Latest / The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas) / From Ranches to Runways with the Founders of Miron Crosby

Transcript

From Ranches to Runways with the Founders of Miron Crosby · The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas)

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Tequila Comos, luxury tequila refined.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Ask for it by name at Pogo, spex or your favorite liquor store.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: And Kathy L Wall State Farm Agency.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Learn more at kathylwallcom.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: And Stewart Arango Oral Surgery Learn more at saoralsurgeonscom.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the Bubble Lounge.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: I'm Nellie Sciutto and I'm Martha Jackson, and today on our show we have the founders of Mirren Crosby, an incredible boot company, and I have to say I grew up in New York City wearing cowboy boots.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: They've always been cool, but these ones are especially unique.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: They really are.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: They are amazing and just absolutely beautiful.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: You know, growing up in Fort Worth and showing horses, I know a thing or two about cowboy boots, and when I saw these, I was just immediately in love with them.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Well, and these girls are so impressive.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: They're sisters and they have got many stories to tell us and they're a real inspiration.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: They really are.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: I don't know how they do it.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: These ladies are juggling so many things with their business, their families, they travel a lot.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, they have got so much going on all the time, just like so many of you out there.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: So in today's episode, we're so excited to introduce you to Lizzie Means DePlantis and Sarah Means, who are the founders of Mirren Crosby, from growing up on a ranch to launching a boot empire.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: You're going to love this episode.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: Ladies, the next time you're invited to a house party in Highland Park, make sure you bring the host a truly special gift.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: Give them a bottle of tequila comos, a symbol of sophistication and exceptional craftsmanship.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: Aged in French oak wine barrels, comos is the only luxury tequila of its kind, offering a smoothness that's unparalleled.
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: Each bottle is a masterpiece of design and represents the essence of luxury, making it the perfect hostess gift or a memorable keepsake.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Next time you're searching for a gift that speaks volumes, choose Comos.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: Visit Pogo's Spex or your local liquor store and ask for it by name Tequila Comos a special gift for a special person.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the show, lizzie and Sarah.
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: We're thrilled to be here.
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: I'm Lizzie Means, g Planis, and I'm Sarah Means.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Well, I'm so excited to have you guys.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: We have been communicating for a couple of months trying to work this out.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: You guys have been so busy.
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: We have been.
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: It's a really exciting time in our business and lots going on and lots of new developments to which we're super excited and grateful, and not to mention kind of our personal lives that have kept us pretty busy.
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: Thank you for your patience with us, because we're so excited to be here.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Well, we can't wait to hear everything.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Well, take us back to the beginning.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: How did this all start?
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Tell us about your background and growing up and how you developed this love for boots.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Liz, you take this one Sure.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: So Sarah and I, our sisters, we grew up on our family's cattle ranch in far west texas, out by near marfa and which is kind of on the map now as a chic and cool place to visit um.
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: But we, you know, true to our aesthetic and our heritage, we're always in cowboy boots.
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: They were just very much a part of our lifestyle and and and our wardrobes and so we wore them growing up and then hitherto, went on to um, to boarding school in austin, and then we both went to college, at tcu, even though sarah's eight years my junior.
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: We had very similar paths and then I moved to new york and she came years later and but while we were there I was in finance and sarah was in fashion and we continued to wear our cowboy boots.
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: So I went to goldman sachs in my, like you know, theory, pencil skirts and my cowboy boots, and sarah was downtown, in a much more kind of creative environment, and in hers as well, and people would.
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: Because our cousins own, I should back up, I'm sorry.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: Our cousins own a factory in south texas where our boots are made and because of our relationship with them, they always allowed us to play with custom fabrications and designs and things we thought were relevant in fashion at the time and that really kind of suited our um style, personal styles.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: And so as we wore these boots in New York that we had created and then our cousins had built for us, people would stop us on the street and ask us where we'd gotten them and we really couldn't send them anywhere.
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: It wasn't long before Sarah and I realized that for so long the cowboy boot industry was kind of run and dominated by the male influence, and where we love our boys, you know, they think that for girls they'll color it pink and put rhinestones on it, and we're supposed to love them, you know.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: And so we just kind of realized we felt like, you know, the cowboy boot is such a romantic silhouette and such a classic silhouette and I think we felt that it was one that should be celebrated and shouldn't fight fashion and should be, and it's versatile and easy to wear and should be worn, you know, with ripped jeans, going to carpool or out with or a pencil skirt, or a pencil skirt or out with leather pants at night on a date.
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: So we had the idea, over plenty of glasses of champagne and lots of conversations, to kind of launch what we felt like was a contemporary luxury cowboy boot brand, and so that's kind of how it started Well, and I grew up in New York City and I have to say Lou Casey's on Madison Avenue was where we all lived.
• 4:42
  Speaker 4: So, we wore cowboy boots all the time and that amazing, the store that was there in the 80s that's so famous.
• 4:48
  Speaker 4: Was it Space Cowboy?
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: Yes, yes, so fabulous.
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: But your style, like what you just said about designing as women, makes such a difference, because what I notice is you guys have, like, different heights, etc.
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: Like I think that the way the boot cuts your leg is really important and it varies so much person to person.
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: You really need to try them, you know, and we tell people that it's like a pair of jeans Like you may love how they look on somebody else and want to try that brand, but they don't necessarily kind of like fit your body or like you know, you don't love them on yourself.
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: They really are so personal.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: But that's, I think, what makes them so special time.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: How many do you have in your closet and what is your favorite pair?
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: Oh gosh, martha.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: So actually Lizzie and I are the same size which is nice because we share a collection and, of course, love to buy vintage and I'm going to be honest, it's probably a little out of hand.
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: Let's just say there's more room in my closet.
• 5:37
  Speaker 4: I'm going to have to figure out how to make it work.
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: We moved a bunch of them back to our childhood home on the ranch as well, because we're kind of busted at the seams.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: We almost need a museum.
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: I think you need a museum of the cowboy group.
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: I love that our storage unit more realistically.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: People can stop in and see the museum.
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: It's absolutely an addiction.
• 5:57
  Speaker 4: It's a problem they're fun.
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: They're fun to collect and reminisce about.
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: And I think too, they kind of you know various boots to collect and reminisce about.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: And I think to you, they kind of you know various boots, to your point about asking which one's our favorite, ours, our favorite art, um kind of mile or milestones of our lives.
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: And so we look back and you know the boots I wore at my wedding or um boots we graduated in or when we pledged sororities.
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: We got boots like it's fun.
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: They just kind of we reminisce as we see them okay, wait hold for a second.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: You wore boots with your wedding gown well.
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: so my mother is very traditional and she said in the church you will wear heels, but as soon as I was out of the church.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: I pulled on boots that my brother and sister had made for me.
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: They were my Something Blue on my wedding day.
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: It was so sweet and they're actually my cousin, who is our production manager at one of our factories in South Texas, was helps me design them way, way back before we had Maren Crosby, and so now they're in the collection.
• 6:42
  Speaker 4: You can order Lizzie's wedding boots they're called the Marfa boot, which is where she was married.
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: That's where I got married.
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: So yeah, that's so fun.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: Well, Maren Crosby is such a unique and distinct name.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: How did you guys come up with that?
• 6:53
  Speaker 4: Oh, good question.
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: So Maren is actually a play on our great-grandfather's first name really really close to my dad, and his wife, who we called Sis, was also super instrumental in my dad's life and a super strong female and they were actually business partners in the ranch company for a long time and we always kind of credit Sis and Bug who was Mirren's nickname, was Bug with kind of you know my dad's appreciation, I think, for the fact that women can do anything and he's always been super encouraging of us.
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: We have a brother as well and he's very encouraging of him too, but I think he has kind of a special part for women in business and always really encouraged us to pursue our dreams and saddle our own horse and do all the things.
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: So that's kind of a nod to that.
• 7:35
  Speaker 4: And then Crosby is a pasture on our family's cattle ranch in West Texas and also the street in Soho, new York, where we lived, and on Fridays after work Lizzie and I would meet at a little foot spa in Crosby and drink champagne and have our feet rubbed and talk about this project.
• 7:53
  Speaker 4: It's somewhere we look to for inspiration and we love the intersection of fashion and Western.
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: It's such a part of our brand DNA.
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: And so a little nod to New York and a nod to the ranch, and there you go.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: Hey Park City's families.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: We all feel that pinch of rising home insurance, don't we?
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: But there is a solution and it's closer than you think.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: Meet Kathy Elwall of State Farm Agency.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: She's not just our trusted show sponsor.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: She's also the expert you need to navigate these unpredictable insurance waters.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: Why get lost in a maze of policies and rates?
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: Kathy has a knack for simplifying it all.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Call 214-350-2692 or stop by kathylwallcom to schedule a meeting.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: She's ready to review your homeowner policy and pinpoint where you could be saving more money right now.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: We trust Kathy wholeheartedly and once you chat with her, you'll see why.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: It's not just about rates.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: It's about trust, expertise and peace of mind.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: So don't let rising homeowner insurance costs catch you off guard.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Contact Kathy L Wall, state Farm Agency now at 214-350-2692, or visit kathylwallcom.
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: With Kathy L Wall on your side, you'll have an agent you can trust and help secure your family's future.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: I remember seeing at DFW these big billboards.
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: I don't even know what it was for, but it had like a cowboy on it and cowboy boots and it said in Texas, we know a thing or two about branding and I thought it was so true.
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: I love that, although the cowboy boot was not invented in Texas.
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: True, it's South American.
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: Oh, I read that it was in Kansas.
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: Oh yeah, so maybe just in America, maybe it was South.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: America to Kansas to Texas.
• 9:26
  Speaker 4: I think it was an adaptation from like the pompous style, but yes to your point Kansas is pompous.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: You know more than I do.
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: I don't, I really don't.
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: I'm impressed by your research.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: I feel like Western wear in general has just like really popped off over the past few years and it has become really trendy and a lot of these brands are like really cranking out the clothes and the boots and maybe they're not the best quality, but what I really like about your brand is the quality.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: I was so fascinated to just read up about how they were made and the whole process and I just really love that they're handcrafted and so unique and everything.
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: So we're really committed to, you know, kind of ushering the cowboy boot to a seat at the fashion table without taking any shortcuts on the front end.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: And so our hand craftsmanship is a hallmark of our brand and one that we're really, really committed to, because we feel, like you know, if you're buying something at this price point, of course it needs to have amazing craftsmanship and the world's best leathers, but also really stand the test of time and be something that's a wardrobe staple, that you can wear and pull out for years and enjoy and even pass on.
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: Well and oh sorry, I interrupted you.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: They're like pieces of art.
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: They really are, that's exactly To like kind of piggyback on what Sarah's saying.
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: You know we want them to be heirloom quality where you may get rid of.
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: You know your grandfather's loafers or something Like cowboy boots are just statement pieces and you know we have our great uncles and our grandfathers and Sarah's like brassed some of them and made cool kind of like pieces for them and as we've gifted them to our kids, they're now on their toddler, you know nursery room bookshelves.
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: I just think that it's like they they are.
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: They are their works of art, they're really special, they tell a story, and so we want them to be heirloom quality and and and we've added also, you know, the various elements to the program to kind of to emphasize that, like you know you can take a handwritten note that's transcribed into leather and then sewn into the liner of the boot.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: And people have done the sweetest things and I think you know whether you're writing will you marry me or welcoming a son home from a deployment.
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: We've seen all kinds of cool and special attributes, and then even you know, personalizing the outside of them with special colors or dates or or a monogram.
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: Again, we want these to be pieces of art that are you know that you pass down and that you have forever.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: They stand the test of time.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: Like you would never want to get rid of them, and they'll outlive every one of us in this room right here do you guys have cowboy?
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: boots, of course, and you know my husband has his father's cowboy boots, see.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: And we have all these pictures and they're light blue.
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: And we have all these pictures of my son, when he was like two, standing in them In them.
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: You know they came up to his.
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: Yes, so cute, but they're so cute.
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: I love that.
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's really special.
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: I love that Well.
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: I'm from Fort Worth and I showed horses, so, yes, I do know a thing or two about the boots.
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: Good for you.
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: I love that I'm a fellow horse woman.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: I like that Well, I want to hear about the customization because that to me sounds so much fun to be able to go through that process.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: I understand that ranch water is involved, which I'm totally on board with.
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: Turns out, people get more excited and spend more money when you're feeding them tequila it's so true.
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: It's so true, but it's fun.
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: You know, sarah, and I really feel strongly about um.
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: One of the brand, the pillars of our brand, is hospitality and we want to like extend that as an experience in the store.
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: So when customers come in, we love to welcome them with the ranch water and, you know, if they want to hear about the story, or hear the story behind the different styles of boots and the inspiration behind the design, we love to talk about it and make friends and then sit down at the table and work with you on a really special product that you again will cherish and have forever.
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: So, yeah, I think part of that too is we feel like, at this day and age, when everything is available, the click of the button, that the experience is so much a part of retail, and so we want it to smell like leather.
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: We want you to come in and have a delicious ranch water and a conversation that you'll remember and maybe learn some things about the brand.
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: Maybe not depending on how many ranch waters, but then we do offer all these customization elements and we've curated a really beautiful leather library and it's very high touch and high feel.
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: And again, in hopes that you have a great time, because that's really what this is about, yeah, my daughter and I were in the Highland Park location a couple of months ago and we were asking about the process and we looked at the book and the leathers and everything and they told us how long it takes.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: I was like, well, it's going to take you that long to to figure this out, so maybe we'll get there for get them for you for your college graduation there's plenty of time for this.
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: It is actually a great idea to give somebody who's going to ut or any school as a graduation present, because that's something they'll have forever.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that a great idea.
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: And a fun thing to wear in college for sure, yeah.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: Are you looking for oral surgeons with serious skill?
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: Well then you should visit our friends at Stuart and Arango.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: They have expertise in just about every type of oral surgery you can imagine.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: That means they offer full scope oral, facial and implant surgeries for both children and adults.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: And when I say skill, I mean it.
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: They offer a TMJ total joint replacement surgery that only a handful of oral surgeons in America are able to perform.
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: This knowledge comes from doctors Arango and Stewart being trained by some of the most well-respected surgeons in the world.
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: Together, stewart and Arango have a thorough understanding of what it takes to achieve optimal facial aesthetics and the best results from dental implants.
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: So want to experience a level of expertise that has won multiple Best in Big D awards for yourself, come visit them.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: Stuart and Arango are conveniently located at Northwest Highway in Hillcrest.
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: To learn more about them or book your appointment, visit sasurgeonscom.
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: That's sasurgeonscom.
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: So has there been any funny stories that you have?
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: Any crazy designs?
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: Anyone that had too much ranch water?
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: Anything that would make us laugh?
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: Oh, I mean there have been some customers that have designed some boots.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: Is this fair for me to say, sarah?
• 14:58
  Speaker 3: Oh, of course.
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: But you know, we try to talk them kind of rewind, a little bit Like maybe we won't put that color and that color together, but they liked it and so we built it.
• 15:12
  Speaker 4: You know?
• 15:12
  Speaker 4: No, but it's fun.
• 15:12
  Speaker 4: Yeah, Can you think of anything we have really tried to curate.
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: You know, kind of the leather library said that the idea is, when I get frozen yogurt I put all the toppings on it and then it tastes bad.
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: Do you know what I mean?
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: And so I think there's beauty in a little bit more like curation and kind of fewer decisions.
• 15:26
  Speaker 4: So the program is highly curated.
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: But I always am kind of thrilled when people do something crazy, Like if you love color and you love it, you'll wear it.
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: Yeah, go for it.
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: We had a bride, just do a yellow boot and I was like that's cool.
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: I think it's kind of fun to be a little rogue you know Funny story is that we love our metallic collection.
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: It's been huge and when we were first starting to sample it, one of our marketing manager ordered a custom pair of lime green metallics and I remember thinking, okay, like I'm into it, but I'm gonna have to see him.
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: And they came in and they were so fabulous that we decided to put him in the collection.
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: So well, and I remember one of the artisans um, he's wonderful down at the factory, he's been there for decades and he was like what you want us to order?
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: This lime green metallic that was just strap pieces.
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: I think back from the 80s.
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: We were like, yeah, well, see if you can still get that supplier on the phone, because I think we're gonna give it a shot, but he was really cute.
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: Uh, we use a lot of exotics too, which always have entertaining stories behind them, you know so have?
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: you guys have collaborated with celebrities, right?
• 16:23
  Speaker 4: any interesting stories there, well yes, you tell the probable story, so we um kind of met probable grong through some mutual friends and as he was celebrating the anniversary of his 10th collection, it was um, it was inspired by who gets to be american um, and in that he wanted to have some representation of cowboy boots because I think kind of to play on the americana aspect of them.
• 16:45
  Speaker 4: And so we worked with him and did a little limited um capsule collection that was on the runway for his 10th anniversary show in New York.
• 16:52
  Speaker 4: And then we had a huge party here at the mansion on Rosewood, the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, to celebrate and had, like girls, horseback carrying rodeo flags that said like Maren Crosby, ex-frabo Grong, and a super fun little tiny kind of small runway show which was a big festivity.
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: But I mean for.
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: Sarah and me, you know like.
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: I've long kind of been envious of his clothes, and his eye for color is amazing.
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: He dressed like Michelle Obama and stuff you know, and so when he called us and asked us if we'd do this and to come to his office, I was a nervous wreck, do you remember?
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: So we we worked all day and we're working through swatches and and sketches and it was kind of intense in his office in New York and of course Lizzie and I are nervous, but he was like girls.
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: I just visioned them coming down the runway as little colored candies.
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, that's so cute and we were like, yes, problem, can you bring us some margaritas so I can calm down.
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: It was really fun to kind of be in a true designer's head in his office and work with him.
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: He was amazing so creative.
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: He's an exceptional, exceptional um.
• 17:52
  Speaker 4: So that was a met gala.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: I think you need to be on somebody's.
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: I would love that celebrity some celebrity chirps that I like love.
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: So you know, you have these like moments.
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: As I look back on our so we've almost been in business eight years, um and a few that really pop out and we, as as sarah and I, were dreaming up this business, I remember having a conversation it was Sarah and my brother-in-law, who has been a great mentor and who's been in fashion a long time, and myself kind of visiting about it and he was like you know, it's helpful, and I think this is actually really good advice.
• 18:21
  Speaker 3: He's like it's helpful, as you're thinking about starting a business, to kind of have some like North stars and that way you kind of channel your energy towards, like where you're going and don't derail as much.
• 18:31
  Speaker 3: And he was like give me an idea of like a North Star, like where would you love to aspire to be or what would you love?
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: You know a publication you'd like to aspire to be in or somebody you'd like to aspire to meet?
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: And I was like gosh, if we are ever in Vogue, I'm done Like my job here is done, and it happened about 12 months later.
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: right after we started, gigi Hadid wore our boots in Vogue and I remember so vividly being at Monkey Bar.
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: Where else would I be when we got the call that this would happen and I called my husband up right away.
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: I was with some girlfriends and we had a really fun celebratory evening.
• 19:04
  Speaker 3: Sarah was still in Lubbock at law school.
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: But anyway there's just been.
• 19:09
  Speaker 3: Some times like that that I think are really fun, and Kim Kardashian placed a huge order at Christmas.
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: That was beautiful, no?
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: way.
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, how did they even find out about you?
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: I don't know, and also, they don't use their names.
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: Aspen.
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: So all of a sudden, she was like it was like little kids boots and she was on Instagram and there was North or Chicago, rather in our Mirren Crosby's, and I was like what?
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: Yeah, she has a few colors and she wore them to her birthday party and then it's fun because our marketing head, who's a total sleuth, was able to kind of track it back and figure out that the address they went to was it like Chloe's office and all this stuff.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: But anyway, so we figured it out.
• 19:51
  Speaker 4: She's really sweet.
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: We love Casey and.
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderful and Kate Hudson shops in Aspen pretty frequently, so it's fun.
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: We have a few kind of overlaps with some cuties.
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: Yeah, we're really grateful.
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would imagine that the Aspen store gives you that exposure as well.
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: And people are on vacation, they want to buy Christmas gifts, et cetera.
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: Yes, you know it's a good location.
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: It's so fun, it's such a beautiful place.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: So with most fashion brands they kind of follow along with the seasons and provide new things each season that tie in.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: It doesn't seem like with boots.
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: That would really make sense.
• 20:32
  Speaker 4: Do you guys just kind of make it up as you go, or how do you?
• 20:33
  Speaker 4: What is the cycle cycle?
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: No, I'm sure it would make sense and it probably does for a lot of you know, a lot of brands.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: We um don't do traditional collections, so we don't drop like a spring summer and a fall winter to your point.
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: Instead, we kind of do boot drops and to your point.
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: I think a little bit of that, frankly, is because lizzie and I are a little bit add and I think we get really one-track minded and excited about something and kind of put all of our effort into it and it seemed to work for us.
• 20:52
  Speaker 4: You know, we're so small batch, we're made by hand and we love to focus on newness and smaller releases that are really pertinent, and we can be really flexible and nimble, which is great, and so we do kind of a traditional boot drop and drop something that we hope is really fun and kind of of the moment and that allows us then to be, you know, to turn on a dime and make something totally different, kind of for the next drop.
• 21:17
  Speaker 4: So we really sort of focus on a silhouette for a couple of months and then really, something new is what we try to do.
• 21:19
  Speaker 4: And then, of course, we have stock and have our core styles that are pretty much always available, we hope, when they're to Sarah's point, she's exactly right.
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: I think the only thing I would say is that a lot of times we consider color when we're dropping styles, like if we're really into something that is pale pink or kind of loving, like you know.
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's what I meant is like then we can really like focus on what we feel like is important for the moment and then kind of pivot if it's for something different.
• 21:40
  Speaker 4: Yeah, does that make sense to answer your question?
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: It does, it totally does.
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: But we can plot it into times a year.
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: That's more relevant.
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: We're not going to like try not to launch a black boot in July, kind of thing, you know.
• 21:49
  Speaker 4: But anyways, yeah, we are kind of lucky and I think in our category it's a little bit less seasonal or sort of season less if you will, you're buying boots in July because you want them to wear.
• 21:59
  Speaker 4: Rather, you know, it's, it's, it's.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: We're sort of less, yeah, you're right.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: So one of my most favorite things about doing this podcast is I love having women business owners on, just like yourselves.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: I love to hear how they do it all.
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: In your case, I mean, you're doing everything from start to finish.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: You're managing the actual production of your inventory, running the stores, the whole thing.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: You've got children.
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: You've got all sorts of demands on you.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: How do you do it all?
• 22:25
  Speaker 3: I would love to know the answer myself.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: I feel like.
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: I listen to podcasts, I read books, like waiting for, kind of like just an epiphany about how to do it, and do it well, I will tell you, I really try.
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: I'm very organized, highly organized.
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: I really try, though, to take it day by day.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: Sarah makes fun of me.
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: I have lists, on lists, on lists.
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: When I get in the morning, I write down what has to get done that day and also what has to get done at home and what everyone's schedule is.
• 22:54
  Speaker 3: It helps me, kind of like stay somewhat sane.
• 22:59
  Speaker 3: I think like so I think organization, and I have to tell you so I have a daily calendar reminder.
• 23:05
  Speaker 4: I think it's 4.30 pm, it pings and it's June's vitamins, I mean everything on our calendar, which is also really smart, but it's just.
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: I have to.
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: I just feel like there's too many kind of like ways to kind of drop the ball.
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: But that said, up the ball, but that said, back to drop the ball.
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: You know, I think what I've really tried to kind of impress myself and give myself some grace about is really understanding that through all the juggling, some balls are glass and those can't drop.
• 23:27
  Speaker 3: And I think when you kind of have a perspective like that, you know whether it's time with my husband and, you know, obviously, being available to my children, that's the most important.
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: And I've also, like realized a few things in my life that I think are life hacks.
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: One is getting up early.
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: If I have like some time before the kids are up and I'm not reacting to them, but I'd rather kind of, you know, able to kind of get out in front of it and make lunches and have my quiet time, do my devotional, have a cup of coffee I feel like my day runs more smoothly.
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: Also, my husband is just a huge part of my life and I feel like when Seth and I take the time to be together whether that's, like you know, dinner out one night or even a walk around the block before we get in bed or taking a trip, which is really hard to fit in, like you know, when we're connected and aligned, everything else in our house kind of like waterfalls and it runs really smoothly.
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: And so I think, kind of realizing to um, the importance of, of of my marriage and um, and my faith in all of this, and then again just kind of what I'm not willing to sacrifice has been helped.
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: I mean, it's been kind of like my cornerstone but being organized is is key and you know, having five afford snacks.
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: I mean I'll open my pantry and be like and who are you?
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: You know they're like just grabbing some Oreos.
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: I'm like okay.
• 24:45
  Speaker 3: Like bye Bates' mom.
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: I'm like well, bye whoever?
• 24:47
  Speaker 3: You are, but it's a ton of fun.
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: I'm really grateful, and the opportunity to run Maren Crosby is just.
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: I've learned more and I feel like I've been stretched and challenged in a way that I wouldn't have otherwise, and I'm really grateful for the community and the people around me that allow me to do it.
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: So Takes a village it does.
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: And my sister gives me lots of grace and she is my number one, like like supporter and encourager, and is like, yes, of course you should be gone this afternoon and that sort of thing, so she's the best.
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: And it sounds like you all support each other.
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: I mean, not everybody can be in a family business together right.
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: True, yeah, it's tricky and certainly I mean it comes with its own kind of pitfalls.
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: But we established a couple of things really early on that we are very, very serious about, and one of them is we've kind of set a boundary where, like if I need some sister time, I'll say I need some sister time and we have to hang it up for the day, kind of?
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: Do you?
• 25:35
  Speaker 4: know what I mean, like how many times we're together all the time, right, every family vacation we're together and we work in the same office and sit at desks that face each other, um, but you know, I think being communication is just kind of a, that's a core thing and I think we've gotten really serious about that.
• 25:48
  Speaker 4: And then sounds cheesy, but it's true.
• 25:50
  Speaker 4: We promised each other, um, before we started, that if this ever really got in the way of our family relationship, that one of us would walk away from the business, and so I think that's kind of always in the back of my mind.
• 25:59
  Speaker 4: It's a little bit of a safe, it's kind of a safety net, but it keeps us, I think, disciplined.
• 26:04
  Speaker 4: We over-communicate, we spend a lot of time together.
• 26:08
  Speaker 4: We're also really different, and I think that's a huge blessing.
• 26:11
  Speaker 4: We have really different proclivities really different interests and so naturally in business it's allowed us to kind of be able to have real autonomy, I think, over the parts that we like and then kind of complement one another.
• 26:22
  Speaker 4: That's true, that's just a grace of God thing and we couldn't have planned that, but it seemed to have worked in our favor.
• 26:28
  Speaker 4: We try not to step on each other's toes, yeah.
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: You all have shared so much great advice.
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: I mean, this has been awesome spending time with you.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: I can't thank you enough for being here.
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: How can we find you?
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: Yes, you can find us at wwwmirancrosbycom or at Miran Crosby on all the socials, I think and we have three retail locations.
• 26:48
  Speaker 4: So our first and headquarters is at Highland Park Village above Honor Bar in Dallas, and then we have a store in Aspen, colorado, and a third location in Houston on Westheimer and River Oaks.
• 27:00
  Speaker 4: That's new, we opened about six months ago, so it's really exciting to be in Houston.
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: We're really enjoying it and have so enjoyed our time with you guys today.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: Thank you both so much for having us.
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: Come see us.
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: We'll pour you a ranch water, save your butt, I would love a ranch water and it's been great to have you all on.
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: You're such an inspiration and that's been another Nellie.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Schuto and I'm Martha Jackson, and we'll catch you next time.