings and things. So yeah, we should try to send to Katie.
unknownI love that.
SPEAKER_01I would love to get it on Oprah. Like, I just feel like growing up, I mean, I think there's the dream of always being on Oprah's favorite list, like favorite things. And I think part of that is just because people trust her. Yes. And she's so authentic.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And but also like I also just love the fact that I don't know if she plays golf, but that also then just speaks to its great product that she could like wear if she goes, you know, to an event doing different things. Yeah, yeah. So I kind of like it. That's a little maybe um different than like being like, I want to get in on this golf influencer, but um it speaks to the fact that we hope that our clothes end up being versatile for people um, you know, to have in their closet, whether or not they're gonna go play or not.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And like you said, people trust Oprah, honestly. So I think if you get her seal of approval, then you are golden. Um, I always ask everyone what does Preppy mean to you? So, how would you each describe Preppy? And I know we've mentioned Preppy a couple of times on this podcast.
SPEAKER_04Okay, so preppy to me means classic timeless styles, obviously bold pantones and colors, but it's like the ode to the old school uh uh dress code. It's like the Lily Polters and the Ralph Laurens and the Lacostes, and like what do we think of when we were younger and like we were getting dressed to go to an appropriate place or getting it dressed dressed appropriately to go to a more formal place. Like that to me is like the the ode to the old school, but what we're doing is freshening it and making it more modern and more, you know, for the for the versatile woman, because that's what we all are. We're we're going a million places every day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's a great answer. What about you, Shannon?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think that words to to just because it's like hard to put it into or like into a sentence, but for those buzzwords for me are really like unwavering and heritage. I think that someone who's preppy, like it is translated through whatever you're wearing, however you hold yourself.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um, and I think that that's a really special. Special character to have if you have something that you feel it's almost like an embodiment too. Because like Meredith and I have always been preppy. And I think that's something then you know, there's times when we try to figure out like how do we make this a more reflection of us? But it's to me, I feel like preppy's either like you are or you aren't. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Like, yeah, there's no real it is pink and green, it is like it is gingham, it is um like rom green ribbons.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but it but then I also look at it like it is like the browns and the navies of you know, like for the fall, right? Like you can define preppy in every season, whether it's like the Black Watch Prep plaid and the dark greens and a velvet bow in your hair, or like the Ralph Lauren versus the Lily Paul Zarvet, like it's seasonless, but defined by season, you know, differently. Um like yeah, and I I love that it's making a comeback. Someone recently talked to us about how they were like it was it was like a it was more of like an agency conversation, like a magazine. Yeah, and they were like, they were like, there's really this whole personal touch, sort of like heritage coming back and like preppy's having a moment. And I like wasn't about to interrupt them because but I wanted to be like Preppy, Preppy's always been here, you know, and there's that's like there's people like us who again unwavering. Yes, similar to golf, golf has always been here, and yes, maybe the women participation, it's amazing how many more women are getting into the sport, but it's always been a sport that women have played, so it's nice that more people are getting on the bandwagon, and I think that people are getting more on the preppy bandwagon with this whole like Ralph Lauren, you know, all the moments and the um, you know, the um yeah, yeah. Who's the singer that or the um who who directs all the movies that everyone loves?
SPEAKER_00Um, um Wes Anderson. Is that who you're thinking of?
SPEAKER_01No, no.
SPEAKER_00Um or which movies?
SPEAKER_04Yes, why can't I think of her name?
SPEAKER_00Um Sophia Coppola?
SPEAKER_01No, no, the preppy, like um Father of the Bride and Oh, oh Nancy Myers.
SPEAKER_00Nancy Myers just going through my list.
SPEAKER_04I know, I'm my Nancy Myers class of movie directors, and I'm very impressed.
SPEAKER_01Yes and no, yes and no, yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, that that's a great, a great point. I'm with you. You know, Preppy's definitely having a moment right now, but really, like for most of us, it hasn't gone away. It's just it's part of our lifestyle and who we are, like part of our DNA. Um, so before we wrap up, any like resources you can share with listeners, whether it's a newsletter, a book, um, a grade networking group, an event you attended, like what's a resource you could share with listeners?
SPEAKER_01Um, well, so one is I would, I would, I mean, if you're someone who wants to play more golf and who are looking for more golf communities, it's becoming very popular for these more like local golf communities starting up. I mean, I don't know exactly where you are in Pennsylvania, but she said golf is these two, yes, those are two of our good friends. Um, you know, if you want to take it one step farther and do something that's not just local, you have these different women's groups. Tori Totless does. We actually just went to one of her events down in Arizona. She gets all these women together. You fly in and you, I mean, you meet a ton of people and you usually go with a partner or a foursome. There's other ones where you don't have to go, you know, with a partner or a foursome, um, entitled housewife is having she has one a year. Um, so I would encourage people to find resources and opportunities in that sense that are local or trips where you can play more golf. And it doesn't, you don't have to be good. You know, you can just, but when you go and you'll get you'll get better. It's kind of like starting up mahjong, like you just have to go. So that's in that sense, I would I would recommend people to from like just even a networking, making friends, find something in your local community to get yourself out there and experience more golf.
SPEAKER_00I love that. Those are all great, great places to check out. What about you, Meredith? Anything you want to add?
SPEAKER_04I couldn't possibly add to that perfect list. Um, but yeah, I think I think just to my earlier message of like get involved wherever it might be, do do look up your local meetups. Cause even like I know that there are ones I was talking to somebody down in Palm Beach about it, and like I mentioned she said golf, and I said, Oh, they're up north. But then I like looked and there was like a new Palm Beach golf meetup. And so I do think they're popping up everywhere. Um, so I guess I would just say look into it um and just Google kind of what's going on in your in your areas. But yeah, I th those are the top resources resources for me too.
SPEAKER_00Perfect. Well, this has been so fun chatting with you guys today. Um, can you end with letting everyone know where they can find you guys? Uh, website handle, uh, social media, all of those things.
SPEAKER_01Um, so our website is www.midspringsport.com. And definitely make sure you're on our email list um because not only will you get you know a discount off your first order, but that's where we share all of the new drops and pre-orders and lots of exciting things. Um, and then Instagram is at midspringsport. Um, so that's where we constantly are trying to also not only just share content from our photo shoots, but people send us photos so you can see other people wearing it. Um, we love to share any topical things happening in golf, like Anwa is happening this week, which is before the Masters. That's the women's um uh Augusta National Um women's amateur. So we try to make it a place to kind of similar to, I'd say, you know, both of your platforms. It's not just it's we're trying to make it a little bit more of like a lifestyle place for you to come and learn about golf. So um I'd say follow us on those two. Yeah. And we're working on a TikTok, but it's not really an eager work.
SPEAKER_00Stay tuned. All right, ladies. Well, this was such a pleasure. Thank you so much. Thank you, Patricia. Thank you. 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.