We recently connected with Pam Corbett and have shared our conversation below.

Pam , appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I come from a family of entrepreneurs. So, from an early age, I watched my family go through the ups and downs of business ownership. It taught me how to take risks and ride the hardships and successes. That being said, it took me a long time before I started Sea & Grass. I tried other business concepts in between teaching English as a second language. When something failed, I always had teaching to fall back on. It was my “regular job.” But teaching English as an adjunct meant always wondering if there would be another class or if the schedule would fit in with my daycare hours. Every few weeks, my schedule would change, and the rebalancing would begin. My “regular job” was similar to being a business owner in many ways but without the reward. As an owner, I’m more in control of my schedule and get to make decisions best for myself, my employees, and my family. I’m also passionate about what I do and the products we create. I’m doing what I love. So, even though being a business owner comes with some risks and pressures a regular job doesn’t have, I’m much happier.

Pam , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started Sea & Grass to create sustainable products that last. I grew up in California until the age of 10. My family then moved back to Thailand, where I spent the next 18 years. During that time, I became interested in seagrass, a natural sea plant that flourishes in Thailand. It washes up on the shores and can clog sewers and genuinely become a nuisance if left. But Thai artisans figured out how to take seagrass and weave it into magical creations. In a sense, seagrass is repurposed and brings beauty and joy. I studied business in college and decided to combine my love for eco-friendly products with entrepreneurship. I partnered with independent artisans who receive a fair wage for handweaving Sea & Grass handbags and totes. But I wanted to be more than a woman-owned bag company. I wanted to make an even more significant impact on the environment and lives of the Thai weavers. With this philosophy in mind, I started the Areeya Scholarship Fund. The fund named after my daughter helps send impoverished children to school. We subsidize educational costs for deserving students; sometimes, the fund supports the children of the same weavers that make our bags. As a result, sea & Grass makes beautiful, handwoven products that are stylish, eco-friendly, and give back.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A few years ago, I started to create vision boards to help me visualize my best life. I would put words and images of things that were important to me. Recently, we spent a few weeks packaging and shipping a large order. The details were complicated, and it took many hands to make it happen. We kept having to “pivot.” This became a joke. Okay, time to pivot. There was always something different we needed to do or ship because the specifications for the project were large and new to us. When we finally finished the project, we had a celebratory barbecue. A good friend noticed my vision board taped up in the garage. In large letters was the word “pivot.” I had made the vision board a few years before. As a business owner, you’re constantly required to change and be flexible. This is what I do with Sea & Grass daily—pivot!

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

Sea & Grass started off as a side hustle. I sold seagrass handbags and totes at farmer’s markets. My warehouse was my garage, and my employees were my friends. But there was always this seed of hope that it would turn into something bigger, something that would give back to the earth and provide a full-time income for my family and employees. So, I scaled slowly. I began by offering one or two products to expand into a children’s line and home decor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://seaandgrass.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seaandgrass/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seaandgrass