Page 170 - AmericasMart: Market Magazine July 2018

Overnight success that took years to accomplish
Traditional is not a word that describes Mandy herself. The fashionable blonde has had a fascinating life trajectory, important perhaps because it traces the pebbled path to her success. She was born and raised in the small town of Midland. Mich., and graduated from Bradley University
in Illinois with a double major in political science and speech communications.
A foray into law school followed, a stint she only tolerated for two years because she “hated it so much.” She laments
“No one asks you (during your academic years) what you’re passionate about and how to make money at it.” It would take her a moment to figure it out on her own.
She worked as a recruiter, then became
a healthcare digital consultant, a job she loved. She learned a lot of useful things about social media, helping clients create apps and social media strategies. But that creative mind of hers still needed another outlet. During her down time, she began beading bracelets and opened an online store on etsy.com.
She then created her blog, detailing how to create a beautiful shelf or how to stock a bar cart. Each piece tagged manufacturers and retailers. Her fresh voice—along with
a commitment to feature only professional photography—transformed her blog into
a hit. She attracted brands such as
Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Nordstrom, Ballard Designs, One Kings Lane and
Le Creuset. These companies work with her to not only mention their products, but also to create engaging online experiences, which are often paid “activations.”
Taking the first steps onto
the retail landscape
Eventually, Mandy launched an online store. At this point, her blog was so closely tied to her identify, that changing the name would have been like tearing
off the sunglasses she is frequently photographed wearing. She dove into
the deep end of social media marketing, enlisting Instagram (and her nearly 100,000 followers), Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest as essential marketing companions.
This is how Martha Stewart’s company found Mandy and invited her to join
other online entrepreneurs visiting
its New York headquarters.
“No one asks you (during your academic years) what you’re passionate about
and how to make money at it.”
MANDY KELLOGG RYE
Mandy toyed with the idea of opening
a real store—one where her online fans, followers and customers could tread across a real world threshold.
The opportunity presented itself when
she was invited to do a pop-up in
a vacant space. Over time, she opened and closed four temporary outlets, essential experiences that determined what factors would lead to a thriving shop. Each lasted at least six months, helping her better understand her customer and the full retail cycle. They also enabled her to test the best location, figure out the ideal size and gain insights into operational costs and management issues.
By the time she threw open the
Farrow & Ball custom-blended Chappell green lacquered doors of her 2,500 square-foot store in July 2017, she had found the perfect location in a retail center where her customers shop. Foot traffic from nearby restaurants and boutiques brings new shoppers to her space and she forges bonds with other business owners who bolster each other’s enterprises.
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