No matter the brilliance of your offerings, hitting your brand stride takes time. For Alex Gagné of Chez Gagné, reaching her 10th anniversary is the ultimate validation — but that doesn't mean this fantastic founder is slowing down anytime soon.

This LA house of design debuted a decade back with just letterpress cards, but has since evolved into a thriving indie lifestyle brand. Every last SKU, from Hand Job Hand Lotion to I Hate Everyone Rocks Glasses, unites beneath the Chez Gagné maxim, "If you can't make it nice, make it funny."

Alex shares how she painstakingly built her house of cards, sample by sample, carefully choosing and slowly sourcing every last product expansion, from shower steamers to matches. But at the core of every sleek offering beneath the broad Chez Gagné umbrella is Alex' own story.

From dating to childbirth to buying a house to divorce, all her life milestones (as well as those still to come) have been transparently translated into her product offerings. It's all in the name of connection, comfort and camaraderie — so by all means, don't miss my special sit-down with this stationery siren!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices