We were lucky to catch up with Lynn Bittorf recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lynn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
My name is Lynn Bittorf. Growing up my last name was mispronounced more than I thought possible. To me it seemed like a simple enough pronunciation… “Bitt” + “or” + “f” I’ve heard “Bittor-off”… “Bittor-eff “… and a personal favorite from the people who thought they were funny “Bitt-off”… “Lynn Bitt-off more than she can chew”. You can imagine the “hilarious” phrases I’ve heard created with that. When I first started my social media accounts I opted for the username “lynnbitt”. I figured why not just keep the “bitt” that’s easy to remember?! The same theory applied to my business. One of my mottos is “Everyone needs a “bitt” of something and I make a “bitt” of everything!” I wanted my brand to have a name that would pay honor to my family name and create my own branch of its legacy, but also a name that wouldn’t limit my creative direction… I currently make 1 of 1 sustainable fashion and accessories with which I have been showcasing at various fashion shows around the DMV area and during Feb ‘24 NYFW, however, if in the future it interests me to make kitchen utensils or car accessories it wouldn’t very well suit me to have a business limited to fashion.
Lynn, 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?
I’ve always been crafty. Whether I was sketching, making friendship bracelets, beaded rings, wire wrapped anything… my hands have rarely been idle. Keeping my hands busy helps me think and every artistic medium interests me. My creative process is a flow, guided by intuition and interest. I am inspired by the visibly unique.
I grew up in Hedgesville West Virginia but my roots are in German tradition. German was my first language and I am a dual German and United States citizen. I cherish that part of my heritage. My Oma (grandma in German) sat me on her lap while she was sewing when I was little and she would talk me through what she was doing, always patient, always ready to teach me, and I always wanted to learn. Even though my Oma is no longer physically with me, I feel close to her memory when I create!
I played competitive soccer for over a decade and when I graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA and almost perfect score on my ACT, I was faced with a directional decision. I wanted to go to college to be out of my parents house and experience the world, I wanted to play soccer at a professional level, I wanted to continue my education and pursue a career that would use my intelligence to better the lives of others… I realized I wanted things that pulled me in different directions, and ended up deciding to attend West Virginia University for their nursing program on academic scholarship. I was there for a semester and a half and felt lost in classes of 200+ students and professors that read word for word from power point presentations. My mental health declined, my physical health also rapidly declined seemingly out of nowhere to the point of hospitalization. I had to drop out. John’s Hopkins had mixed results on the exact diagnosis of my ovarian cancer, but in March of 2020, the hight of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had emergency surgery to remove a large portion of my reproductive organs. The doctors emphasized that if I want to “preserve fertility” I should freeze my eggs. I was 19. I had always wanted children, but I had an internal understanding that what was happening to me was happening for a reason. My life path was meant to change. Through the physical healing process I was also taking time to heal myself mentally, reestablish my priorities and redirect my focus. I had been given a first hand example of how important each individual day is, and was filled with determination to reorganize my life in a way that would allow me the freedom to live each day to the fullest.
The idea of The Bitt Store came to be when I met my boyfriend, also now business partner in late 2020 and he introduced me to the world of sole proprietorship. He saw my passion, offered direction and encouragement and that was exactly what I needed to grow. He also taught me how to build my own website, and about the financial side of business including tax write offs! Pastime Turned Paycheck. My 1 of 1 creations, each piece a conglomerate of my artistic vision and resourceful nature, have been now been featured in magazines, photoshoots and music videos, and on runways in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and New York City during NYFW.
My materials are sourced in various ways, but my focus is sustainability. I accept donations in all conditions from friends, family, coworkers, locals and local businesses. When I do purchase materials I always try to employ my creativity by selecting “final sale” or slightly damaged pieces. I thrift from family owned “mom and pop” shops, a favorite of mine is Brooke’s House Thrift Store in Hagerstown, Maryland- the proceeds of which go to support their local transitional sober living home for adult women in the early stages of substance abuse recovery.
I LOVE custom order commissions! I grew up watching Project Runway and treat custom orders the same way a challenge on the show would operate! Gather inspiration from my client, sketch up various sample designs based on inspiration, consult with client and finalize the design, construction, fitting, alteration, and reveal! It genuinely feels like bringing an idea to life… like 3D printing with my hands! Seeing a clients reaction to the final result is always more than worth however many hours have been put into the piece. Knowing that the joy I experience while creating something will also be translated to its eventual owner is the root of fulfillment for me! I hope my work inspires smiles, brings out the best feelings of self confidence, starts conversations, and is a vivid expression of the fullness of life!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Word of Mouth! People talk! I meet people consistently who know me “from so and so”… I sometimes have no idea who they are and yet they have a positive opinion of me based on what others have shared with them. I have become known for my versatility, often finding people greet me as “Lynn Bitt from The Bitt Store” and I love it! Photographers who book me for fashion shoots are sometimes surprised when I offer to bring pieces I made myself and then once they see my work and have the opportunity to photograph it they are booking me for additional dates to be able to photograph more of my work or to enlist me to bring a newly inspired idea to life! I’ll also often hear from additional photographers soon after working with someone new who all say they’re coming to me because they’ve “heard good things”! This goes to show how information travels across friend and social groups which can also apply to that which is unfortunately untrue or negative. When these circumstances present themselves (which they always will… success will always garner hate) it is of utmost importance to appear impervious. Taking the high road will always take you to higher places. I structured my brand on business principles and am adamant to remain solely focused on and known for these.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I thought I knew how many hours are in a day. My answer 5 years ago would have been a quick retort of “24…? Duh?” That’s what I was taught in school. But that’s not quite accurate. Comedian Kat Williams has a bit about there actually being 2 halves to this 24 hour time span of a “day” in which we experience “day” and “night”. On a 9-5 work schedule, 8 out of 12 of the “day” sunlight hours are being occupied by work which actually only leaves 4 hours in a “day” to have your time to yourself, as well as some hours of the “night” before you have to sleep and start the process all over. I was withering in this work schedule for years. I am an all in kind of person. I would quickly become an invaluable asset to any workforce I joined. This would garner me more responsibility but not often an increase in pay rate. I have worked 60 hour work weeks at $8.50 an hour before I turned 18. I worked 30 hour work weeks at $11 an hour my junior year of high school while also juggling the responsibilities of class president, varsity soccer captain, head of the prom planning committee, vice president of the theatre troupe, advanced placement classes and dual enrollment classes at Hagerstown Community College. If there is one thing I needed to realize in life, that had the greatest impact on my perspective, it was that I needed to be the one in charge of my time sheet. The ability to financially support myself while also dictating exactly how I spend my 12 hours of daylight is freedom to me. I can wake up when I want, travel where I want, and experience life freely!
Contact Info:
- Website: thebittstore.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnbitt?igsh=bHBwYjlpZGtqcHhh&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.bittorf?mibextid=uzlsIk
- Twitter: https://x.com/lynnbitt?s=21&t=AOVycryP-YolhFcHzJh5ng
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lynn.bitt?_t=8lVx2CsMcxD&_r=1
Image Credits
Photo Sensai Nohelia V – NLV Photography Johnny Kaufman- Johnny Kaufman Photography Chi V Kasper- Kaptured by Kasper Afshin.Photo