We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Haley Evans. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Haley below.

Hi Haley, thanks for joining us today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

I have “failed” multiple times in my life, both personally and professionally, and there is no doubt that time and self-reflection provide healing and insights that foster growth post these experiences.

In college, I started “Say Anything” where I wrote custom poems and roasts for life’s special milestones. They were a HUGE hit, but the idea was not scalable in the 90’s like it would be possible today.

In 2010, I started a customer painting business, Whimsey Designs, that offered custom chalk-painted furniture and nursery canvases for moms-to be. Again, a HUGE hit, but not scalable as a one-woman show. Then I wrote a book, “Hung Up, Why You Should Put the Phone Down”. I was invited onto the Charlotte Today Show, the Nashville Today Show, Daytime in Tampa and it seemed this my book might actually take off. And then, covid hit and parents turned a blind eye to smart phone and screen use, because they had no choice. My book sales dipped, then flattened, then hit rock bottom.

And then, in 2023 I found myself in the lobby of the Ft. Lauderdale Margaritaville holding a pair of sunglasses with cracked lenses. They had fallen from my shirt collar (where I often tuck them) onto the tile floor, and I was crushed. As a sat in the bustling lobby, waiting for the bus to take me and hundreds of other conference attendees to the airport, I watched hundreds of people push eyewear up on their head, tuck them into shirt collars, and juggle them, their phones and their bags with both hands. I thought: How come I can clip a pen to my shirt and not my glasses? Altachè was born a few months later. Will it be a success? I hope so. But I have invaluable insights from my past failures to mitigate some of the pitfalls, and, at forty-eight, enough self-reflection to know that the commercial success or failure of Altachè does not define me as a person, a wife, a mother or a businesswoman. Just like my book, sometimes it’s all about luck and timing…

Haley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Altachè offers a line of eyewear companion accessories that are rooted in function and devoted to style. For anyone whose eyewear has tumbled from their shirt collar or stretched out from being on their head, our patent-pending clip offers case, chain, and hands-free convenience on-the-go. Our 14-karat, gold-plated clips nests discreetly in the arm of your eyewear and allow you to clip them where you naturally keep them: on your shirt, pocket, waistband or bag without losing your sense of style. And, because we believe fashion should be functional, we’ve curated a line of 14-karat plated & semi-precious stone accents that mimic the trends of high-end eyewear at a much more approachable price. Our charms are elevated but never overpowering so they can go from errands to evening effortlessly. Our product isn’t fussy. It’s practical, elevated and easy for women (and men) who have enough to juggle b/c I believe their glasses shouldn’t be one of them!

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Finding a manufacturer was tough. And, despite wanting and looking to manufacture in the US, our cost margins and lack of capital to buy in bulk forced us to look overseas. We used a boutique firm from Los Angelos, Ristich, LLC, that helps startups bring ideas to prototype and they were able to point us in the right direction to several potential manufacturers. From there, we stumbled but ultimately found a great partner to work with.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After trying and failing at numerous endeavors, Altaché is my story of resilience and believing in, and betting on, yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.AltacheDesigns.com
• Instagram: @Altache.Designs
• Facebook: @Altache.Designs
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-evans-68b971222/
• Youtube: Altachè Designs
• Other: Tik Toc @Altache.Designs