Two Brands, One Special Pop-Up
One of the Seedling tips we share to our potential tenants is to find a like-minded small business and “pop-up” together. Pairing with a fellow small business owner will lead to a more dynamic shopping experience, lots of marketing help, and more people to staff and run the shop – an otherwise common pain point for single entrepreneurs.
Back in the summer when Sam from Umbrella Dry Drinks rebooked the studio, we were excited for two reasons. We love seeing businesses return to our space and we found out she's partnering with Sue from Tulusa, who is one of our favorite local makers! Sam and Sue have been in our studio already for a month now, and they are continuing their stay all through December. Keep reading and you’ll find out how the idea of popping up together was born, what they love about the Old Town community, and how they find balance during the holiday season.
Tell us about what brought you two together and how the idea about collaboration came up.
Sue: We started talking about collaborating back in April when Sam had recently finished her first pop-up at The Seedling Collective and was searching for a permanent location, while also selling products in Boxwood. Meanwhile, I had been selling a variety of my block- printed napkins, runners, and other products at Boxwood for quite some time. An opportunity came up to create a few unique gift boxes for Mother's Day and Father's Day with items from Tulusa and Umbrella Dry Drinks in Boxwood. Then the idea to combine forces for a pop-up at The Seedling during the holiday season came up and we ran with it!
This isn't your first time at The Seedling Collective, how is it going to be different from your previous pop-ups?
Sam: This pop-up is unique from both of our previous times at The Seedling Collective because we are sharing the space and we are featuring other local, woman-owned businesses as well. We will be collaborating for different events to incorporate beautiful, handmade linens in your holiday tablescape as well as sophisticated, non-alcoholic beverages to include at your gatherings to ensure that everyone has an option!
What is your favorite thing about living/working in Old Town?
Sam and Sue: The community of unique small businesses that always support each other is our favorite!
I know it's probably hard to pick, but if you had to - Sue, which is your favorite napkin print and Sam, which is your favorite spirit-free cocktail?
Sue: My favorite napkin print is the feather – it's been one of my prints from the very beginning and it has stood the test of time.
Sam: My favorite spirit-free cocktail is called The French Butterfly – it's a non-alcoholic version of the French 75 with a fun twist! It includes zero-proof gin infused with butterfly pea flowers, the most delicious handcrafted lavender simple syrup, and lemon It’s topped with alcohol-removed sparkling Blanc de Blancs. The color transforms from blue to purple with the addition of the lemon juice and it's absolutely gorgeous!
For independent business owners, holidays can be very taxing, how do you find balance and enjoy this time of the year?
Sam: To be honest, it's a very difficult thing to accomplish, and generally a small business owner doesn't really sleep until January! We both agree that it's a crazy busy time, and not the easiest task to juggle everything. We have both found that we try to make the most of spending time with our families when we can. Being in the moment is very important when these opportunities arise, but we also do our best to have fun during the holiday rush!
