We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Richards recently and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Heraboros is idea three or four, and really a combination of all my previous attempts. I have always strived to be a successful small business owner and thought that meant keeping my creativity to the side while only business was to be prioritized. Once I realized a healthy combination of both is what will ultimately foster long term sustainability I hate to use the phrase “it all fell into place”, because I truly have so much more work to do, but the direction of the work almost steered itself. I was inspired by and knew Orlando supported pop-ups so I began research on which markets would fit my demographics, as well as how to have a successful booth display. Once I applied this research and was accepted to markets, I started learning what does and does not work for my business. Through those lessons we have the version of Heraboros that is here today.
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?
The name Heraboros is derived from the Greek Goddess of Women, Hera, and the cyclical growth of the ouroboros symbol. Together they represent the strong and everlasting beauty the feminine touch has on this world. Heraboros creates and curates forever pieces for your staple wardrobe by prioritizing sustainable and quality materials and fabrics that you can feel good about feeling good in. All of our jewelry is handmade with gold fill and precious gemstones. Each piece is designed, tested and worn by myself. From the beginning I always wanted to design and create only jewelry that I would wear and feel good about wearing. The clothing brands we work with are woman-owned and handmade sustainable brands that share the same core values as Heraboros. Such as low to no waste, high quality and ethically sourced materials. Our handmade jewelry and curated wardrobe is Caribbean inspired with stateside living in mind. We create and curate pieces that can serve in your everyday life, while still elevating and effortlessly bringing a sophisticated coastal feel to your special occasion looks.
What started out as a one table pop-up making only earrings is now a full online boutique with products available to shop in store at The Co in Downtown Orlando. Ultimately, growth is a core value to Heraboros and something we hope to continue with the support of the Orlando community.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I am not always right. Owning a business requires a very delicate balance of confidence and humility. Confidence is something I had always struggled with and I overcompensated this by “always trusting my gut” beyond the point of my gut yelling at me that we were wrong and its time to try something else. When you’re the only one making decisions for your business its hard to sometimes walk away from things you are convinced should work and have invested into but have not. Certain categories I used to carry in the past I really enjoyed making and theoretically were profitable but were ultimately taking time away from my main priorities and the direction that I wanted heraboros to grow in. I was being spread too thin and my entire business was suffering from it. Once I cut those categories and focused on growing what I knew was going to be a permanent and important part of my offerings, my jewelry, my life not only became easier but my customer base grew in a very niche and beneficial manner.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Decide early on what you want your business to look like. Branding is so important. Really narrow down on the vibe, demographic and values you are striving for. What those things looks like will always change but make sure you are sticking to the essence of your core values. Your product is important, but how you present it to the customer is even more important. You don’t want to put so much time and effort and care into the product only to have a presentation that does not represent that. I did not have the budget to hire a graphic designer when I first started and kept graphics simple but cohesive by using sites that provide templates. I stuck to a simple color pallet that got across the general vibe and style of what I was offering and applied across all materials including pop-up displays. I prioritized my core values of only selling high-quality products and that withstood in the community and through word of mouth a reputation was built. I knew I just had to be consistent in delivering the product the customers loved in a way that represents that quality of the actual product itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: heraboros.com
- Instagram: @heraboros