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
Hey Friends
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Shaefer Santos is the founder and designer behind Hey Friends, a women's clothing brand inspired by timeless coastal style and thoughtful design. She started sewing and designing clothes as a little girl, and what began as a hobby eventually turned into the business she runs today. She launched Hey Friends when she was 16, and today she designs every collection with the goal of creating beautiful, wearable pieces that women can reach for season after season. Whether she is sketching new designs, working with artisans, or sharing the behind-the-scenes journey of building the brand, her heart has always been in creating something meaningful. Shop at https://heyfriendsbyshaef.com/
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 thepreppy podcast.com and be sure to follow at the preppy podcast and me, Patricia underscore May underscore Olson on Instagram. As always, I have a fabulous episode. We are talking with Schaefer, who is the founder of Hey Friends. We chat about how she actually started this business in high school. It originated as a YouTube channel, then turned into a t-shirt line. And finally, today it is a full women's clothing line. She even teases that for holiday season, she is going to have some home decor and gifts as well. So we chat about everything from her inspiration, challenges, triumphs, and where the brand is headed. So stay tuned for that. But before we get into the interview, a few reminders. The first being that we have two Cam Preppies left for 2026, and they are going to be some good ones. So the first is in October, and that will be at Kenny Bunkerport. Um, this will be our one-year celebration of Cam Preppy. So we are really going to live it up and enjoy New England in the fall. It's going to be beautiful. We have about two tickets left for that one. You can find those at the Preppypodcast.com or shoot me a direct message and I will send you a link to that. And then lastly, we have our Barnsley Resort Camp Reppy. That will be the end of November going into the first few days of December. And it is going to be all holiday themed. I've been wanting to do a holiday camp preppy, and here it is. So think holiday crafts, think like dressing for Christmas and the holidays, like tartans and glitz and glam and sequence. Um, as well as, of course, you can expect needlepoint and mahjong arts and crafts at all of our Camp Preppies and like an amazing gift bag. So get those tickets for both of them at thepreppypodcast.com. And then lastly, Club Preppy, our monthly membership, we do at least one virtual event per month. Things like wine tastings, talking with experts in style and design fields. Um, we do tablescaping tips, napkin folding, all sorts of fun activities. So if you love hosting, if you love learning new things, if you love a preppy lifestyle, Club Preppy is for you. And it's a great way to um dive in before investing in uh Camp Preppy. So you can test that out. Um, you can find information for Club Preppy and Camp Preppy at thepreppypodcast.com. Okay, so why don't you first let everyone know who you are, where you live, and what you do.
SPEAKER_00Perfect. Hi, my name is Shaefer Santos. I live in Erie, Pennsylvania, and I'm the owner of Pay Friends a label, women's clubbing line that's based here in Pennsylvania.
SPEAKER_01Excellent. And so I was saying um offline earlier that I found you because Morgan of Jackson Morgan, she bought a piece of yours and posted about it. And I was like, that's so cute. I need to like buy this, I need more information. Um, and then I started following you and I I purchased a set and I love it, and I've gotten so many compliments. So I'm thrilled to have you on the podcast today to learn more about you and your brand.
SPEAKER_00I'm excited. And you during that set looked so cute on your Instagram that made my day that day, so I loved it.
SPEAKER_01Oh, thank you. It was perfect. It's so comfortable. Um, so let's start at the beginning. Tell me about you as a kid. Did you grow up in Pennsylvania too? Um, what was your childhood like? Were you creative? Were you entrepreneurial? Um I'd love to hear that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I grew up born and raised in Pennsylvania. My family owns a business here in town. My grandparents started back in 1974, actually. Um, and it's a soap screen and promotional products company. So, like screen printing, embroidery, kind of like that kind of space. Um, so I actually started Hey Friends when I was 16, but it was kind of an accident. Uh, I grew up around screen printing and t-shirts my whole entire life. And then one day I'm like, I'm gonna start a little Etsy store with just like like it was like seven easy designs that I screen printed myself at the shop because I just grew around that, grew up around it my whole entire life. Um, and then it kind of just snowballed from there because I was not gonna be like a career thing. It was I was in the summer between my junior or sophomore and junior of high school. Okay. So it was like not a full-time thing, it was not serious, it was definitely not like like a career move at that point at all. Um, but then I just kind of kept growing and snowballed. But now Hey Friends really expanded to like cut and sew production like from scratch, but it really started with like just some t-shirts on Etsy.
SPEAKER_01Um that's so cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's a long way.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Well, I also think it's I love hearing um from women and men who grew up in like a family business or industry or and clearly were inspired by that because I know even me watching my grandfather be an entrepreneur, like that inspired me to want to start something. So I just feel like it puts this like interest or bug in you, and sometimes it takes people a while to realize that they want to be part of it or they have that interest, but like they've always just known it, like it's come naturally, if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I was always very creative growing up. I was always making messes, and I even I'm very crafty, I would say, to this day. Even around my house, I'm constantly, oh gosh, like wallpapering or hanging up plates, or just I am constantly like just a little crafty machine, I feel like all the time. So it was really fitting, you know, for me to be doing this now. I've always just been a really creative person.
SPEAKER_01Definitely. Okay, so you started with some screen printed t-shirts on Etsy, um, and but nothing serious. You didn't think it'd be a career or business. So then what happened when it came time for college? Like, where and what did you study if you went? Was it something business or fashion related? Like, tell me about that journey and like what you thought you would do then.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I'm a very I'm the youngest of four siblings, and we're a very college family. Like, all my siblings have like very practical, like safe careers. And when it came around like senior year, I really like wasn't into the whole college thing. Because I already was working at this point, I was already selling wholesale, so my t-shirts were already in like a lot of stores all over the US. Um, and I was just really busy with this little like side hobby thing I started. So the whole college thing was coming around, coming around, and I kind of kept like joking to my parents, like, I'm not going. And they were like, really? Like, it was not a funny joke to them. They were like, ha ha ha, like not funny. And also my senior year high school, I did dual enrollment. So I did like I took two college classes half my day, and I absolutely hated it. It was so bad. I was waste, I was like wasting my time, and it was like an Irish lit class, and I would have I would be sitting in this class, like kicking myself, and I'm learning about like this Irish poet James Joyce. I still remember that. And one of those things, you know, stick with you. And I have a stack of work on my desk that has to get done today. I have orders have to go out. So like my priorities just really were not aligned with the whole college thing. Um, it was kind of getting in my way, honestly, like it's really funny to say now. And also, this was also like COVID time. So, like my high school was weird. I actually went to school like two days a week, and then the other was online. So I was just like working all day constantly on Hey Friends. And then also senior year, um, I randomly one day in November got an email from a producer at the Drew Barrymore show. Out of the blue, just totally, I thought the email was fake because you know, like, you know, big people from New York City don't email you to be on a talk show, you know, on a random Tuesday. So it ended up to be a real email. They I saw Hey Friends online, wanted to learn more about me, went through like a bunch of rounds of emails and meetings and like questioning and things like that. And then they were like, hey, we'll have you on the show, it's gonna be so much fun. And I was like, this escalated so quickly, this is amazing. And then next thing you know, I got ghosted for four months. I heard nothing, and I was like, Oh, you know, that would have been a lot of fun if that would have worked out. And then one random day in March, I had got a call from him. A segment opened up because I think that's it's really like it the timing of it kind of goes fast and things get cut, things get added on really, really quick. So then within like a week, I was like taped the show, aired the next day, and then that whole thing happened. So that was all within like a few months of each other. So that just gave me a lot of confidence. You know, when that when the show aired, I mean, my whole shop blew up. I got a lot of confidence from that to like take things full time and just like a lot of credibility, you know. That was the thing I did not expect. So came around to graduating. I decided not to go to college. I graduated, technically workforce is what they call it. Um, hit the ground running, working at Faith Friends. I still work for my family too to this day because my office and them kind of like I took over a little part of the warehouse a little bit. Uh I still work for my dad to this day, which is a lot of fun too. So I've just been doing that ever since. And that's been oh gosh, like five years ago, I think this year.
SPEAKER_01Wow. I love that. I think there's like a path for everyone. And I I know so many people who didn't go the college route because I don't think it's for everyone. And it sounds like you already, you know, you were getting real life experience um with business that you didn't you didn't need it. Um, and you had the family, you're having family in business kind of to help you guide you, like answer questions. That's real life business school, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00We already had a good thing going, you know, it was just kind of what it meant, which sounds to it was gonna be a waste of time, but I just had a good thing going. I think it's more popular now not to be going to college, but I think even five years ago, like it was like my family, it was a big I was a big controversy in my family. Um, and it was like you believe Schaefer's not going to college, but now everyone's like that's such a good decision. And also it was COVID. So like the classes were weird, they were all masked up, like it really wasn't even like the college experience, not that I had any desire for that anyway. Um but it was one of those things.
SPEAKER_01So then let's back it up a little bit. Tell me, how'd you come up with the name Hey Friends? And sort of what what do these initial t-shirts look like? And how did you I think it's one thing like having an Etsy account, but then having wholesale. So I'd love to talk about you know the business when you started it, and then obviously we'll get into what it is today. But tell me about that first and first initial um foray.
SPEAKER_00Oh gosh, my first like few t-shirts I can't even like stand to look at now, which is so funny. But like when you're 16 making some things in your bedroom, you're like, oh, this is amazing. Like, and I was really making it like for like my friends and I. That's kind of how it started too. It's like, oh, we would love to wear these in the summer, or you know, it was very like a you know, that style. Um, I would not wear them today. I have them all, of course, like in a box upstairs, like for memories, but I'm not wearing these things today. So the name of Hey Friends started. I had also a YouTube channel in high school, which I was just like, you know, a creative kid always. And in my videos, I would always, for some reason, I always started the video by saying, Hey friends, welcome back to my channel or something. And like that. I had a fashion blog too in high school where I'd kind of do like a similar kind of styling like that, and it just kind of stuck. Um, if like I was like, people would like I was just kind of known for saying hey friends a ton, and it just kind of was like a good fitting thing at the time. Would it be a different name now? Probably. It would be like if I started things today, it probably would not be hey friends. Yeah, but it's I always wanted to have like a really uplifting, positive brand, and it always really fit that. So it sticks and it works. I love that. No, that's like brand thing, you know, but it's like, no, you're just like 16 and like name something.
SPEAKER_01I feel like so many brands, like I ask that question a lot because I'm always curious. Like sometimes it's super random, like you know, someone's husband says this one phrase and then it sticks, or you know, something organically like that. It's just interesting to me to find out um how people come up with their names. And me, even with you know, peaked PR, my business, I just the Preppy Podcast, like I love P words being named Patricia, and I love like alliteration. So it always is just a fun thing to ask. Um, but then tell me about you know going from Etsy to wholesale because they're such different beasts. So, how are stores finding you, like, or how were you finding them initially?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I learned about wholesale by accident. So I had launched Hey Friends like three weeks into its little lifespan. And I randomly one day went to like a new boutique in my town that just opened up and I just popped in there after work. And I started talking with the owner, and I was like, Oh, I have a little line I just started, you know, like no business even like talking about what I'm doing because it was like this big at the time. And she's like, Oh, do you sell wholesale? And I didn't even know what the word meant. I just said, Yeah, I do. And then I got back in my car, like Googled it, and I was like, Okay, I can do that. Like, that's fine. So I also kind of started working for her the next summer, and that was really great for me. I got to learn about like retail and just like the buyer side of things, also having a brand. Um, meanwhile, I'm like freshly 17, like just literally figuring all this out. Like, but it was so much fun, you know. And I'll having like a boutique job in high school was like a luxury, I felt like, because my friends are working, you know, like fast food restaurants, and I was like going to my like my little boutique job after school, which was so much fun at the time. Um, and that's how I got to learn more about wholesale and the buying sides of things. And then there's a platform called Fair, where a lot of stores buy from. You probably have heard of it before. Um, and she was buying a ton of stuff for the store on there, and then she's like, You need to get on here, you know. But it took me like I think a year to get accepted. At the time it was super picky and choosy of who they like led on there. I think now it's kind of maybe more of like a free-for-all. But at the time, it was really hard to get on there. Um, I put my dues in, I would email constantly, like trying to get on there. Then once I did, it was amazing. Um, so that's how so really once you're on there, you kind of do no work. It's kind of like for people who don't know, Fair is like an Amazon marketplace for people who own stores. So you can go on there and buy things for your store at a wholesale price. So really it's a marketplace they come there to buy. So that really kind of got hate friends going because it was it was just kind of like organically, you know, people just finding my stuff on there, and that really got things going because also like the orders are just so much bigger, you know, those orders are like one t-shirt at a time, were like 30, 40 t-shirts at a time. Yeah. So it was just a lot of fun too to get things going. And it's helped helped, you know, helped the cause, helped it all grow.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Well, I love a few points that you mentioned there. Um, I am someone that is totally like a yes girl, say yes, figure it out later. Like when someone asks you, do you wholesale? You're like, yeah, even though I have no idea what that is, but like I'll figure it out. And uh and then I do think I always say, like, to high school or college girls, or even someone just not sure what they want to do, like attest everything. And if you I working in PR, I specialize more with lifestyle brands and businesses. And I worked at boutiques um because I do think when you see the other side of something, you kind of learn then what buyers are looking for, how wholesale works, or like more about the construction process of what what makes something cost more than something else, right? So I think getting like jobs that you might not think are exactly what you want to do, they help you in the long run like understand the bigger picture of the industry.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I learned a ton from that, and even just like like managing stores and how like you have to make things simple because your store owners have no time to be tagging things, going through just things like that. Yeah, there's got like a really good like bird's eye view, I think, of a lot of stuff. Totally.
SPEAKER_01So let's talk about then hey friends, as it is today, because in addition, like you have now, like you said, skirts, tops, all sorts of things, not just screen printed. So, how how did you go about from like screen printing t-shirts to having this whole collection it and different apparel pieces?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I started with screen printing because that was what was really accessible to me. But I've always dreamed about like creating things from scratch, like just designing this from like paper to product, but I wasn't really doing that for the longest time. I was really afraid of like production and like trying to figure that out. Like it took me like a probably a year to start like getting like like the ball rolling on that. So I didn't know where to start. You know, Erie PA, we don't have like many, yeah. I don't live in like a big city where we have like manufacturers or better connections. Um, I would also not say that Erie is like a big fashion capital of the world, really, either. So I just kind of started online poking me around with different manufacturers. I feel like I've lived 10 lives on manufacturing. It is such a headache sometimes, but also so amazing, but also oh a pain at times. So I started manufacturing in New York City at first. I did four collections in New York because I wanted things to be made in America, but then you know, through the whole process of things, it was a lot just better for me at the time to switch manufacturing elsewhere. But I'm glad I did it because I think uh it was easier, I think, maybe to learn ins and outs because I could just like fly to the city. It's like a two-hour point ride for me, have my meetings, do this, that, and then fly home that night. It was a lot easier. Um right now I'm I manufacture OGs in like five different countries. Kind of depends what I'm working on. Um my sleep schedule is in shambles because you know, time zones are a crazy thing. And I feel like I'm constantly I have like an internal clock now, like 3 a.m. I wake up, look at my phone, see if anything needs to be answered, and then I'm like um, like without fail, especially right now, I'm doing I'm like in the miss like the messy middle of production in India and China trying to get some things lined up for next year, and it is just like a battle right now. But it was a scary process because also to be you know, overseas, like wiring money overseas, hoping you get a product in six months, like that can be stressful. Yes. Um, I think it happened a perfect timing when it was supposed to. So I did four lines in New York, then I switched over to India, and that's when like it was honestly the worst timing in the possible world. So I had think I committed to going switching production to India in like July two years ago, and then like January 1st, like those crazy tariffs got announced. So I spent like two years just fighting with customs agents, I swear, on requirements for this. That um that was a good, I guess a hard learning thing that it never had to deal with. But even though fun fact, even too. So, like in New York City, when I would when I would do production in New York City, I would still pay like a 15% tax because of like the New York stake tax. So, really, like it wasn't that crazy difference because I was already paying like a tax or like tariff kind of with my stuff in the States. So it just kind of snowballed. So now I produce stuff in China, mostly Vietnam and India. It depends on what season I'm putting things in. But oh, production is so much fun.
SPEAKER_01Definitely. I I hear that from everyone, I feel like. So then in terms of silhouettes and styles, like how do you come up with those? What was the thought process? Um, for example, I got that it's like a skirt, it's sort of like a wrap skirt from, but it's shorts. Um, so how do you how do you define and come up with those? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Hey friends, well, I always say it's really selfishly, whatever I want, but it's my line, so I guess I can say that. But it really comes from like whatever I'm just I'm loving, whatever cuts I'm loving or prints or styles. Um it really just comes from that. And then I really like I feel like I do, I'm not like a trendy person. I never have been like a super trendy, that's just like not me. Um, so it's just really it's whatever I want. I love I I love like a classic style. I'm very preppy in the way I dress. I love like coastal. I'm from Pennsylvania, but like I live on like Lake Erie. So I to me like I'm from like a coastal area, even though people don't probably think that they think in Pennsylvania. Um, so it's just whatever I want, whatever I'm loving, if I'm inspired by something, and that can be oh my gosh, anything, either like a color palette or a throw pillow or anything like that. I feel like I find the inspiration from everything I do, which is also a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely. So, what collection are you working on right now? Like, how far in advance are you working? When it has fall launched yet for you? Are you launching fall soon? Like, tell me about where you are in production and uh, you know, I guess season-wise in terms of what's coming out.
SPEAKER_00I am never far enough ahead ever. I try so hard, I do things so far in advance, but I'm also still a team of one. So I just simply it just you can't you think you have so much time, and then time just goes like this and you just run out. So right now I'm and falls a little bit messy right now, not really. So half of it just shipped, half of it. I'm like still I'm still sampling one thing, and then other half's like going into production hopefully, like as we speak. So falls, we're we're getting fall wrapped up. Holiday is kind of on the way too. That is like half development, half production. Okay. And then I'm working on really trying to lock down spring and summer for next year, and then I need to start working on fall for next year now. Wow. So we have like a million little like pipelines going right now, like each season. What's going on with what? This and that. So I'm getting there. Um figured out this week, and it always does work out, but sometimes it's overwhelming when you're like, I have like one season here, and then you have the answer this email about the whole other collection, and then this thing here, there's a problem with this and that. So it's a lot of like juggling every day of like what is what and also like what has to happen right now to stay on track, and then what can I do later?
SPEAKER_01Yes, for sure. And there's only so much you can plan for, right? It's like even if you're planning so far advanced, like for next fall and next spring, uh things that you plan, like you said, for this fall, like it might not be where you want it to be for that one style. So you have to rework that.
SPEAKER_00You know, like you know, these huge like chain stores, they're like right now, like almost three years ahead, which is crazy to me. And also, my problem is I might not, if I design fall right now, I might not like it next year. Like I might change my mind, you know? That's also where I kind of like to like design more like as close as I can. But yeah, I do need to get ahead. I am trying, it's just so hard.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and so are you still wholesaling then? Um, even with these new silhouettes, are you still on fair or yeah?
SPEAKER_00So I'm constantly doing both of those things. Um, wholesale is a lot of fun because it's so fun to like it's so rewarding to have your thing in a store, people buy it in a store. Um really like fun feeling. But I do I love wholesale, I think it's a lot of fun. Um, it's again so fun seeing it in stores. Like, and even when I'm traveling, I try to. Visit some stores that have my line, it's just like the best feeling ever. So I do a lot of that, but then like so that makes production planning hard because wholesale is a whole different season. So I kind of always like I feel like end up on the end of the season wholesale-wise, but my also my line's a really small batch. I don't get a whole ton made, so really, like I feel like I just have like my core stores ordered from me, and that kind of eats up all in all my inventory for wholesale anyway. Okay. Working out, but I am always kind of on the edge of the bubble, I think, when it comes to like the seasons, but I'm getting there.
SPEAKER_01No, I love it. So tell me about then. Obviously, you said you love your wholesale clients. Who would be your dream customer, though? Like, in terms of if there's like a wholesale store or like a specific person, like an influencer, celebrity, like who would be a dream customer to wear your line?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. Just I think in general, oh my gosh. I guess I'll do like one big general bubble. To someone that like loves dressing for fun and like classic style, I think I really love one store. I'm dying, I have like a pipe dream of getting like hey friends and Dillards. I don't really know why. That just to me is like would be like so amazing. I've had one chain store carry my line a few years ago. Um called Fabric, which was a lot of fun. But that's like a pipe dream is like, I don't know why for some reason Dillard is just like the best thing ever for me. I don't even have one near eyelid or near eyelid, but for some reason I just feel like they would like look so good in there. So either that or just like somebody, honestly, like you, who like loves everything they do, loves fashion, loves styling, just loves having a lot of fun. Um, and like loves, like I love like putting on an outfit and like you know you love it, you're like glowing in it, and you just feel a different way when you love what you're wearing. And I just love that. And I want people to have that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love that, or like when you're wearing an outfit out and everyone's complimenting you, and you're like, see, like everyone loves it as much as I do, or like the styling aspect, like you mentioned, like we were talking about you styled your beautiful scarf on you today. Like, I have this chunky necklace, like it's fun. I love having fun with clothing, right? And that's what it's all about. Yes. What about a resource for listeners? I love asking this because I learn so much and take away a lot. Um, but in terms of is there like a book you've read on business? Is there a group you're part of? Is there um a newsletter you subscribe to or a person you follow on Instagram? Like, what's something that's helped you uh and you would recommend for others?
SPEAKER_00Oh gosh. I think it's one like specific thing. I think I'm always just like a sponge. I feel like I'm always, always like my brain never really shuts off with hey friends, because it is more, it is like a hobby and a job, it's a perk. But my brain never shuts off. I feel like I'm constantly saving things everywhere. I'm always a sponge. I'm always learning to learn more or learn how somebody else did something. I think that's how you kind of how you have to be. Um really always changing. I think you always have to be really aggressively trying to learn the most you can and better things you can be doing. So I don't think it's one specific thing, but I think I'm always just a sponge trying to grow, trying to learn. Um, it's all you can do, really.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, for sure. I'm all about taking like online classes or popping in or asking someone for coffee, um, just learning, like you said, constantly. Now, obviously, Drew Barrymore was a pinch me moment. Any other like things that have really stuck out and sort of elevated your brand or business to the next level, gotten you there, or just you've been so proud of and are a great pinch me moment.
SPEAKER_00Oh gosh. Well, that's it. Drew Barrymore's the biggest one by far. That was definitely I would love to get back on. I always email like, oh, and do the little update story. Because it has been like six years since that happened. So it has been some time. We've grown a ton. I wasn't even doing, I wasn't even doing like cut and sew production then. That was just like my t-shirts at the time. So that would be like a great pinch me moment. Um, I don't know. I feel like I've just had a lot of like really amazing like customer emails that I get pretty frequently. I'm pretty lucky with that. Of like, I've been really struggling with the way my body image is right now. I've been feeling really down about myself. I tried on this dress and I loved it so much, and I, you know, that like makes my heart just want to explode. Because I, you know, I put a lot of thought into my designs and hey friends, even like the content care label. I always have like a memo on that, or I'm really intentional with like all like the little details for Hey Friends, and I put so much like love in things. I feel like you can like kind of feel that when you wear stuff. Um, people tell me that, which is so much fun. So I think that's a big thing for me, like how good people say that they feel in my line and my stuff, how much they love it. Um, that always makes me feel just really good.
SPEAKER_01Definitely. No, I think hearing from customers, it like makes what you do worth it, right? And on those hard days, like I even keep notes that people send me, and I have them in my drawer and all on a bulletin board because on those hard days I go and read them or look at them, um, and it makes it all worth it. So now I'm curious what is your favorite piece right now on your website, and then what's your best seller?
SPEAKER_00Right now, oh my gosh. Oh gosh. So I just launched like my biggest like summer collection ever. It was like 17 pieces, and I loved it all very much. My favorite thing, I would have to say, is probably the piece you have, our cove wrap scort in the sorbet color. I love that so much. It's so much fun for summer, and it looks like a score, but has some built-in shorts in it, and it's so much fun. And I recently like I'm dabbling in golfing this year. I say dabbling because it's really not serious, but it's been so much fun to wear at golf, and even like on walks with my friends around the house, like it's just like it's like the most ultimate piece ever. Yeah. Um, I'm really enjoying that. And then our best seller this summer. I think a few things. I would say our zest dress in the sand color. So we have like a longer short sleeve dress and like a little sand tan gingham. That was probably a bestseller this summer. And then honestly, the top I'm wearing, this just like a little white umward Kennedy top. You have this in the pink, I think. Yes, yeah. Um, this has been a bestseller, just like a really like elevated basic, which I really love so much. And even that pink one that you have, that's been a bestseller. Everything has sold quite well this summer. Um it's not like everything is like so picked over size-wise, which I like love secretly because it's like I loved it. I feel like I nailed it. Yeah, like there's either like extra smalls or like maybe an extra large laughter. Like it's so scattered, which I love so happy about that.
SPEAKER_01Totally. Uh, what about sneak peek for fall then? Like anything customers can expect or look for or holiday, even. I'm like so I'm already at holiday, I feel like mentally. I'm like ready for cozy and glitz and fine.
SPEAKER_00Fall's fun this year. I have kind of a new, actually, some new styles. Well, you can see. Um, so yeah, I'm trying to think what you can see still. Um, so so we have some really fun drop waist stuff coming, which I was kind of afraid for the longest time of like the drop waist style, but I love it. I think it's so flattering. People are afraid of like that style because it's like flat across where you don't want it to be flat sometimes. Um, but I think everyone should try a drop waist skirt or dress. I think you'd be very surprised. My mom was like the biggest hater of like a drop waist style. She tried on my new skirt and loved it and looked so good in it. So that's coming. Um, fall's kind of smaller for me. My main seasons are like spring and summer, but still a lot of fun stuff. Some really fun blouses and like elevated basic stuff. Holiday, I've been quite busy with because I'm actually expanding this holiday into a thing called Hey Friends Home. So we're not getting out of the closet and we're doing more like table linens, um placemats, like tissue box covers, like things like home things. Okay. So I'm like a like a home line. Um it's really fun, really excited. So that's no one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that would be great and great for like that gift time of year, too.
SPEAKER_00More giftable stuff. Um, the problem right now, I'm trying to decide prints right now, and I'm liking too many of them. And I'm like, how many, how many nap, how many like cocktail napkins can I really offer to sell, you know? I'm like, I gotta put a cap on it. Yeah. Yeah, totally. So then spring next year, summer next year. Just oh my gosh, a lot in the works right now.
SPEAKER_01So exciting. So, since this is the preppy podcast, I always ask everyone, what does preppy mean to you? So, how would you describe preppy?
SPEAKER_00Yes, to me, preppy is just having so much fun. No matter what you are doing, what you are dressing for, it's just having fun. And but I also love like the classic twist on that too, like the classic styles. And I say Hey Friends is very polished, and I think prep being preppy is so like polished in the best way possible. So just having fun with what you're wearing, what you're doing, um, having fun while you do it. That's a great answer.
SPEAKER_01Everyone loves to have fun, right? And wants to wants to live a fun lifestyle. So definitely preppy. Um, and now I'm curious, like, what are some of your other favorite small businesses or brands? I like to ask this question um to sort of spotlight other people that you love and want to support or maybe pair really nicely with, hey friends.
SPEAKER_00Yes, my dear friend Wendy Seager, she uh runs Wendy's Good Things Market on Colorado. Uh her and I have gone to some like a few markets together, like at Dallas the last few years, and her line, she's more of like an elevated foreign couture. I say that she's like like an elevated Joanna Gaines. Um we just get along so great. She has an incredible company out there, and her story as well is like incredible what she has done and built herself. You'll have to check her out. She is just one of my also one of my best friends, so I'm being honest. Um, but she recently also started uh making clothing. She had a whole gourmet gourmet food line that she's now doing clothing, like me. Um, and just the best style, so classic. Her pieces are made so beautifully. So she's always my number one shout out whenever I can.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'm gonna okay. What's that Instagram handle or brand name again? Wendy's Good Things Market. Wendy's Good Things Market. Okay, I'm gonna check that out for sure. So now anything else you want to tease or sneak peek. Obviously, we have holiday, you said it's gonna be home, fall, some elevated basics again. Um, any like trunk shows or things like that before we wrap up?
SPEAKER_00No big trunk shows. I kind of right now I'm like a hermit. I'm kind of enjoying just like me in my office every day by myself on my computer. Nothing, nothing crazy. I I did go to Dallas Market last year for a wholesale show. I'm not this year. It's just hard for a team of one to like leave my office for a week, fly to Dallas with like also like five suitcases of clothes. Exactly. Be there for a week. It is a lot, and honestly, I sell wholesale just a ton online from the comfort of my own desk. It's called you know, emailing that way. Yeah. So no, no crazy chunk shows this year. Just trying to get ahead, trying to plan, trying to just like design my butt off. And that's kind of my plan right now, which is really fun. And honestly, uh for hey friends, I show a lot of like behind the scenes of clothing production, whether that's problems I have or like my first samples. I really love showing kind of like the nitty-gritty things because you know you see like a top uh you'll be at the store and see like a top on a on a rack and be like, oh, it's cute, but like I like to show how that top's made, why it why it was made that way, and how I designed it. So that's kind of like a fun thing I do. So now I'm focused more on that kind of stuff. So no crazy, no crazy trunk shows. Maybe that you never know. I feel like things always pop up, you never know.
SPEAKER_01Well, uh, you know, I was going to actually mention that that you do uh like such a great job of showing behind the scenes and really engaging with your customers um and followers, like showing them sneak peeks or asking their opinions on designs. So I think you do a great job of that on social media, which leads me then to my next question of where can people find you? If they don't already follow you, if they haven't shopped before, let them know social media handles and website.
SPEAKER_00Yes. So my Instagram is hey friends by shape, and then my what not what did I just say? Sorry. Hey friendsby my Instagram is hey friends by shape, and then my website is heyfriendsby.com, so very similar.
SPEAKER_01Perfect. All right. Well, this has been so much fun, Shaefer. Learning about you, learning about your business. And I love a fellow Pennsylvania girly, so thank you so much for being on the podcast. No, I love it. Thank you so much. 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.