Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kate Meier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kate, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
I started Craftmade Aprons to provide a quality product for my chef sons. It was a simple idea of giving them something better to aid them in their work day. There was an immediate ask from others, who were looking for something better. I did my best to meet that ask head on! I know all too well as a mom of individuals in the hospitality industry, that there is a great need for support! This pushed me to look for ways to bring a means to provide assistance to those who are facing crisis such as medical or financial burdens which they are not able to meet due to things that are lacking from their pay or on the job benefits. Craftmade Aprons was started to provide high-quality, affordable tools for service industry workers. As our business continues to grow, due primarily to the overwhelming support of the service industry family, so must the manner in which we envision our role in this family and our responsibility to give back. It’s not enough to simply acknowledge the bruises, we feel we needed to create Project Black & Blue to provide tangible assistance to the members of the service industry family so that they can maintain dignity and continue to work.
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.
Just over 6 years ago, I was Kate Meier, mom & wife and spent my time in my garden with my 2 golden retrievers. Today, I am a business owner of 2 businesses in partnership with my teammate Trent Taher, in addition to a non profit Project Black & Blue, which gives back to the hospitality industry. The initial ask by my sons was to create something that helped them to have a better work day, so I sat with them to learn what was lacking. Base fabric was a big problem, which is why one of our best sellers are our Kevlar aprons. Yes, that’s right, we do make aprons from the fabric that bulletproof vests are made from! It’s pretty cool stuff and highly protective, while still providing great movement and is lightweight too! I also designed and developed a crossback design, changing the way the apron fits. Providing straps that go from shoulder to hip, instead of a loop that hangs around your neck. When professional cooks/chefs are in the kitchen for 10-16 hours a day with an apron hanging around their neck, it really impacts their body. We’ve had individuals report a change in posture and a lessening of headaches, just from this slight change. I also spent a fair amount of time looking into the best pocket layout and design. This all was initially done out of the love for my boys, and that love quite seamlessly translated over into a community of people! I think where the pride and inspiration comes from, is in the love and support that this community has put into this brand and continue to watch it grow and they see that they are the ones with the direct hand in growing it!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Two and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It would require me to have a double mastectomy. I also have several autoimmune conditions, which put a strain on my health. One of my conditions is Ankylosing Spondylitis, which is very active in my breastbone and ribs. My bones are actually trying to fuse together, which causes a lot of inflammation and pain. The idea of the surgery to remove my breast tissue to combat the cancer, was concerning simply due to the fact with what that may trigger with my health. There were plenty of things to be concerned about as a very small business owner, that is really trying to do some very big things. At that time, I only had one full time & one part time employee and we had recently became the national provider of uniforms for the foodservice company US Foods, for both their aprons and chef coats (these chef coats are designs that i worked on for over a year and really have a lot of pride in their fit and feel) There was a lot of uncertainty and a lot at stake. I was taking my first time away from my company, since the first apron was made. I had to put trust into the community that co created this business with me and I had to believe that I would come out of this a more resilient individual. This was a time where and when I had to allow myself to be cared for, just as I had been doing for others. I had to accept being the one accepting care, when I a mom at heart, was used to being the caregiver. I quite literally blew the minds of my medical team with my healing and expedited recovery, and I like to think that it was mainly in part of the community support! I love what I do and who I do it for and really couldn’t wait to get back. I was back in shop within 2 weeks
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
In my very early time of selling aprons out of my home, I would take orders online and meet the clients at coffee shops to deliver them. Fairly early on, I met my teammate/partner Trent Taher. I was very eager & excited about what I was doing, but also very overwhelmed with the amount of interest and orders that were coming in. Trent had suggested to me that quite possibly I had something bigger in my hands than maybe I had realized and that he would be very supportive to further a conversation to explore ideas. I am a firm lover of ideas, so honestly could not wait to learn more from him. We really got along very well from the start and shared the idea that if we do business together as a team, we both wanted to bring a positive change and positively impact this community that we both love so dearly. It was something that we knew would be a cornerstone to what we do and we also knew that it would keep us pushing to bring support and positivity at a bigger scale. I knew that in order to accomplish big dreams, I would need help and support and Trent cared about my “big ideas” just as much a I did, so the partnership came to light!
Contact Info:
- Website: CraftmadeAprons.com
- Instagram: mother_of_aprons craftmadeaprons project_black_and_blue
- Facebook: Craftmade Aprons
- Linkedin: Kate Boerboon Meier
Image Credits
Matt Lein