We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alee Saviengvong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Just a little background… I’ve always been interested in and attracted to working in the retail space. I used to play “store” as a kid and worked in clothing stores throughout high school, college, and even after college. I fell into a career in the commercial insurance industry but started to lose interest after being in it for so many years. So… I quit my day job to attend school at FIDM- the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, while simultaneously working at a friend’s clothing boutique. I really didn’t have a plan after finishing school and did nothing related to my major afterwards. My previous employer recruited me to go back and work for him as his business was scaling and I took him up on the offer. Insurance is not “fun” but it is a stable position with a growing company and a boss and co-workers I loved. Fast forward 4-5 years later, I now have a kid, still working in insurance, still wanting “something else” -a project, a side-hustle, something I’m passionate about and enjoy doing.

The idea for Neon Dream came to me while I was holiday shopping for my son. I was so bored and underwhelmed with plastic toys in primary colors from the big box stores. They’re bad for the environment and are not aesthetically pleasing in the home. I’m definitely a big believer in “less is more” and being minimalistic and thoughtful with my spending. It’s important for me to teach my son that buying less “stuff” of higher-quality is better for us and the environment in the long run. I spent hours looking for cool brands online that had unique and cool items that I would gift. I really wished there was one website that had a bunch of different brands that I liked for my “go to” when shopping for children’s gifts. There were some that I came across but they had 100s of brands where it was so overwhelming to sort through them all and weed out those that were not my style. A month later, I got the ball rolling and took the steps to creating my own online shop. A place for people to find unique and stylish kids’ products, products that I would choose as gifts, and a place not just for parents to shop, but also the aunts and uncles and friends who may not have kids but want to gift something cool- not from a big box store.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Neon Dream offers unique and stylish baby and children’s toys, books, clothing, accessories, nursery items, and essentials. In addition to being unique and aesthetically pleasing, the brands we choose to carry have values such as sustainability, eco-friendly, organic, and pay fair wages to their employees. We love products that both adults and children alike will love. Think Tupac Shakur portrait tees drawn by a 12 year old; beautiful Montessori wooden toys that are good for imaginative play meaning less screen time; a classic linen baby book with keepsake box for all of the important memories; non-toxic play make-up or bubbles; and a children’s book about graffiti artist Banksy.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Being an online shop can be tough as far as reaching an audience, being seen, and making sales. At the start of my business, which was a little less than a year ago, I relied heavily on friends, family, word of mouth, and Instagram. I realized that in order to make sales, I really need to get out in front of customers. Vending at local pop-up markets and events has been the best source of new clients for Neon Dream.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I listen to the Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast often. In fact, it’s the only podcast I listen to because they have guests and topics covering everything I’m interested in from wellness, beauty, lifestyle tips, but especially business which I think all go hand in hand. They bring on guests who are entrepreneurs and who are leaders and experts in their industries and make otherwise boring topics (like finances), easy and interesting to listen to. It’s motivational and I get a lot of great tips.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopneondream.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopneondream/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopneondream/
• Other: https://linkpop.com/shopneondream

Image Credits
Alee Saviengvong