Gamechangers: A Mastermind For Creative Entrepreneurs

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Maggie Winter, Jac Cameron & Max Bonbrest, the co-founders behind AYR. Spelled AYR, it stands for All Year Round and that truly is what they're achieving with their timeless & seasonless apparel offerings. Vogue has called their jeans "a gift from the denim gods" and Vogue does not lie. AYR was started under the very popular Bonobos brand and spun off into its own standalone company. The three founders chat about how their backgrounds in fashion design, merchandising and public relations perfectly poised them to succeed in the fashion world from day one. They talk about the importance of knowing your target customer, testing before investing, raising millions of dollars in capital, and why to define your brand voice. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: s

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Caroline Hurley, creative director behind Caroline Z. Hurley, a home textiles company that is bringing Made in America to a whole new level. Caroline chats about her experience creating an entire artisan-led factory solely dedicated to her brand's production, how she uses creative problem solving at every turn & the importance of creating systems to scale your business. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Julia Kostreva, artist, designer and art director behind her eponymous multidisciplinary studio. Julia works with iconic brands to hone their brand strategies and has worked on product collaborations with some heavy hitters including Anthropologie, West Elm, Urban Outfitters and CB2. Julia talks about the logistics of running a studio, including managing financials, drawing up contracts, and negotiating pricing, when and why you should invest in yourself, & how she lives by the "say yes" mentality. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Suann Song, founder & creative director behind Appointed, the stationary company bringing you insanely gorgeous everyday, elevated paper goods. Or put another way, "Beautiful Tools to Inspire Beautiful Work." With 60 product lines stocked in over 350 retailers across the country, Appointed has seen some serious growth since its launch three years ago. Suann talks about writing a business plan, how she funded the launch through a successful Kickstarter campaign of over 700 investors, how she showed proof of concept at the onset, and how she designed the business to be scalable from day one. Enjoy!   Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Grace Bonney. Perhaps best known for her incredibly popular blog, Design*Sponge, which attracts over 2 million readers per month, Grace has spent the past few years on passion projects. From writing books, to relaunching her podcast, to publishing a new magazine, Grace is doing it all. All the while, staying true to one of her core missions: championing inclusivity and promoting diversity in design and business. Grace chats about her interest in highlighting the people behind the objects and behind the brands, the importance of a good support system & her favorite thing about being her own boss. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Jeanne Chan and Gloria Wong Tritasavit, co-founders of Harlow & Grey, the lifestyle brand behind some of the most gorgeous modern party supplies & decor on the market today. Jeanne & Gloria talk about the importance of finding a mentor, their experience in finding the right production partners, how they’ve grown their product categories, the importance of the styled shoot for selling products & how they bring high style and good design to market at an affordable price. They also share some really great tips for how to successfully unplug and achieve the perfect work/life balance. Enjoy!   Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Joy Cho, founder and creative director of Oh Joy. Joy started her blog back in 2005 and since then has evolved into one of the top lifestyle brands and creative studios around. Joy talks about how she monetizes her blog, the difference between creating product lines in house vs. licensing patterns to other companies, her incredibly successful collaboration with Target & her experience writing & publishing three books. She shares some big insights about how to be a good boss as well as her very cool way for finding the right contact to pitch an idea to. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers  

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Megan Gonzalez, the creative director of MaeMae. Megan is a true jack of all trades, helping brands with marketing and branding by providing photo direction, styling and design services. Megan talks about how she started her company while still in college, how she evolved from wedding stationary to graphic design to creative direction, and how she maximizes content creation within a single photo shoot. Megan shares a ton of great insights including the importance of planning and prepping ahead of a shoot and several must-dos when it comes to styling. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Melissa Horvath, owner & designer of Sweet Water Decor, the brand behind the super fun and motivational coffee mugs, travel mugs, & planners that you're seeing all over social media and in your favorite local shop. Sweet Water Decor is now sold in over 500 stores as well as on Amazon and business is booming. Melissa chats about how she's evolved her business from producing all products in her basement, to outsourcing to domestic workshops and overseas factories. She shares some incredible insights and tips about how to streamline your wholesale business, from how to integrate a wholesale website within your existing platform, to where she's creating her wholesale catalogs. She talks about her marketing strategy as it includes brand ambassadors, bloggers, affiliates & more and how she handles inventory & fulfillment. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Gr

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Karen Young, founder of Oui Shave, the company bringing you the first safety razor made for women, by women. Loved by Vogue, Refinery29, Bustle & more, Oui Shave is making waves in the shaving industry. Karen talks about how she tested her concept for over two years, proving that the market was ready for this product before diving in headfirst. She shares her decision to keep the company direct to consumer, how she attracted initial customers and press outlets to her site on day one, her killer social media strategy and the biggest financial investment she’s made so far. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers  

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Christina Bryant, founder & CEO of St. Frank, a premium home decor brand adored by Vogue, Architectural Digest and Oprah herself. Their products are ethically sourced and made by artisans in over 2 dozen countries. Christina talks about raising funding and outside capital, growing her product line from a single collection, the importance of trial & error and testing & iterating when building your company and she even shares her brand's high level marketing strategy and where she's putting their marketing dollars. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Jen Pinkston, digital content creator behind The Effortless Chic, the lifestyle site covering fashion, interiors, motherhood and more. Jen has some epic work experience, working with big time celebs including Kristen Wiig, Chris Pratt & Chrissy Teigen on runway looks, styling full-time for the Ellen DeGeneres show, and freelancing for brands like the Gap, Ritz Carlton and Levi’s on print advertising campaigns. Jen talks about how her work history informed and influenced the launch of her site and her own business, how she works with a talent agent to manage sponsored content and increase revenue and how choosing to stay small has positively impacted her quality of life. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Nisha Blackwell, founder & CEO of Knotzland, the artisan bowtie company that’s been making waves and making headlines across the country. Nisha talks about her experience in a startup accelerator that was primarily focused on the tech market, how she raised seed funding, learned how to put together a pitch deck and apply for grants. She talks about what it was like to be invited to the very exclusive Facebook Small Business Council, how it felt to be approached by Google to have them produce a Knotzland brand video for the front page of YouTube, and the importance of growing her company intentionally and ethically. Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Brit Kleinman, founder and designer behind AVO, the incredible home decor brand creating hand dyed leather pieces for interiors. AVO creates bold and iconic rugs, pillows and wall tiles: each piece is hand dyed in their Brooklyn studio, often made to order & customized for the individual project. Brit talks about how her extensive work history taught her to design into manufacturing, how to start and grow a business and exposed her to the incredible qualities and history that leather has to offer. She talks about the importance of harnessing the confidence to create your own path, the power of innovating and experimenting and how she prefers to learn all the rules...right before she breaks them. Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Erin Szymanski of Luna Boutique about all the ways she’s redefining what it means to get dressed up. Her store is not just a destination for the newly engaged looking to find fashion-forward and unique dress options from small, independent designers, but for all women in search of that next great dress for whatever event may arise. Erin talks about ways to utilize social media as an organic marketing channel, the ins & outs of being owning a brick & mortar shop, and how it’s her mission to help all women tap into their individual beauty. Talk about inspiring! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Stephanie Housley, owner and founder of Coral & Tusk, the home goods & accessories brand specializing in gorgeous embroidered products including very popular pillows, table linens, greeting cards, a made-to-order fashion collection and a fabric-by-the-yard category. Stephanie talks about how hard work, insane determination and some pretty key turns of events led her to create the brand she has today. From keeping her day job for 5 years before going full-time, creating a dedicated production team in India, showing at both wholesale shows and design shows, Stephanie has done it all and lucky for us, she’s sharing! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Molly Andrews Burke the founder and owner of Chairloom, an antique and vintage reupholstery design business that is changing the way people work with furniture. Molly talks about how she started the business showing at local trunk shows and quickly evolved to be the darling of the Brooklyn Flea, getting press and accolades from huge hitters including House Beautiful, New York Magazine and Design*Sponge. Today her very cool business model involves primarily working with subcontractors instead of investing in a huge in house team, often serving as both designer & upholsterer for her many clients and always recognizing the importance of building strong and genuine relationships. Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Wendy Downs, the woman behind the accessory brand Moop. Designed and fully manufactured, from start to finish, in their downtown Pittsburgh studio, Moop bags are handmade from waxed canvas and leather and are the epitome of small batch manufacturing done right. Wendy talks about how she evolved her brand from a small Etsy shop where she made one bag at a time, to the powerhouse company it is today, by creating and implementing systems without sacrificing an ounce of the attention to detail and gorgeous quality that her customers are used to. She talks about her business model, her marketing strategies and how she practices “conscientious decision making” on the regular. Enjoy! Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Shanan Campanaro, creative director and founder of Eskayel, the Brooklyn-based home furnishings company specializing in gorgeous textiles, wallcoverings, rugs and decorative pillows. Endlessly inspired by nature and travel, Shanan created her brand to be as eco-friendly as possible, often pioneering new innovations within the design and production process. She’s collaborated with companies like Anthropologie, ABC Home, and most recently Clé Tile and successfully grown her business into the iconic brand that it is over the past 10 years. Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers

In this episode of Gamechangers, Savannah talks to Claire Mazur, co-founder of Of A Kind, the online website that brings you limited edition collections from some of the coolest emerging designers in the fashion, home & accessory spaces. Claire talks about her genuine passion for discovery, how she and her co-founder, Erica Cerulo, tapped into the importance of the narrative from day one, and how knowing your audience is key. Follow along for more insider info, community resources, tips & tricks and work/life inspiration: Join our Facebook Group: “The Gamechangers Mastermind” Follow along on Instagram: @savannahhayesstudio Check out the Shownotes: savannahhayes.com/gamechangers