Blog

I first met Shana Kent of the amazing Survive Design last year when we shared a booth together at the Renegade show here in LA. The show put us together as we both wanted a booth mate. This can be really great or a disaster. Luckily for me Shana is really easy going and a great person to spend all weekend with in a 10' x 10' square of space! We decided to share booths again most recently at the SF Renegade show, and it was there we got to talking more about her eco handbag line and  how she got started. We also decided to start selling her line of organic , fair trade and super cute canvas bags on our 11:11 enterprises Amazon Store. Check them out! They sell like hot cakes at these shows- people were lining up to buy them and stores were asking for her catalog left and right. I hope you enjoy hearing her story as much as I did. She is a true inspiration and someone who actually puts her money and time where her heart and mouth is.

When did you first think of starting your company Survive Design?
About 5 years ago. Working in the fashion industry designing handbags and accessories for over 10 years I have seen a lot of disposable fashion made in often very toxic ways.
I wanted to find a way to combine my love for graphic design, and the environment with a product that was functional, well-made, worked within fair trade and labor standards or higher, and was unique and fun.  It took a few years to establish the business and develop the needed techniques for the product, but I have been up and running for 2 years now.

Did you go to school to learn handbag design- and if not how did you learn?
I did not.  I have a graphic design and illustration degree, and focused a great deal on metal-smithing as well. I went to a university, not an art school, and feel it gave me a much more well rounded experience.  I started off designing packaging and displays for jewelry,  then moved into full time jewelry design, and before I knew it was doing home decor items, handbags, belts, and other accessories.  I learned on the job by trial and error, and by always being willing to take the risk of failure and volunteering to take on something new.  I believe that good design comes from pairing creativity and good technique  with a good sense of color and form as well as an awareness of function.  This translates into any form of design.

Tell us a bit about the challenges you overcame in creating a bag line that is both ecologically responsible and affordable.
First was finding Organic cotton that could be certified and is truly grown without chemicals, and farmed in an eco friendly way.  I was lucky enough to have some friends in India, which supplies a great deal of the organic cotton to the industry.

Second was finding a way to dye and print the fabrics in a non-toxic way with proper waste disposal, while still making sure the bags would be washable.  In order to do this I partnered with my friends in India and set up a facility there that could meet all certification as well as provide jobs and good working conditions.

Third was cost.  There were not a lot of farms growing organic cotton in the US at the time, and those that did were very expensive.  When I started Survive Design organic was just starting to be talked about for  mass production and most organic or eco friendly products were very expensive.  It was important to me to make an affordable product.  The company was established under the idea that if we are going to make a difference we need to be accessible to all people, not just the wealthy.  This was a big part in the final decision to partner with India for the fabric development.

What are your plans for growing your company, what's next for Survive Design?
I will continue to grow the handbag product line and would eventually like to grow the company into a lifestyle brand, making eco friendly clothing and home decor and gift products.

I hope to be opening a store front within the next year to showcase both Survive Design product as well as other artists products that are eco friendly and handmade.

Do you have any advice for aspiring handbag designers? Things you would do different if you knew then what you know now?

I think that mostly you just have to be willing to take a risk and try. Often the greatest knowledge comes from a mistake.You must be flexible and able to modify you plans whether simply in the design of your product, or in you business plan.  Don't be afraid to experiment and make adjustmetns. With today's pace of information and ever changing economy your business plan must be fluid.

For those in school or just starting out as an artist and or business owner,
1- TAKE SOME BUSINESS CLASSES!
The business side of things, marketing yourself and your product, managing your money, being organized with inventory and billing are what will make or break your business, and if you are like me and most artist friends of mine, this is not your favorite part and requires a very different set of skills.
2- KNOW WHEN TO LET GO.
It is hard to let go of any part of your art or business because it is so much a part of you, but the best thing you can do for yourself, your business, and your art is to know what your skills are and are not, and not be afraid to look for help.

For me that meant, even when money is tight and I was starting out, finding an accountant I could trust.  It meant creating a team I could trust to do the printing and dying, as I could not do this in an eco friendly way out of my home. or studio. And now as the business grows, it means finding sales reps and realizing I just cannot be everywhere at one time. ]]>
Continue Reading ›

For a while now I've wanted to do an interview series of  our favorite and most inspiring artists and business people. I am so pleased to launch it with an interview I did with a most inspiring woman and sales rockstar , Meryl Hooker. I was first introduced to Meryl last year by way of my (super awesome) SF Bay area rep Ginger McCleskey. She told me about Meryl's blog Road Rage and said she was the coolest and that I should really check her out. Meryl is an east coast based sales rep for a lot of really fun brands such as Blue Q , Accoutrements and Anne Taintor, to name a few!  She is also really friendly, totally down to earth and really really generous and helpful. I had the surprise pleasure of hearing her give the keynote speech a few weeks ago at a very helpful event my new ( also awesome!) rep Lynn Mitchell put together at the LA Mart . Meryl's talk really got me thinking as she implored us to get off our asses and make the best of this time and this market- a message that I think everyone needs to hear! Our economy is a perfect opportunity to create something better, and it can start with gifts , and with you and me.

You're one of the most prominent and well-known sales reps in the country.  Did you always want to be a sales rockstar and what does it take to keep that up?

I wish I’d started out with such a goal or any goal, really. I just didn’t want to get a real job!   I worked as a rep for nearly six years before I got serious about it.  Once I realized I was really good at selling and that I could make a great living doing it, I started looking at ways to improve.  I studied a couple of sales gurus and productivity experts who really helped me fine-tune, not only my sales methods, but also the ways I worked.

It’s a never-ending process of improvement too.  I didn’t get good in a day. I have to keep practicing every day to keep my skills up and get better.

Alot of people are saying, "the business has changed."  In the time you've been in the business, how would you say it has changed?

First and foremost, the Internet has changed everything.  The product category that I got started in has migrated from a brick and mortar setting to being almost entirely online.  Retail buyers are smarter and savvier then ever.  They have access to information 24/7 and are less dependent on sales reps.  Retailers also have higher expectations of response time from reps and they’re expecting reps to have the answers to their questions now.  In that respect, repping is becoming more and more service-based instead of order taking based.  It will be interesting to see how many manufacturers continue to use reps as the Internet begins to chomp down on face-to-face interaction in favor of the immediate gratification and convenience of online ordering.

Recognizing a good sales rep and then knowing who to sign on with is like spotting The Loch Ness Monster to most new designers/entrepreneurs -- mysterious and rare.
From the sales rep perspective give us some insight on what makes a new line seem appealing to you and how do you judge if it's going to be a good bet for you as a sales rep?

First, I have to like it.  Second, it has to be funny.  I’m not classy, tasteful, sophisticated or high end and I don’t rep those types of products.  Then, I have a 10-account rule.  I have to be able to identify 10 active customers I could sell it to.  If I can’t, it’s not going to be a good fit for my customer base.  I’ve passed on some terrific lines that didn’t fit within my niche market. It doesn’t mean the lines aren’t good, it only means I wouldn’t be a good rep for them.

What do you think the greeting and gift market is going to look like in 5 years?

Wow.  If I had that answer, I’d be able to make a billion dollars selling it!  But here’s how I see the state of the union today.  The industry is approaching a pivotal crossroads.  The Internet isn’t going anywhere and it’s only going to get bigger.  The US Postal Service is in all kinds of trouble and most people under the age of 30 only sending greetings via Facebook and iPhone apps so the future of the industry is definitely up for grabs.

At the very least, I believe as long as people get married and die, there will always be a paper industry.  Brides still want fancy wedding invitations and even in a practically etiquette-less world, you really can’t convey sympathy via email.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be successful in sales?

Oh, this is my favorite question!  First off, you’ve got to believe in what you’re selling and you’ve got to honestly believe your customers are better off from working with you.  Then, you’ve got to prove it. If you don’t, it won’t take long before your veil will become transparent.  One of my sales heroes told me early on that you’ve got to be friends with your customers.  People want to do business with their friends so dig in for the long haul.  The days of closing the deal and moving on are gone.  This gig is all about relationships so start getting friendly.  Make more friends and serve your customer’s needs first.  Take care of them, and you can bet they’ll take care of you.

Meryl Hooker is a manufacturers representative, writer, speaker, and all around sales rockstar. She is the writer of “Road Rage”, a blog about repping and selling and co-author of  Pushing The Envelope: The Small Greeting Card Manufacturer’s Guide to Working with Sales Reps (Center Aisle Press, May 2010). She lives in Washington, DC and can be reached via www.merylhookersales.com]]>
Continue Reading ›