We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shirley Kienitz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shirley, thanks for joining us today. How did you find your key vendor or vendors? Maybe you can share the backstory and share some context and the relevant details to help us understand why you chose them, why they chose you, etc.
One of the things that makes Wolfbait & B-girls unique, is that all of our vendors are locals. Nearly 2 decades ago when our business began, we would meet fellow makers through ads in the back of free papers like “New City” and “The Reader”. We would gather together and show our current work, talk about what retailers were willing to take a shot on us up and comers, or join forces and host little pop ups where ever we could. In those days before the connections were made online, we created community in real life. That focus remains today in our shop, a venue we created to showcase our vibrant city’s artisans. A shared space and an incubator, with word of mouth drawing talented friends and neighbors to come play a part. The care and support we offer our fellow makers is what solidifies our relationships in this business that benefits every participant. With no gate keeping we can welcome more makers into the fold to benefit the group and our customers, inclusivity over exclusivity always. Circles instead of hierarchies. It’s this way of thinking that has brought the best to The Bait.
Shirley, 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?
Growing out of a community of makers and opening our doors in 2006, Wolfbait & B-girls set out to be not only a showcase, but also a resource for local artists. Wolfbait is where Chicago shops, but it’s also where Chicago sells. A treasure trove of over 300 local artisan’s creations (apparel, accessories, art, and gifts); The Bait highlights our city’s local talent in a unique incubator style retail venue. Strengthening our community for makers, as well as educating customers about the values (both environmental and economic) of supporting local artisans and small business are primary goals. This is a people driven project. Through artisan representation and customer education the ideals of our always growing creative community will be shared and strengthened.
Wolfbait & B‑girls is a female-owned and operated independent business, fashioned by two native designers, Shirley Kienitz and Jenny Stadler. Their respective collections, Bruiser and Brazen judy, are executed in-house from concept to consumer, creating an intimate environment for a unique shopping experience. Marvel at their pattern making, garment construction, or any number of side projects they whip up before your eyes.
The name Wolfbait & B-girls is a nod to historic Chicago. The 1930’s guidebook Chicago Confidential defines Wolfbait as girls who moved to the city looking for success and how easy they were to be preyed upon; and B-girls as what they sometimes turn into. Think B-movie, B-side, bad girl, Bruiser and Brazen judy. We have chosen to take this derogatory historic terminology and reframe it as what women are capable of in business, and in life.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Jenn and I met at one of the maker meet ups that were popular in the early 2000’s. You’d find them on a flier at a cafe, or bar or in the back of the free paper. We both feel lucky to have existed in this pre-cyber time and remain to this day a bit luddite in nature. You had to show up and participate, you learned a lot about authenticity; you didn’t post a filtered picture with a hyper edited caption. While I am sure there are a million benefits to the social media landscape for entrepreneurs of all sorts, it will never compare to the Wild West feel of small business in Chicago back then. Every bartender, every server, even school teacher you would meet, ended up making something cool and would come to join the party. DIY culture was coming into a new era. It may sound like I am reminiscing, and maybe I am, Jenn and I met 20 years ago! We have both grown in every imaginable way since then, and have learned so much from each other and about business; mostly through experimentation. I love Jenn’s daring attitude and we egg each other on to be our best selves, prioritizing intrinsic living.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I bet every human on this earth, business owner or not, has a story of resiliency after the corona virus pandemic. I am incredibly grateful that the universe got me in ten thousand small businesses, (a Goldman Sachs sponsored program at Harold Washington college) in 2019 prior to the onset. Not only the skills, but the mind set that I acquired in the program played a huge part in our surviving those uncertain times as a business. We had never before taken a loan or had to navigate bureaucracy from our sub culture bubble, and now we needed the help the government was making available. Not only to see us through but to sustain the livelihood of some 300 individual artisans that we had come to represent at Wolfbait. When the city announced that we had to close our doors, doors that had been open 7 days a week for 15 years, it was unfathomable. Yet, we rallied together and got inventive. We turned our store front windows into a sort of vending machine, text a photo of what you want and pick it up at the curb. We handmade hundreds of masks and included them with every purchase. We did our skill sharing workshops on an urban farm utilizing native plants for self care products. We created a shoppable directory on our website so customers could find their local favorites and continue to support them. We adapted and evolved every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wolfbaitchicago.com
- Instagram: @wolfbaitchicago
Image Credits
Photos by Carissa Coughlin