Transcript generated via AI - Not 100% accurate

Justin: 0:00

Today on amplified whole

Natalie: 0:01

health, they're part of your family and they help represent your business. And, you know, you've got to pick these people that smile and talk to customers. Cause that's what we're all about as customer service. And we want, whoever comes in with us to know, um, what Casey and I represent and through our staff, you know, I think that we're able to show that. So we, we really are like a big family. It's pretty awesome.

Justin: 0:36

Welcome to the amplified home-health podcast, where personal and organizational health meet. I'm your host, Justin Collier. And my goal is to bring you insightful interviews with business owners and leaders from a variety of different industries. We'll be talking about employee development, leadership, company, culture, and quality products and services and how they drive success in business. Thanks for joining me and let's get started. Well, thanks you for taking the time to listen today. I appreciate your joining. Uh, obviously don't forget to like follow subscribe, et cetera, to amplify the whole health today. I'm joined in studio by Casey and Natalie with card and cloth. Is that right?

Kaci: 1:21

Yeah. Thanks for having us.

Justin: 1:23

Yeah. Thrilled to have you here. So tell me what is carbon cloth?

Kaci: 1:28

You got this?

Natalie: 1:30

So cloth is a women's boutique. Um, we really specialize in trying to carry something for everybody. Um, we carry sizes, extra small to three X for women. We carry gift and home decor. And we recently just started carrying baby as well. So really we strive to have something for everybody in this community, whether it's for yourself, whether it's a gift. Um, we also do custom stationary. So that goes along with like wedding invitations, baby invitations. Thank you cards. So our goal is hopefully that you come in the door and you leave with something in your hand, something that we've done and created for you, whether it's a personalized item or something that makes yourself feel better.

Justin: 2:11

Wow. Awesome. That explains the card part. Cause I've been trying to figure that out. Yes.

Kaci: 2:15

I understand the card part. There's actually a whole more of a background to where our name came from. Well, you want us to back it? I'd love to hear it. Okay. So I had a stationery and gift shop. Okay. That's where card comes from and she had a women's boutique. So that's where cloth comes from. And then when we both kind of were, this is all very long story short when we both kind of were just like, what do we want to do next? Like, we were just kind of at a standstill yes. At a standstill with both of our businesses. And I don't want to use the word board, but just like. I'm not fulfilled. Um, we decided to merge our businesses and that's kind of where card in cloth came from. Wow.

Justin: 3:02

All right. Great. So you're both entrepreneurs. Okay. So you were separately doing your own thing and then decided to come together and create a new business. Yes. Now, did you own businesses prior to, to the original starting or were those both your first businesses?

Kaci: 3:21

Those were, that was my first business, my first

Natalie: 3:24

business.

Justin: 3:24

Okay. Nice. All right. So you got started and then you found, you know what, I want to do something in a partnership.

Kaci: 3:30

We were just kind of in a slump. Yeah. That's a better way to put it then board. Yeah. It kind of descended a slump, I guess.

Justin: 3:36

Yeah. All right. So you're kind of in a slump, you come together, you create carton cloth. And how long ago was that?

Natalie: 3:44

Three years in

Kaci: 3:44

March, three years in March. Yes. Are there, your birthday will be March 30th. Crazy.

Natalie: 3:50

Are you still in a slump? No, no,

Kaci: 3:54

no, no. At the peak of this Hill and we're like, Oh my, what else is going to be down there? Because we just, every day is just so different. And I feel like, I think what. Made us excited about S joining each other. What made me excited? I don't know if we've ever actually were talked about this, but we were able to like easily bounce ideas off of each other. And then we were thinking, okay, this is way better with two heads, rather than just one. And we get a lot more accomplished and the ideas are deeper and more thoughtful. And even just events that we play in it's, that's where it's been. I think just better at I'm trying to, for lack of a better word, I guess so,

Natalie: 4:44

so opposite in our personalities, that the areas I'm going to speak for both of us that were where my weaknesses and her weaknesses really somehow ended up that it's each the other strengths. So we really compliment each other. It has made. Going to work fun again. And we really, I don't know, I have this partnership that has worked in so many people in the beginning. We're just kind of nervous about it for us. And

Kaci: 5:06

well, we only known each other for a couple, maybe two or three.

Natalie: 5:10

Yeah. And everyone thinks that we're either sisters or we grew up together we're best friends. And really we met each other through business and kind of

Kaci: 5:19

ideas off of each other with our own individual businesses.

Natalie: 5:21

Yes. And so we just became friends through that. And so it was crazy that we did merge because. We had never really been friends socially. And so it was just kind of on a whim.

Kaci: 5:32

Yeah. You get a lot of the same mutual friends, which is a really small world obviously, but yeah, it was, we didn't really think about it. Others did, but we just kind of were like, yeah, we're going to do it. Why not? Exactly. And that's kind of what our she's gotten to be a lot more. Cause I'm like, let's jump. Like let's just do it. Why would we not do it or anything I'm like that with anything. And, um, she's getting there. Yeah. At first, she was not like that, but she's getting there. Yeah. I

Natalie: 6:00

always have to overthink it and, you know, think about pros and cons and that's what

Kaci: 6:05

makes our personalities mesh. Yeah,

Natalie: 6:07

for sure. She pushes me off the deep end. That's what happens now.

Justin: 6:16

All right. So you're, you're complimentary compliment each other from a personality standpoint. How did you. Come together though, decide, Hey, let's actually partner and move this thing

Natalie: 6:28

forward. It's kind of a joke. It

Kaci: 6:30

was, yeah, it was tough. I was, I think that at the end of the year, at that point, I was kind of going to be done with my business and just move on with something. I have an English teaching degree and yeah. Um, obviously I'm not using that. And so I think I was just going to be done and I'm like, I just am going to find something else. And, um, it was, it was just a joke. She brought up like, why wouldn't you just kinda have like an office in my store and you could still do wedding invitations and kind of that thing. And, um, then it just emerged from there. So I was like, I'm a

Natalie: 7:07

joke to a full conversation. And then I think it was in weeks, we decided that we were doing

Kaci: 7:13

to market with her a couple of weeks later, just to see if I'd even be interested in clothes. When she

Natalie: 7:19

was a regular shopper at the store,

Kaci: 7:22

I was actually a

Natalie: 7:23

regular

Kaci: 7:24

shopper. So, um, about four or five days a week. And so, but just to see if I enjoyed, you know, Obviously like the clothing part of it and how all that worked. And I didn't know how it worked. It was totally different than gift like buying for any of that. And that was January, like mid January and we opened the end of March. Wow. It was a quick process,

Natalie: 7:48

pretty much on the drive home from Dallas, we decided it was happening. So yes, we

Justin: 7:54

took off. And so now you, you started a store and. And things went well. Or did you learn things along the way that were a bit of a challenge as you merged your two businesses? How,

Kaci: 8:08

Oh yeah, it went, I think it went way better than we expected way better than our families expected than our accountant in our account. And then there were tons of things that we learned. I mean everyday still, like I was telling you earlier, like, but you know, we don't, I have a small business background with my family, my mom, my dad, and my grandmother. And then she also as well does, but we've never met or had anybody to bounce ideas off of that we're partners. Um, obviously. I mean, my dad's not my mom's not my grandmother wasn't and same with her family. So that's what we've had to learn is, okay, so who does this? Who shares this? Even with accountant purposes, we just had to learn all of that stuff. So that was very new to us still. We weren't able to bounce ideas off of friends and family for that kind of

Justin: 9:02

stuff. Yeah. So how important was it to define your roles within your business? Oh,

Natalie: 9:08

we did that. I'm talking in

Kaci: 9:10

the very beginning a one, and this is for anybody that would ever ask me, like, Hey, I'm looking to I'm in a slump. Like you are, I'm looking to maybe have a partner or, you know, us start something together. My friend and I, and literally day one, you have got to draw, you're doing this, you're doing this. You're in charge of this. You're in charge of this because if not, it would just, I think honestly, lead into. Arguments you would be a disaster and that's, I think that's how we run our business. I say so smooth. I feel like it's Smith sometimes. Sometimes it's totally, sometimes we're just flying by, but for the most part, I think if someone were to ask me, I, my girlfriend and I want to do something, what is your biggest tip? And I would say. Draw out what you're doing and draw what you're doing that a hundred percent day one. And we pretty much, I think we kind of did it without knowing. Yeah. We

Natalie: 10:09

just had so many open conversations about like what our goals were. Dreams were, what each of us kind of were more interested in what our strengths were and

Kaci: 10:18

what she hated. And it just kinda, it

Natalie: 10:20

of meshed out perfectly. Like, I honestly don't know how it happens as seamlessly with us that like, Again, our strengths and weaknesses balanced out with each other. It was pretty easy for us, which I don't know if that would happen for, you know, other partners, but

Justin: 10:37

yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned you had an, you know, an accountant that helped you out. Was there any other folks that were maybe outside of U2 that were part of your team that helped to put together this business?

Kaci: 10:48

I would say other

Natalie: 10:49

than our faith

Kaci: 10:49

family, um, Mom dad, my, he was just my boyfriend at the time, but now my husband, her husband, my husband and

Natalie: 10:59

my dad were pretty heavy in it as well.

Kaci: 11:01

Um, but I mean, we definitely, like I said, we have a lot of mutual friends, so they would, I mean, they just did whatever for us that we needed them to at the time. And thankfully, a year down the road, we were. Doing well enough to where there were things that we needed, we both needed help with. And that's where we were able to hire, um, Hannah, who is our store manager and, um, she's full our full-time employee. And we there's a lot of things that we could not get done ourselves if it wasn't for her. And then obviously our other girls too, but we were very thankful that we were able to just. By the nail on the button and be like, we've got to hire someone else. Full-time so she's, she's her left hand a lot. And I, a lot that she does. So, um, we're very thankful. Yes we are. Yeah. If that answered your question.

Justin: 11:56

Yeah. That's great. So you have, so you've got several employees now. And how has that process been hiring your first employees?

Kaci: 12:06

Go ahead because I actually don't do the hiring process. And then Natalie answer, well, we, I did when we had Hannah, when

Natalie: 12:13

we first started, when we got together. So basically our first two employees, we each got to bring one of our original girls from our old shops. So they both knew us each and then came with us and they're with us for about a year. I think, um, in that time we also hired, I think, two more part-time employees. Um, three then let's see, we have like there's eight girls right now. And then we've got about five or six models. So there's a handful. Um, we've definitely had really great employees. Um, one Caitlin has been with us for, I think, a little over two years now. She's great. She's, part-time, she's going through college. So it works out and we are definitely very flexible with our schedule, which has been great for us. We definitely work with college students. Um, we've had some hires that have not worked out, so we've definitely had like the high and the low ends of, I would just say like employees and hiring. It's been

Kaci: 13:11

interesting, the best and worst part of. Yeah, our job is we get some really, really awesome girls. And then we get some girls that are awesome and they just don't work out or they graduate or, and we're sad to lose them, but I'm thankfully have stepped out of the hiring process and put full trust into, um, Natalie and Hannah, because it's, that is the most, one of the most stressful things to me because it is it's, you're trusting Natalie and I don't work. Um, the floor or, um, is what we call it. You know, we don't work with really the customers anymore. We're all backend. And, um, we're very blessed that we get to do that, but we're then putting our full trust into these girls that we just hire and may not know anything about other than just getting to have a small interview conversation with them. So we've, I feel like we've been very blessed

Natalie: 14:07

with our girls. You know, the same time you meet him. Once you think that you guys click in the interview, they come in and then just like first. Yes. And they're part of your family and they help represent your business. And, you know, you've got to pick these people that smile and talk to customers because that's what we're all about as customer service. And we want, whoever comes in with us to know, um, what Casey and I represent and through our staff, you know, I think that we're able to show that. So we, we really are like a big family. It's pretty awesome.

Justin: 14:40

Staff component is really important for representing your brand. Yes. Yes. So you mentioned, you know, going through the process of hiring and you mentioned products and services specifically, uh, what. Services, you mentioned the, um, stationary type of stuff, obviously there's the clothing from a product perspective. Are there other services that you're also providing or are those kind of the key?

Kaci: 15:05

Yeah, I would say obviously clothing is our number one seller. Um, we're a women's clothing boutique, and I like to kind of call us a lifestyle boutique. Um, we have. Girls that, you know, are 12, 13 that are wanting to get into, you know, they can work an extra small and they're wanting to start purchasing items at a women's boutique. Um, and they're kind of over, you know, the teen clothes. And, um, so we have girls as young as 12 and 13. They, you know, their moms are bringing them in. And then like my 80 year old grandmother shops with us. So I feel like, and then, you know, now here recently we've started carrying babies. So I really feel like a lifestyle boutique is kind of our brand, um, And the baby just kind of sprung literally out of nowhere. And I, you know, we got asked if we would do baby registries, um, baby shower registries. And so now we offer that and it's just kind of been a lot of times when a customer brings something up or multiple ones do, then we're like, Oh, why not? We'll try it and see if it works. And yeah. So I definitely, as far as like a, to answer your question. We're obviously a women's clothing boutique, but we do a lot of monogramming, whether that be, you know, for mother's day teacher appreciation week, um, those kinds of things, we in a small business world, you think that Christmas is. The major thing that you amp up for which we do, but I'm telling you mother's day and teacher appreciation week. People love their moms and teachers. Like we are just as busy if not busier for those two holidays. So very thankful for that, the monogram stuff and the personalized items and kind of the things that we can offer. Yeah.

Justin: 16:55

That makes complete sense. Yes. So you've got these products and services and, and you mentioned, you know, adding on the baby part of it. How do you go about making decisions from a strategic perspective for bringing on new products that you might be offering?

Kaci: 17:13

The baby's kind of a funny story. I'm just

Natalie: 17:17

a,

Kaci: 17:19

we were gonna jump again. And this was prior to us opening our second location. So we were going to all during

Natalie: 17:26

COVID let's just back that up. Yes. I have

Kaci: 17:29

a lot of things happen in this brain up here at mine. So we were going to open a second store and it was going to be a baby store and. For the two people that do not have babies, which is people were just giggling at us, but you know, we're like we can do it. People will want,

Natalie: 17:46

but, and at the same time with this, we had so many customers that were asking and it wasn't

Kaci: 17:51

just a left field. No.

Natalie: 17:53

And for us, and especially in our industry, you have got to listen to what your customers are asking you for. For the most

Kaci: 17:59

part.

Natalie: 17:59

Yes. I mean, you can, but you do. Cause they're going to tell you, they're going to tell you what they like, what they don't like, what they want, what they don't want. And after so many times of people asking for baby, we had a discussion.

Kaci: 18:10

So we did did we were going to open this second store actually in green point shopping center where our first location is and. It kind of fell through as far as just like the lease and with our landlord and kind of all of that. And, um, then my husband, he's my little safe, my safe one. He and I are very opposite too. He said, how about. You know, I'm all in for it. Like, um, I know it'll sell, I know you guys will do fantastic with it, but how about when you're bringing all this in, let's see how it sells in the store first. Like make a little section, see how it sells in the store first and then go from there. So we were like, okay, you know, if we have to. And so we did, and it's just honestly taken off from there. And then we decided to open a second location and. Now, now everything is just different, but we still have baby in this store. It's still is doing fantastic. Did not expect to ever offer a registry of any sort. Is there anything else that you want to add? I mean, it just, every day, we're like what? We actually just got accepted to carry a really awesome. Uh, nationwide company it's called posh peanut, and we applied for them. It was during COVID. So, um, maybe like last summer or last back to school time. And we got accepted in December to carry their line and we just got. Um, started carrying them in January so well, a couple weeks ago.

Justin: 19:51

Interesting. Well, I didn't know that. So you actually apply to say, Hey, can I carry your brand? And then they make a decision. Yes or no. Some of them do. Interesting. I had no idea. Yeah. Yeah. Wow.

Kaci: 20:02

It's very cutthroat, but it is really cool to be able to apply and to get approved and accepted. So we were very excited about that one. Yes.

Justin: 20:15

So so much your strategy, though, it sounds like is listening to what are your customers asking for? And then starting to have the discussion and move forward. And in this particular case with the baby stuff, you just set up a. A part of your store section and said, Hey, we're just going to offer some of these products and see how it goes. And then you make the decision to go to a second store. But it almost sounds like it's not because of the baby stuff. Like you just, okay, so what's going on with how'd you make that decision?

Kaci: 20:42

Yeah. What's Honeywell. The baby is it started about this size table and then it has, we've had to totally change where our baby section is because it's now like, uh, we have the door. Yeah. We, it is like a. Let's say we were to split our store into quarters four quarters. It is. It's now a quarter of the store, a quarter of the store now. Wow. So, um, but that answers, sorry that went back to the baby section, but, um, you can go for this second location

Natalie: 21:11

again. Casey and I are so that's it. And she always wants to just jump off the deep end and, um, We go to there's a salon out in, um, Chaffee crossing and she had already gone to get her hair done. And shockingly didn't mention anything to me about this new location of where they're building. And then I got there for my appointment and I came back to her and I'm just in all of this new build out that they're doing. And I said, I wasn't its

Kaci: 21:37

own little

Natalie: 21:38

community. It really makes you feel like you're not in Fort Smith. Um, it's just beautiful. And what, they're the plans that they're going to do? It's just kind of amazing. So I just casually said that I thought it was a really cool spot and she, the type one personality that she is, gets in the phone calls, a realtor that works out there and sees if we can go get an appointment. So we go back there in 30 minutes to do a walk through of an available location. The last one that was available and we both fell in love with it, took her manager, Hannah with us, and started talking about the options that we had. And. Shortly within, like, I think two hours decided that we had to have this location and it's just a, it's a card and cloth, I guess. Number two, if you will. So now we have two locations in the same city. Wow. Yes. That's very

Kaci: 22:25

a process too. We had to apply for other businesses. He wanted that spot as well, since it was the very last. Opening retail opening for right now, they're building more, but so we had to apply the college, had to accept us because they chose it, which was really, really awesome. We felt. I mean, pretty blessed that they wanted us there. So, yes. Did you write

Justin: 22:52

a letter like people do when they're shopping for a home and they're in a bidding war? Did you recognize?

Kaci: 22:56

No, I actually created a path. They didn't ask for a PowerPoint, but I did that's yeah. Yeah. I, we just, you know, go a little

Natalie: 23:06

extra loud if you're going to do

Kaci: 23:08

it. Yeah. Yeah. So, but it was, I think it just in the end, it was just kind of meant to be that I actually did not say anything and she did, and it worked. So do you

Justin: 23:19

think it would have played out the same way if you would've brought it up?

Natalie: 23:22

She would have had to sell me on, I think, which is really interesting. Cause that's. Kind of, she always talks me into things. Cause again, I'm like I have to take my time and think about it. So I really do think it was very shocking that I was the one that came to her and I didn't know what we'd put in there. I kind of thought still it could be a baby store, but then the more we talked about it, like all of our, we have so many customers in the Greenwood area and in Barling, which is where this is located. And we just said it would make sense.

Kaci: 23:50

We shipped so much to Greenland. Yes. So

Natalie: 23:53

this kind of hits those

Kaci: 23:54

customers and the East Fort Smith as well. Yes.

Justin: 23:57

Making the decision. Hey, we're going to have a second location. You open the second location and how's it going?

Kaci: 24:05

That's good. We had to hire on, um, four or five, five, five new girls. Um, and we've got. Two that are essentially, they're all kind of all the time. Um, and now what's really cool. Our manager, Hannah is about to move into these little cute little homes that are out there. So she'll be essentially within walking distance to our second location. And it's. Our employees are great. I don't know how we did it, but even just the five that we hired in that short period of time saying like, okay, like we need you now because you got to start training now in order for us to just pretty much leave you there by yourself. And they've just been fantastic. So we can't just going back to employee and just customer service. They've been great.

Justin: 24:59

Well, there's two things I would like to make sure that we talk about one is a culture and the other is employee development, but you mentioned employee development last. So we're going to start with that one. So employee development, what's the process for developing your employees?

Kaci: 25:15

That's kind of our manager who does that, but you can go ahead because you kind of work with her a little closer.

Natalie: 25:22

Um, I feel like, cause when we first started Casey and I would, obviously we were hiring the hiring employees and kind of doing the training, but we've really pass it on to our manager just because it's almost her floor now because she sees the day in day out and handles the customers and customer service customers

Kaci: 25:39

come in asking for her. Yes. It's, which is, and a couple of our other girls, which is awesome. Yeah.

Natalie: 25:45

And they, I, I love that, that they each kind of have regulars that now are used to them and want their advice. And even if it's to say hello and. That's really cool. Um, I don't know. It's we kind of have like standards, I guess that we go by, we have rules and regulations that we set out from the very beginning dress

Kaci: 26:03

code, heres appropriate. Um, we're very laid back. Very, we, I actually have. Um, essentially kind of my own employee, if you will, she just models and she just works our HQ, our headquarters. And so that. She's helping opening boxes, tagging items, steaming items. And I schedule her, she doesn't work the floor. Um, she's a nursing student, so she gets to pick when she wants to come in, we really, really try to be very flexible with their schedules and we've got girls, so they're like pack on the hours. We want all the hours. And so we're flexible with that too. And we give them what we can, um, But it, yeah. Mama bear over here. She's got snacks for him in the back. I mean, I feel like our employee development and culture is very close. I mean, they can, we had tea. I had two girls last week. Tell me they have learned more at Cardin cloth than they have in college. And yes. And we, I do, I teach them wife

Natalie: 27:13

less than we talk about life and things. Yes. But you don't. Learn in school and they, you know

Kaci: 27:19

them how, you know, how we do our invoicing and inventory and working our website. And it's it, this, it was kind of cool to hear that twice last, just last week. So it made me feel good.

Justin: 27:34

How neat is that you have an opportunity. Of course, you've got a, these women that you've hired, they're coming out onto the floor and they're in your they're selling products on the floor and talking to customers, but they're not just learning that skill of being in front of people. You're teaching them how to, like you said, doing invoicing and other activities that are part of running a

Natalie: 27:54

business, right? Yeah.

Kaci: 27:56

And they may want to do that someday. I mean, all of them have their majors, dental, hygiene, nursing. Excuse me teaching. They all have their majors, but you know, they may want to become a, I saw business owner one day. So when we would be okay with that. Yeah. I think

Natalie: 28:12

it's funny. Cause you know, they're going to listen to this and we get done with it that I, I really feel like they don't feel. Or they don't know, I guess how important even the smallest jobs are that they do. I mean, it can be putting a price tag label on a product, but that's

Kaci: 28:29

one less thing that we have to do that some can say me, and then we can be doing other things in the background. But

Natalie: 28:35

it's also, they're learning, you know, they're learning and growing within a small business and they're learning, hands-on how to operate and operations behind the, you know, what everybody sees in the floor. So whether they realize it or not, and it's just really

Kaci: 28:47

cool. We have a lot of really awesome customers and a lot of customers who. No people who are people and they're meeting them and getting their name out there. And who knows, like they could potentially, you know, intern with them one day or so. I think that that's also cool is, you know, these customers are learning who they are and kind of vice versa, but we just, as far as employee management and the culture of our employees, we just really couldn't ask for better.

Justin: 29:22

What do you attribute your successful culture to

Natalie: 29:26

guys?

Kaci: 29:28

Um, me personally, I think my dad, I see how he, because he has, um, I think six or seven female employees, so it's the six and seven female employees. And then my dad, um, and he's been a small business owner, his whole life. And so I just kind of. See how he works with them. Sure. Maybe if that helps. Um, but then we've also just kind of had to learn our own tactics and see what works for our girls, because something that works for us doesn't work for my dad and his girls and then vice versa. So I don't know if you've

Natalie: 30:09

got, yeah, I mean, 100% and then just open communication and trust with each other. That's huge.

Kaci: 30:16

Definitely the detailed being very detailed

Natalie: 30:20

again. She's an type one personality. She likes

Kaci: 30:24

lists. Yes. PowerPoint presentation. Yes. Yeah. Check it, check it off. Didn't

Natalie: 30:31

happen if you don't check a

Kaci: 30:32

box, right? Yeah.

Justin: 30:34

Well, that's important, right? Measurement. Yeah. Yeah. And being able to track things. So how, and I think that's a really good question is how important is it from, from a tracking perspective within your business?

Kaci: 30:45

As far as

Justin: 30:47

I can think of inventory and the financing part, and there's gotta be. Just the inventory alone has to be somewhat of a major

Kaci: 30:57

process. Yeah. It's and that's been for sure, a trial and error. Um, well we thought we had it down and then we added the second location. So that is definitely been a trial and we thought we had

Natalie: 31:11

it down and then we added our online

Kaci: 31:12

store. Well, yes. Yes.

Natalie: 31:14

He added that. Now we've added, uh, another location. So technically we have. Three stores, if you will. So the inventory gets hairy.

Kaci: 31:22

It does. And we're still learning and things mess up. And, you know, our inventory says we've got something and we don't. And, um, but again, just. Trial and error. And we're always trying to figure out new ways and better ways and more efficient ways to do things successfully with inventory. So

Natalie: 31:43

it's constant

Kaci: 31:43

constant guys, and that is in my head every single day, because that's what I do essentially. That's part of my job. So managing the

Justin: 31:51

inventory makes sense. Well, you think about, obviously the inventory component seems like it's probably pretty complex. You now mentioned the fact that you have this online store. How did you make the decision to go and move online? Was there a process for that? Or what did you learn during that? I

Natalie: 32:12

just felt like everything these days is online. Everyone wants everything at your fingertips and yeah. I love it. I know she loves social media being online. She's in charge of the website. I don't do any of it. I barely get on social media. Um, I'm so like hands on, or she sees like things visually online that I can't even imagine, but that's how I see the floor. It's we're just so opposite of that. But I think the online came at the most perfect time. Cause it was. August two years

Kaci: 32:49

ago. Yes. So it's been about a year and a half since we've had our online store

Natalie: 32:53

and they long. Yeah. And thankfully it launched and we had it under control and knew how to operate it before COVID hit. Um, and really the lifesaver. Yes. Because a lot of, you know, other small businesses that we talked to weren't as fortunate and they had to kind of scramble or some of them have closed. And we were fortunate enough that we actually had to close our storefront. For two months. Um, but we still were able to keep all of our staff employed and they worked their normal hours, got their normal paychecks.

Kaci: 33:21

They weren't longer hours. I've seen our storefront being closed. We are almost busy

Natalie: 33:26

twice as hard, and we did free shipping on the website, a free curbside pickup. And then of course, here we go again, our second busiest time of the year, which is mother's day and teacher appreciation week. Also happened during COVID. So we did a free delivery to your doorstep. So there were many days, many, many days that Casey and I are on the road going from town to town making.

Kaci: 33:48

We went to Lubbock because, and Beren, and we were just doing whatever we could just to survive and survive. COVID yeah. Yeah. And it was there. I mean, Thankfully we did that because we were, our accountant just was blown away. He was like, I don't know what y'all did, but you need to keep doing it. And we're like, we're not doing it deliberately. We totally may. Who knows? But I just, we were like, Oh, everything we thought we had to do. And we came out just way better. So it was, it was really, really cool to see our. Customers step up and support small during that time, because we're sure it was really, I say a lifesaver, but it was a, I mean, it was a business saver. We, yeah, very proud of ourselves.

Justin: 34:36

So that's really interesting. How did you come up with the strategy? Just, I don't want to say strategy. You had a determination to just keep going. Despite a difficult circumstance. You

Natalie: 34:45

can't quit, you can't give up and for her and I it's our livelihood. So it is personal. So you do have the same skills. Outside of the box and really what can we do and keep pushing

Kaci: 34:56

then I'd want to deliver things in Lavaca. Not really, but that's just we for it. And people asked for it and we did it. And you know, at that time that's just what we were able to offer. And that's what people safely wanted to do while still. Supporting small. Um, especially during mother's day, you know, a lot of moms weren't visiting their moms and, you know, vice versa. And so that's just what we were able to do.

Natalie: 35:27

And I honestly, during that time, you know, everything in the world is crazy and your struggles, you can't even imagine people don't talk about it. People do talk about it, but for me personally, it was. So just amazing that you see people from out of town calling us because they know that their mother or their sister or their sister-in-law, whoever it is, shops with us. And they wanted to put a basket together to get delivered for mother's day. That was awesome. And that we were part of making that one happy moment for them. I mean just going to doorsteps, knocking on the door and seeing people's like smile.

Kaci: 36:01

Yeah. I was not used to that. I've never done anything like that before, but it was, it was rewarding. I mean, for

Natalie: 36:07

sure. It's like,

Kaci: 36:08

hi, we have a gift

Natalie: 36:11

card, a cloth. I know you. This is amazing. I mean, it's, you know, people, we wrote handwritten cards for them and just really cool. We really

Kaci: 36:18

just did what we had to do. But that's, I feel like that's, that's what you do. I guess that's what we did. And we worked twice as hard. I'm telling you when we closed that storefront door, we worked twice as hard and twice as long. So it was a rough few months, but it ended up good.

Natalie: 36:38

Yeah. We opened a second location out of it. So figuring out something, you

Justin: 36:43

learn something along the way, set an example for your employees.

Kaci: 36:47

Oh, they loved it.

Natalie: 36:49

Yeah. They could come to work with no makeup and sweat pants.

Kaci: 36:56

that was the pro for sure. We were, we were like, well, we're not really seeing anybody today, so yeah.

Natalie: 37:01

Yeah. Yeah.

Justin: 37:03

That's pretty funny. Wow. So you ended up, you've got the online store. You've got two storefronts now. What's next?

Natalie: 37:13

Sky's the limit. You never know. Yeah. Yeah,

Kaci: 37:17

you really do never know what's up here. It's up in the brain, but who, I mean, it's really just what people, I guess, keep asking for or, you know, what we brainstorm about it or what I brainstorm about. Right. It's usually how it happens, but no, it always, I feel like it always happens with what does Fort Smith need? What does Fort synth not have? They're not able to offer and what can we offer? We've got two really crazy creative brains, and I feel like we're good at offering. Either, you know, what other people don't have is kind of what our goal is. Yeah.

Natalie: 38:01

I mean, it's interesting. We get so many out of town customers that come in and it's like Tulsa, or even Northwest Arkansas or literal rock and Nashville, Dallas. But we get customers in that say that they don't have anything like this, where they live. And for those cities to be so much larger than what we are, it kind of shocks really cool that we're offering something different. And we, we, we found our niche in that. I don't know. So who knows what we'll do next though? That's great. We're not stopping

Justin: 38:27

and I'm going to keep pressing forward. Yep. Well, how often do you get together and brainstorm?

Natalie: 38:33

Oh my gosh.

Kaci: 38:35

I feel like your recently, not as much because her office is at one building at our Rogers Avenue location and mine is we. Um, have a warehouse out in historic Chaffee and that's where all of our, um, shipments, essentially, almost all of them get shipped to an inventory is processed and all of that. So that's like my little office. Um, so in person, probably not a lot, we really

Natalie: 39:05

don't see each other as how

Kaci: 39:07

much we used to. Didn't see her one time last week, but. We were texting. We sent an ideas, you know, on the phone. And thankfully we have a group text with our manager and we bounce ideas off of her. And we bounce ideas off of our girls all the time. Even this morning, I was doing that. Um, I think it's. You know, we're both in our thirties and all of our girls are anywhere from 18 to 25. Um, so it's nice to have that younger view and perspective too, as well as kind of us. Cause we're. Four years apart. I was like waiting for this. Yeah. She's almost 40

Natalie: 39:53

I'm in my mid thirties. She reminds me about it all the time.

Kaci: 39:56

Yes, it is a joke, but no, we it's nice to have them to bounce ideas off of just as well as us brainstorming too. Yeah, just a fresh perspective. Yes.

Natalie: 40:05

And everyone's so different. All of our girls are so different, so it really helps that they come from different religious backgrounds and different.

Kaci: 40:14

In the data area, pull that they get just as excited about our brainstorming ideas as we do. Yeah,

Natalie: 40:21

no, they love it. And they they're excited.

Kaci: 40:23

That's what's really, really cool.

Justin: 40:26

Yeah. So you're in Vail involving them. You're engaging them, not just with creativity and new ideas and new options and what you could potentially offer within the store from a services or products perspective, but you're engaging them on the back of the house kind of stuff. You know, the accounting and inventory and all of those elements. They're learning along the way. Are you still learning?

Natalie: 40:49

Oh every day. Yes.

Kaci: 40:51

Oh yes. And I mean, just when we were at market, uh, two weeks ago, we, if we're kind of iffy on a dress, maybe we'll shoot a picture to a couple of our girls and say yes or no, like is. Is this something that like, you know, your age girls would like, do you like this? Do you, who do you see wearing it? We always try to say, like, we have to name two customers that we see wearing this, whatever it is. Um, but we do, we always try to involve our girls and try to get their input and, um, try to help them brainstorm us or brainstorm with us. And the more our customers can get to know them too, I think is our main goal as well. Yeah.

Justin: 41:32

Wow. Well, as we. Start to wrap up. I would like to ask you both individually, what has been the most important thing you believe you've learned during the process of, of running a small business, whether that was starting at or now where you've got it up and running?

Kaci: 41:54

Hmm,

Natalie: 41:55

that's a good one.

Kaci: 41:57

Oh, I know mine. I'm really? I am a, so obviously I'm definitely a type one. I. Uh, like my decision and I want it to go my way or decisions, the right decision, all of those things. And that is probably the biggest thing that I've learned is maybe not that my decision is not right, but that I should probably listen to other people's ideas, um, because they might have some good ideas too, or to bounce off or. Whatever. So that's probably been the biggest thing that I've learned is just to maybe listen to others and get their ideas and their ideas will probably help my idea be even better. No, that was good. That's my biggest one is I just sometimes just sit down and wait and then, okay. Yes, I love what you said and that helps. Me or my idea, you know, so that's probably mine.

Justin: 43:01

That's great perspective.

Natalie: 43:03

Um, I've had to let go on some things which has been big. So I've had to learn how to trust with my whole heart, which I, I do. And I feel like I always have, but. Um, my thing is customer service and being on the floor and what the floor looks like, because it's technically, if you will, it's Casey's job to get them interested to come into the store. It's my job to make them buy something while they're in the store. Um, so I've really put trust into our girls, especially Hannah doing displays and merchandising. Cause that's huge weather. You know, no one really notices it maybe. Um, but like our store is color coded. And for women, if they come in looking for a black dress, that's, that's big, they know exactly where they can go to look for that dress. So for me, I've had to learn just to let go and to trust those on my team. Cause you know, if I coach them, if I show them how I like to do it, then they can learn. And. Like Hannah, for example, has just really become her own person in the beginning. She kind of liked her way and I had my way, and so we've really merged and now she just does like a flawless job and I wholeheartedly trust her. I can walk away and actually be in the back and help Casey and do more of behind the scenes stuff. So for me, that's big is just trusting your staff.

Justin: 44:20

It seems like you've created a culture of trust amongst your staff, this ability for you to trust them for them to trust you. Uh, it sounds like they trust, you know, getting involved and, and. You know, you were talking about COVID and the need to work more and to be more engaged in a different type of way. And they trusted in that process and that change and they trust obviously, and the new store ideas and then are getting involved and engaged in. So I think that that's really neat as well. So it's this mutual trust that sounds like it's taking place.

Kaci: 44:53

Yeah, we, I know I, when we leave for market for a week, I don't even have second thoughts at leaving them. I mean, they're, I know that they would do what we would want them to. So we, again, just circling back, just so appreciative of our employees. For sure. We could not be here without them. I mean, there's just little things that we take for granted sometimes. And I'm like, gosh, if we didn't have these awesome girls, I couldn't be doing this right now or taking a breather and, and they push us. They're like, please leave. Like, that's me. I, we, this one. Yes. She never wants to leave.

Natalie: 45:31

That's me. I've I've trusted now. I can actually walk away, but it took me three years to get here. But really I'm like, I'm the mother and I want to, you know, stay on top of my little kids and make sure everything's okay. And they don't need me. And they're like, we don't need you walk away. They

Kaci: 45:46

do. And they're very good about it. They're like, y'all have a, so you can leave. Yeah. And so it's, it's really cool to hear that. Yeah.

Justin: 45:55

Awesome. Well, I suppose I'll ask one final question and how do people find Carden cloth?

Kaci: 46:05

Well, is that me? I was like it. Here's your spiel? Yes, my little social media heart. I love it so much. So social media, um, we obviously have a Facebook. Um, our Instagram is at carton cloth shop, and then you can shop our website, which is carton, cloth, shop.com. We do free shipping daily. Um, And to all us customers, um, almost every piece of clothing item that we have in our store is on there. Um, and we're adding new things daily. So I would say Instagram website. Um, Facebook, and then obviously our two storefronts. One is on Rogers Avenue in Greenpoint shopping center. And then the other one is in the heritage community off of Chad Kali in Chaffee crossing.

Justin: 46:56

Awesome. Well, I just want to say thank you both for coming on the show and telling us about carton and cloth and your journey. And how it sounds like it's just going to keep going and you've got, you don't know where you're going, but you know, you're going,

Kaci: 47:10

I believe it's been almost three years.

Natalie: 47:12

It really has flown by, because I remember when we were signing our lease, they originally wanted five years and we were like, Oh, that's, that's so long. Then we got there, we got down to three and we're like, that's still crazy. But here we are. And we're like, we're signing it. We're extending it. You know? And then our new heritage location was it's a five-year lease that we designed. So we have no plans to go anywhere and. Really, there's no telling what we're going to do. Yeah.

Justin: 47:37

Well, thank you very much for coming on the show. I really

Natalie: 47:39

do.

Kaci: 47:40

Sure. Thanks for having us. Yeah. I'm

Justin: 47:44

grateful you chose to listen. Please help us out by following, liking or subscribing to our content at Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Spotify, Apple podcasts, and Google podcasts. Take care and have a blessed day.