Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ally Speiser. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ally, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Noelle and I met teaching third grade together at a wonderful school in Clairemont. We connected quickly and our friendship grew through the chaos of the classroom. Eventually, we were having sleepovers and spending all sorts of bestie time together.

Noelle is a kind, supportive, attentive person who I am so grateful to call my best friend. The communication we have maintained throughout our relationship is the reason we are strong and successful today. There was a point in time when one of our communicative check-ins led to a dilemma; our busy lives made it challenging to make enough intentional time together. We decided that Tuesday’s would be our day of the week to make that time. Tuesday’s were a tough day of the week… right in the sweet spot of sad-the-weekends-over and sad-the-weekends-so-far-away. So, with Tuesday as bestie day… it wasn’t so bad anymore. We started going on walks and doing crafts and reading and cooking and exploring and hosting and doing whatever would bring us joy on Tuesdays! At some point, this was shortened to two-of-us-day and, eventually; 2’s Day.

There is no one else I could work two jobs with and still look forward to seeing every day.

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?

My name is Ally Speiser and I am the co-owner of 2’s Day Collections. I was born in Eugene, Oregon and attest a lot of my creative capability to the people and environment Eugene provided. I wouldn’t be who I am if I wasn’t raised in a ridiculous place like that! Now, I happily live in San Diego and couldn’t love it more. San Diego is a place made of sunshine, sweetness and all the things that make a home a home.

I have always loved clothes, but I have not always had style. I struggled in my younger years to pinpoint what look I was going for… I tried different looks and turned to others for inspiration. Eventually, I realized my M.O. was really just: COLORS! I gravitated away from neutrals, especially darker colors like navy and black, and leaned into the pinks and purples and yellows and greens that really caught my eye. I stopped looking for approval from other people on what I wore, and started wearing what truly made me feel empowered. While this may be a sweatshirt at a bar sometimes, it’s a fashion sense that focuses on confidence and comfort.

Noelle and I shared the love of exploring self through clothing, and started collecting clothes ourselves. We would go thrifting and shop for not only us, but for our friends! We would pick up a shirt and say “oh, this is SO Kendra!”. Eventually, our wallets couldn’t keep up. As much as we love and adore our friends, it wasn’t sustainable! We got to brainstorming. We were sitting at The Holding Company in Ocean Beach on fine Tuesday when we asked ourselves… how can we keep this up? Is there something here? Noelle sat across from me with pen in hand and quickly wrote notes as our brains spun. We didn’t know exactly what it was yet… but we knew one thing; having fun was our top priority. If we were going to put time and effort into something beyond being teachers, it had to be enjoyable and energizing.

So, that’s how 2’s Day was born. We sell clothes we collect from thrift stores and donations from friends, and use the money to make fun things happen in San Diego. Our art is connection; through events like bingo on a rooftop, Padres games, trivia night, crafts, and bar crawls… we’re all about simply having MORE FUN TOGETHER!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I am still learning every day, truly. 2’s Day has offered the coolest platform to do so. I learn more about myself and the people around me through it, and the more 2’s Day grows, the more I do (and vice versa!).

Growing up, I constantly thought about what others thought of me. I know I am not alone in this mindset, and I can confidently say that’s a trend throughout our generation. As a 16 year old, I learned that I was defined by what people thought about me. Was I smart? Was I liked? Was I cool? Did I need to change how I dressed? Did I need to post more? Did I need to post less? Did I need to be meaner? Nicer? Louder? Quieter? I would love to say these questions all disappeared when I left high school, but that wouldn’t be the truth. I held onto these ideas as I entered college and became an “adult”. I held onto these ideas and wonderings as I became the 25 year old I am now! I am still learning and understanding how these questions play a role in how I carry and shape myself.

As we began 2’s Day, I started to realize something; not everyone is going to be into it. There’s simply no possible way to appeal to everyone at once. So, we might as well just do what we like and see who sticks around. This important business lesson translates into a life lesson; not everyone is going to like you, so you might as well like yourself. The more we lean into all that we want 2’s Day to be, the more of a positive response we receive from our audience.

This project is by far my favorite thing I have ever been lucky enough to be a part of, and I can’t wait to continue to grow in every single way.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

While we don’t have an official team yet, we have plenty of fantastic friends who volunteer their time and energy towards making 2’s Day what it is. Noelle and I work hard to make sure everyone is comfortable with the amount of involvement they take on through;

communication, communication, communication!!!!

As a person living in this ridiculous world, I have put in a lot of active work towards understanding my own feelings and emotions. This is both to further my sense of self, and to be able to share and work with others in a productive, kind way. These skills translate directly into 2’s Day! Staying upfront and open is necessary in order to connect with people we collaborate with all the time. If I am feeling a certain way, I first look inward to understand why I really may be feeling that, and act on it accordingly. It’s easy to assume that the people around me are reading my mind/on the same page, but that’s just not the reality of life. We are all people, with our own individual set of complicated, wonderful emotions.

Contact Info:

• Website: 2sdaycollections.com
• Instagram: @2sdaycollections.com

Image Credits
Kiley Clisham and Elle Wayt