We were lucky to catch up with Shannon Buth recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Shannon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I always say this all started as a love letter to my Mom and her life… There was no business plan, or monetary goals, this all simply came from my heart.
We lived in Chicago for 20+ years. My husband and I have four boys and moved down to Austin almost a year ago.
Ten years ago (2011), When my oldest son was 19 months old, I delivered twin boys. I was in over my head and needed support, a life line, to be surrounded by other Mothers going through similar experiences. I decided to reignite a Mom’s group called 24.7 moms. The purpose of the group was for Moms to enjoy a night out (a night off). I had speakers come in and talk about relevant Mom topics. We had dinner, some wine, and incredible conversations + a beautiful community developed. I always say we learned just as much from each other as we did from the speakers. It’s incredible what can happen when a safe space is created for women to let their guard down… that’s when the magic happens. The group grew over the years to about 200+ members.
In 2014 I received the news no one ever is ready to hear… My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 duodenal cancer and had months to live. She was 66 years old. She fought fierlecely and was a true cancer warrior. Eight months into her treatments, there was nothing else they could do for her. We knew the end of her life was near. She came to Chicago one last time to see us and her grand babies. She wanted one final week with us. It was a trip I think about often, and hold on to. During that week, a dear friend of mine came over and gifted my Mom and I matching bracelets. The words on the bracelets-
‘Live What You Love.’
Those words. They stuck with me. My Mom died a month later. It was a defining moment for me. Something that changed me forever. The death of someone close to you will do that. But, I always think in some ways my Mom gave me the biggest gift. Because her passing made me realize how I wanted to live the rest of my life… Living what I love. Finding the joy in each day, embracing the imperfections of life, and lifting other people up.
My therapy was writing, and I decided to create a website, so I could share… share about the grief I was experiencing, Share topics from our Mom’s group, I decided on the logo ‘an imperfect heart’. An imperfect heart because no body is perfect, lets embrace the imperfections and lift each other up.
Every December I hosted a Mistletoe Market in Chicago. It was a chance for the women in the group who have small businesses to sell their items and a fun holiday party to end the year. It grew over the years, and I opened it up to the public at a beautiful event space. I had an idea before my market in 2019… What if I take this imperfect heart and stitch it on a sweatshirt. We were giving back to a local women’s shelter and I thought, I’ll call it, The ‘Live What You Love’ sweatshirt… give a portion from each sweatshirt to the women’s shelter.
I went for it, even though I was I wasn’t sure if anyone would be into this Live What You Love sweatshirt… But I was proven wrong. I sold out that evening. I had a waitlist, … and so it began. The beginning of a journey I am so grateful for.
I placed the sweatshirt on my website in January of 2020, and sat down to write about what the Live What You Love Collection means. I wrote this once… Didn’t change a thing.
An imperfect heart stitched over your heart, as a daily reminder to live your passion, laugh everyday, love deeply, life others up, and don’t ever quit your daydream.
$5 from every purchase goes to women + children’s charities and since we’ve begun we’ve raised over $44,000 for some incredible organizations.
I know my Mom is watching on and smiling, so proud, so happy that something beautiful came from her passing.
Shannon , 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?
The line has expanded to so many items – women’s, men’s, kids, baby, accessories, drink ware, candles, stationery.
I’m definitely the most proud of the money we have raised for charity. $5 is $5 but it truly does adds up. To think when we began that I’d be able to give over $44k to charity would’ve blown my mind.
I also am very proud that this mission came from my heart and I think people can feel that sense of meaning in the brand. When someone receives, they are excited to share the product and mission with others.
So many people have bought the imperfect heart as gifts – I’ve had groups of people buy for a girls’ weekend, a family reunion, And Ive had on several occasions customers buy this as a gift of love or hope when someone is going thru a hard time. One beautiful group of friends in Simpsonville, SC all rallied together and wore the same color imperfect heart tee every time their friend was doing chemo for brain cancer as a symbol of love + support.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
One thing I have done to make a connection with clients is write a personal note with every single order that goes out. I think there is something so personal about a handwritten note. I just realized I’ve written close to 7,200 notes since this all began!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I 100% believe this mission has resonated with people because of the give back and the message. I think most people want to get behind something that has meaning + feels good. It feels good to support small businesses that are making a difference with their product.
Nothing makes me happier than seeing people wear and share the imperfect heart and be proud to wear it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.houseofshan.com
- Instagram: @houseofshan
Image Credits
Nicole Defilippis photo – product photos and photo of African American model Laura Morsmon photography – all the other photos