Rank + File is a magazine for purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

The Collaboration I Never Considered

As magical as the internet is, with thousands of brands at our fingertips with the click of a button, there is still nothing quite like being able to touch a product in real life — to smell the leather or feel the softness of the T-shirt fabric. It’s a sensory experience that remains important for creators and consumers.

When I launched a recycled denim accessories line last year, I was divided on whether to focus solely on e-commerce or try to work with boutiques as well. My margins for wholesale were tight: I was committed to U.S. manufacturing, and my manufacturer was committed to a living wage for her employees. That made for not-terribly-low product costs, which in turn made the boutique route complicated.

Starting Over at the Wrong Time in the Wrong Place

Starting a new business shortly after moving into an entirely new state is not advice anyone would give to a budding entrepreneur. In November 2015, I officially registered Hem + Haw as an LLC in Virginia, the state I’d been born in, schooled in and lived in as a quasi-adult for more than a decade. Four months later I was surrounded by boxes in a new apartment in New Orleans.