Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsee Sanchez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Lindsee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.
I grew up in the quiet suburbs of Houston, Texas. My high school was near the Galleria area and there was a lot of economic disparity in my school. This was probably a friction point and something the teachers would lament about in various ways. We all received a free education and that seemed right. Growing up, we always gave a few dollars to the street panhandlers and donated clothes and coats to local charities. Though I never understood the source of their poverty it never dawned on me at the time to ask questions. I never knew how I could be a part of changing poverty anywhere.
One of my dear cousins lost her battle with brain cancer at a very young age. It became crystal clear that if I want to change things and make an impact in the world, I would need to seize every moment. I volunteered in various roles from fundraising to PTA. Nothing was fulfilling me in the way I hoped.
Then, I learned about Noonday Collection and joined as an Ambassador in April 2020. Yes, at the beginning of the pandemic, I started my business. Sitting around, being quarantined and unable to do anything was stifling. When I heard about Noonday Collection I learned that every purchase mattered for the Artisan Partners and the Artisans. Noonday Collection, a member of the Fair Trade Federation, created partnerships with Artisan Partners who were paying fair wages and providing safe working conditions for their employees. All that was needed from me was to share Noonday, style friends and create a sustainable income for them. Easy enough!
I see my business as a way I can serve my customers through styling them with gorgeous pieces from 15 countries. I am proud to be able to serve the Artisans by providing them with orders which creates dignified and sustainable employment for them. The Artisans are then able to pay for schooling for their children, put food on the table, keep a roof over their heads and pay for birthday celebrations as well as weddings. I am empowered and the artisans are empowered too! Free education through high school is something many in the US take for granted. I can help provide for their children’s education, for them to rise up from poverty through orders from my wonderful customers. We are now also working to send women in Uganda to college!
I love creating an impact where it is needed. This is just one way I know I can do this successfully while creating an income for my family as well.
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?
I’m Lindsee, a mother to 3 children and have been married to Jason for 22 years. I am an adventure seeker, I love fishing, being at Lake Travis, on any river or by a pool. I love to travel, meet new people and be in nature. I am an advocate for artisans through Noonday Collection which is based in Austin, Texas. We provide the most beautiful handmade jewelry, clothing, purses and home decor which is sourced from 15 countries and 135 community workshops around the globe.
As an Ambassador, I am proud of the Artisans who made these handmade styles. I am very proud of our company for being an industry leader in Fair Trade and as a BCorp. We are members of the Direct Sales Association and operate under very wise business standards which include not carrying inventory and selecting our own samples which no one aside from the Artisans profit from.
In addition to the Artisans making a thriving wage, the commission I earn helps my family with the grocery bill and with fun things too. I love the community of Ambassadors I am connected to through shared visions for changing the world!
Have you ever had to pivot?
March 2020, the world went into various stages of quarantine. April 2020, I started on my journey as a Noonday Collection Ambassador. I was also moving from preschool teaching in the classroom to teaching online. It was a lot of change for my students and my children. Teaching on Zoom while my kids were learning on Zoom. It was a lot to consume at the time. What I didn’t know was that pivoting directions would become a norm in our house.
Many Ambassadors around the globe were very accustomed to gathering with their hostesses in homes, not online. Immediately there were a lot of learning opportunities for everyone on how to gather and create a warm environment on Facebook, Zoom and other platforms including Instagram. Since I was new to Noonday, I was in learning mode already so I learned from my coach, Alison. There was a whole community of Ambassadors to also learn and share resources with. I scheduled online gatherings and had success. People were craving connection and connecting my customers to artisans around the globe and creating change for them was a great motivator for all of us.
So many months in to the pandemic people grew restless and finding new ways to connect became the goal. When possible, we gathered outdoors with masks and hand sanitized while finding bonding time. Noonday Collection recognized needs for the Artisan Partners and we did a Give Back to India for food supplies, a Give Back to No Kid Hungry, to Schools and Preschools and to East Africa most recently. These opportunities created spaces for our communities and customers to do good locally and across the globe and this created a bright spot during dark days.
As more things began to open up and restrictions were removed in gathering, I’ve gotten to pivot to more in person impactful gatherings. This did create a learning opportunity for me as I’d mostly done and had success with online trunk shows. I love learning new things and so I was open to it. Many customers and friends began scheduling intimate get togethers where I was able to share my love for Noonday and serve them by styling their newest look. As we still navigate illnesses on occasion, many precautions are taken and the gatherings and impact has grown more and more from my first days as an Ambassador.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I love connection with friends and customers! I enjoy reaching out by text message, voice messages and emails. I have a very special VIP page for those who’ve shopped with me where they get the inside scoop. I also utilize Facebook and especially Instagram to share sales, product drops and styling tips. I encourage them to reach out to me and share their Noonday look of the day on social media so we can all encourage each other on. Empowered women, empower others!
I foster brand loyalty by providing top notch customer service and connecting the styles that my customers buy with the stories of the Artisans who’ve made their jewelry, bag, pouch or home decor item. Knowing whose hands have created it makes the impact they are creating even more meaningful. Knowing who has made their necklace or earrings puts a face behind the product and I love that I get to share these stories with my customers. The Artisans are so very precious to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LindseeSanchez.NoondayCollection.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseenoonday/