Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katie Martin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Katie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?
With the lingerie line that I own with my Mom we believe there is a way to design intimates that flatter, and enhance the female body so you love the way you look.
Our goal is to have you feel great in your own skin, because when that happens so does an awakening. The inner beauty begins to radiate, the YOU beneath the exterior becomes grander, more confident and you come to embrace who you truly are. A fierce, courageous, luminous one-of-a-kind woman.
With that, every purchase receives affirmation cards with their order. It’s something they can read before trying on their pieces. A reminder of your value and beauty. We also include a Badass Babe sticker.
Another thing we’ve done is rename our sizing. So instead of the traditional Small, Medium, Large, etc. We changed them to (S)ensational, (M)agnificent, (L)uxurious, (XL)avish, (XXL)ovely. Your size isn’t something to be ashamed of and shopping for lingerie isn’t like shopping for clothes at Target. Some women might be in a size they’re not used to and we want them to feel comfortable.
Our overall goal is to show women they are incredible, beautiful and we appreciate them so much.
Katie, 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?
It all began with an idea that we could create lingerie that appeals to a wider range of women. Body types that aren’t usually featured in lingerie ads, but who are truly as sexy, strong and beautiful as the images we’ve been bombarded with over the years.
Take a trained patternmaker/designer and combine her with a professional boudoir photographer and you get the dynamic duo behind The Bradshaw Collection. Add to that the DNA bond of a mother and daughter and you have a truly unique collaboration of mind, body and spirit.
The Bradshaw Collection is a lingerie boutique. Meaning we are a smaller shop, offering a limited quantity of each style. We source high quality fabrics, utilize “made in the USA” grade craftsmanship, and develop each design to be truly distinctive.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I am so lucky that my business partner is my Mom. I’m an only child and she’s been a seamstress/pattern maker my entire life. She made all my Halloween costumes, dresses for different occasions, prom dress, etc. So when I had the idea to start a lingerie line I knew exactly who to pitch the idea to! I’m so lucky I get to work with her and that we work well together. We make a great team and we’re best friends!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
As a small batch lingerie line there’s been several challenges to overcome and hiccups along the way. No matter the issues and learning curves of this new adventure, we continue to push through. Our two year anniversary is in September so we’re still pretty new. Finding manufactures and supplies that will work with our small numbers has been a challenge. Even things like finding the right color elastic and other components we need to finish a design. My Mom has even dyed our own elastic to try and get the right color match. Our manufacturer has had their own challenges with Mom’s unique intricate designs and a couple of our designs haven’t passed inspection and needed to be fixed. There’s a lot of behind the scenes and challenges no one sees and it’s been hard at times but we’ve made it through.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebradshawcollection.com
- Instagram: @thebradshawcollection
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebradshawcollection
Image Credits
Erin Blackwell