We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kara Vendel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
MM Lidl Co. was born in 2020, the same year my son was born. He was actually born on January 1st – what I thought was going to be the best year ever quickly took a turn with the pandemic, a racial reckoning, a massive political divide and the country quite literally was on fire. All I could think was “what world did I bring this little boy into!?” Well, as a new mom does – I was up all night before my first day back at my corporate job after maternity leave and the idea truly just popped into my head – I thought what if I could build a brand that’s DNA was about making the world a better place and cultivating compassion in our littles? It’s what the world seemed to need in the moment; authenticity and kindness.
Like a little kid waiting for their parents to wake up, I tossed and turned and stared at my husband until he opened his eyes so I could share my idea. A values-based children’s brand with pillars that I strongly believed in. Pillars that could be weaved subtly throughout the products. He was supportive, yet skeptical – optimistic, but poked holes – and to this day he continues to challenge me on all aspects of the business but gives me the confidence to keep going. I leaned a lot on family and friends during the ideation stage. I networked and put myself out there.
Through lots of conversation and soul searching, what began as a children’s brand morphed into a hat brand. I’ll never forget the day I figured out the name and firmed up our brand pillars. My son was around 5 months old – my mom and I found the only quiet place in my tiny house – my bedroom and we sat on the bed and just brainstormed. At last landing on:
Moving Mountains Lidl Company aka MM Lidl Co.
MM because we believe “Compassion Can Move Mountains”
Lidl because we carry hats (aka lids) for the littles in your life and you
And lastly, Co. for company and also the abbreviation for Colorado – where I call home.
And our brand pillars:
Compassion Can Move Mountains
Confident Girls Become Strong Women
Every Child Deserves a Fair Chance
Love is Love
Mother Earth is Ours to Protect
After months, or more like 3 years (+ another baby) of mulling it over I decided to finally make the leap. I had gotten feedback on the idea of a values based brand from what felt like everyone and their mother. I sat on the brand long enough and it still felt like it could go somewhere so I wanted to make it a reality. Launching MM Lidl Co. was the scariest, most vulnerable I’ve ever felt, yet – I’ve never felt more happy or fulfilled. And that has made all the time and energy worth it.
Kara, 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?
My initial career started in buying and sales in the apparel world, however after moving to Colorado – I transitioned into the beverage industry, strongly focused on sales and analytics. After 6 years, I missed having a creative outlet and was ready to move on from the beer industry. I was tired and my work no longer felt aligned with where I was in life. So when the idea of MM Lidl Co. came to me, I wanted to vet it out. I was ready to bet on myself and I thought, at the very least – I will learn from the experience. And that I have done! I’ve created a brand of sustainable & recycled hats for all ages, while also building an authentic, values based brand. Our lids are more than just an accessory, they mean something and stand for something. It’s the connection of brand, product, beliefs, education, and emotion that make MM Lidl Co. unique. We’re working to create a community of parents who want to raise compassionate lidls so they can move mountains (or mole holes!) one day.
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
This was one of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome. I felt like such a small fish reaching out to manufacturers, but once I got over the feeling and realized I just had to do it – I realized it was not so scary! I had to find a vendor and in all honesty, I searched high and low on Google of all places. I utilized a few different manufacturers in the beginning, I needed to find ones that had low mins and I also thought it was a good way to diversify vs. putting all my eggs into one basket so to speak. By working with multiple manufacturers I was able to find the things I liked about some and what I didn’t like about others. After my first wave of products, I still wasn’t 100% in on any of them, so I reached out to another manufacturer and the products are finally getting to where I feel like they need to be. It was a lot of trial and error, but my biggest advice is: Get the sample (as many times as you need to!) It may feel expensive, but it’s way better to have the right product than a bunch of product you don’t believe in. And lastly, it takes time! Anytime a manufacturer tells you a timeline, just double it in your head to be safe :)
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
For me, the best way to start was to get out there. Markets, fairs, music festivals have been an awesome way to cultivate a community locally. In addition, when you do markets like these – you have to refine your selling story – it’s truly trial by fire, being vulnerable, but without a lot of risk. Eventually you start to see some of the same customers and it really is something special. They truly root for you, give honest feedback, and the confidence to keep going!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mmlidlco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mm_lidl_co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmlidlco
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
Image Credits
Haley Venditti