This week on our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re getting to know Genevieve Monroe , who runs handbag brand JACKSON AND HYDE with her husband Ryan in Santa Barbara, California. Welcome, Genevieve!
LBC: What inspired you to take your leap as an entrepreneur?
Genevieve: My husband (and business partner) Ryan and I watch Shark Tank, The Profit, and Flip or Flop religiously. We always knew we wanted to be entrepreneurs, but we were not sure what our product or service would be. We love to travel and we both speak Spanish…pretty well. We traveled to Central America on our honeymoon for the people, the culture and the short travel time from LAX (Ryan was a logistics officer in the Navy). On the last day of our honeymoon we went to a local’s market in search of a hammock and coffee. Being a girl on her honeymoon, I wanted to find a keepsake that would remind me of our special trip and time in our life. When I found some breathtaking cowhide clutches, I had to have them – in fact, a couple for myself, and one for each of my bridesmaids as a thank you gift.
Once we returned home, I took my clutches everywhere because I loved them! I was flooded with non-stop compliments, and we shortly realized that we had a business opportunity in front of us. We were excited because it was something that we were passionate about, and brought us back to a special time and place in our lives.
While working our full-time jobs, we worked with a designer, a CPA, and a photographer to get JACKSON AND HYDE up and running. We also worked with the makers in Central America to design our “Signature Clutch.” We launched our website with 150 Signature Clutches in December 2014. By April 2015 we had designed four more products and we decided the business couldn’t grow without my full attention, so I resigned from ad sales at Pandora Radio and took the leap…and couldn’t be happier! It’s now March 2016 and Ryan has also left his corporate job. We feel that the sky is the limit.
LBC: When you first got started, how did you envision your business would be defined?
Genevieve: When we first started, we envisioned our business would be defined by its simplicity. Our designs are functional and the clean lines feel elegant. Our pieces are unique by nature, and each is a one of a kind. The natural coloring of the cowhide brings personality to our pieces, and it has been a lot of fun to see how different pieces speak to different people.
LBC: How would you describe what you create?
Genevieve: We create functional everyday pieces that have a personality all their own. Our handbags and clutches can be your everyday “go-to” bag or that show-stopping statement piece you save for the special occasion (we say T-shirt-and-jeans or wedding dress appropriate). With each and every piece completely individual, our customer has the opportunity to choose a piece completely unique to her or him.
LBC: Where can we find your products?
Genevieve: You can find our products on our website at jacksonhyde.com or at one of our local retail boutique partners. We will also be on Anthropologie.com later this year.
LBC: Walk us through your typical work day.
Genevieve: We try to stick to Monday through Friday 8am-5pm, but we’re both early birds. We do our best (computer) work from 6am-11am. We eat lunch, and then in the afternoon we prefer to do more physical work like organizing inventory, photo shoots, packing for events, etc. We usually do some work on the weekends too, but we don’t feel like JACKSON AND HYDE is work. It’s exciting! We want to do it. We understand it takes a lot of hard work to be successful, and we’re not scared!
LBC: What are 3 things makers should think through when they initially decide to start a business?
Genevieve: 1. Per Shark Tank: Are you filling a need?
2. Be sure to filter the advice you receive and keep your dream alive. People project their thoughts and fears. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. If you believe you have something special, give it a shot, but do your homework first.
3. Don’t be afraid of the big brands. Just because there are other handbag brands out there, we were not deterred. We didn’t invent a new product or service, but we put our spin on it, and our customers love the uniqueness of it.
LBC: When you’re overwhelmed, what brings you back to focus?
Genevieve: When I’m overwhelmed, it usually has to do with feeling like I’m not accomplishing tasks or moving forward. To bring back focus, it helps me to have clear, prioritized goals. I also have to hit the reset button every now and then. That could be something as simple as leaving my office and sitting on our patio, working out, reading, or calling a friend on the phone. Anything that removes me from my tunnel vision helps me regain perspective and focus.
LBC: Tell us about a few of the best business decisions you’ve made to date.
Genevieve: 1. We decided to build our website on Shopify’s platform. Now that we’re a year and a half in, we couldn’t be happier with that choice.
2. Be fearless. We always do our homework before jumping into something, but we have not been afraid to try things that are out of the box (rodeos, sportsmen’s shows, wine tasting rooms, etc.) Everything we’ve ever done has led us to something positive, so we just keep going for it!
LBC: Please share an obstacle from your business experience. How did you bounce back/overcome it?
Genevieve: The easiest way for me to answer this is to say that we try to find the positive in everything. Even events that have been duds in terms of on-site sales have led us to meet other interesting and inspiring vendors. We just see so much opportunity out there in the world, we can’t help but stay positive!
LBC: What are 3 essential resources in your business toolbox that you can’t do without?
Genevieve: 1. Shopify – Our website is run on Shopify’s platform. We’re so pleased with the functionality, reporting and the POS at on-site events.
2. Google Apps – Google Calendar, Google Drive, etc… we’re in it all day!
3. Instagram – we have yet to find a platform with better organic exposure. We are able to express our brand, display our pieces and connect with current and prospective customers on 1:1 basis in such a casual and personal enviroment. We owe a lot of our expsure and growth to Instagram.
LBC: Suppose we had a time machine. If you blasted yourselves forward a few years, where would we see your company?
Genevieve: In the future, we hope that customers feel empowered to be themselves more than ever. We hope that our one of a kind pieces help to adjust fashion so that it is more about the individual expression and less about mass production and short term trends.
LBC: What’s one thing you would eat, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life?
Genevieve: If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be taco meat. We put it on everything. Taco meat nachos, taco meat on baked potatoes, taco meat salad, taco meat on mac and cheese…
LBC: Your musical playlist is full of…
Genevieve: My top three go-to stations on Pandora are Yacht Rock, Astrud Gilberto, and Arrested Development.
LBC: If you were given a million dollars, but were not allowed to keep a single penny for yourself, friends or family, how would you spend it or give it away?
Genevieve: If we were given a million dollars, we would allocate it to entrepreneurs to help dreams come true, and give life to ideas that could change the world!
Thank you, Genevieve, for sharing your talent with us! We absolutely love what you’re doing and we look forward to all the wonderful things ahead for JACKSON AND HYDE. 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!
They have great product photography! Love the story behind those bags.