We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Falkner recently and have shared our conversation below.
Samantha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
My background has been predominately in corporate retail, working FOR retailers such as Macy’s, Kmart/Sears and Pier 1 Imports, as well as working WITH retailers including At Home, Tuesday Morning and coincidentally Pier 1 Imports again. The majority of my career has been in a Buyer role, managing categories upwards of $200M in annual revenue, in departments ranging from kitchen textiles and pillows to home decor and various seasonal categories such as Christmas and Halloween. Early in my career, I understood very clearly that retail was in my blood and it’s a passion I have pursued for over 20 years, evolving, and learning every step of the way. I have had the opportunity to work in various roles from product development and design to sourcing both domestic and internationally. My career has taken. me all over the world and given me the opportunity to fine tune my skills and really home in on what makes me happy… which I’ve realized in more important than monetary gain or corporate recognition. In 2012 I was hired by Pier 1 Imports to manage their largest department, which at the time was Indoor/Outdoor Pillows. I never could have imagined that being the buyer for decorative pillows would be such an influential step in my career, but that is where everything changed for me and set me my path to become an entrepreneur. For the first time, I was able to run my business from A to Z, from conceptualizing trends and working with factories to bring my vision to life… to managing inventory and financial forecasts from the top down, ensuring both my initiatives and corporate goals were archived to the highest standard. It was the first time in my career, that I was expected to use both sides of brain. I was creative and analytical, and it made me the happiest I had ever been at that point in my career.
In 2016 I decided to go out on my own and formed Vasa Styles, an import company that provided the highest level of support to merchants, going above and beyond typical importer standards. The goal was to alleviate the responsibility of the buyers (because I knew the stress they were under) and offer products at price points that were specific to their needs… as opposed to just showing them products from the factory floor and trying to make a sale. We would curate collections that supported the buyers’ initiatives (whether they knew what those initiatives were or not LOL), while simultaneously helping our factory partners understand expectations and limitations when it came to quality, design and constructions. It was a true partnership on both sides, and it grew into a phenomenal business in a very short period of time. We were working with multiple retailers, supporting a range of categories including housewares, decor, textiles, furniture and seasonal, and before I knew it we expanded our offices into Shanghai and New Delhi to support the growing demand. It was exhausting!!!
During this time, I was asked to develop a new and ‘innovative’ line of outdoor cushions… which at the time, for mass retailers, there wasn’t a lot of time spent on innovation for what was considered a ‘basic’ category. None the less, I jumped on a plane to China to source new materials and work with my factories to create something new and exciting to bring home. It was during this trip, that the concept of Cush Living began and my passion for outdoor living was ignited. We scoured fabric markets throughout China and sourced new materials suitable for outdoor use, that were more commonly used on either furniture, boats and even footwear. With these new materials, came new concepts and designs that were different from anything I had ever seen in the market and I was confident that we had nailed the assignment with flying colors!!
Upon my return to US, Covid 19 was starting to emerge and it seemed like almost overnight, factories were being forced to shut down and retailers were closing their doors. Business came to an abrupt halt and everything I had built was falling apart before my eyes and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it. Within a year, funds had been depleted and we too were met with the fate as many other small businesses and was forced to close our doors. I had to let my entire team go and it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do throughout my career.
It was this fate, that led me to refocus my efforts and shift production from overseas to the USA. For the first time in a long time, I was outside of my comfort zone and being forced to think differently and adjust my mindset from affordable merchandise to luxury products, due to the inflated costs of domestic production. I used the lock down period to source new manufacturers and fabric suppliers and by the end of 2020, Cush Living LLC was formed and ready for business!!
I knew that the need for innovation in the outdoor market was valid and that we could fill a void for design, versatility and function… but what I didn’t know, was how to approach the luxury market and create a lifestyle brand from the ground up. And over the last few years, I have been navigating my way one day at time.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I think my previous essay answered the part of the question lol… so I’ll skip to second part.
Cush Living is an outdoor luxury lifestyle brand, that provides innovation in fabrication and functionality in design, for consumers who want flexibility throughout the life of their products. It is our mission to educate and elevate the consumer experience when it comes to design. Our services include bespoke designs for cushions, outdoor lounge furniture, pillows, as well as an array of other textiles needs for residential, hospitality and private label brands.
We have a dedicated design team, that can help transition your space from top to bottom including furniture, decor and lighting, to the smallest details such as a cushion refresh.
We understand that when most people think of using ‘designers’ or purchasing ‘custom,’ that they attribute that to $$$$. Our goal is provide our clients with solutions for any budget, while giving them one of kind products, that can’t be found ‘on the shelf’ and meet individual design goals based on personal style. We pride ourselves in the quality of our craftsmanship and provide value by creating long lasting, durable products that can transition from one look to the next with a simple “flip and turn”.
We use only the highest quality materials from trusted brands like Sunbrella & Perennials to ensure fabrics stay vibrant and fresh. And we LOVE to mix and match designer brands into every design, ensuring everyone gets a little something boogie with their custom creation.
I love what I do and will bend over backwards to make sure all our clients feel special and valued. It is my personal goal to always provide excellent service and give our customers the outdoor oasis of their dreams!!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
As most small business owners can attest, resilience is a requirement for success…. but that doesn’t always mean, you will actually be successful. I have a very specific vision for my website and how I want our customers to be able to create custom designs (without having to pay for in-house services) and see their vision come to life on the screen. I have been through 5 developers over the last four years, who all promised me they could do what I want… and one after the other, they have failed to deliver their promise. And, with every new developer we end up starting from scratch, because they all have different opinions, on what is the best platform to use or what type of rendering can be generated, which has had me spinning in circles, to the point I have considered giving up on multiple occasions. But this website is very personal for me and dumbing it down or giving up, is not an option.
In 2019, just before my father passed away unexpectedly, I had shared my new idea with him upon returning from a long trip to China, where the initial concept of Cush Living was formed. He was so excited for me and so supportive of the idea, but never had the chance to see it all come to fruition. When he passed, he left all my brothers and sisters a little something for us to remember him by and his only request was that we didn’t “blow it on stupid shit.” It was at that point, that I decided I was going to use the money to start this business and use every penny, to create a state-of-the-art website, that was different from anything I had ever seen. Unfortunately, at that time, I had no idea how much a website with 3D rendering capabilities would cost and soon after, the money was gone… and I had nothing to show for it. I have literally spent my life savings trying to make this come to life and after all the roadblocks and challenges I have faced along the way… I am just now at the point where I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel (which is still a VERY long tunnel).
Things haven’t happened that way I thought it would and I have made a lot of mistakes and sacrifices along the way. But I am more determined than ever to see it through and hopefully, by the end of this year, all the tears, frustration and late nights will be worth the struggles I have faced along the way.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Before starting this business, I had a lot of experience and knowledge in manufacturing, sourcing and design from my previous roles, working with big box retailers… but everything I knew, was limited to working with overseas factories, where THEY provided internal support and had designers and artisans who taught me so much of what I know today. In the beginning, I thought to myself… ‘how different can it be, to work with USA manufacturers? This will be easy!’ hahahahahahha. It was the complete opposite of ‘easy’ and has turned out to be the most challenging role of my career to date!!
The concept behind my idea, was to do ‘custom’ products, so that I didn’t have to own inventory. I wanted to outsource everything, to ensure my overhead was low and that I didn’t have to face the challenge of letting another team of people go, after my previous business crumbled due to Covid-19. It was the perfect plan!! Or so I thought…
Finding manufacturers in the DFW area, was surprisingly easy. Dallas has a huge community of interior design firms, where so many of the pieces are custom made from local businesses and there is no shortage of options. However, the hard part was finding a manufacturer I could afford and still deliver quality products at a price points, that meet my clients’ budgets (and still provide a little room for profit).
The other challenge I faced, was that during this time… most ‘non-essential’ businesses were closing as the onset of Covid broke out across the country. After months of research, quotes, and overpriced samples, I was beginning to think I had exhausted all my options in the immediate area. But then one day, I got lucky and everything changed. While having a conversation with one my new fabric reps from Sunbrella, I was discussing the concept behind my business and explaining how I wanted to differentiate my designs from anything else in the market… and going on about how much I loved fabric and design and was starting to feel like ‘this lady probably thinks I’m crazy.’ But then, she gave me the name of another woman owned business, who just so happened to share my enthusiasm and excitement for product development. She said, “you have to meet this woman, you and her sound like soul sisters” and that is the exact moment my idea, started to become to reality and I’ve been working with the same factory ever since!
Fortunately for me, this woman (Deb) just so happened to be an expert in manufacturing textile related products… and she was so energized to be doing something new and different. She taught me so much when it came to USA production and I was able to teach her a new way of thinking, when it came to design. We were fueled by each other’s passion and to this day, she is one of the most influential people in my life and with her support, I was able to get my business off the ground.
One of the biggest issues I ran into initially was consistency and quality control, which is a BIG deal when you are working with fabrics that cost $200+ a yard. In my previous roles, as I mentioned, the factories I had worked with, had internal teams who managed these details and this wasn’t something I was familiar with or knew how to manage. At the same time, her team wasn’t familiar with how to execute detailed designs and some of the ideas and products I was requesting, weren’t anything they had ever done before. It took us a couple of years and a lot of trial and error, but once I was able to determine the best constructions and quality standards, that aligned with our brand goals, we were better able to control costs and improve efficiencies.
As the business evolved, and thanks to the shortages of outdoor furniture throughout Covid, when everyone was renovating their backyards during the ‘shelter in place’ mandate; we were getting more and more requests for custom furniture. And since I always love a new challenge, I jumped at the opportunity to learn something new and I was saying ‘yes’ to projects without having a clue where to begin.
I knew right away that I couldn’t afford the price points that came with using the traditional designer workrooms… so I decided instead to scour Facebook marketplace. I was seeing a lot of individual craftsmen who had been laid off of work due to Covid or guys who were doing side hustles to earn extra cash and decided to take a leap of faith. Before I knew it, we were making custom cabana bed structures and upholstered modular furniture like nothing you have ever seen!!! I never want to turn away business, but at the same time it is a very risky game to commit to a project without having best practices in place, especially after I just explained the importance of having quality standards. I didn’t know what I was doing, and I didn’t have ANY idea of what sort of standards I should have for furniture, but I knew I couldn’t’ risk injury from something falling apart either!! I had no choice but to teach myself and off I went to every furniture store I could find. I inspected every sofa, chair and table from low end to high end and researched furniture specs online from some of the top brand retailers. Sometimes, you just have to figure it out on your own and that’s exactly what I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cushliving.com
- Instagram: @cushliving
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cushlivingoutdoor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cush-living/
Image Credits
Image Credits belong to: Emily Addington Scott Saldinger Danette Adelson Samantha Loper