EP 15: MY MCCARTHY FOUNDER OF GAVIN LUXE: PURVEYORS OF SENSUAL LIVING

ep15- My McCarthy Founder/Gavin Luxe Purveyors of Sensual Living

Michelle: Hey there. I'm Michelle Sherrier, and this is the retail whore podcast, the stories and Lessons from the Life and Retail. Hello. Hello. Happy Wednesday, guys. It's about going to get super crazy here for me in a bit. If you follow mc design collaboration, you know, we do the Bristol Farms Grocers, we do all their holiday setups. So we're starting earlier this year and next Monday I will be in La Jolla at 2:00 in the morning hanging Garland with my team. It's this time of year always gives me insane anxiety. I think it's just because of my age and the fact that you are basically working in the middle of the night like you're during Anthro days when they had all nighters. I was lucky I was able to get out of them or I played the second group of people that kind of came in behind. And for some reason I have no problem waking up at three or four in the morning. But man, you asked me to stay up all night and it is torture. So when you see me on MSC Design Collaboration and we're doing stories in the middle of the night from these grocery stores, you'll see a progressive dark circle growing under my eyes. But it seems fitting that this week's episode is all about self care.

Michelle: I started following My McCarthy during the I guess it was during lockdown. She had a candle that I am, was and am still obsessed with called Rich Bougie Auntie. And I think it's the most clever kitchen name ever. And her fragrances are over the top. I mean, they are very layered notes. They are all hand-poured by herself, but she is all about the self care indulgence and having no guilt about it whatsoever. And if you know me, you know I'm all about the self care and you know I love me a good hot bath after a super long day. So as I'm going into these insane hours and overnights, it seemed fitting to plug in my interview here. We talk about after the loss of a family member, her partner sending her away to go get get go within and to spend some time by herself and basically both reflect and take care of herself. So she talks to us about that. She talks to us about the book that she brought along that she says and swears by. We're actually going to be giving one away as well. And she talks about her brand and I'm super excited to bring to you, without further ado, my McCarthy and her brand, Gavin Lux.

Michelle: Hi My. How are you?

My: Great. How are you?

Michelle: I'm good. It's so great to finally meet you or Zoom. Meet you. Thank you for making the time for me. 

My: Glad to meet you as well. I love. I'm, like, obsessed with your work. I don't even know how we got connected, but I was like, This is everything.

Michelle: Thank you so much. I love hearing that. You know, I love what I do. So it's it's nice to hear that people connect with it and people like seeing what I'm doing because I either overshare or I don't share enough. So.

My: No, your work is beautiful. I was like, I have to, like, consume everything like you posted, like all your highlights. And then I was sending it to my cousin and then my girlfriend, my partner. I was like, Come here, look at this. You have to look at her and stuff. It's so beautiful.

Michelle: Oh, my God.

Michelle: Thank you so much. I'm going to we're going to start the first question. I have to first turn off my phone because. I think. I'm blown up right. Now. Okay. And I realized. Because when I first started doing this, I would forget to turn off my cell phone. And then there was still I thought I had all my settings, everything, every notification turned off. And the first couple podcast, you can hear this beeping, what is that? So we finally have figured all that out. So now I just turn my phone off also.

Michelle: Okay.

Michelle: So I asked everybody the same question when we first start is what was your first job and how old were you?

My: Oh. I was working at Chuck E. Cheese pizza. I was the salad bar person. And how old was that? I think it was like 15.

Michelle: Oh, my God. See, I love it most. Like, I know I repeat myself on this, but most people that I interview that are full hustlers, that have their own brand that started all started super young. And I love that. And most of us started in food service, which I oddly I feel like. But I feel like food service because you did pizza. My friend Jessica, who was on a couple of weeks ago, she started a Dunkin Donuts.

My: Oh, wow.

Michelle: I started an ice cream. Like, it's so funny. But I realized that, like, within starting in food as a kid, you you end up having these great customer service skills, right?

My: Right. Especially in those horrible I was terrible at the salad bar. Like, I would just be like, oh, my God, why are these people piling all this stuff on their salad plate? They can come back. Why are.

My: They like.

Michelle: Oh, girl, have you seen a buffet in Vegas.

Michelle: Before? Well, they're nonexistent now, but before COVID, have you seen it? I watch people and I my mouth is like open, like how are they going to eat all that? And like, how do you decipher one flavor from the other when it's all just one giant mass?

My: So it's like you can come back, you get a second round.

Michelle: Maybe they're more maybe they're more worried about how many times they show up, back up, as opposed to how large their plate is.

My: Right. Right.

Michelle: So what I so I don't know when I started following you, but I became obsessed with, like, one because your line is beautiful and it's.

My: Yeah.

Michelle: It's hard because obviously you can't smell things from far away and I don't know where you're sold. So I want to digging a little bit deeper and reading more on your bio and some of the information you sent us. I love that you you say that your three passions, impeccable design, sensuous aromatics and self care. Yes. Tell me a little bit more about your passion for each of these.

My: So I'm a graphic designer by trade, so I usually work with a lot of beauty brands. And I've just done branding for probably. Over 12 years now. Wow. Like, I can't even remember how long it's been. It's been so long. And so when I started this brand, it was really because. Well, let me rewind. I'm always all over the place.

Michelle: So I already realize I skipped over a whole question.

My: So when I first my first business that I started was like jewelry. I was like, Oh, I found this jewelry place. I used to live in Long Beach and there was like this huge bead store. And so I would go there and buy beads and I was like, Oh, I'm going to make jewelry now. So I started making jewelry. And then it was like that brand turned into like a lifestyle brand before lifestyle brand was a thing.

Michelle: What year is this?

My: This was probably like 2008, and so it was like I wanted a tee line, like I had a line of tea in my company and then I had candles, but I had somebody else make the candle. So I've always like loved candles. And so fast forward to that might have been before 2000. Yeah, it was 2008. So around 2013, I was working on a project for another client and then I was looking at this vintage Monogram Book. So I was working on a monogram for her and then for myself. I was just like, I want to create, I want to design beautiful labels for a candle company, just random. And so I was like, You know what? I'm going to I can do that. It's like the motto of all like crafter, entrepreneur. People are like, I can do that. And I was like, I can do that. I'm going to learn how to make candles. At first, I paid my one of my best friends to make the candles for me, like the first iteration that I did. So I was like, Sean, I need you to do these. And she's like, okay. And then I was like, You know what? No, you're going to learn how to make candles on your own. So I was like, I'm going to be that person to ask a whole bunch of questions. So I'm just going to pay for one on one class smart. And I was like, I don't want to be the person where they're like, Come on. She already asked, you know what I mean? She already answered that question. So I learned how to make candles. And really it started from me just wanting to. Make beautiful labels with this first monogram that I saw.

Michelle: So. Okay, so. I have so much to ask you.

My: Absolutely.

So you were doing graphics like what? For graphics for beauty. So give me if you can tell me some of the labels that you were working on.

So I work with a variety of clients, from chiropractors to employment agencies to.

It just.

Varies. Like Baskin Bloom, she's one of my big clients. They're really big and like natural hair care right now. So they're doing. And so I have like a ton of like small independent brand clients that are doing amazing things right now.

And you create their label or their.

Art.

Or everything.

So everything from the logos to the color palette to textures to patterns to product labels, all of that.

So in doing that, you finding this one, where was the vintage Monogram Farm or.

The.

It was a book. It was like a book I bought from Amazon with just pages and pages of vintage monograms. And so I saw as a G and a C that was together. It was like G and Co. And then I was like, Oh my God, I want this. Like, I don't use it now. But that's where the idea came from.

I love old graphics and I love going through because it's the girls from I Had Rocks. Is your paper like they're all about like all that vintage. I mean, it's very their vibe is very like seventies and they I guess they just went they got their mom's a lot of her mom's magazines that she had for years, like better homes and Gardens and like magazines around forever. And I adore those, like, the ads and like the colors and the funky prints. I mean, there's nothing like it now, so I love that's where.

Yeah. And then I was like, I don't have a name that means anything. Like, you want to use this, but what are you going to do with it? And so literally, I mean, it sounds like a random story. And my hairdresser, he's always like, That's so boring. You got to come up with a better story than that. But literally, I was like, Oh, okay, let me look through unisex baby names.

Oh.

It's like, Oh, Kevin, I like that. Like G Unisex baby names. Like, what do you like? And I was like, Oh, Kevin, I love that name.

Oh, it's brilliant. I love that.

Random. Totally random.

That's usually.

How that's usually when the most brilliant things happen is it's.

Total.

Random. So one thing you said that I absolutely love that. I hope that people listening to this pay attention to is that you instead of having somebody else do it? Because I'm I'll admit and everyone knows this I am the worst at tech shit. Like I don't get it. I know that's not my bandwidth and I know I also don't have the attention to be able to do it, which is why my best friend, who's Lisa. Right, does all that. Because I have. But I love that you wanted to learn it yourself, because I think everyone in their brother, including myself with tech, is so willing to go OC And I think the biggest mistake that people don't realize, which I will have the same thing as like when a Lisa goes, hey, I can't do this anymore.

Or.

Say when you're can't, a person says, I can't pour anymore, you're kind of screwed. And it's like, unless you and that's what. Brendon Burchard That's what a whole bunch of people say is that learn the trade yourself. So no matter what happens, if you pass it off to somebody else, you'll always know how to go back and do it. So that was brilliant. So how long was your your lesson plan for learning how to pour and make candles?

It was really short, like a Google. Google is your best friend as an entrepreneur. I Google like who's a candle making class. I called the girl up and was like, Can't you teach me how to make candles? He was like, Absolutely. And so I wanted to get to different perspectives on, you know, because everybody does things slightly different. So I took her class, which was very like intensive, which was a lot for me.

Intensive because it was so detailed or intense to be.

Very, very, very detailed. And it was just like. You know, it's a lot for my brain to process, like all the detail. But then I found another lady who taught me, and it was just very intuitive on how how she taught me. Like it was very easy to learn. I mean, she came to my house, taught me, and she was gone within like 45 minutes. Wow.

Serious.

Wow. But you must retain some stuff from the first person. And then I.

Did retain other first things. But like, the second person was really it's how I teach people how to do it now. So it's like when I taught my mom, when I taught my son, when I taught my assistant how to do it. It's more of the way the second lady taught me.

Yeah, you know what I mean? There's a different way of I mean, I'm not book smart. I'm much more hands on. If you had me how to do something in a book, I, I don't follow along well, just because I'm so like, it sounds like you like, so and so all of the board that.

Oh my God.

Focus on something like that is like as opposed to I've literally learned everything hands on and it's just from being in the atmosphere. So I'm guessing that's what what worked for you as far as learning.

Exactly, exactly. Because the first way it was, it was too much. It was like, oh my God, we were like, it's 3 hours. This is too much.

You're checked out. Okay, I got to go. So getting back to your your passions and design, obviously your your graphic background, sensuous aroma or aromatics, tell me, like, is that. Are you based on? Do you do you base your sense on in your love for them on like multilayered? Or is there something you lean towards one or the other like I'm a green girl, like and like that milk bath that's like that that single note. Like, I love I guess I love single notes. Like, is your love of them from from somewhere else or from hands on doing this?

And. Well, the thing is, like, I love everything. Like, sexy is my vibe. Like everything sexy. It appeals to me. I'm just very much attracted to it. So I was like, everything that I want it. I want it to be very like sensuous. Like we get to have like sensuous life experiences. And so that's what I wanted. So like at first, like my first iteration of candles, it was just like regular stuff that, you know, every candle maker could buy, like, starting out. And then it was just like, No, this isn't good enough for me. So at the time, my sister in law at the time had she had previously worked for a fragrance company that that made fragrance for and candles for like major like companies, big box companies. And so she still had contacts to, you know, for fragrance houses. And I was like, oh my God, this is what I need to kind of like push me over the edge because it's like even though I'm starting off, you know, like at square one at the beginning, at this low level, it just wasn't good enough for me to, like, stay there, you know? It was like, No, you can do better. You know what I mean? Like, this isn't good enough.

Like, Oh, my God, I.

Love you for that.

Michelle: Because I think so many people stop before it's like. The I think people just are willing to accept, okay, this is good, I'm good. And then just stop. And it's it goes for everything that you do continue to. I mean, for me, it's like continuing to push something I did and make sure it's better the next time or push and pushing your product and making sure it's like even better and better is huge.

My: Yeah. So it's like, no, this can be great. So even like my first labels, I was like. You know, I had, like, this gold look, but I was like, I don't want to pay for gold labels. Like, and then it was like, I got them and it was like, Oh, this is like, you know, this is not good. So it's just like, I mean, like from the first label to the next one, it just, I mean, it was just like night and day from the first label, you know, for my first round to like the second round and then, you know, it just keeps morphing like every time. So even the, like, the really the good first collection is still is good, you know what I mean? Like it was good. And then I was just like, I want to do something different. Yeah. And so then that was the collection we launched probably like two years ago.

Michelle: So. Okay. What year did this your first iteration come out?

My: Let's say 2013...

Michelle: So you had your your OK line. Yeah. For a couple of years before putting out what it is now.

My: Yeah. Yeah. And so even the one that we have before we kind of rebrand it a little bit in, I think it was like 2017, 2018. That one, it stayed around for a long time, you know what I mean? And it kind of introduced more people to to the brand. Like we got wholesale accounts where it did well, you know what I mean? Like, I didn't hate it.

My: Like it was good. It was.

My: Good, you know what I.

My: Mean? So it was.

My: Definitely better than the first, you know, like the very first line that we came out with it. But that ten, those ten took us probably like four or five years.

Michelle: Wow, that's great.

My: It did really, really well.

My: And that's about the time, I would guess, that you want to because you see some big, big lines in there. First round is obviously like look at Patty Wax. It's like their.

My: First. Exactly.

Michelle: It was nowhere near what it is now. And I think that's that's the natural evolution of what what's gonna happen so that's great that it was in with a five years is still kind of short it seems like so.

My: That's great yeah yeah. So it's like no you know it's just like, you know, all creatives, I feel like we all get bored and we're like, I'm over that. So I wanted to do something different.

Michelle: So the self care part of it, your passion is that from something your belief just for I want to take care of me or is that because you went through a stressful time and it's like, I mean, for me, health care's like, that's okay. So tell me a little bit.

My: It's a struggle.

My: It's still a struggle. You know what I mean? Like balance. Something I struggle with.

Michelle: Yeah, because you have a kid also. You have a son.

My: Yeah, he's 29, so he's an.

My: Adult.

Michelle: Okay, well, he's still a kid.

My: He's adult. I'm a grandmother now.

Michelle: I mean, it's I can't imagine I and we're so far ahead in the questions now.

Michelle: Know the.

Michelle: The balance because I watched I watch entrepreneurs like yourself and who have are raising a family at the same time or still have a main hustle that they're still doing and and then have their side hustle. And it's like I often wonder how people find that balance. And for mine, because I have so many balls in the air and it's like this month is going to be really trying for me because I'm gone. I just got back from Vegas last night and I'm leaving for Vegas again Saturday and I'll be living there for almost two weeks in a hotel which already stresses me out because I'm such a homebody. Yeah, but I. My only thing I keep going back to for me is self care as well. Like, I travel with candles and I take a hot bath every night. And that to me is like grounding to the point where I can feel as is, I guess, as normal as I can in that situation while taking care of my. Tell me about your story.

My: So, so, like I said, I do I do graphic design. And so the candles it ended up and I always say the candle business was almost like my Mary Kay job and I was like, nothing against Mary Kay. You know how people kind of do that on the side and really design is really what I'm passionate about, really is the was the bulk of my income. So that really got all my focus and it just happened that Gavin like still thrived, you know what I mean? And it needed more attention than what I was giving it. So my partner that I'm with now, like once we got together, we've been together about five years and she is like, well, you know, what do you do for self care? And I was like, What do you mean self care? Like, What do you mean? And she's like, You don't have a night routine because they're all about routines. Like, her mom is like the queen of routine. I love it. I love it. Like she has like a 90 minute nighttime routine to.

Michelle: Oh, my God. Now I want to hear that beyond routines.

My: Right? So, you know, she grew she grew up seeing like her mom do this routine. So she's like, tell me, like, what's your routine? And I was like, well, do me routine. Like, I work until I pass out. What do you mean?

My: You know what I mean? Like.

My: Because I would just be busy, like, working around the clock. And so it was really her. They introduced me to like more self care. And so it was like she would be like, you know, like take time, like. She would just schedule me a massage. Like at the time we live in this little cottage and it's kind of like this little downtown area here. When I moved to San Diego and there is a massage like a block away. So literally I could shower, throw something on and then walk to, Oh.

Michelle: My God.

My: It's massage. And you just come back and get in bed. And so she she would make she would make appointments wherever and just be like, you have a massage at 4:00. And I was like, Wait, I could kind of get used to this, you know, ma'am. And so like, what year was it? In 2017. My grandmother passed away.

And I struggled like.

My: I'm going to cry. Oh.

My: My grandmother was like my my second mom. So I absolutely understand that connection.

My: Exactly. So I struggled, you know, I struggled that year. And she was like. You know, it's just like, you know what, I'm going to send you away. And I was like, What do you mean you're going to send me away? It's just like because she's all about, like, decadence and decadent hotels.

Michelle: And I love your partner.

My: So she's like, I'm the practical one usually, and she's the decadent one. You know what I mean? And so she was like, I could see you're struggling, like, I think you need I'm going to send you away for like a week, you know, to a hotel. And I think you just need a week to just focus on yourself like nothing but you. And I was like. I'm not sure. I was like, let me let me see how my schedule's going and we'll figure it out, you know? And I think I toyed around with that for about three weeks. I kept giving her the excuse, like, oh, let me you know, I've got to finish up with this project and I got to do this. And she was like, No, let's sit down right now. Where do you want to go for like a week? It doesn't have to be far, but just a week that you can like focus on you. And so I booked I booked the Airbnb and it was this cute little studio apartment. It's so cute with these French doors and air blew in and it was just great. And so my assistant at the time had she had mentioned a book, I can't it's like I can't think of the book now, but I felt like every woman was.

Michelle: Oh, my God, you have to remember that book.

My: It's like. A woman's retreat, I think. And it's by Jen Loudon. Loudon? Yeah. I'll have to get the book because it's on the coffee table. But in this book, it just talked about how you could you could create your own retreat in a short period of time, like at home, in an hour, in a week. It just talked about how to create this retreat for yourself. And the thing about it, it wasn't like you had to read through the whole book. It was like it kind of had a chart like, Oh, you have this much time and then you have grief. Go to page 52. You know what I mean? So it was like.

Michelle: I love this.

My: It was super easy. You didn't have to go through all this stuff, which I love, because my attention span is like super short.

Michelle: Hello.

My: So I was like, okay. So it was like in the book it told you like get all these things. Because I also believe like fragrance has like a memory. It creates memories.

Michelle: Yes.

My: And so it was like get things that you're going to love. Like go get like a new body oil. Go get all these goodies, new candles. And it's like I create, you know, I make candles, but I went out and bought candles, you know what I mean? So I bought all this stuff. Like, they're like get like a decadent shower gel, get yourself a journal, and you're just going to kind of create this retreat. And so when you smell this stuff, you can always go back to that place. So it was like I bought this oil, this body oil. And I love like the way this body oil felt on my skin. And it was like, you know, sometimes you have oil and it's like sticky and like, but it, like, absorbed into my skin. It was beautiful. Like, I searched everywhere for that oil nobody else had. Like, I got it from HomeGoods.

My: And it was like.

My: We looked for it and it was like, no, they, like, discontinued this oil. 

Michelle: Wow.

My: So it was like after that, I was like. I wanted to create what I needed for other women.

Michelle: I love that.

My: And so that's where it was like it just kind of started where it's like, no, you can't do more for yourself. Like, I don't always meet my goals, but I'm doing more for myself than I did.

Michelle: That's really I love that. I think it's so. I mean, smell and and music for me has a huge and on a total sideline not knowing my grandmother. I'm Hispanic and I don't know if you've ever heard the the folklore of when you see a monarch butterfly. Butterfly.

My: No. No.

Michelle: So every time you see a monarch butterfly, just see, you know, it's somebody that's passed that is floating in to check on you and see how you're doing. And that's why if you see any of the Day of the Dead festivals, there are always big monarchs that are in. So always because I say that because I my grandfather is I still swear by this like anything that happens to me, whether I avoid a car accident or something great that I, I know it's my grandfather. So in our back yard, always a monarch always flies in. And my grandfather was this crazy gardener, like, he would, like, plant a rosebush and then like four weeks later up plant it and move it somewhere else.

Michelle: It's like probably what you're not supposed to do. But he had fruit trees. And it's funny because now I sit outside in our backyard and we have fruit trees and I have tomatoes and I have this butterfly that comes in and he goes through the garden and I'm like I said to my husband and I'm like, I know that's William just saying, you need to you need to trim the tomato plants. You need to do this. You should a trim back to your peach trees. So I just thought I'd tell you that because I understand the loss of a grandparent and, you know, they are so incredibly important. And I just had a sideline that that was second.

Michelle: Just but.

Michelle: You know, the self care thing, it's like that's why I wondered where that came from, because there's people that grow up with self care and I'm all about massage and this, that, and there's people that find self care through trauma or for loss or for. And it's interesting to hear how you. So now have you kept up with your self care? Is it still now like is this.

My: Really like a work in progress? We had another thing happen this year. I lost my sister. Oh, my.

Michelle: I'm so sorry. Oh. Nope. Take your time.

My: So.

My: This year, I lost my sister to COVID.

My: My baby sister.

My: So this year has been kind of suck. You know what I mean? Like a rough year and. She has a son. He's ten. And so we went through this huge custody thing with his dad. And so this year has been tough.

My: So.

My: This year has been a lot, to say the least, you know what I mean? And so that happened in January. So. I'm in back and forth, like between here in LA.

Michelle: Is that where she lived? and her son.

My: So I'm from LA. So my mom, my whole family is there. And so I go back and forth, you know, every week. So tomorrow I'll get on the road. That's a drive. Yeah. So he'll come. My nephew will come for the weekend, and so I just make sure I show up for him.

Michelle: That's phenomenal.

My: Yeah. So I'll go there for the weekend. And so the good thing is, like, my partner, who's amazing, she is like. You need time for you.

Michelle: You do

Michelle: You still I mean, you you have to. You have to follow your own advice.

My: Yeah. And so the great thing was she does she is like, you know, I see you're pouring into everybody else in your business. And so on Sundays, she she gives me the house to myself to kind of just do whatever. She's like, you know, like she's like, I think you need this. You're never going to take it for yourself, but I think you need.

Michelle: I love your partner.

My: So she is like, you know, just on Sundays, I'm going to leave the house, I'll go golf or do something else, but I'm going to just give you the space to just be or you know what I mean? Like, do what you want to do.

Michelle: Yeah.

My: And so I'm just now starting to get back into a routine of, like, more self care. You know what I mean? Just like taking our time just to, like, sometimes do nothing, but, like, I don't watch a lot of TV or whatever, so sometimes I'm literally like on the sofa doing absolutely nothing for hours on a Sunday.

Michelle: And that's sometimes what you need. I mean, your body will your body will tell you, like, what you need, and that's it. Sometimes literally zoning out.

Michelle: Is what you need. And you got to.

Michelle: Listen to that. And it's thank God you do. And then your partner pushes you for that.

My: Because, oh my God, she puts so.

Michelle: Incredibly.

Michelle: Important. So that's a huge support.

Michelle: I mean, I don't think a lot of people have partners that that my husband's like that. But I don't think there's a lot of partners that are that intuitive to their other partner and and really push for them to take that time for themselves because they know it's important for you and also for your relationship for everything.

My: Yeah, she's really great about that. And sometimes I'm knowing what I need when I don't know what I need. You know what I mean? Because I would have never thought to be like, Can you just leave the house? You know what I mean? Like, I just never thought that. But the first day she did because I kind of felt a little bit guilty about it, too, like, well, you know what I mean? Like, you shouldn't have to leave the house, you know, Sundays kind of like a veg out day for everybody, kind of like a reset. But she's like, no, let's just try it and see how it goes. And it was like afterwards when she came back later that night and it was like, thank you. I really you know what I mean? Like, I really needed it and I really enjoyed it.

Michelle: And you probably missed her, too. I mean, it's also I think it's it's nice because, you know, she's come back and it's like, oh, my gosh, it's so great to see you.

My: Exactly.

Michelle: What did you do today? This is what I did.

My: Yeah. Yeah.

Michelle: Oh, my.

Michelle: I love that.

My: Yeah. So it's been great. And it's a journey, you know what I mean? Just little, little stuff. Like, especially during COVID. Like, I learned to, like, love, love, love baths. And so I would be in the bath for like hours.

My: And.

My: She would be like, Is the water cold? And I'm like, No, I just turn, you know, as hot water.

My: Yeah.

My: I would add just more hot water. Like after 30. I'll watch like three episodes of Law and Order in there. And so I want.

Michelle: Some of that. Doesn't watch a lot of tv.

My: Law Order is like there's always an episode of Law and Order on, but I would just have it in the background and grab something and drink some fruit or something. Like I wouldn't like one of my customers. She had taken a picture of like all of our stuff and then she had like a bath tray and I was like, Oh, let me go get me a bath tray. I need a battery. So I bought me a bath tray and I was like, Oh, I got to fill it up. I got to do masque, I got to do the whole, you know, I got to do the whole thing. So I learned to love, love, love, love baths. So I had surgery like a couple of weeks ago, so I can't take baths for like, oh, like 12 weeks or something. But I'm like some days I'm like, Oh my God, I need a bath so bad.

Michelle: I'm a total.

Michelle: Bath weirdo. Like anybody who knows me, like, knows like I even in, in Vegas, it's like a million degrees outside. I'm like, I'll ice step in my hotel room.

Michelle: Pouring a hot bath.

Michelle: That is the ultimate self care to me is.

Michelle: Literally.

Michelle: And I don't even bring TV or phone or anything in there because that is the ultimate disconnect to me.

My: It feels like so luxurious. And like I say, like when I'm watching, I got the law and order. I'm like scrolling or whatever, you know what I mean? Just like vegging out. Like, I'm not doing anything. I'm going to stay in here. I'm going to fill this bathroom up with candles and you know what I mean? Everything. And just, like, soak it all away, right?

Michelle: Are you a nighttime person or a daytime bath person?

My: You know what I started during COVID. I would do like a couple of afternoon baths that were really good during the week. Yeah, a lot of times I would go take bath at crazy midnight hours, you know what I mean? Just like random, because I'm up and it's like something about me and like, the late night. Like, when it feels like the rest of the world is asleep. Like, I love. I love that time.

Michelle: I wish I could stay up that late.

Michelle: I go to bed, like, at 8:00 at night.

My: It's cool.

Michelle: But I. The reason why I ask is because nighttime, like I hate when time changes. Everyone else in the world loves one time changes. I hate it personally because all sudden, like, I want to take a bath at 7:00 at night and it's fucking broad daylight, but like night dark and like candle light is the ultimate.

My: Yeah, yeah, I love it.

Michelle: So I now that I know what you did for background.

Michelle: How.

Michelle: With starting Gavin Lux you were still doing your main hustle then like are you still doing a main hustle and is Gavin still a side hustle or are.

Michelle: You more.

Michelle: Fun to the other now?

My: I stopped doing this. I still have some clients that I work with, like I'm not starting any new projects where I have to build a brand from the beginning. But if there's clients that I've already did that part, I still work with them. If somebody is like, Oh, I need a new label for a new project or something like that, I'll do it for like existing clients. But for the main part, I was just like I didn't have I didn't have that creativity to give right now this year. Like I just didn't have it. And I just had to like accept, you know, where I am right now and just say, you know what? That's, you know, I'm not taking any new projects.

Michelle: I think that's smart because I think that somebody had said, I forget who it was about. When you have your hand.

Michelle: In.

Michelle: So many different projects, I have my hand in a lot of different projects, but they're all basically the same.

My: Right?

Michelle: Right. I had started a t shirt line, you know, because I'm like you. I'll start like I'd start like a random thing and it was like, I just want it. And I did it as a goodwill project because part of the fun part of what we made went back to my, my pet charity, which is Pug Nation. But I just realized that COVID ultimately ended up shutting it down just because I could I was the one bootstrapping it and it was like not going to happen. But I realized also that. It never got the attention that it deserved because I was so focused on this and it was like, okay, if I have to close it, I have to close it. Like, it's just it's. And if I had the money to be able to have a whole team doing it where I kind of come and go from it, you know, it would be a different story. But I just I don't know how.

Michelle: People are able to put 100% of themselves into their brand. You forgiven me for mine and then have this side thing because I never it never really gets the full attention that it really needs to take off.

My: And it's true. And I think this year I just was like. I didn't have a lot of bandwidth. And so even just like now I want to say over the past probably few months, I've just really started to be able to like get back to work, you know what I mean? And so I was like, You know what? We're going to give Gavin Lux the shot that it never hasn't had. You know what I mean? Like, we're going to pour all into this and see what happens.

Michelle: Well, you can tell the difference. Just me not knowing you and watching you through Instagram through. I guess I started following you. It might have been like right around COVID starting, but just the difference of now to what I'm seeing, you kick out now. It is night and day. I mean, it's it was beautiful before, but now it's just so incredible to see with all these new additions. So now I'm going to now I'm going to digress a little bit. And one of my favorite thing is the rich bougie aunty.

My: Yes.

Michelle: So tell me about that one where the name came from. What are the notes of the scent and where is it being sold? Because you shot it in somebody's retail store and it looked so beautiful in there and it looks so perfect. And now I'm dying to hear the back story on it.

My: Oh, my gosh. She did such an amazing job. It's a girl. Her name is T and she has a boutique called Dose in Detroit. And so she's carrying it. I think she's the only one who is carrying it right now. And so what happened was I had launched we had launched a new fragrance, Lux Number Ten, last year. And so I sent it to one of my friends and she has like a huge following, but she just posted it. Well, she texted me like late at night and she was like, Are you awake? And I'm like, Yeah, I'm awake. And she's like, Yeah, right. And she's like, Oh my God. I open the fragrance. She was like, Oh my God, I smell like somebody rich, as bougie as auntie. And I was like, Yes, oh, my God, I love that. And so, like, I just kept saying it in my head. It was like, Oh my God, that sounds like that kind of like sums up.

Michelle: It's so good the the feeling in the vibe of like our brand. If I had to like sum it up and it was like, you know, some things like, you know, what you wanted to convey, but you can't probably I could, probably couldn't put the words on it prior to then. But when she said it, I was like, Yes, that's it, that's it. That's the whole 5%. It's a coconut and sandalwood.

Michelle: Coconut is like my to die I love.

My: Yeah, yeah. So it's really.

Michelle: Good. What are your candles made of since this is totally non on the questions. But now I'm like, yo, is it a is it a coconut? Is a soy.

My: Soy and paraffin? So when I first started, it was like we did, I did just soy and it just I was like, You know what? I just want it to smell great. I want it to be like a great fragrance. So and for me, it just for me is soy didn't like a pure soy candle. Didn't give me that.

Michelle: It does it not last, is it? I'm not because I don't know candle production so I'm not quite it.

My: Just didn't give me like the fragrance that, that I wanted to have.

Michelle: For the notes.

My: No, not really. No I can't say that it does.

Michelle: Yeah it doesn't, it does. Didn't give you the scent that it wanted.

My: Yeah. It just felt like it didn't give like a strong sense ro like I wanted it to.

My: Give.

Michelle: And adding paraffin, does that, does that help the scent.

My: It did help it burn a little bit different and it it helped with the central. It did.

Michelle: Okay so when you say scent throw because I know everyone's going to ask what that means, what.

My: The scent throat means, it just means like the disbursement of the fragrance into the air.

Michelle: Okay.

Michelle: So then that would make sense. Why some of the candles that I have that are soy, why I can't smell them past the room they're in.

My: Right.

Michelle: That explains that.

My: Exactly.

Michelle: So you touched on your other candles. You obviously have a large candle collection. Tell me about the rest of them, because I was scrolling through Instagram trying to figure out how many it looks like several collections or are they because I'm like.

My: So what'll happen is the the one that the collection that replace our core collection like a few years ago when we rebrand it was the homage to her collection and it was like Nine Candles that paid. Homage to women who were important in my life my mom, my grandmother, my sister, my partner, my mother in law. You know, like all those.

Michelle: Illustrations are beautiful on those.

My: Labels, but I love those. And so I was like, okay, this is going to be it. So we did that collection. And of course, like, you know, because you do merchandising and seasonal, it's like seasonal. I have to bring out something just to keep people, you know what I mean? Like bored and open. And so after that, then we did the comp collection and then that was the one I did after my grandmother passed where it was more I wanted to create a head to toe experience for women. And so that's where we came up with the facial serum, the body cream, the whole thing, the bath milk, the bath salts, all of that.

Michelle: Do those scents follow the candle scents or do they have completely different scents all together?

My: So with the calm collection, it was we have a a large candle, a travel candle, a spray and a body cream. Those are all the same. And what.

Michelle: Are.

Michelle: Those or what? What is this, the notes on that.

My: Amber, wood and myrrh. And so it's really good. Yeah, it's earthy, it's really good. So it's more warm. It's super warm. I love it. And I wanted the bath milk. The bath milk. Like we don't add any additional fragrance to it. We did bath salts that.

My: Yeah.

My: Two bath salts and the bath salts like with the bath salts I wanted it to be just so super clean for the body is we did essential oils so they don't match the thing. But even though it's a whole collection, it doesn't, the fragrance doesn't match.

Michelle: So it's a little more collection.

My: Yeah. Yeah. So the body cream does match and then we have a coconut body scrub as well. That is delicious. Delicious. Like when you open it, it smells amazing. There's no extra fragrance or anything in it. It's just like super luscious. Yes.

Michelle: Is is the collection doing because I ask you, this is way down the line the questions. But are you do retail and wholesale or are you both and if you are both, where do people find you both as a wholesaler? And then how do people find you at the retail level?

My: Okay. So we do both. So we do retail direct to consumer and then we do also wholesale as well. You can contact us directly for wholesale or we're on fair.

Michelle: Okay. Do you have a rep or. No.

My: No, I don't have a rep.

Michelle: I wonder if that's your next step to grow the business, because, man, once you get a rep.

Michelle: It's like.

Michelle: Most most rep groups have their reps that are outside reps and they're usually cover most of the United States. Right. So your line then goes from being fair. What's great is that it is national, but you also have these reps that have connections with retailers like big high end retailers sometimes that you can't get into or don't shop fair when you have a rep, all sudden your brand expands dramatically because it's going out into the world with all of these people.

My: So it's it's probably what I need.

Michelle: It'll be interesting.

Michelle: Because that that would, I would guess would be your next step and growth. But that's like when that happens, that growth is so fast and so big. It's know I love hearing that you're on fair so you're already out there in retailers and that you're you're doing your own direct to consumer, which is fantastic but it's your your next I would guess big step is getting a representation group where they have multiple reps across the country and really take your stuff out.

My: Yeah, I think that would be great. I'm open.

Michelle: Well.

Michelle: There's a lot of them. Listen to this. So take heed, everybody. I saw your your recent post a couple of weeks ago and that you're doing private label now.

My: Yes.

My: Tell us about how that program works.

My: So people have been asking us about it for a while. And then it was something that we had started working on towards the end of last year and just kind of like never finalize it. And then I was like, Oh, let's, let's try it and see how it goes, you know what I mean? And so far the response has been really good. Like, so do you.

Michelle: It looks like it's basically your graphics and their name dropped in it. Or do they give you the artwork to put on the candle? How how does that part of it work?

My: So we could do we could do one of two things, because we do charge like a setup fee so we can create like a label for you, like something simple or other company, whatever your company is, you guys have like a designer or something on hand. We'll give you the specs and then you can you send us the artwork and then we send it out for print. Yeah. So then we have like a small collection of fragrances like that people can choose from. I want it to keep it, like, really simple. So it's like, you know, of course it can go beyond what the program that I like that I have, like, you know, you can give me a custom send and we can, you know, all that stuff where I can send you. But I was like, no, like I don't have the bandwidth for like I have the bandwidth for this and we're going to keep it simple. So it's like turnkey. Some people just want to expand on their brand like, Oh, you have a boutique. It would be nice to have our own branded candle. Yeah, you know what I mean? And so we can do it like that. So that's how we set that up. We just had like a small range of, like, fragrances to choose from and then they can go from there, like three vessels, these boxes, what's the minimum? 100 pieces.

Michelle: So that's a great I mean, for those retailers who are listening right now, because we have a lot of retailers that listen, I think that it's such a great because it's not massive amount because that's I think a lot of big candy manufacturers. I mean, one that we did I worked on the minimum was 10,000 units, I think, oh Lord. I mean, the price was great.

Michelle: But.

Michelle: Honestly, like 10,000.

My: Units, where am I going to put 10,000.

Michelle: Exactly. And not to mention the like the check for that. My God. Like it's like that's like a house down payment. Like, that's crazy.

My: I can't imagine.

Michelle: But I love that, you know, for people for like somebody that wants to create like the rich bougie auntie, you know, creating their own something like that. Rich, rich, bougie mama or rich and for their own store. I mean, I think and for 100 units, that's amazing. And you're a graphic designer as well and can help them create this. I think that you I think you're smart for keeping it small. But I also think there's so much retailers can do with this.

My: Yeah, absolutely. And it was just like I mean, the possibilities are endless, but I think it's good to be able to add like candles are huge, you know, like it's a huge business. So it would be great to add something else to your brand.

Michelle: Yeah, I love it. And also to be quite honest, like a lot of people, you know, I mean, there's the big guys, Valuspa, which everybody I adore and I.

My: Love their.

Michelle: And it's.

Michelle: Like that is a bread and butter line. But then there's other lines that I know from because in retail everybody is like in small neighborhoods that are good real estate, there are 15 apparel stores and gift stores all on the same block. And if your if your zip code protected, you may want a line and you can't have it. And I think that this gives you the ability to have your own candle that no one else can have.

My: That exactly.

Michelle: That exclusive to your store. And I think that that's what a lot of retailers that are doing that are very smart about. They'll have the Valencia and the blah blah, but then they have this one line that's just dedicated to their own store and nobody else can have it. And it's.

My: Exactly.

Michelle: So I think that's, you know, and again, like the 100 piece minimum is nothing.

My: So I thought it was like super small, you know what I mean?

Michelle: It has to be. And so I guess my next question would be within that 100, can they break it up into like 50, give you two different labels.

My: 2 to 2 different fragrances.

Michelle: And two different labels. That's amazing. So now my next question is because the thing's behind you. Are you doing all the pouring yourselves?

My: I pour recently, my moms and my son started coming. They come for half the week here, and then they've been helping me. Wow.

Michelle: How big is your workspace?

My: We converted the garage about two years ago because I was like in one of the bedrooms in the house and it was just kind of growing out of like it was crazy because we before we bought the house, we lived, like, in a little cottage, like 550 square feet.

Michelle: Oh, my.

My: Dream. Tiny, tiny, tiny. And so I would have, like, labels in the closet, under the bed we had. Created like all this stuff. And so we we like we move. We bought a house and then obviously one of the bedrooms. And so once we moved out of there because we were like, Do I get another space? Like, what's happening? Because it was growing, you know what I mean? And I still have stuff everywhere, you know, there's boxes everywhere. And then so my partner's cousin, when we were, you know, we were getting work done to the house, she was like, Why don't you guys just turn the garage into her studio? And it was like. You know what? That might work. You know what I mean? So we converted the garage into the studio and it was like, where did all this stuff come? Like, where was all this? I mean, we did more. I mean, of course, like we added like more furniture, like more tables or shelving, but it was like, where was all, you know, where was all this stuff? Where was it hiding?

Michelle: Rock Paradise. The Simona has moved out of her warehouse that she originally had in Canoga Park, and it was like three separate warehouses that were literally like massive warehouses, but like sky high, like shelving units that go all the way up. And then they she took on a space and I have not been to it yet. I've heard it's the size of a Costco.

My: Oh, my God.

Michelle: But the guys who are packing it are like, Holy shit. It's like, we already don't have room. It's like, literally, like.

My: Already.

Michelle: Come from this space and get into this space. And we've already we already don't have enough room. I thought.

My: Oh, my God, that's crazy.

It's like.

Michelle: That that can that you open, the snake comes out, it's like.

My: Awesome.

My: Exactly. Exactly. Because we're like, where did all this stuff come from? Because we were like, the little denim sofa over there. We're, like, trying to get rid of. And I'm like, no. So I like to nap over there. Like, I get great naps over there.

Michelle: That I miss having my office now is our old because I had an office downtown L.A. and great. It was massive and it was it was in the building and but I realized when I was paying my taxes, I'm like, I have been to my office exactly ten times because I'm for every day. I'm not in an office. I'm like, okay, we're closing my office and we're moving it into the guestroom. My poor husband was like, Well, what happens when friends come and stay? I'm like, We've had two people come stay with us in the last year and a half.

My: Right.

Michelle: I will pay for their hotel room then. Now, fast forward, it's been, I think two and a half or three years and now I'm like, I have to get out of this office like I literally there are. So I mean, I don't know if you can see there's so much crap in this room and I really want like where I can have a sofa and sit down and have my own. I miss having my own space where it's like beautiful and you have a really pretty seating area and you have a candle burning and you know that, that. So keep that sofa like, yeah.

My: I'm not ready to give it up.

Michelle: Because I think it's really important.

My: Yeah. Sherry's like, Oh, you could put like another table right there.

Michelle: And I'm very sorry if she needs a sofa.

My: I was like, No, I'm not ready to give it up yet. Like everybody who comes in. So like when we have company over, people will come. And you know, because we were working here before, we were working in here together, but she moved into the other room that I used to have recently, but whenever we would be in here working the majority of the day. So like if her mom came over, my mom came over. Everybody just congregates on the couch. Yeah, you know what I mean? They hang out, they get their iPads, their phones or whatever. You want coffee. Everybody does it right there. So I'm like, I'm not ready to get rid of the sofa yet. Like, but not yet.

My: Not yet.

Michelle: Time to get rid of the sofa.

My: Exactly.

Michelle: Because I mean, I think that's so important to have like some little pretty moment. Yeah. Get down and relax and have I.

My: Mean, even though there's like stuff everywhere on it.

My: But.

My: I mean, it's comfortable. Just push it out. You just push it over.

Michelle: I you're so now now you kind of answered the next question is you're sort of you were a one woman show now you how many your sons helping your moms helping you, your partner helping you and like do you or is it like a monday through Friday operation or is it seven days a week or is it as needed?

My: Usually right now we're doing Monday through Friday. Like I'm proud of myself because usually it would be like seven days a week or you know, you just make it up stuff to do. But now like recently it feels like my brain doesn't function in that way. On the weekends it kind of is just like, No, we're off, you know what I mean? Unless we really, really have to. But yeah, Monday through Friday, like right now it works.

Michelle: Do you do you even go in at all during the weekend or is it like I'm closing the door to my office and I'll see you Monday?

My: Recent. Lake Yeah. I'm I'm like now that you like when you said it that way, I'm like, I'm kind of proud of myself, like on the weekends. Like, I usually don't come in here anymore.

Michelle: Do you check emails on the weekend?

My: Of course. You know, it's all connected to your phone.

My: But I.

My: Just had to.

Michelle: Ask.

My: All 20 of my email accounts are connected to my phone, but I try like.

Michelle: 20 email accounts. Wait, hang on. 20 email accounts.

My: I mean, there's a lot.

Michelle: Oh, my God.

My: I mean, there's probably not 20, but there's like there's there's a lot there's probably like 3000 emails like to know are and INC emails, my regular emails, my junk email like there's only like eight.

Michelle: Eight and how many? Because now I got to ask, how many Instagrams.

Michelle: Do you have?

My: Three, three.

My: So I was like my personal Instagram, which I'm like, never, ever on. My design business, which I'm never on anymore. Gavin Lux. And then I did Rich U.S.A.. Like an Instagram. Just I was like, Let me just lock that in, just in case. And so I like that end, but, like, I'm not doing anything with it, but I locked in it.

Michelle: Oh, you should totally develop that.

Michelle: One, because.

Michelle: That candle alone, you could create a whole collection around just that.

My: So I did. I just got custom robes, right? So, yeah, I posted one online today. And one of my other friends, she's like, I need the robe. I went to your website. It's not there. And I was like, I'll invoice you for it. I'll try to get it.

Michelle: Yeah, I think, you know, there's so much you could do with the rich bougie auntie. I mean, and especially that that brings me to questions not even on this is what are you rolling out for holiday? And if you are rolling out something, when do you expect to have it surface? No pressure.

My: So. Like, you know, the top half of this year I've been like in a creative funk and I'm just starting to, like, get back, you know? And so I'm like, looking on the board right there. We were supposed to launch two things, so we're supposed to launch launch a dusk and dawn collection. So it's like a duo that you burn together that's really, really yummy. But I can't decide on the artwork like so I did the labels. I did the labels for like a spray and for the candle. And then when I got it back, I was like, Oh, this looks like hot trash. So. So I'm like, stuck, you know, just, like, stuck. But it's like, if you're going to get boxes, print it. If you're going to get labels printed and all that stuff, like you need it, you need to get that done, you know what I mean? And then I have like and so, like, based on the. The board up there. It's supposed to launch September 22nd.

Michelle: Okay, so you still got some time?

My: Yeah, Slim. Slim, that. And then we're launching, like, more skin care products.

Michelle: That how people tell people about your skin products now and then tell me about your new skin products. So a question I skipped over.

My: So right now we have like a serum, the calm, active botanical serum. So it's super. What happened? Like I said, when I was going through my thing and I tried the serum and I was like, oh, my God, it gave you, like, this most beautiful, like, natural glow. Like, instantly. Like, it's so pretty. I'll send you some. So you have to give me your address. I'll send you a package of stuff. So once we got the serum, like everybody loved the serum. Like when we launched the serum. One of my friends, she promoted it. We sold out. Wow. Yeah. And then we restocked, and then it sold out again. Like, in two days.

Michelle: What's in it?

My: There's 2021 oils and botanicals in there from hobo oil, rose seed, tons of stuff in there. Beautiful. Like, it just. It absorbs into your skin, like, really quickly.

Michelle: That's the best, too.

My: Yeah.

My: And so that was like the skincare product we had. And then we had like a facial steam. So it was like, like I said, we created this thing that had like a head to toe, you know, you just wanted.

Michelle: To go hand.

My: Experience. Yeah. Like you. I wanted you to have this whole entire experience. And so you steam and then you put your oil on and you go or you go to bed or whatever, you just relax. And so we came up with we're launching a cleanser, a moisturizer, something like super light and a toner.

Michelle: Oh, I love it. When are those expected to. No pressure.

Michelle: Sorry.

My: On the board, it says the 20th of August. So even having I've had people testing it and they absolutely everybody's like, oh, my God, I love, love, love this cleanser because it's super gentle and like at my age and all of my customers are usually around my age, you know what I mean?

My: Like, how old are you? Because you're like a baby at 48. Oh, you look like a baby or skin. That's any that's any indication of what your skin care day.

My: So it's like a lot of it is like it's not going to transform your skin into, you know what I mean? Like. It's not going to do that. But it helps you create because I'm I'm terrible with like, keeping up with, like, rituals, you know what I mean? Like, it's something that, like, I'm a work in progress to do is that everybody loves a cleanser, like to clean your makeup off just to give you like it's not it's not drying. You know how sometimes you have a cleanser and it's like your face feels like all tight afterwards is super nourishing with oatmeal and honey.

Michelle: I love that.

My: And then so we have a cucumber toner that's like super fresh, put in a fridge, spray it on your face. It's like super high.

My: This little ritual which you are creating, by the way, this go back to because you posted on your Instagram is the self care guide. So are all these products part of this ritual and the self care guide that you just put out?

My: They're not all in that self care.

My: Like all the new. Yeah, we could update it and add all the new stuff, but 

Michelle: I love that you did that.

My: Yeah, because I was like, sometimes the thing that I figured out and like just based on questions that we asked is that a lot of people just didn't know where to start. Yeah, it wasn't. It's like, how do I start something super simple? And sometimes it's just something super simple. Like every night remembering to put, like, cream on your feet or something like that. Like, it's super simple, just small little things like acts of self-love and self care for yourself.

Michelle: I think that's I mean, for me, like I didn't take great care of my skin was is only until I was like, I want to say 45 that I started, I have this crazy obsession with products. So it really started with testing out all these different masks. And I mean, I've done an Instagram photo of my habit and it's so embarrassing. Like I, I grossly the amount of money I spend, but I love it all and it makes me feel so good. So everything from drunk and elephant to airborne, even.

Michelle: To.

Michelle: I mean mirror like you name it, it is in that cabinet. But only until I really started testing out. Trying all these things did it become truly like a habit. Like I sleep with my makeup on, like, who does that?

My: And me, I mean.

Michelle: But somehow using all these things and putting a mask on and whatnot, somehow that is what became the ritual and became that self care. So I don't understand why people don't know where to start. And it's like, Yeah, and it's the easiest thing and it's like, you, it smells good and it feels yummy and your skin looks drenched. Like, I love that super dewy look.

My: And yeah, it's me too.

Michelle: And, and I think doing something. So I love that self care guide that you did. I think that from the book that you read when your partner sent you away for a week, like I like I feel like that that episode and that trauma and loss was in some weird universal gift to push you. Because I would say the universe puts things in your way that are good and bad. And I know the hardest ones are always the ones that seem to push you completely out of your comfort zone because you don't have a choice. And it's.

Michelle: Exactly.

Michelle: Like you. You get this big shove from the universe and now you have these people who are watching over you and kind of guiding you.

My: Yes.

Michelle: And I. I love that at that self care guide, I think is brilliant. And obviously it came from your grandmother, your sister.

My: Thank you.

Michelle: You're welcome. So where do you see Gavin Lux in ten years?

My: Ooh, I don't know.

Michelle: There's an honest answer.

My: I will be totally honest. I have no clue. You know what I mean? Like, I want it to be thriving and paying for itself, you know what I mean? And, you know, just have more brand awareness, you know what I mean? Like, I want people to know who we are.

Michelle: And if you had your your druthers of, like, I want to see my product in this window, where what's your you got to put it out in the universe.

My: Right? I don't even.

Michelle: And it's.

Michelle: My background. Two in a couple weeks.

My: I do it because my partner always talks about that. She's like, you don't have like some some stuff. I'm just very in the moment, you know what I mean? So I can't even, like, think like in my head, like, oh, my God, I would love it if it was here, like. I just honestly can't even. You know what I mean?

Michelle: Well, you're still developing it, so I think that.

My: Yeah, and I like, like all the small, like, boutiques and independent owners. I like that.

Michelle: Well, I guess what another question is then, do you see. Do you see the line expanding even more based on your present expansion?

My: Yes. Yes. And some stuff I have to like dial myself back, like, wait, wait, wait. Like get control of this first. You know what I mean? Like, because you're never short on ideas, you know what I mean? And it's just like, okay, like, right now, let's just sit, like, because right there, that board is like the white board is like bull. It's like a huge board.

Michelle: It's kind of.

Michelle: Like a vision board.

My: Yeah, it's like four by six feet. And then I put corkboard like right over my desk. So like with the, the other board is like super full. And like some of the things that I wanted to do last year when we were in COVID, that didn't make sense. Like the market tote bag totally makes sense now because everybody, you know, everybody's like back out, you know, whatever that is, everybody's back out. But so it made sense to bring it out. And it's it's doing well, you know what I mean? So it's.

Michelle: Really cute.

My: Thank you.

Michelle: I mean, your whole line, I have to tell you, I'm one of those people that I get super crazy when I see lines put out different, different divisions or their product has 18 different fonts on it and they start putting out other products and they look like a completely different animal and same thing. There's eight different fonts. It's like your product. Part of what drew me to it is that it's so cohesive and the packaging so cohesive and it's beautiful and it's it, it's not all over the board. And you don't have 18 million different fonts. Thank you.

My: Thank you.

Michelle: It's really well done. I just you know, I really I'm excited to see what you have coming down the pipeline. I'm excited to see what your where you're going to be in ten years, too. I'm excited. I just I'm super excited. I'm excited to have this conversation with her. But I'm even more excited to see about how you continue to kind of grow this business, because just watching your progression over the last year and a half and now understanding some of the loss that you've gone through and still pushing this forward, it's just it's really it's it's going to be really interesting to see your star shine.

My: Thank you. Thank you. There's a lot coming from you, like from other creatives. It means a lot.

Michelle: Oh, thank you. I just you know, I'm like I said, like I. I love you. I love seeing what you're doing. And I love in your packaging so damn good. And that's I wasn't sure if you were a tiny line, and I wasn't sure if you had representation. I wasn't sure where you were sold. And it's like it's beautiful that it's still a tiny line, a small line, and you're growing it at the right way. But I can tell you now that you, you, your expansion will be big. I, I can feel it and I know it, but it's it's such a great line.

My: Thank you. Thank you.

Michelle: You're so welcome. I just I wanted to I wanted to say thank you for taking this time with me. I'm so excited to.

Michelle: Have.

Michelle: You get to know you. And that is a wrap. Thank you all so much for joining me on today's episode.

Michelle: I really appreciate it. And be sure to tune in every Wednesday for more stories and lessons from a life in retail. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram at the retail whore podcast, and you can find us online at the retailwhorepodcast.com