We were lucky to catch up with Britt Corrigan & Dani Gorcie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Britt Corrigan & Dani Gorcie, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
What sets us apart comes down to our ability to offer that boutique level of personal service and product expertise that the ‘bigger guys’ can’t offer. There are lots of off-the-shelf resources for customizable products and even unique makers on platforms such as Etsy that offer customization in great ways, however, we’re a little different. We have over 10+ years of expertise in decoration methods, product knowledge, sourcing, etc. across thousands of products, and have a really keen understanding of how to work with business and how to best nurture a B2B relationship. Instead of having to arrive at an eCommerce website knowing what products you want and being limited to whatever canned logo imprint methods are on offer, our clients come to us with an event, a campaign idea, or even just simple questions such as ‘What should I do for new client onboarding?’ or ‘I’m exhibiting at a tradeshow, how can I stand out and be memorable?’ and we can develop completely unique curated campaigns with the client’s brand and mission in mind and make every element of that campaign hit those touch points. We are able to offer that full-service consultation and resourcing from inception to delivery of the product, and I think that’s our greatest differentiator. Both of us have co-created so many dynamic products for our clients, such as custom premiere products for networks and films, employee uniforms, supported full rebrands, proposed event displays, and so much more. In this way, we’re very partnership-driven rather than transactional, which we believe is not only a better value and experience for our clients, but it’s way more fun for us too.
A good example is a client we had worked with that needed custom notebooks for a conference. They were ready to pull the trigger on a product from 4imprint that only allowed them to do a custom cover, but nothing else. They showed us what they were thinking and we were able to say ‘Did you know you can do a custom insert page, and your logo on the top corner of every page too for the same price?’. This gave them the chance to create something really unique that the larger companies just don’t have the capacity to mess with but we LOVE to get creative and mess with that stuff!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Our story is one that we love to share. We are a powerhouse of creative and logistic brains with a friendship that started in Cleveland, OH. Dani is a drummer/legal professional and I am a DJ/accounting student. Together, we are Left Bank Creative, a brand merchandising business. We hold over a decade of combined experience in the industry and believe that many of our individual backgrounds have prepared us to meet the moment when our previous boss retired. We both have experience in the entertainment and special event sectors, where cultivating memorable experiences and connections is paramount. With Left Bank Creative, we are redirecting that expertise and applying it to developing marketing campaigns centered around branded and promotional products.
Dani entered the branded merchandising industry in 2016 coming from an eclectic background in video production, live music, and special events. She specializes in applying a guerilla marketing style to branded merchandising to create unique and innovative brand experiences for her clients. She has extensive experience in product selection and procurement and a comprehensive understanding of apparel decoration and trends. She holds an LLM in Entertainment Law and continues to pursue interests in the music industry and law.
Britt entered the brand merchandising field from the event promotion and logistics spaces, with extensive experience across marketing, event promotions, and strategy. She specializes in the development of brand identity and aesthetic and marries that identity with physical products and strategy. With an eye for detail and always a finger on the pulse, she excels in identifying creative solutions to client needs. Britt is pursuing a degree in accounting and continues to use her strongest attributes to elevate the brand.
When leveraged correctly, we believe that promotional products are the strongest enforcer of brand awareness and recognition.
In simple terms, we are bad*ss, creative, and professional women that help businesses, brands, non-profits, and events elevate and shine through promotional products.
Our services consist of but are not limited to:
– Custom t-shirts & apparel (Screen print, embroidery, sublimation, etc.)
– Promotional products (Giveaway/tradeshow, retail quality, etc.)
– Custom client and corporate gifting
– Onboarding & employee kits
– Custom packaging
Don`t sleep on Left Bank Creative! We ship all over the United States and provide free product presentations and consultations to all of our prospective clients.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
Britt and I met back in 2016 when my band was on tour and played in the flats in Cleveland. She invited us to play an after-hours gig in a ‘last of its kind’ artists building called the Left Bank where we immediately clicked into a community of like-minded creatives and we never looked back. The Left Bank represented a really innovative and creative time full of self-exploration and growth. We knew when we started our own promotional products distributorship that we wanted to do more than churn out orders slapping logos on products. We wanted to be a collective where we help develop and grow brands by helping to realize and amplify brand identity. When it came to naming the company we knew we wanted the spirit of the Left Bank behind us to both keep us in touch with the innovation and creativity we experienced in that community and also to pay homage to where we first came together. It was actually very intuitive and came to us really quickly. We knew where we were coming from and what we wanted to accomplish with the company almost without even having to discuss it.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
We established Left Bank Creative in 2023 after our former boss retired and dissolved their client list. Dani and I had joked about starting our own distributorship in the past but I feel like the timing wasn`t right until it was, and that`s when we met the moment. The hardest part of pivoting was honestly not having a “boss” in the very beginning. We were both working form home and I think that unlocking a new level of discipline and communication was necessary for our success. I think that we have done a fantastic job at getting in a groove that works for us and our clients alike. We can probably both agree that stepping into a co-founding role has made us stronger than ever, in business and in friendship. I know that we are just as excited for today as we are for the future and I can`t wait to see what`s next.
We love our clients. We enjoy building our business. We love what we do.
Who could ask for more?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leftbankcreative.co
- Instagram: @leftbankcreative
- Facebook: /LeftBankCreativePromo
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/left-bank-creative-llc
- Other: Threads: @leftbankcreative@threads.net
Image Credits
The images used are either created by us or sales tools that do not require credit from industry manufacturers. Black and white of Britt: Todd Weider