Fridays with Flea Style

The Flea Style team sits down to talk shop about their new store and studio opening spring 2018. From their wild ride to retail to tips for people considering brick and mortar, they dish it all!

Tips:

Brick and mortar is all about experiential. You have to offer something that Amazon and online shopping can’t — pop ups, exclusive product — to make it today.

The commercial real estate road is tough. When searching keep an open mind, be flexible and don’t get discouraged if a deal falls through.

It took Flea Style five years to land its dream digs. Be patient with finding your forever home.

Lauren Scruggs Kennedy turned a tragic airplane accident into a pivotal moment that changed her life’s path instantly. After a long recovery, she went on to marry the man of her dreams, write books, start a popular blog, build a charitable foundation and more. We talk with the New York Times best-selling author, blogger and entrepreneur to learn about her life’s inspiring journey and how she’s building a brand and foundation all about inspiration and positivity.

Travis Weaver is living the American Dream. The native Texan sold candles door to door and grew his lifestyle goods business over the past six years to include a brick and mortar store, wholesale label and online shop all about well-made products from the U.S.A. Travis candidly chats about the company’s early days, pushing through failure and the importance of slowly growing a lifestyle brand.

Tips:

Failure and copycats are inevitable. Don’t let them get you down; shake it off and move forward.

Find your business’ sweet spot. The bigger the company, the bigger the problems and headache. Sometimes staying small is best.

Don’t overthink your idea. Try to launch it the best way you know how to get momentum going and figure it out along the way.

Mary Padian is a pint size powerhouse. After a big breakup with her boyfriend, the former Architectural Digest writer followed her heart back to her Texas hometown and opened a vintage decor and junk shop. In 2012 after a TV producer visited the shop, she traded junking for retail for picking storage units for television and has been a fan favorite fixture on Storage Wars’ long running series sever since. From her darkest days to highlight reel, Mary walks us through her crooked career path spit-firing solid advice and hilarious stories along the way.

Tips:

Embrace the bad days with humor and grace. Mary reveals some of her darkest days and how her funny bone got her through it — and eventually to Hollywood.

Be authentic. Yes, the word is overused but it’s true. Mary got the Storage Wars gig because she was 100-percent honest and living her life’s dream and the talent agent recognized it instantly.

Being broke is part of the journey sometimes. Don’t get down if your finances aren’t stellar. The life lessons you learn during those tough times can build the character it takes to make it big one day.

Jon Tutolo is the king of reinvention. The 42-year old has worked in the editorial, styling, retail and advertising worlds and even served as President of Trump Model Management. Learn how the former model agent, shopkeeper and art director took his collective experiences and crooked career path to land his dream job as creative director of One Kings Lane.

Jen Harrison — aka Flea Market Fab — has helped put boho-chic interiors on the map. Her custom decor and interior design businesses and booming Instagram account have helped homes across the globe become dreamy, layered, spaces one shaggy Moroccan rug at a time. We sit down with the style setter to chat flea markets and thrifting to all things business and social media.

We flip the mic on our founder to hear her untold story about her early journalism days, famous ex-boyfriend, running a major interior design company and eventually giving it all up to found Flea Style. From celebrity interviews and traveling the world in her 20s to trusting her gut and giving up a fairytale romance she spills it all and reveals the importance of following your heart and head.

Tips

-Trust your gut. It isn’t always easy to follow but it’s the best advice you’ll ever find if you are open to it.

-Happiness is different for everyone. Don’t get caught up in what happiness should look like. It’s all about what it feels like.

-Reach out to people you want to work for. The worst thing that can happen is they say no. The best thing? They hire you!

Cammy Miller and her best friend Cologne are the brains behind the cult-following fashion brand Show Me Your Mumu. We sit down with the California designer and co-creator to learn about the company’s early days, secrets for cultivating a devoted customer and how they’ve survived and thrived in the cut-throat fashion world since 2009.

Taylor Sterling created the job of her dreams as founder of Glitter Guide, an online lifestyle and media company. But a lay off and a ton of hard work had to come first before she found personal and professional success. We sit down with the working mom to talk about the early days of her website as well as the power of positivity, supporting others and self care.

Use your precious time to propel your company or idea forward and outsource busy work that stunts growth. Copycats are maddening, but don’t let them get you down. Use that fire to stay fresh and in front of the pack. Protect your brand legally the best way you can from trademarking to a having a noncompete or cease and desist letter at the ready.