Everyone has a Plan, until they get punched in the mouth…
-Mike Tyson
Family, friends, clients, and the Beau Satchelle community, our team sends you an abundance of love and appreciation as we all start anew in 2021. I cherish the tradition of writing our first blog of the year in sharing a peek into our business plans for the year. Re-reading my first blog of 2020, we were bubbling with optimism and enthusiasm as the calendar flipped to the beginning of a new decade. Our momentum as a small luxury brand was accelerating and we were looking forward to working with brand new clients and vendors while simultaneously revealing new masterpieces for purchase through our online platforms. Unfortunately, the year took an unbelievable turn and we were at a standstill for months. Our home base was one of the first cities to be devastated in the initial stages of the pandemic, yet Detroiters have been diligent in following safety protocols and caring for neighbors in charitable acts of kindness. The city has seen its share of despair during the 20th Century and I am confident in our continued comeback as a cosmopolitan city.
Moving forward, the Beau Satchelle team remains enthusiastic and holds an unwavering commitment to our vision as a burgeoning luxury leather goods business even as we recognize that Covid-19 may still be wrecking havoc on the world in the months to come. The primary lessons from 2020 for our team is to never get comfortable and learning how to quickly pivot with events, not in your control. With time on our hands, we used it to look inward at both our strengths and weaknesses which will either help or hinder our pursuit of future success.
Medium.com 2017 posted an article written by Evan S. Meyer on the subject of Life Lessons from Lobsters in which he educates his readers on the amazing growth cycle of the lobster when it outgrows its shell of armor through a process called ecdysis. A lobster will go through the process of molting (shedding its shell and internal organs) about a dozen times through its life as essential to its growth and survival. Some lobsters will not live due to the high amount of stress and exhaustion from the molting process. What is fascinating is during the 20-30 minute molding process the lobster is vulnerable to predators and environmental conditions which is why it looks for seclusion to stay away from harm. According to the author, the life cycle of a lobster teaches us about our own work of reinvention, transformation, and embracing discomfort and fear to grow into new shells. 2020 literally forced some businesses to do their own work of molting, not only for survival, but future success was to be accomplished.
Fortunately, for Beau Satchelle, opportunities continued to present themselves through our challenges and loss. We continued to pick up several bespoke clients who desired specialty pieces as anniversary and holiday gifts. Although the first few months completely threw us for a loop, we found a way to adapt both personally and professionally. Yearly goals had to be revised but the journey was still about telling our story to the world. Our craftsmanship stands toe to toe with our competitors even as a small fish in a big ocean. As a woman-owned company, we need to be more brave and bold in going up against the European dynasties and that means pushing out of my introvert box and doing what’s best for our elite brand.
We are excited to reveal:
· I became a certified Luxury Lifestyle Advisor to raise my game in marketing and selling luxury, but also open doors to demographics that were once closed.
· Our studio is going to through much needed renovations to expand the production area and allow us to purchase and store more leather to have on hand for one-offs and collection pieces.
· We will soon have on hand a collection of small accessories to be available for purchase directly from our website. These goods can be personalized with the recipients’ initials embossed in to elevate the uniqueness of the piece.
· We are working on the rollout of our 2021 website that will be more focused on e-commerce and adding more extraordinary visual content to heighten viewers and clients experience while visiting dev.beausatchelle.com
· Our blog content will also see a metamorphosis as we sharpen our focus on those who design and produce “bespoke” through products and experiences that are ultra-exclusive.
· A brand new collaboration with our dynamic partner International Couture and Celebrity Designer RC Caylan Atelier whose creations range from red carpet designs, bridal gowns, and her entourage’s gowns, to men’s suits. His designs have been worn by music artist and big screen actors who’ve walked the red carpets. It is an honor to partner with RC in creating a collection Beau Satchelle bespoke luxury pieces be featured in his Grand Rapids, Michigan Atelier. The exposure has been an eye opening for our brand as we view RC as a perfect influential designer for our leather luxuries.
· Our second collaboration is with Julianna Glass, Fine European Glassware in Canada. We will be revealing our exciting project with the Founder and Creator this astonishing company in the very near future.
· House of Pure Vin Wine Shop, where we stock our bespoke luxury leather wine carriers, has been our champion and cheerleader in showcasing and selling our stunning collection; in which no two are the same. In a few weeks, we will unveil our most recently created bespoke ‘Signature Series’ wine case, exclusively made for the connoisseur or affluent individual who wants to show off a special bottle, ‘or two’, of Bordeaux at home or in travels. Stay tuned!
Admittedly, we were shaken and overwhelmed with the amount of pain and suffering caused by the pandemic and the aftermath of economic uncertainty and consumer confidence in returning to anything resembling “normalcy”. Nevertheless, looking back, the past year has strengthened our resolve, boosted our confidence as a competitive player within the high-end luxury retail arena, and prepared us for the next thrilling leap of faith into a divine year of change and recovery. -AJ
Hat Tip to the following photographers:
Johann Walter Bantz – Boxing Match
Jakob Owens – Waterfall Jumper
Erwin Cox – Lobster
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