Meet the Maker – Sally Peek of Nana by Sally

Chloe Tate

This week in our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re chatting with Sally, the incredibly talented, entrepreneurial designer behind Nana by Sally!

 

Meet the Maker - Nana by Sally

 

LBC: What inspired you to take your leap as an entrepreneur?

Sally: Demand. I made a few bags and people liked them. Otherwise, I would not have taken the leap! I am much better at taking risks now but it really took the customer demand for my product to get me going.

 

LBC: When you first got started, how did you envision your business would be defined?

Sally: When I first got started, I had no vision of the future direction of Nana. I still try to work within small steps and truly take each day as it comes.

 

LBC: How would you describe what you create?

Sally: Eclectic, timeless, classic.

 

LBC: Where can we find your products?

Sally: In my Etsy shop (nanabysally); by appointment at my home studio in Forest Acres, SC; and most Saturdays at Soda City Market on Main Street in Cola, SC.

 

Meet the Maker - Nana by Sally

 

LBC: Walk us through your typical work day.

Sally: Each day is different. Some days all I do is cut fabric. Other days, I sit at the machine from morning until afternoon sewing. I spend nights thinking of new patterns and drafting them out. It’s not unusual for me to spend an entire week perfecting a new pattern. I create a daily goal for myself while I’m having my morning coffee and try my best to stick with it.

 

 

LBC: What are 3 things makers should think through when they initially decide to start a business?

Sally: (1) Initial start-up costs. Do they have enough to get their idea moving or are they willing to take it slow and not have to front a lot of cost from the beginning? (2) Are they willing to devote nearly all of their time to starting a new venture? I feel like giving the utmost time and energy is the only way to start your own business. (3) Make sure your heart is in your new venture. If it’s not, find another path.

 

LBC: When you’re overwhelmed, what brings you back to focus?

Sally: Spending time with my husband and kids. Always. That family time always puts things into perspective.

 

Meet the Maker - Nana by Sally

 

LBC: Tell us about a few of the best business decisions you’ve made to date.

Sally: Growing slow has worked well for me. It’s felt natural to me and has resulted in a business that grows more and more every year. Choosing to focus on my local customer base as opposed to wholesaling and shipping all over the place; to me, that’s been the most successful part of the growth of my business and the biggest “Aha moment.” We have to think about how we define value and to me, right now, that face-to-face interaction with my customers holds a great deal of value.

 

LBC: Please share one mistake or obstacle from your business experience. How did you bounce back/overcome it?

Sally: I had this idea that I would make men’s neckties and add them to my line of accessories. I poured over research on how to make them the right way. Spent hours upon hours trying to source the right lining for them. Spent months trying to perfect a pattern and construct them the right way. I finally got it right (after over a year) and immediately lost my passion for creating them. I realized that my need to overcome the challenge of creating the tie had taken over the logic for actually trying to sell them and market them the right way. (I do still make bow ties because they are worlds simpler to make.) Lesson learned? Don’t over-diversify just because you can.

 

LBC: Is there a cause or organization that you contribute to that you’re particularly passionate about?

Sally: I donate lots of bags every year to a bunch of organizations. The ones I am the most passionate about involve helping children.

 

Meet the Maker - Nana by Sally

 

LBC: What are 3 essential resources in your business toolbox that you can’t do without?

Sally: What I couldn’t live without in my studio: scissors, a hammer and my sewing machine.

 

LBC: Suppose we had a time machine. If you blasted ourselves forward a few years, where would we see your company?

Sally: I try not to look too far into the future. It really freaks me out and causes me to lose focus on today. I hope my business will still be around and working for me the way it does right now. I’m content.

 

Meet the Maker - Nana by Sally

 

LBC: What’s one thing you would eat, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life?

Sally: Ice cream!

 

LBC: Your musical playlist is full of…

Sally: Today? Peter Gabriel, Shovels and Rope, Steely Dan.

 

LBC: If you could hire someone to do just one thing that you sort of loathe doing, what would it be?

Sally: Draft patterns.

 

Thank you, Sally, for sharing your talent with us (and a few of your beautiful bag designs)!  We absolutely love your line and we look forward to all the wonderful things ahead for Nana by Sally! We’re cheering you on…

 

Want to see your brand featured in our continuing “Meet the Maker” series? Drop us a line: hello AT luckybreakconsulting.com. Please use “MEET THE MAKER” as the subject line and be certain to include your web address. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

About the Author

Chloe Tate

Once described as “relentlessly cheerful,” Chloe is a lover of all things colorful and practically every fruit known to man. She lives in Atlanta and divides her time between supporting Lucky Break clients, keeping shop at a local artisan market, and event planning for business conferences. She’s also working on the launch of her skincare line while finishing her degree in Organizational & Leadership Studies. True story: Chloe shares 50% of Lela’s DNA and is poised to inherit her obscenely large shoe collection.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *