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23. Lauren Sandland, Co-owner of Promo Originals
97 Plays4 months ago
As co-owner of Promo Originals, LLC, Lauren spent the past six years helping creatives and small businesses elevate their brands through high-quality custom apparel. With a background in fashion, marketing, management, and design/merchandising, she honed the expertise to guide individuals and companies seamlessly through the product development process—from initial concept to the finished product. Her journey as an entrepreneur has been a continuous source of personal and professional growth. As a creative designer with a strong sense of business acumen, her proudest accomplishment has been launching her clothing brand, The Common Theory, which embodies her passion for design and bringing attention to important social issues.
Join us as we discuss:
- Running a business with a spouse
- Impact of a meaningful brand
- Making space in to lead in your business
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to Gritty is the New Pretty, a podcast by Grit City Women. On episode 23 of Gritty is the New Pretty, we're featuring Lauren Sandlin, owner of Promo Originals. Looking for ways to support Grit City Women and keep these podcasts going? Visit our online store at gritcitywomen.com.
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome,
Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
00:00:26
Speaker
Lauren. Hi. I'm so glad you could join us today. How about you go ahead and start off with telling us a little bit about you. um I will say I'm Lauren from Promo Originals. Thank you so much for having me, by the way. um It's an honor to be part of this podcast today and share a little bit about my story with other entrepreneurs. I'm really excited to get into it. Okay. So
Transition to Tacoma and Business Restructuring
00:00:53
Speaker
how did you get started on your entrepreneurial journey?
00:00:57
Speaker
Oh, okay, so taking it way, way back, um trying to remember dates now, it's been it's been a journey for sure. um So I was living in Colorado at the time that Tyler and I got engaged and I was working in higher end apparel at a shop called Intermix and I was doing like visual merchandising and kind of running a shop there. And the time we got engaged, Tyler was had just kind of started doing screen printing in his garage.
00:01:26
Speaker
And we just were talking, doing long distance, and he was like, why don't you come back and let's just leave like our jobs. He was teaching at the time too, and really go for this full time. He was like, you know we both have skills and let's like let's just go for it. um And I've always kind of been a go for it person, which was why I was living in Colorado at the time as well. um So I kind of left my career at that point. I would i think that was by 2016.
00:01:54
Speaker
Um, and Tyler had been doing promo originals for a bit. Uh, and then we restructured everything in 2017, moved back here, moved to Tacoma around that same time. Um, and then just kind of went for it full time. So tell us
Challenges of a Family Business
00:02:09
Speaker
about what it's like having like a family owned business since you and your husband run it. Oh, that's a good question. Um, yeah, I mean, Oh, uh, it,
00:02:23
Speaker
is it's great. I think Tyler and I have a very specific personalities were a lot alike in a lot of ways and I don't I don't think that I could do this with anybody else. I don't think anybody else would do it with me. um But we just kind of mesh and over the years we have really found a way to make it work. Like it's an ongoing effort and growth of figuring out our strengths and our weaknesses, how to communicate, how to show up here and be partners, but then also go home and be husband and wife or be mom and dad. I think transitioning those hats
00:03:05
Speaker
has been the probably the hardest part is just being able to maintain and balance all of those different roles, because it's like if one thing falls on the other. Um, I think my advice, not that to say that this is what we're doing, but I think my advice to anybody that's running a business with a spouse specifically is to just put your relationship first because the foundation is there.
00:03:31
Speaker
And if without that, that's everything else is going to be really hard, right? um And then hiring the the right people to come in to fill the gaps or like it's a buffer, right? Like the to can maybe maybe kind of assist each of us to make up for maybe where we're not able to show up or be our best. um You know, running the business just the two of us for a while,
00:04:00
Speaker
right until we were able to hire I think was probably the hardest point now that we have a team. It's really great because like I feel seen in ways that like maybe I wasn't before because you know, he's a man at the end of the day and we're just different. We just have very different needs. um But I have people here now that like, get what I'm trying to say or maybe able to kind of help facilitate conversations or do the things that maybe like I wasn't getting support from and vice versa for him, right? um So we're fortunate now to have like really amazing people too to fill in the
Roles and Relationship Dynamics in Business
00:04:32
Speaker
gaps. So um yeah, and just communication. I know like that's like this, everyone says that, but I think, you know, we all know that's like everything um and just respect and love and coming from a place of just being able to make sure the other person's seen and heard and just,
00:04:53
Speaker
Like when he comes home and I need to had a long day, it's like me just being able to put my self aside for a moment. So, and give him a little bit of like, of that. Um, that's more relationship stuff, but I think that's really important just in general. Yeah. I think it's valuable, you know, entering a business with a spouse could be.
00:05:14
Speaker
pretty scary. I'm not sure how I would do it with my spouse, but um I'm sure that the that's some good advice for people that are going to be doing it or interested in doing it. And I think it's it's opening up doors for families to create a vision together and an income together to live the life that they want. And I think now with um, you know, technology with social media, there's so many different niches out there that didn't exist before. And, you know, influencers and ways that people are completely changing the trajectory of their life from the normal nine to five to really having like a family type brand or a family business. And so I think that's really cool that you've done that with your family.
00:06:10
Speaker
Yeah, it's definitely been a family affair. I
Family Support and Legacy
00:06:13
Speaker
mean, I would i just need to take a moment to call out like um the support that we've had from art my in-laws, my mom and dad who you know show up to take care of the kids so I can be here today. ah Things like that that maybe be some people don't have, right? And we're just really, really fortunate to have that support. And I hope that one day my kids do look back and are like, not just proud, but like, oh okay, mom and dad did that for so they could be there for us and be present and be ah the freedom. I wish I had more, but you know the freedom to be with them to be able to bring them here on a weekend and be able to
00:06:52
Speaker
to show them how the machines work. My son's so excited about that. Like he thinks it's so cool. Right. Um, and for my daughter to be able to come to photo shoots or to be with us at markets when we do popups, like I hope that one day they're like, that was really cool. Mom, and not like this is the worst. Like, what were you thinking? Um, no, we absolutely do not want to take over the family business. We'll see. They probably won't. Right. I feel like that's what I hear all the time, but, um, yeah, that is a really special piece that I do value a lot.
00:07:22
Speaker
I think that, you know, they will feel when they're older, they'll look back on those memories and say, I remember being at the market, you know, with my mom and we sold shirts and whatever, you know, whatever product it is that you're selling, right? And I think that those are the things that people remember when they get older and start thinking about their past and oh yeah, my family had this business and I would spend the weekends there and you know, I would see the customers and the clients and you do kind of get embedded with your parents work. I mean, I know my dad's work. I would I knew a lot of the people he worked with because he would have barbecues at our house, we would go to
00:08:04
Speaker
the warehouse and see everybody. Sometimes we would help load trucks. Like, you know, I'm like 10 years old, you know, but it was just back then it was a little different. Um, you know, it was a family affair and yeah, I do remember a lot of that. And it kind of also taught me about some work ethic, right? Like I'm little, I'm out there. It doesn't seem fun at the time, but it was an experience that not a lot of kids could get.
00:08:32
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, that that's that's me. I'm glad to hear that you remember that I remember those kinds of things too from when I was growing up, like I my dad was painting like he had a painting business when I was growing up and I would go like tape off the trim and I remember those moments like I don't remember like my toys. I don't remember the trips. I mean, I i think traveling super important and something we we do often to making the time just to be together. But I mean, yeah, just the little things like the little moments of connection.
00:09:00
Speaker
that your parents like share with you. I think that is really a wonderful memory that I hope they do call back.
Collaboration with Influencer Brand
00:09:09
Speaker
I know that when we had talked before, you mentioned that you are starting to work with influencers with your business. Can you tell us more about that and what that's like? Yeah.
00:09:22
Speaker
So it's been really fun. I mean, looking back, it was about a year ago that one of our clients approached us and had this idea of this really beautiful brand. And, ah but also it is an influencer has an online, you know, ah personality, I guess is what we would call it. and So there's two separate things that are an influencer, but they also want to, you know, start a merge line. It's more of a ah brand though, separate from.
00:09:45
Speaker
the the page, I guess. um So anyways, I was like, I love this idea it really hit home for me because it is all about motherhood. And, um you know, as a business woman and as a mom, um you know, a lot of the things that she was saying, really aligned with, you know, me and my life.
00:10:05
Speaker
um So I was just really excited to take it on and it's been it's just been an adventure like the last year just learning like their business exploding and really taking off and watching their success and us trying to you know keep up with that demand and scale our business alongside them um has been for sure an adventure. um We've really spent a lot of time and investing into fulfillment side of things, which we weren't doing a whole lot of in the beginning. Um, before this opportunity came about, we were doing some small, smaller volume type of fulfillment and our own online brands, but nothing of this scale. So we really had to quickly figure out how to accommodate. Um, and you know, like this was a new experience for them and for us. So we were both kind of simultaneously putting trust in one another, like, okay, let's see.
00:10:59
Speaker
how this goes, let's do everything we know how to do to make it work. um So yeah, we've spent a lot of time, I i hired i mean maybe five ah new roles just to be able to support finishing services, ah packing and bagging and tagging, inventory management, i mean new software programs that we were kind of piloting and then we would switch to a new one because that one wasn't maybe working. um So it's just been a learning experience as is any new thing that you try to take on. um So there's been some rough patches, there's been some really great moments too. And I'm just excited to
00:11:43
Speaker
take on more and kind of see where this goes. I think there's a, there's so a lot of opportunity in the online space, all these platforms and people are building just really amazing things. And I love that we're being able to be a part of that. I mean, merch is so fun. It's ah means a lot more to me than I think maybe like some people listening are probably like, yeah, you know, t-shirts. But to me, it's like,
00:12:04
Speaker
this is a self-expression. I have a background in fashion. It's been in my soul since the moment I could walk. like This is just the only thing I've ever wanted to do. um And I think apparel just represents so much more than a piece of apparel, a piece of clothing. like It shows you who you are. It tells the world what you're about. And that's like people's impression of you, your brand, you're just setting a message. If it's the right message, that could be really powerful. So anytime we have the opportunity to work with a brand that's doing something especially so important and talking about things like motherhood or like depression and ADHD, you know, miscarrying like all of the topics that people maybe
00:12:48
Speaker
are like, oh, you know, we're not talking about that because it's awkward or, um, I, I like that stuff. I like to really get in there. Um, and yeah, so it's been, ah it's been really great. I'm excited to see kind of what 2025 has in store. We're making a lot of improvements to our fulfillment and to our flow, um, manufacturing, just everything. And I'm just doing an overhaul and like taking what we learned and making it even better. So yeah.
00:13:17
Speaker
I
Significance of Brand Passion
00:13:18
Speaker
love the statement you made about being passionate about a brand and that it's not just t-shirts, which I think was something I never really I never really realized until I started Liz Rocks and Grit City Women because I know with Liz Rocks, we made t-shirts with the logo. And obviously that was really meaningful to people who knew my friend who had passed away in an avalanche. So I mean, people were buying the shirts left and right at markets online, however they could. and
00:13:53
Speaker
It was meaningful to them. And it wasn't just like a t-shirt, you know, and anytime we had a new version of the t-shirt, people would want the new version for what it represents. And similarly with Grit City Women, I was really surprised when I first had the idea. The first thing I did was created an Instagram page and the title was Grit City Women.
00:14:16
Speaker
because I didn't want anyone to take it. And I was just, even though I wasn't prepared, to yeah that's what you should do because with that handles gone. You're like, I got to put an underscore in that. yeah oh And it just, yeah, and exactly. And I had a hundred followers and I didn't even have one post and I was like, what is going on here? So that's when I really knew that.
00:14:39
Speaker
the name itself meant something to people because they were like, what is this, Grit City Women? And they were already following me. And um I was really surprised about just the energy that went behind it. And when we would go to like the night market and sell apparel, people would come to my booth and say, I came here specifically to get a sweatshirt from you for my daughter or and I was like so flattered by that because obviously there's so many amazing vendors at the market. And I was just in shock about the support from people even that didn't know about Grit City Women but would see the brand and see like gritty is the new pretty and love the slogan. i It was just amazing. And so
00:15:27
Speaker
i I appreciate that you recognize that there's some meaning behind it because I think with your fashion background and your passion for kind of tackling some of these tougher topics that brands might represent or not be scared to share can be really meaningful to them as clients.
00:15:47
Speaker
Yeah, no, exactly. I ah just watching the few accounts and relationships that we built over the last year and seeing the response that they have gotten I think is the most rewarding part of just being able to be a part of that and watching their success. Like I know how that feels and to know that we can help but like facilitate that for others is the reason that I continue to do all the hard stuff that comes along with running a business. um It just is the light, right? It's the light and it's the relationship and the conversations I get to have with them to the whole collaboration between
00:16:27
Speaker
us and them that is really what we're about. Um, and then offering a quality product too, right? Because I think there's a lot of, there's a lot of like fast pace, big box retailers that will kind of slap stuff on shirts. Um, and you know, that does work for some things, but I think, especially if you're trying to build a movement.
00:16:48
Speaker
and you're trying to represent something a little bit more, a little heavier, a little bit that, yeah, I just think that the quality speaks volumes when it comes to your brand. um So yeah, that's that's really what we try to keep in mind and carry through with every project that we put out. Do you help with design at
Design, Production, and Customer Satisfaction
00:17:12
Speaker
all? So if a client comes with their brand and they're thinking they want to start a new t-shirt not not lying but like maybe a new logo or like a new design do you guys help with that? Um we do yeah we do offer a graphic design we've got some people on staff that kind of have a different style that might fit everybody's different you know vibe um try to kind of outsource that as much as possible because I think it's
00:17:41
Speaker
really specific to the style. um So I try not to take on all of it, we kind of try to like, you know, connect our freelance artists with different clients, but I do do it and I like to kind of pick and choose. I love it. I love the design. I think more than just the specific graphics, I really love the whole concept of building a collection, something about picking and choosing, I think for me goes back to like the apparel, like the textile sides of things, ah seeing like color stories combined with the placement and the logo and how this goes with that. And just building the whole collection itself is probably my favorite part. um I just that never gets old for me, like watching that
00:18:30
Speaker
We build that out and then watching it come through the other side and be finished is like, it just is so exciting. I don't think it'll ever wear off for me. Um, so yeah, that's what I really love. And I'm pretty behind with artworks actually as we speak. So not currently trying to take on any more of that. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist. So ill yeah, I'll spin my wheels for for too long. Try to give that away to other parts of my team.
00:18:56
Speaker
but Well, that's good. That means that you care. And yeah I know when I've purchased shirts before, it was so hard to figure out the quality of the shirt, the sizing of the shirts or sweatshirts. Are they going to shrink? Does it feel cheap? Like you just want to touch it and you want to feel it.
00:19:17
Speaker
to make sure it's a quality product and um a lot of wholesalers. I found it was just so hard to to do that. like You can't go touch it. and i would go to the warehouses and try to find it and touch it and look at it. And it was always quite a big process. And I would just wish for somebody like you to be like, okay, here's kind of my logos. Here's what I'm looking for. Can you provide me like three or four options?
00:19:50
Speaker
with you know your sense of design and what you see, because you know what you carry, right? You know what's out there, you know what's selling well, you know what's popular. I don't really know. I just know I have a brand that I want to share with the world. So I'm super excited that you do that. And now I know, so when I want to purchase more shirts, I know who I'm coming to. Yeah, no, absolutely. I yeah think that that's a feedback that we've gotten ah is that People come back to us because of the emphasis we put on the customer experience and then the product itself in offering the expertise that I don't know if other people maybe don't have, or if they don't have the time to like dive into it.
00:20:35
Speaker
or necessarily care, but, um, that's the part that I love to do. And that, you know, as also consumers, like I know that maybe you don't have the capacity or the knowledge to have that all figured out or should you probably have the time you're trying to run a business, right? So it's always really wonderful when someone just says, I trust you, run with it. Um, I love that. And that's, that's amazing. And we do offer samples too.
00:21:00
Speaker
especially now that we're branching out of local business and onto more online stuff where we do have some. some processes in place where we will do a production sample, like a proof of concept. And that goes to the customer before we run it. So they can approve everything for, you know, photography for product photos and all that stuff too, because it is really important as much as we have expertise and opinions about our favorite things. It's like, you know, I want to make sure that you can't touch it and feel it. If maybe you can't come to our showroom.
00:21:31
Speaker
Um, because that's really important when you're investing right into the product and then you get it and you're like, this isn't quite, you know, it's great, but it's not quite what I had in mind. So, um, that is something we do and that we offer to everybody. Great. I love that. I'm excited to to spend some money.
00:21:49
Speaker
but with you guys in the future Okay.
Scaling the Business and Financial Management
00:21:53
Speaker
So you mentioned that you started, or at least Tyler was starting printmaking in his garage, and then you came to Tacoma and now you've sort of moved into this new space. So what has that scaling process been like for you both? And are is there there any tips that you have to offer?
00:22:13
Speaker
Sure, I have a lot of tips for things I would tell you not to do. I've got a lot of tips for things I would tell you to do too. So I can go back and kind of walk through each transition period because there has been a lot of big events that have happened that our are out of our control, which is something that we all will run into over the course of our life, right? I mean, the unexpected happens.
00:22:39
Speaker
And I think the the best companies that are the most successful are able to forecast unexpected market trends um or pandemics or like virus. that yeah um So at the time when we were faced with the decision whether or not to, I don't know what we were going to fold or what we were going to do when the pandemic hit, um we kind of scaled back and we took a pause and we,
00:23:08
Speaker
We pivoted and we spent a lot of time. um We actually live with my parents like in their lower level of their house while we tried to just kind of re. Get re-inspired with how we're moving forward, which I think is something that's really important to do that not everybody has a luxury of doing, but if you can, or if you can find the space to just get clear.
00:23:29
Speaker
on what you want and go through and ask yourself the hard the hard questions of like, when I make this next step, what are the consequences of my decision? um And just weigh the options, right? Make some, have some financial questions, right? And just spend some time considering because ah there's a lot to consider. Stakes are high. And I think, yeah, my advice would be to probably spend a little bit more time having those conversations with yourself or with your partner um before diving into quickly. um That being said, I think I've always led by intuition and by taking risks because you have to take risks. You have to go all in and if you believe in what you're doing, um you can't tip dip your toes, right? You can't dip your toes forever at least because
00:24:24
Speaker
It's just not going to it's not going to go where you want it to go. if you If you stay safe for too long, you have to accept that it's going to be uncomfortable, and it's going to be scary, and that you're probably going to fail. But if you want it bad enough, and if you're working hard enough, and you show up even after the hard days and keep pushing, you're going to be successful with it um eventually. And that there's probably going to be some there's going to probably be some um I don't know what is what's the word I'm looking for, like little off paths, where you maybe have to go like through roundabout and then get back on. your me tour Thank you. That's the perfect word detours. um detours are inevitable. And yes, just getting back on course from those detours and not letting them beat you in into the ground or take away the light of why you started. Yeah. ah
00:25:21
Speaker
that's very like spiritual and very like, lulu I know that's not necessarily like hard um suggestions scaling from a more business standpoint, ah more cut and dry, I would say the most important thing when your business starts to take off, and you're like, Whoa, I maxed out is an accountant, someone to manage.
00:25:43
Speaker
your
Advice on Scaling and Team Building
00:25:44
Speaker
finances and someone to manage your operations. um You can be super creative all day ah and you can have a really awesome personality but money and systems is the backbone to any successful business if you're going to scale it beyond a hobby. um And I think we've, we've got what that takes in that arena finally, but there's definitely been a lot of years where we were like, we can do this all ourselves and it's going to be fine. And you quickly learned that it's not. And that as much as you want to be in all, uh, parts of your business, it's just, it's not sustainable and you're not perfect and you you can't do it all. So letting it go, trusting, hiring the right people, um, and
00:26:32
Speaker
I think when I say the right people, I think it's more about integrity and, uh, the soft skills and it is about the hard skills, like finding someone that wants to build a dream with you and that believes in your brand. Um, that's not going to also walk away when it gets hard, right? Because that core team especially is so important and, um, it shouldn't just be a job to them. You can teach them how to do their job, right? But you can't teach them. to believe in your business. You can't teach them to show up. um You can't teach them to care about the business. you know I think that um that that's the most important thing when it comes to finding the right people, which is one of the very, very first pillars. Yeah, I agree with that. Definitely.
00:27:23
Speaker
And as a leader, I mean, owning a business, you are a leader in your business. It's important that you have space to be the leader and to make sure that your work is aligning with your vision. Kind of like you said, back to the light of why you started doing what you're doing and ensuring that your team is continuously aligning with the vision. And it's it's hard.
00:27:51
Speaker
to let that go sometimes because you're like, this is my baby. I don't want anybody else in my stuff or maybe I'm not sure I can like financially support hiring somebody for that. But if you make that sacrifice, you can actually open up more windows of opportunity for you to do what you do best, which is to continue to push your brand forward or your business forward and expand and grow. So I think that that's super solid advice. I definitely recommend that. And I wish I had someone to go through my finances and do all of that for me all the time. um But i I really appreciate that perspective. And also the other thing that you mentioned was, you know, you can't teach people to care and but you can develop them, you know, and if somebody cares about your brand,
00:28:44
Speaker
Or even if they like working for you as a leader, people leave bad managers, not bad jobs, right? Like, so if you're, you know, killing it at being a leader and people are like, yeah, I want to work for Lauren. She treats me with respect. She gives me opportunities to develop, you know, and, and, you know, they're going to stick around with you.
00:29:08
Speaker
until, you know, they may have a life change or whatever happens. Obviously everybody kind of moves on at some point, but they're going to give it their fast and they're going to be the best employee that you can have. And so it's important to invest that time in yourself and give you space to be the leader that your team needs. Yeah. 100%. That's a really,
Encouragement for Women Entrepreneurs
00:29:29
Speaker
that's a really great thought. I i agree. 100%. I think, um,
00:29:35
Speaker
Yeah. And just being honest to with in the developing thing, I love that you said that because I think that's true. We all want to feel stimulated and like we're part of something more important than just showing up and doing a job. So. we have some check-ins pretty regularly with our staff. And we work really closely together. It's not like we're all remote or anything. So, you know, we're like a family as it is, but we do do check-ins where we just get really raw and we're like, how's this feeling? Or like, are you ready for more? Are you ready for less? Yeah, I think the reason I'm gonna speak for my team, I think the reason people are here with us and why we have such an amazing core team at this point is because
00:30:20
Speaker
they, because we are so passionate about what we do and that it feels good. It feels good when people are passionate and you. can feel that energy. It's like, you know, people, we all want to be part of that. I think that's why people are buying the merch that we're making for these brands. And because it's, it's bigger than a t-shirt, right? Um, I do always have this saying though, where I'm like, it's just guys. It's just, it really out of control. We're like really behind on a project. I'm like, everybody, the mantra we remember, it's just t-shirts. Like we don't have a body on operating table right now. So it's going to be fine.
00:30:58
Speaker
Um, although in the production on a production floor, it does feel like a see room sometimes. Um, but yeah, I, I love being a leader and I love working with people too. I'm just, I am the people side of this business. So for me that that's what I really enjoy being here too.
00:31:24
Speaker
What is your biggest piece of advice for Grit City women? Grit City women. There's so many incredible women in the city already. I don't even feel like I have to tell them what what to do. um I felt so empowered and so lifted up by this community from the moment we moved here. um It's truly special.
00:31:53
Speaker
compared to other places that I've been. Um, but my advice would to be do it with the fear. If you're thinking about jumping in, do it, do it. And, you know, we calculated with understand the risks involved with starting a business, but we need more women entrepreneurs. And, um, I will always champion that and,
00:32:19
Speaker
Support each other. I think, you know, we all walk around, we say that, but really like, let's, let's start to continue really support each other and empower and lift each other up, you know, instead of the teardown. Um, cause that's, that is still such a thing. And we're going into yet another time where, uh, we're feeling that more so than ever again. Um, yeah. So just putting the competition aside and lifting each other up, we can all win.
00:32:47
Speaker
together, it doesn't have to be one or the other. um And yeah, just risk it, risk it and do it, but you're not going to regret it. Once you get started, and nothing else is going to matter. You're going to look back and be like, damn it. Why didn't I do that 10 years ago? You know, and women are bad ass. We do like the hardest jobs every day. Like we get up and take care of kids. Like we take care of our adult husband, kids, like so many things. um And.
00:33:16
Speaker
we can do, we can run businesses, we can be founders, we can be CEOs and we can stay in the same room as a bunch of men and, you know, demand the same kind of respect. So do it and do it even though it's scary and support each other along the way. Great. Thank you so much. Well, I appreciate you joining us today and sharing your story and giving us some wonderful insight. Yes. Thank you so much for having me. it was a really great time. I appreciate you.