Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsey Mayes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsey, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Back in 2016, I was living in California and I had recently started cycling as a way to heal from my father passing away from cancer. I had been mostly riding road until one weekend I went up to Tahoe for work and planned on riding some gravel trails. Up until that point everything I needed to carry on my bike rides would be stuffed into one of my jersey pockets, which I wasn’t a huge fan of, but that’s what everyone did. For this trip I really wanted to carry more with me on these bike rides so I decided to sew a frame bag that could hold everything. So that’s what I did, and it was a game changer for me. No more deciding between what to bring and not to bring based on how much could fit in my pockets, I could now bring everything I needed without compromise. I got back home after the weekend and my friends saw the bag I was using and immediately asked if I could make them one too. I knew I was onto something when everyone I rode with wanted one. I lived in a major cycling county and felt like they would do really 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 actually first got into sewing by making clothing. I’m very much into fashion and the creativity of it. But upon learning more about the industry, how hard and expensive it is to create a fashion line on your own and the waste that the industry produces, I steered away from it. Creating cycling bags lended to two things that I love. I’m thankful our products are made in the USA and our supplies are too. We strive to make the highest quality products that will last a very long time. Each product is made by hand to order. We spend months, sometimes more than a year crafting and testing each new product to tweak and perfect it for the best durable and ease of use. In a world where fast fashion (and bags) have become increasing normal, we want to be the opposite of that and supply products that people want to use over & over again and also repair to keep using after years.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

How far back do you want me to go, lol. I met my business partner/husband, Jay, back in 2009 in Minneapolis by bumping into each other on the street after a Timberwolves game. He was working for them and I was watching the game with my brother downtown. I had had a couple drinks, and like the gentlemen he is, he gave me $20 for a cab ride home along with his business card. Long story short, we got engaged in 2012 but also called it off later that same year. He moved back home to Baltimore and I decided it was the perfect time to follow my dream of moving to California. Fast forward to June 2020, God told me while I was sewing bags that I was going to marry Jay. A week later I quit my job, got out of the relationship I was in and ended my lease to move to Texas while God worked it all out. While moving to Texas, Jay noticed we were driving through Arizona from Instagram and asked my brother and I to stop by his place. We hadn’t spoken or seen each other in 8 years. That’s when I told him what God’s plan was and he was surprised to say the least. My brother and I kept on our trip after the afternoon visit and a week later Jay called to talk about what I had told him. He had two job opportunities waiting for his answer and wanted to frankly figure out if I was crazy or not. He moved to Texas 3 months later and began helping me with Louis & Joy and getting us into retail bike shops. We married in Feb 2021 and have been growing the business together ever since. God is good!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Louis & Joy did start out as a side hustle. The first product was crafted out of personal necessity and grew from friends & people on Instagram asking for their own. I sewed on the side of having a full time job and worked on making new products as I could. Once I moved to Texas and had quit my job, I was really determined to work for myself and make Louis & Joy my full time job. Jay really helped me accomplish that by stepping up our business by getting us into retail and using social media ads to acquire new customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: Louisjoy.com
• Instagram: Louisandjoy
• Facebook: Louis & Joy