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

Cass, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I’ve always loved design and I love to entertain. When I helped style my son and daughter in law’s wedding, I knew I had found my passion and thus launched Crushed Velvet Rentals. There is so much waste in events and I felt we could curate older tablescapes, furniture and decor without sacrificing style, quite the opposite. There is nothing more satisfying than being a part of my clients’ biggest celebrations and seeing their faces when their eyes light up. And working with my son? That’s just the cherry on top of it all.

Cass, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up, I was raised by two of the most creative and talented people I know. If HGTV would have been around then, I’m quite sure my parents would have been the Chip and Joanna Gaines of their day. My dad was a farmer and builder and my mom made all of his work look amazing. I love working with clients to make their Pinterest page come to life and their celebration a dream event. I love the stories behind the pieces that we’ve acquired from estate sales and people selling their family treasures. We have committed to repurposing and reviving 80% of our vintage pieces creating unique and custom lounges, tablescapes and decor. And although we are newer on the event styling and rental scene, I believe our approach is truly unique. We strive to promise the do-able then over delight each of our clients.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

It was shortly after 9/11–I had lost clients in the Trade Center Building…And although I loved the company I was working for and made good money, I couldn’t face doing my job any longer. I lost my job as our industry kind of collapsed for a time but was looking to reimagine my career. I had cooked in the 90’s for the Rockies’ club house manager when they had built Coors field but didn’t have a cafeteria to feed the teams—and I absolutely loved catering (which sparked an interest that would sooner or later become a real business idea). In 2004 the ‘meal prep’ industry was in its infancy and I was enamored by the concept and started Easy Entrees with my business partner. We had so little experience in owning a business; putting in long hours, sacrificing paychecks, almost losing everything during the downturn of the economy in 2007. After many years of testing recipes and building an incredibly supportive community of friends and families, we ultimately sold it. I am so delighted (and I’ll be honest, proud) that they are still around to this day, and helping people eat well with their families.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’m a somewhat recovering workaholic. I was raised by parents who prided themselves on being hard workers and didn’t value ‘down time’ or the ‘work/life balance’ as we call it today. If you asked my family, they would say my defining quote would be, “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. Although I still think that is true to a degree, I am trying very hard to carve out time to take care of myself and enjoy some of the fruits of that labor. Especially after the shutdown from COVID, I think a lot of us were isolated to such extremes that it forced many of us to look in the mirror and take inventory. “Do I like my job? Is this the career I want to pursue? Am I happy with what I’m doing? Could I be happier?” Like so many people, I’ve sat with those questions and decided there’s even more I want to do with my life; with my passions. Crushed Velvet is one of the answers to many of those questions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.crushedvelvetrentals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crushedvelvet.rentals?igsh=dmlnOGw3ZXc3eWx4&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/wPiqdDUMmpRrJ1zT/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

Andrés Molina
Graeme Schulz