Yard & Strand Journey ~ Our Beginning
J-O-U-R-N-E-Y
Merriam-Webster defines journey as, ‘travel or passage from one place to another’. Everyone has experienced a personal journey in some way, shape or form. Our journeys can be thrilling, unexpected, challenging, fun, beautiful, tragic, energizing, full of laughter, full of tears, but in the end they make us who we are. Yard & Strand, is now part of our journey, and the name was built on where we came from and where we are today. In my inaugural post, I want to share with you how we came to be, who we are, and what we believe in.
Where it Began…
I was born into a 4th generation lumber family in the midwest. I helped and worked at our small Lumberyard throughout my childhood. I saw how hard my family worked, how they built community, and how their values shone through at the forefront of all they did. I am forever grateful for this experience - it has shaped my passion for small business and ingrained in me an entrepreneurial spirit. Hence, Yard in our name represents where we came from. And yes, I still love the smell of sawdust. It brings back so many memories, and I love that it represents the idea of building something.
My husband and I are college sweethearts and were both born and raised in Michigan. In 2018, an opportunity surfaced at the tech company I work for full-time (and still do today) giving us the chance to move to Los Angeles. After lots of fun ‘life-talk’, we decided there would be no better time: our kids were at a good age, our extended families were in a good place, and we agreed that we only have one journey to be on and that journey in the grand scheme is short. We moved across the country and now call our home LA. There is a 22 mile bike path that spans the shoreline of Los Angeles County call The Strand. Hence, Strand in our name represents where we are at. And yes, I also love the smell of the ocean. It brings back happy memories of family vacations and sunny days. And it now fills my soul with feelings of home.
How We Came to Be….
It was the perfect storm: the right time, the right place, and a lot of hard work to get where we are today. I have always had an interest in fashion, my friends and my husband will tell you that. I have also always had an interest in being an entrepreneur, truly owning something, designing something and building something, it has been a nagging itch to scratch for what seems an eternity. In 2015 when my daughter was born I leaned in to the ‘side-hustle’. I wrote a business plan that started me down the path of building an elevated basics brand, that would be entirely designed and made in LA. A line that is well designed, with attention to detail, premium materials, yet simple with no logos or patterns, that didn’t fall apart after one wash and that wasn’t made overseas.
In 2018, after 3 years of learning, planning, designing, sampling, seeking the right partners, failing, learning again, sampling again, adding rounds of edits to get to the right fit, product and brand my husband looked at me and said we either need to ‘do this’ or ‘kill it’. At that moment I knew that it was ‘go’ time. I will forever remember those words on that day, and I am so grateful for them. My husband is truly the best, and he knew I needed to hear that. These words gave me wings and fueled my ambition. He was right - it was time for the labor of love to launch. I put a goal forward to launch Yard & Strand on my 40th birthday. I am proud to say that goal was achieved. Our pieces were delivered from the screen printers on my birthday and our first order was placed and fulfilled that day.
They say it takes a village, and they are right! This would not have been possible without a lot of support from our friends and family. Our village means the world to us and we will forever hold a special place in our hearts for those that have been such a big part of this journey - from advising, to color selections, to name brainstorming, to reviewing sketches, to providing ‘models’, to being the first ones on our mailing list, to being the first ones to place an order. You may never know how much it means, but we are eternally grateful for you. It also wouldn’t be possible without finding partners who were willing to join us on our ‘rookie’ ride, and we found the best here in LA. Thank you to all of you for your patience, your willingness to answer questions, your support and partnership means the world.
What We Believe….
We believe in the power of journeys. We believe in the power of community. We believe in the power of building. Our principles are simple and will be our guideposts along the way:
- Always own it
- Make the world a better place
- A little laughter goes a long way
Thank you for joining us ~To the Journey!
Jen, Founder and CEO