Located in the historic Trader’s Alley, you’ll see a quaint white brick building. In front, beautiful bouquets of flowers and pink awnings. The inside is even more welcoming, with split doors for two different businesses, both perfectly complimenting the other. So what is this collaboration you might ask? It’s East of These and Bloom Shakalaka! On the left is Bloom Shakalaka, a funky and fresh flower company that specializes in custom floral arrangements. On the right is East of These, a recently launched Makerspace member! East of These is a custom apparel brand most known for their best-selling headbands and scrunchies. Both businesses offer unique products like Lakeland-themed apparel, floral-scented candles, and so much more. We sat down with Taylor Ard, founder of East of These, to learn more about her start as a Catapult member to the Grand Opening of her collaborative storefront. She was in the middle of making Publix-themed baby bows as we chatted, so we got a sneak peak into the East of These bow-making process!
Kayla: So we heard a bit about your story during Launch Pitch Night, but could you tell us a little bit about how you first got started at Catapult?
Taylor: Of course! I was trying to make sense of how to take my hobby into a business, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I was nervous about applying, but I just thought that there was a lot of safety in having a community of entrepreneurs, and I desperately needed feedback to see if custom apparel was something I could pursue or not. So yeah, I interviewed and I was really encouraged when they let me in!
Kayla: Was it daunting being the only textile business in the Makerspace at the time? And still to this day?
Taylor: I think that there were just so many unknowns. The Makerspace was new at the time when I joined in 2021, and so they were trying to figure things out with equipment. It was comforting for me because I was also figuring things out with my business. I kind of felt like I had a discovery partner in Catapult from the beginning.
Kayla: How has your business grown since moving into the new space?
Taylor: Well, sales are up tremendously, and we have more opportunities to meet with our customers face to face! Being able to manufacture in the same space that we’re selling is really helpful, especially when things are slow during retail hours. Also, I think it just kind of adds to the ambience here that we’re upstairs making the products. I think people find a lot of value in that!
Kayla: Speaking of business growth… congratulations on being awarded funding from Launch Pitch Night! Have you gained more traction and visits since Launch?
Taylor: Thank you! Yes, we’ve definitely had people come and visit the shop that heard about us from Launch Pitch Night, either from attending the event or seeing it on socials, so we’re really grateful for that!
Kayla: That’s amazing to hear! So, how do you hope to grow as a business, especially in this new brick-and-mortar location?
Taylor: Well, we’ve tweaked our model slightly to integrate into more of a traditional boutique model. Instead of producing just wholesale orders, we’re manufacturing things for the store as well. We still have those wholesale accounts, for instance right now I’m making baby bows for Publix, so we still have that part. That just is not a sustainable way for us to thrive though, so the boutique model is looking like a better solution.
Kayla: How has the launch funding changed things for your business operations?
Taylor: Launch really helped us get equipment to be more efficient, so we can make things with greater detail and design different versions of products we already have. Launch changed the game for us on our efficiencies!
Kayla: Before launching out of Catapult, were there any fellow Makerspace members who you collaborated with to create the space?
Taylor: Yeah, quite a few! Jack Mindale was very helpful for organizing and project managing a lot of tasks. Robert Berganza, who’s like my Makerspace brother (we started at the same time), did an incredible job of designing and making our dressing room doors. He also made our wooden garment racks and floating shelves with all different kinds of wood, so they’re very unique. The details in the doors made me cry when I saw them for the first time! Ray from the Makerspace also was incredible. He did all types of jobs here and there in the shop. The building’s pretty historic, so we needed some help with custom wood projects. He built our cash wrap, and also project managed the flower boxes on the windows outside. Brett, the Director of Catapult’s Makerspace, also custom fabricated the steel brackets to go on the windows outside, and came over to help hang stuff right before the grand opening. There were so many hands that went into building up the space.
Kayla: We love Catapult member collaboration! What is your favorite detail of the space?
Taylor: For sure the staircase. When you walk in, there’s just something that’s so charming, but also kind of grand about the layout. When we first moved in, it was all different kinds of woods and wood tones, so we painted it white to just make it more clean. I think it’s the first thing that really grabs your attention when you walk in.
Kayla: The staircase is absolutely amazing! I love that there are so many historic details in the building. Okay, now I have some rapid fire questions for you. What is your favorite product that you’ve made for East of These?
Taylor: I think it just has to be the OG, and still our best seller, which are our headbands!
Kayla: If you could choose a seasonal product to make year round, what would it be?
Taylor: That’s hard. Oh! Beanies! Beanies are great.
Kayla: And finally, headbands or scrunchies?
Taylor: Ooh, headbands. Definitely headbands.
Kayla: Wonderful, I just have one more question for you. Are there any new upcoming projects, plans, or collaborations that you can share with us?
Taylor: Um, yes… I am planning on a meeting with Gordon from Noble Goat, who’s also a Catapult member. We’re hopefully going to be collaborating on some new products and designs. We want to do more with branching out like we do with Mr. Fish and Fat Jack’s, so I’m excited to get this help and collaborate with him!
Kayla: That’s so fun to hear! Thank you so much Taylor for your time, and the fact that you did this entire interview while making these baby bows is super impressive!
Taylor: Thank you!
Taylor’s journey from a hobbyist to a successful entrepreneur is a testament to the power of community and collaboration. Her partnership with Bloom Shakalaka in Trader’s Alley has not only expanded her business but also enriched the local downtown Lakeland area. Be sure to visit East of These and Bloom Shakalaka to explore their unique offerings and support local creativity!
