The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.

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Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen; We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Caroline: Join us for today’s interview with Treasure Mallory from Nikki&Mallory.

Helen: Hello, Treasure. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Treasure: Hi, ladies. Thank you for having me.

Helen: We’re so excited to talk to you all about sewing leather and your amazing business today. Can you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

Treasure: Definitely. I am Treasure, also known as Nikki. A lot of people call me Nikki or Treasure. They really don’t know what to call me. I am the owner and designer of Nikki&Mallory. I specialize in custom leather goods, mainly handbags and accessories and newly, home decor. I’m also a leathercraft and handbag design instructor.

Caroline: Amazing. And where are you from?

Treasure: I’m from Pasadena, California.

Caroline: Awesome. And one of the things we love asking our guests on the show is to tell us about their sewing journey. So we know you started sewing a while back. We want to hear more about it. Tell us how and when you learned to sew.

Treasure: Yeah, actually, you know what? I didn’t learn to sew until I got to fashion design school. My grandmother sewed while I was younger, but it was never anything that was interesting to me. And I think she was actually doing it as, like, a little side hobby. So I knew of, you know, sewing. I just didn’t understand how to do it.

And so I worked in the entertainment industry for years, a really long time. And then when I got burned out with that, I said, you know, what, what is the last thing that I would want to do? And I’ve always been really intrigued with fashion and design. I really wanted to style for a long time. So when I had hit a really rocky place in my life, creativity was the only thing that came to mind. So I enrolled in fashion design school, and that’s actually where I learned how to sew. And then the aesthetics that I learned in sewing classes, I use those same aesthetics for making bags which is a whole nother journey in itself.

Helen: So it’s funny that you went to fashion design school but ended up specializing in bags.

Treasure: I know!

Helen: Was there aspects of sewing and making clothes that you were interested in or wh-, were you just translating all of that into your bag making process?

Treasure: I really, kind of, put all of it into my bag making process. I thought I wanted to learn how to make clothes until I made my first garment. And I was like, oh no, this is not me. I don’t think I want to do this. This is a little tedious for me. So while I was learning how to make, you know, certain pieces, sewing to me was just the whole premise of building something or, you know, creating a project.

And I was like, well, let me see how this ties into making bags, you know? It’s not as difficult or different as people may imagine because instead of me having to resize a t-shirt or a skirt or anything of that matter, a bag is one size. So I said, this is easier. And I think I’m going to go this route instead.

And I’ve always really loved handbags and shoes. I was always known as the girl with the really stylish bags and shoes. So when I discovered, you know, clothing may not be my thing, I would still love to style, but what else can I do with this level of construction? And it, kind of, just translated into bags.

Helen: Yeah, and I wonder with fashion design school, the goal is, like, to work in the industry. Did you see a clear path for you going from school to working in the bag making industry, or was the only option to, kind of, start your own company?

Treasure: You know what? I had always since I was six-, or not 16, I think I was younger, like 12, I’ve always wanted my own business, but it was never anything that people talked about, you know? My family is big on education, so it was always: go to school, get a degree, you know, graduate and get a good job. And that was, like, what I knew in the back of my mind.

But the whole time, especially going to fashion design school, that’s when I was like, you know what? I’m a creative, like, I really don’t want to sit at anybody’s desk. I don’t want to work for people. I had already done that, you know, with the entertainment industry, I had worked for people prior to that for, like, the past, I would say six, seven years, and it burned me out.

So when I got to fashion design school, I literally was there, you guys, to kill time. Like, I had in the back of my mind, I want to be a stylist. I want to learn how to make clothes, but I was there to kill time because I had hit such a bad place in my life. I just needed to figure out what my next move was.

So yeah, in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to be my own boss. I knew I wanted to start my own business. I didn’t know where to begin. And so it wasn’t until, I think my second year there, it was only a two year program, so towards the end of the second year was when I discovered I could actually start a business, you know, with these bags, but not knowing what the heck to do. I was just like, I’m gonna wing it. I’ll figure it out. But I think this might be it. And I just kept praying on that and, you know, trying to manifest that into fruition. And of course, the whole thing towards the end of the year is let’s sit these students down and try to get them a job.

And being that I had already worked in the entertainment industry, the counselor that I had, she didn’t realize I’ve already done this. Like, I really don’t need you to counsel me on how to get a job. I think the bigger picture is to teach people how to be their own boss and generate their own income. And so we had a conflict of interest and that was her whole thing, you need to get a job. And I was like, no, I really do. Like, I can, kind of, figure this out. I’m sorry that you don’t believe in me, but I believe in myself. And so it was, like, a battle up until graduation, but I knew in the back of my mind, like, I think I want to be my own boss, and I’m going to go with that. So yeah, here I am my own boss.

Caroline: Yeah. I mean, look at you, you came out on top, and now you have a handmade bag business which is so cool. I would love to learn a little bit more about your journey in terms of being in fashion school, they’re, you know, they’re telling you that you need to find a job, work for someone, they’re, sort of, pushing this, sort of, uh, making clothes thing on you. And I want to know, like, how did you gain those skills in leatherwork? Was it all self-taught or did you, kind of, incorporate that into your schooling somehow? Like, how did you get good at that?

Treasure: Actually, I am, I am all-around self-taught, even when it comes to fabric bag making, you know, they don’t teach you how to make accessories at all in fashion design school. So when I was learning how to make clothes, I started out making fabric bags. So I initially was making clutch purses, you know, little pouch bags, just anything that I could use fabric with because that’s all I knew at the time.

And it wasn’t until I launched the business, I think about, a year or two into the business, and, kind of, being bored with working with fabric, just because as a creative, in my mind, I’m like, it has to get better than this. Like, it has to be more intricate than this. So I just started to research. I’m a big researcher, big on studying, big on learning new skills. And so I was just watching all these YouTube channels at the time. And I came across a leathercraft video, and I was like, whoa. I think this might be it.

And so literally, that’s where it started for me, that one video turned into me just researching leather suppliers near me, going into a leather supplier, asking a crazy amount of questions, buying pieces I didn’t even know what I was doing with, like, I was just buying stuff and experimenting. And after, I would say, about a year or so of experimenting, I was like, that’s it, I’m done working with fabric. It’s, kind of, boring to me. Let’s, you know, step it up a notch. And I literally taught myself, day in and day out, how to work with leather, how to perfect my skills with that, and just learning leather and all of that.

And then, yeah, it, kind of, just took off from one bag to the next. Granted, the first bag that I made, I was like, this was a disaster, but nobody has to know it, you know? Like, let’s make it look like it’s a masterpiece. And so I kinda just went, yeah, from there. And I just grew in the leathercraft industry, and it’s been really amazing.

Caroline: That’s so cool. Can you take us through a little bit of that evolution of your business from the early stages to, kind of, what it looks like today for you?

Treasure: Ooh, ooh, we, it was rough. It was rough starting out. Like I said, I didn’t know what I was doing. Um, the only, I have entrepreneurs in my family, but nobody’s a creative entrepreneur. And I think it’s a little different when you have a product that you can wholesale and manufacturer and, you know, put it out there. Or if there’s a skill set that you’re teaching. So here I am creating the product and trying to run the business at the same time.

Didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but like I said, I just researched, figured out I need a website. I need to generate a following. I need to get people hip to what I’m doing. I need to figure out marketing. I need to figure everything out. And so I, kind of, did that daily. Just, it was an everyday thing, even though I was working full-time, I would, you know, on my lunch break, just teach myself different things. Okay. How do I edit? How do I create these marketing materials?

Just everything, because there’s so much that goes into a business that I think people fail to realize, like it literally is a day in, day out assignment. And so I was just teaching myself stuff little by little. And so after the first website, I had a web designer, and I was like, eh, this is not really me. And I don’t like, I like to switch things up and, you know, being that I’m, uh, uh, I’m new to this business, next month or in the next couple months, I might want it to look like something different. And do I really want to rely on a designer? So here I am figuring out the design world and how to do my own website.

Like, I literally figured it out every entity of my business which is great because now I’m able to pass those responsibilities on to somebody else. But starting out, it was really, really rough. Towards the middle, I would say, maybe year three, I was like, okay, I’m getting the hang of this. People are starting to figure out who I am and what I do. And then it just kept growing and growing from there. So now I feel like I have really mastered how to run my business, how to market my business, what people like, what people don’t like, but it’s homework. It’s, like, a every day assignment.

Helen: Yeah. It’s so true. And you’re talking to two business owners, as well, so we totally get you. But it’s so inspiring to hear you talk about those early stages. We have a lot of listeners out there that, maybe want to start a business or are in the process of that, so it’s really inspiring.

And we want to chat more about that later in this interview. But first we want to talk more about sewing leather, and I’d love for you to start us off by telling our listeners a bit about your bags and what you make them out of and the style that you use, the aesthetic that you have because they’re so, so beautiful.

Treasure: Thank you so much. I really, I actually transitioned into a Bohemian aesthetic. I think my style and design has evolved over time. When I first started out, it was very, not colorful, but it was eclectic, you know? I, kind of, wanted it to appeal to everyone, and that was, that was my first trial and error because in order for me to progress and really do what I love, I have to continue digging within myself.

So I transitioned from, you know, kind of, being all over the place with my designs to working with, um, more minimalist styles. I work with a lot of veg tan leather, a lot of cowhide leather. I still am highly obsessed with prints, so I try to incorporate a little bit of that into my bags, but to, also just keep it very clean. I really love clean lines.

To me, I don’t know, I know people who are obsessed with color would beg to differ, but color is like a distraction for my eye, so I try to keep things really clean, really just full of earth tones. So when I am choosing leather, I stick with the same style lines, essentially. So I usually start with, like, a very earth tone base. And then I, kind of, build from there. If I need to add hair on leather or darker leathers, it really just depends on my mood, but yeah. Does that answer your question?

Helen: It does, and of course, our listeners need to see them for themselves. So we’re going to put lots of your stuff on our social this week, but also go follow Treasure, you guys, cause I mean, it’s jaw dropping.

Treasure: Aw, thank you.

Helen: Can you walk us through some of the differences between sewing leather versus sewing fabric? Cause I think that’s something that our listeners are wondering right now, like can I sew leather, too?

Treasure: I think, you know what, anybody can sew leather. Um, granted you do need to switch up your machines because there is a difference in the weight of fabric versus leather. Leather is pretty, you know, heavy weight, um, of a thicker ounce. And fabric is just, it’s easy, you know? So when I sew my fabric pieces, like, there’s sometimes I need to add a lining to a bag. When I sew fabric, I stick with the domestic machine. When I am working with leather and I’m choosing to sew it versus hand stitch it, I use a industrial machine.

So I think that’s really, the only difference is the weight of the fabric, but it is the same stitch line, essentially, like, you know, seams, I still, a lot of the aesthetics from making clothes are really the same way that you would make a bag. So I stick with the same, you know, I make sure I have seam lines. I make sure I have my turn, my edges, like, some of the same things are included, it’s just working with leather instead.

Helen: I think one of the things that feels intimidating is how unforgiving leather can be because you’re punching holes into it.

Treasure: Yeah, that’s true.

Helen: Yeah. How often do you sew on your machine versus hand sewing? How do you go about constructing your bags?

Treasure: Honestly, I would say now I, it’s a, it’s a 50/50 thing. Um, it really depends on the style of the bag. So if I’m sewing thicker weight leather that requires a sewing machine, oftentimes I will hand stitch it because to me, the detailing of hand stitching is so how can I say it? It’s just, I don’t know, it stands on its own. Hand stitching versus machine stitching is completely different. It’s like night and day. And I prefer for my stitching on leather to be very, very detailed, unless it’s a softer weight leather that I’m turning inside out or, you know, you don’t really see the stitch lines, then I would use a sewing machine, but I would say now, or from my last collection, about 90% of my bags have been hand stitched which is why I was like, okay, I’m going to change things up because I’m killing myself, hand stitching all these orders, but I just, I love the way hand stitching looks versus sewing it on a machine.

Caroline: Yeah. I could see how hand stitching would really, kind of, elevate the look of a bag because you have so much more control, but what comes to mind for me is: are your fingers, like, totally torn up? Like, how, hand stitching leather must be so hard on your hands, so how do you deal with that?

Treasure: It really is hard on my hands and I didn’t realize that until the last collection. And I think it’s because I had sold out two collections in a row. So, I, personally, wasn’t used to making so many pieces at once, and that last collection really did take a toll on my hands to where I’m like, okay, now I have to get regular hand massages, and maybe I need to delegate some of this work to somebody else because I need my hands. And it also created a bit of a burnout for me which is what I do not want in my business. Being that, I’m seeking longevity, you know, so I’ve just learned to, kind of, dial back a little bit and not overdo myself.

But yeah, my poor little hands, they, they take a little beating, but for me, even when I’m teaching my classes, this, my students are always like, oh my gosh, how do you do this? But I don’t know, I, kind of, have manly hands, but they look very feminine. So…

Helen: You got strong fingers.

Treasure: …I get the job done.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah, and I’m sure it’s like anything that you do repetitively, you probably have intense calluses, and you’ve adjusted.

Treasure: And you know what, surprisingly enough, my hands are, like, crazy soft. They’re, like, soft as butt. So…

Caroline: It’s all those massages.

Treasure: …I don’t know what it is. They’re, like, really soft. So, thank God for that.

Helen: You mentioned, like, sewing all the samples yourself and, and, uh, getting a little bit burnt out or overwhelmed by that. And I wonder how do you stay motivated to actually sew all those samples and products, and do you still have time to sew things for yourself, personally, on top of all of that?

Treasure: I hadn’t, I hadn’t had it anytime to myself or to sew for myself for a very, very long time, but with the last collection I, kind of, ended handbag making. So most people, or most of my audience knows I’m not really making bags right now. I’m, kind of, pivoting my business to incorporate other things that I’m interested in, but no, it’s very, very time consuming. It’s a lot of work. It’s so much work, especially when you’re making bags on demand.

It’s so much work that I, literally, like, I wouldn’t eat, like, I’m such a creative and a workaholic at the same time that when I’m in my zone, I’m in my zone, and you cannot take me out of it. So a lot of the time my family is calling me, like, have you eaten for today? Have you gone outside? Have you had water? Because I’m so into what I’m doing. I don’t know how to stop which is, you know, a gift and a curse. Um, it’s allowed my business to elevate. It’s allowed me to learn a lot of new techniques, but I think the biggest way I stay motivated, honestly, you guys, I’m so hungry for this business. I’m so hungry to just inspire people to go for it and to push beyond their limits or push beyond what’s in front of them.

So waking up with that on my brain every single day is what keeps me going. I don’t care how tired I am. I don’t care what my to-do list looks like, I just pushed through, and I’ve been broke before. I’ve struggled before. I’ve slept on couches. I’ve been so down and out and in these dark holes that I’m like, it’s only up from here. I can’t stop. Like it’s, it’s only me riding on me, so I gotta keep going.

Helen: Yeah. We love that you incorporate so much encouragement into everything that you put out there on social, and you have some great blog articles that you’ve written about business as well. Um, you talk about having a positive impact in that being the most important thing. It’s more important than the sales. It’s more important than the followers.

Treasure: Oh, you saw that?

Helen: We saw that, and we love it because that really, kind of, builds that sustainable business. And we were wondering if you could talk a little bit more about, about that mindset, about how you hope to have a positive impact with your kids.

Treasure: Yeah. Um, I think it’s imperative, especially when you have a business, and it’s your baby, and you want it to grow and you want it to blossom to a level that is unimaginable. Um, I think for me growing up, having a really young mom who, kind of, struggled to raise me and, you know, put me out there to just be this free spirit person that I am, um, I just learned a lot, and it’s humbled me.

I think all of my experiences in life have humbled me, and I’ve ran across those people that say they want to help, but they don’t, or, you know, give you this advice, but they don’t have anything to back it with, so I’m big on that. Just showing people the transparency of my life and that no, nothing is perfect. None of this is easy, but I just want everybody to believe in themselves.

I’ve met so many people who doubt their abilities and their talents and their gifts, and they sleep on them, and they rely on these jobs to make a way for them. But it’s so much bigger than that. Like, there’s so much more to this world than just waking up and working for somebody every single day.

And so I just try to instill a lot of that into people, not just, you know, people that are following my business, but just everyday people that I meet.

Like, I literally meet strangers on the street. And for some odd reason, people always want to tell me their life story. And I always end up being the counselor, like, sitting at the bus stop. Like, I don’t really want to, like, counsel you through life, but I will, like, I guess I have that innate, you know, personality. So I don’t know, it just, it really feeds my soul just to inspire people because I like to be inspired as well. And so I know how it makes me feel, so I try to give off that same good vibes and great energy to the next person.

Helen: Aw, we love that.

Caroline: Wow. It really does come through on everything that you share. But I imagine you’re also such an inspiring teacher and we know that you teach some leatherwork classes. So I’d love to learn a little bit more about that if we could pivot back and talk about the kinds of classes that you offer. Is that something that you’re going to do more of in the future as you kind of pivot? What’s that all about?

Treasure: Yeah, definitely. I want to do so much more teaching. Like, I really want to take it on the road. I’ve had people in other states ask me, like, when are you coming to my state to teach? So that makes me feel good that people even want to learn from me. But yeah, I teach pretty basic, or general, um, leathercraft classes.

So I’ve done waist pack classes, clutch, crossbody classes, tote bag classes. I plan to incorporate a lot more classes, um, actually this year. And I have some things that I’m launching in a couple months, but yeah, they’re pretty general, the basics of leathercrafting, what tools, leathers, and all of that to buy, you know, supplies. I, kind of, walk you through the steps of how I create or how I started as a leathercrafter.

So in my classes, I am definitely as inspiring as I can be just to motivate people because it’s tough. Like, when you’re hand stitching a bag for the first time, some people are like, how in the heck do you do this? Like, I don’t even know if I can finish this class. I’m like, no push through, you know? So I am, like, the, the teacher and the coach and the inspirational leader at the same time, but yeah, they’re very basic leatherwork classes, and I would love to start teaching leatherwork on machines as well because right now, most of my classes, everything is hand stitched.

Um, and because I’ve had to transition into virtual classes, I essentially just send the kits out with everything that you need and we hand stitch the project virtually, but I would love to also do more sewing classes because a lot of people don’t have the knowledge of, you know, how to sew a leather bag so…

Helen: Yeah, exactly. I feel like our listeners would love to hear a bit more about what makes a good beginner project and where they can find patterns and designs to follow along with. Maybe they want to take one of your classes and then they want to go from there. What would you recommend they start with?

Treasure: I would recommend the smallest project because then you get a feel for what you’re doing. You discover if you even want to continue. So I would say, like, a wallet or something very small, a tiny little bag, um, something that doesn’t require too much leather. There are… because leather gets expensive, you know? It’s a little crazy.

There are a ton of patterns that can be purchased on Etsy. I would say mainly Etsy. I think a lot of people sleep on Etsy, but when it comes to leather-, leatherwork patterns, there’s a lot available on Etsy. I’m working on some things. So maybe they’ll be able to purchase some bag patterns from me because even though there’s, there’s patterns and stuff out there, not everything is the greatest, you know, and I, I really just want people to make cute bags.

Like, we can’t be putting out mess. So, so I’m like, okay, let me jump in here and, you know, try to get people to make some of my designs, as well. So yeah, I’m working on that, but Etsy is a great resource. Weaver Leather, which is one of my partners, they are amazing. They have a lot of tutorials that they offer, products, everything, literally it’s, like, a one-stop shop. So a lot of my free tutorials that go up on Weaver’s site comes with the video tutorial, in addition to the products that I used for that. The only thing that’s not available is the pattern, but yeah, you can get patterns anywhere, and they can, kind of, start from there.

Helen: Well, I’m going to wait for your’s cause I want to make the bags on your Instagram.

Treasure: That’s what I’m talking about.

Helen: Yeah, well that was going to be my next question is where to get leather and how to choose leather for a project.

Treasure: So when it comes to choosing leather, I would say that was the biggest struggle for me, um, because there’s so much, there’s, like, way too many options out there. So I would say, figure out if you want a sturdy project versus a more flexible project. So, you know, if you want a clutch bag with a softer leather, or if you want to make a clutch bag that stands on its own. So anything that stands on its own, I would definitely recommend a veg tan leather. Anything of a softer weight would be a cowhide leather.

There’s a ton of suppliers out there. Definitely Weaver Leather. There’s a place here in Los Angeles called United Leather. That’s where I get a lot of my prints and stuff. They can order online. I would not recommend Amazon. I’m sorry for anybody that has gotten leather off Amazon, but that’s a no-go.

But more of the, you know, bigger, like, reputable leather suppliers, they can always order samples. So if you were to call, maybe, Weaver Leather and say, hey, I want to figure out what leather to use. You can always call a supplier and get them to send you a bunch of samples. That way you can get a feel for the type of leather you want to work with.

Helen: That’s really smart. And I like that leather projects often don’t require too much materials. As sewists, we’re used to these, like, giant pattern pieces and things like that. So it must be, kind of, freeing to be working with smaller materials.

Treasure: Oh, yeah. I love it. Although I’m a mess, I’m a hot mess because I want to do, like, big outrageous projects, but then I start to calculate up how much leather, and I’m like, okay, let’s keep it to a minimum.

Helen: And what about polyurethane or vegan options like cork and plastic? Have you ever used those in your bag making?

Treasure: I have used vegan leather which I really love. I’m actually working with a company right now who is working on producing more vegan leather in better options because the options are very limited. I do not work with polyurethane anymore. I, kind of, worked with that starting out. I just don’t like the quality of it, but I would highly recommend vegan leather. It’s beautiful. It’s, it’s still, of course, it’s sustainable, but the quality of it is just, it’s good. If you can get some good quality vegan leather, um, that’s a great option. I haven’t worked too much with cork or really any other, other material besides vegan leather, so I can’t really say for that.

Helen: Okay, we’ll try to put some links in our show notes for our listeners out there. And then lastly, when it comes to working with the leather, like, what other tools do people need to get started? I’m not trying to get a preview of your course, but…

Treasure: Oh no, it’s all good. I know. It’s all good. Um, I would definitely recommend a mallet, if you are hand stitching, some chisels for your holes, um, there’s a variety of leather punches. The one thing I will say that Amazon is great about is having beginner friendly kits available. So when it comes to leatherwork, I would visit Amazon because they have everything you need in one kit.

So if you are wanting to start working with leather or whether it’s hand stitching or machine stitching, they offer a little bit of everything in these kits, but yeah, a mallet for punching, chisels, hole punches. There’s so many, guys, it’s, like, ridiculous. It’s so ridiculous, but that’s a good start.

Helen: I bet there’s, like, a lot of artisanal tools, too, with, like, beautiful handles and things like that.

Treasure: Yeah.

Helen: Like, I can imagine it’s a whole scene.

Treasure: Yeah. It’s a whole production.

Caroline: I’d also love to know through the lens of, like, teaching classes and your experience working with students who are new to leatherwork, what are some common hurdles that pop up for your students in these classes? I know you already mentioned the hand stitching, but is there anything else that comes to mind?

Treasure: No, it is literally the hand stitching. Everything else is a breeze. I feel like once you get past that certain lock stitch at the top, it’s okay. But even going through this, that is the main issue for my students. Everything else is like, oh, this is great.

I can, well, no, okay, I take that back. Punching the holes, and I can only say this from my in-person classes, punching the holes is a little tedious. Um, it’s a lot of work. It is a whole lot of work to do leathercrafting. So yeah, between punching the holes and stitching it, that is the most challenging part of leatherwork.

Helen: Do you have to catch yourself sometimes when you’re designing and you have a great idea for a bag, but then you realize that it’s going to involve punching, like, a thousand holes or something?

Treasure: You know what? No, because I’ve punched probably more than a thousand holes, and it’s usually not until the end, I’m like, how? Why are you doing this to yourself? But I’m such a creative. I just have to get it done. Like, if there’s something I want to make, I’m going to make it. And I don’t care how tired I am. I’ll just figure it out. But yeah, it’s usually at the end, I’m like, girl, you need to sit down somewhere.

Caroline: Oh, yeah, and I mean, you have such beautiful attention to detail in your bags. We love how unique they are. We love your style. And I would love to know where you turn to for inspiration when you’re designing and, you know, how do you stay true to yourself and your brand when you’re creating products?

Treasure: Hmm. That’s a really good question. Actually, there’s a lot of things that inspire me. I’m very big on art. I love aesthetics. I love decor. So a little bit of everything around my atmosphere, I just, I try to find beauty in everything, even if it looks crazy. So I really pull from everything when it comes to inspiration, the whole Bohemian aesthetic, I’m, like, overly obsessed with, so that is what allows me to stay true to my vision because when I start to drift outside of that, I can feel it, and it doesn’t feel right.

So that whole aesthetic just draws me back in like, no stick to the vision, stick with why you got here and why you need to stay here. Like, it’s the whole premise of Nikki&Mallory, and people know that. I love when people send me a message like, oh, I saw your bag, and I knew it was yours, you know? So that’s what keeps me true to the vision.

But when it comes to inspiration, everything, music, I’m highly obsessed with music, as you can probably tell from my stories, but yeah, art, just everything. Like, I can cook something, and I’ll be like, ooh, the color of that palette that I just cooked, you know? It’s so crazy the stuff that I think of. I don’t know. I feel like I’ve truly become a real artist. Like, I didn’t, I wouldn’t, would have never said that before. I would’ve never coined myself as being an artist in my earlier years, but I, I’ve really loved art, and it just, it just draws me. It draws my attention every single time to create something new.

Caroline: It’s so wonderful. And I mean, it’s so clear that you prioritize this creativity and being an artist while you’re still running your business…

Treasure: Ooh, girl.

Caroline: …and you make it look easy. I would love to dive a little bit into a business chat and talk a bit more about, kind of, the day-to-day of your business. So yeah, I mean, let’s start off and just tell us, like, do you do all of the designing and sewing for your products right now?

Treasure: Oh yeah. I love that question because I swear people don’t believe me. And I think it’s because, I don’t know, I don’t really know what it is. Maybe it’s because of how everything looks or how I pull everything together. But yeah, I literally, I designed everything myself from scratch.

I think I was saying in my last, another, um, interview that there was one bag that wasn’t mine, that I had purchased, like, a pattern piece for just to, kind of, experiment, and it felt crazy to me. I was like, this is not me. This is not my original bag. Like, I don’t like this. So because of that and because I’m so big on just the authenticity of Nikki&Mallory and what I stand for, I like it to be my own. Like, I want it to be a design of mine. So I bust my butt trying to figure out how to be original and create original designs.

And it’s, kind of, annoying when I see, because I recently came across a YouTube channel where somebody was literally making my exact bag. And I know it because it was from, it was this exact way that I constructed it. And so I was like, okay, I don’t really like that feeling, you know, but yeah, I try to stay very, very true to my designs and my look, you know, the look for my brand. But, um, what was your other question? I can go off on that.

Helen: We’re wondering if you design and sew all the products, and you mentioned earlier that you’re maybe in a bit of a transition period. So can you tell us a bit about what your plan is moving forward?

Treasure: Oh, yes, definitely. So yes, I do design everything on my own. Um, I don’t have help. I would love help. This year I’m actually planning to hire a little team because I can’t do everything on my own. I’m wearing way too many hats, and it’s very overwhelming. Um, but yeah, it gets a little hectic when it comes to creating and running a business on my own. It’s a lot. I think people fail to realize I have to, it’s, like, a ongoing machine that I have to oil and manage and run every single day. Because if I don’t, I won’t have a business.

Um, which is why I’m pivoting to answer your other question. I am changing things up a bit. I’m still going to be bag lady. I will still make bags but more so on a custom base because it’s just so much work, like, creating on demand is too much for me. I literally need, like, a whole team to help me execute if I want to progress. So while I’m in this transitional period, I’m going to focus, you know, more on teaching and the other things that I’m launching in the next couple months. It’ll be, uh, geared towards teaching and patterns and all that type of good stuff.

Helen: All that stuff that we get to enjoy.

Treasure: Yes.

Helen: Yeah. You’ve written some really cool articles on your website, um, one of which recently was called Business Mindset: 2021 Intention.

Treasure: Mhm.

Helen: Um, and I recommend any aspiring or existing entrepreneurs go read that because I think the tone of it was just so great. It was a great reminder that it’s hard, it’s hard to run a business. And you talked in it about being that inspiration for people but also reminding people that the cute exterior is not always the reality of the situation.

Treasure: Mhm. Yeah.

Helen: So how do you balance that? Because you definitely have a cute exterior, like, it’s polished, so…

Treasure: I try to keep it cute, you know? Wow. I don’t, to be honest, I don’t know how I balance it. I really don’t. I wake up every single day, and I’m just like, okay, we’re still here. Like, let’s keep going. I think it goes back to just me being hungry, like, for the progression, the longevity of this business. But that is why I’m so transparent on my, my social media and, you know, my outlets because yeah, the cute is, is cute.

Like, it’s cute, visually, but behind the scenes, there’s so much work. There’s work. There’s tears, there’s tiredness. There’s long nights. It’s a lot. It’s a lot. Like, I swear, even just in talking to you guys, I’m thinking about how much it is because when I leave this podcast I literally have to go upstairs and just bang out work. Like, it is nonstop.

And I feel like social media has created this facade of these perfect little worlds that people live in. And that’s just based on exterior, but it’s like, nah, there’s so much more to this than these cute little images that I’m putting out here. So I need people to really understand, if you want to start a business, if, you know, this is the world that you want to pursue, get ready. Like, literally legit strap up your boots. There’s, it’s no game.

And I have a lot of friends, recently, who, and I’m pretty sure they’ve all told me, you know, you’ve inspired me to start my business, and I’ve helped them. A couple people I’ve helped, like, okay, well let’s create a plan. Let’s get realistic about this, but please understand once I step away from helping you, it’s all on you. And I feel like the couple of friends that I’ve helped launch their businesses, they’re trying to figure it out. And they’re just like, I don’t know what to do now. And I’m like, I tried to tell you, this is a every day thing.

So yeah, I really don’t know how I balance it all, but God willing, I get up every day and that’s my mindset because in the back of my head, I’m like, I cannot go back and work for somebody. I will be miserable. So we got to figure this thing out.

Helen: Yeah. I can totally relate to that. And I feel like sometimes it’s isolating, too, because from the outside, even for friends and family, they’re like, oh, you’re doing what you love and you’re following your passion and you’re an entrepreneur, so you have all this, like, free time and flexibility and it must be so wonderful, right?

Treasure: They have no idea. Well now my family only knows because they see how crazy I am as far as work. Like, they see it’s nonstop, and I’ve honestly, I feel like I, I haven’t lost friends over time, but most of my real friends know now.

Don’t call, Treasure. She’s probably working. Like, we can’t ask her out, but, you know, I’m, kind of, growing out of that, like, shell mentality, like I’ve, I’ve built the foundation for the business. I’m good to go now. Like, you can call me again, but for years it was literally just me in the trenches trying to figure this thing out.

And I wouldn’t take it back for the world because I’m living my reality. I’m living my dreams, and it’s so amazing. Granted there’s moments where I’m like, I might need to go get a job because, you know, business fluctuates, and I try to keep it real as far as that, too, like it’s okay to have a job. I’m just the type of person that knows how I am when I work for people. So it was probably best for me to stay out of people’s offices.

However, I’m big on work ethic and progression and anything you need to do to progress, you just got to do it, but yeah, you have to have a lot of obedience and discipline to do it.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and I think it’s so inspiring, too. I mean, I’m sure people are inspired by your business and everything that you’ve done as an entrepreneur, but I also find it really inspiring that you are confident enough to, kind of, take a step back and evaluate, like, this wasn’t working for me, how I was doing it. I’m going to pivot. I’m going to, kind of, change how I’m doing things so that I can be happier and have a little bit more balance. Hopefully. You know, that’s the idea.

Treasure: Yeah.

Caroline: But I do wonder, you know, how you kind of balance that in your business of, like, being able to have some self care and nurture your creativity, but also, you know, get things done and work hard and push yourself. It sounds like you are, kind of, managing to do both of those things. I wonder if you have any advice about that?

Treasure: You know, it’s tough. I’m not going to even lie. It is so tough. I was just saying last night, I really need to sit down and do a facial. Like, I really need to sit down and lotion my feet, like, because every day I get up, that’s my mindset, work, work, work, work, work.

So I do tend to forget about myself sometimes, but I feel like, or I’m growing into this person that realizes the benefit of self care and taking care of me first because if I’m not taking care, there won’t be any business. So it’s a gradual learning curve for me. I have my moments where I’m like, nope, I’m not touching a needle and thread. I don’t want to see that sewing machine. I’m about to go ride my bike. You know, I have my moments.

But then there’s moments where I’m like, nah, we’re just going to sit in this design room for 12 hours straight and get it done. So it really depends on my mood and trying to find that balance is tough, but I try to let people know to just not forget about yourself because I have been at moments, or I’ve had moments, where I’ve been so burned out that I was sick. Like, I can’t even get up. Like, I’m so freaking tired.

And for me, I just don’t ever want to feel that again. So I just try to incorporate little sporadic moments. It doesn’t have to be, you know, long periods of times or hours straight in a row, but just try to find an hour or two or 10 minutes or 15, just to sit with yourself. Sit with your thoughts. Go stand outside. Look at how beautiful it is. Like, little things. Little things contribute to myself care.

Helen: Even just taking a few deep breaths works for me.

Treasure: Oh my gosh, yes.

Helen: Yeah. Another thing that you’ve said in your writing is never devalue your worth, and I would love for you to elaborate on that for our listeners.

Treasure: Okay. So I’m big on that right now because I feel like starting out, we all just, we want to succeed, you know? We want to see our product, our business flourish. We want to be great. We want people to notice that we’re great. And with that comes this mindset of, well, dang, let me just do this so this person can, you know, take a liking to what I’m doing which also means you’re, kind of, stepping back from your value.

Like, you cannot give yourself for free. You can not give your products for free. You cannot figure out what your price point is going to be and lower that because somebody can’t afford it. It’s like, no, this is what I’m doing. This is the artistry that I’m putting out. This is the amount of time, labor, energy that I’m putting into this. If you cannot afford it, that is not my problem. I’m sorry. You’re just not my customer.

But I feel like, from the beginning, as a designer to who I am now, I’ve put in so much work into my pieces where I’m like, there’s no way I can devalue what I’m doing to accommodate for anybody. It’s not about that. It’s about, this is art. Or you want it or you don’t. If you don’t, that’s okay. You can just, you know, gaze at it from afar, but I’m just really big on valuing yourself as a person in addition to valuing yourself as an artist. And you can’t take any shortcuts with that because people will start to devalue you, just in general.

Helen: Yeah. Were your bags always sort of priced at that point, or did you, kind of, work your way up to that? How did you figure out how to sell your products and what to charge for them?

Treasure: I, kind of, worked my way into that. And a lot of my close friends who do leathercrafting, they know that’s something I still struggle with. Right now, I base my prices off of, now I actually have a labor price, you know, per hour. If I have to leave and go get leather supplies, I need to put a dollar amount on that, you know, so I incorporate, or I factor in everything: shipping, time, labor, um, just my time in general. And that’s not what I used to do in the beginning.

I literally would look at a piece like, oh, that could be, like, 25. And then I could get, like, 20 sales. And it was like, no girl, you are going about it all wrong. It wasn’t until I started losing money and not profiting when I was like, oh no, we got to change up this whole flow because this is a business we need to profit, and we need to make sure we’re putting a value on our work. And so it took me some time and it’s, I still have my moments with it, but I think I’m definitely getting better at it.

Helen: Yeah, and you give so much, too. It’s not like the bags are the only thing that you’re putting out there for people to partake in or to learn from. So, um, I think it’s important to recognize that, too, that there’s lots that you’re giving that people can have for free. They just need to look for it.

Treasure: For free. This is free game. I need you to understand.

Helen: I wonder if you ever struggle with, like, negative self-talk and self-doubt because you sound, like, so confident in talking about your business and does those thoughts ever creep into your head?

Treasure: You know, what they used to, they used to early on. I’ve had many days of nights where I would just cry just trying to figure this thing out. And I think that was more so when nobody was paying attention to what I was doing and I was overworking myself. And it just seemed like I was not, I’m not, I’m not ever looking for recognition, but when you want your brand to be great, when you want to put out great things, you, kind of, want people to at least, you know, see it.

And in the beginning, that was something I struggled with. Granted, I also grew up with depression. So early on in business, I would have really, really, like, dark moments where I’m like, I don’t, why am I doing this? Like, this is too much. And it’s already enough to try to figure out life. And now I’m trying to figure out life and a business.

And then as time went on and just me pushing through, I think that was the confirmation that gave me the optimism that I have and that I, kind of, live by. And my mom is just big on, she’s just a very positive person. She’s such a free spirit. And so balls to the wall, like, she’s a renegade, and she does not care.

So I take on a lot of her personality when it comes to being down on myself, you know? I have to, like, stop sometimes like, girl, breathe your way through it. It is okay. You are still alive. You have life, health. So I just try to factor in all of the amazing blessings around me to not allow myself to go to those spaces anymore.

So, I guess to answer your question. No, I don’t really. I have bad moments. And when I say moments, I mean like five, 10 minutes, we got to cut it short, but we cannot have bad days. We cannot have bad hours. Like, I just won’t allow it. Like, I will fight through it and literally sit outside and stare at the sun and look at the palm trees. Like, girl, we got this. Like, get through. It’s not that serious. I’m very, very tough on myself, but I try to be gentle with myself as well.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. It is so easy as a business owner, and I speak from experience as well, to, kind of, dwell on the challenges and the things that are, are hard and really not take that time to take a step back and think like, what am I proud of?

Like, what do I love about what I do and why am I doing what I do? So I’d love to ask you that question. What are you proud of over the years of running a business and why do you keep doing what you’re doing? Because it is hard sometimes, but you seem so passionate about it.

Treasure: It’s tough. I’m not going to play about that. Um, but I really, I have, it’s crazy because I have, while you were asking me that I just got, like, the biggest smile on my face because I never was one to look at my accolades and give myself praise. And I think over time, I’ve had to force myself to do that, just to recognize like, oh my gosh, we have come so far, like, so far.

And if I don’t look back at my journey, in retrospect, and realize my growth then really what am I doing this for? Like, this is not a game. This is literally my lifestyle now. So when it comes to recognizing, I don’t know, my growth, I guess, when I recognize my growth and the amount of progress I have made since day one, tThat’s what keeps me going because, you know, we all have these dreams in our heads and these visions that we start out with. And it’s like, once you get past that first stage, and then you look back like, wait, so I literally just manifested that. So you mean to tell me if I keep going, I can manifest these other things.

That’s what keeps me on this journey to keep doing what I do. Because everything that I have dreamed so far has come to fruition. Like, even the space that I’m in right now, this was a dream when I was stuck in that cubicle crying mad because it was raining outside, and I had to go to work and drive on the freeway, like, all of those little moments I think about, and I used to tell myself, I will work for myself one day and I won’t ever have to see these miserable faces because everybody’s unhappy. And, you know, so it’s, like, just, if you just pause for a second and look back at how far you’ve come, you can realize, or you can see how, how far you’ll go.

And so that’s what keeps me, keeps me going. Honestly, it is not easy. I tell people every single day. But I love it. I love this not easy.

Helen: Oh, I just got chills.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s so inspiring. I wonder if before we wrap up this business chat, if you have any other, kind of, overarching advice that you’d want to offer to budding entrepreneurs out there, maybe any of our listeners out there who are small business owners, who are thinking of starting a small business.

Treasure: I think the biggest question that I run into, A lot of people DM me and ask me, where do I start? How do I begin? I’m in, I’m in fear that I won’t be good enough, or my products won’t be good enough. And I think fear and learning how to slap fear in the face is the biggest obstacle to overcome. And I think because I’ve, I purposely over the years have thrown myself into very challenging, tough situations. I do it on purpose because that’s my way of slapping fear in the face. And I think once people figure out that once you get over that threshold of fear, literally everything and anything is possible.

So instead of waking up and doubting yourself, instead of waking up and thinking I’m not good enough, or feeling like I’m not good enough and taking in, you know, this unsolicited advice from the peanut gallery around us, who try to deter us from pursuing our dreams and passions. You just really have to sit with yourself and dig deep and understand that fear is, I mean, there really is no fear.

Like, it’s all mental, like there’s really nothing to fear. And once you get out of your head and figure out that you are capable of doing anything, I swear your whole mindset will change. Like, but you have to be willing to put in the work. You have to be willing to just put yourself out there and not care.

I think that’s what most people are afraid of doing. It’s just not caring. So, I don’t know. It’s there. So I can go into that. I should really write a book.

Helen: 2021 Plan. You should start a podcast, too.

Treasure: I know, right? I don’t know. It’s so crazy. The, the one thing I, I really just want people to I guess sit with, is that anything is possible. Like, you can literally do anything you want to do, anything that you dream. And I know it sounds so cliche, but once you do it and believing yourself enough, you start to see the atmosphere around you change. And when your atmosphere changes, your mindset changes and you just continue to progress on that. So just keep going. Don’t give up. Don’t listen to anybody around you. It’s about you.

Helen: Oh, I love that so much. I think it applies also just to the practice of sewing and creating, not just business, you can make anything, you can do it. So I hope our listeners will take that to heart. And this has been such a treat, Treasure, to talk to you.

Treasure: Aw, thank you.

Helen: I feel very inspired. I’m also going to go do some work this afternoon, and I’m ready for it.

Treasure: Get it, girl.

Helen: Yeah. Are there any, um, things coming up for Nikki&Mallory that you want to share or, um, where can our listeners find you and support you online?

Treasure: Definitely. Um, you can follow me on Instagram. I’m a little wild and crazy, and I have my moments, but I’m very much so @nikkiandmallory, you know. Nikki is very eclectic and, kind of, wild and hipster-ish, and Mallory is very minimal chill. Like, I won’t even talk, but I would say that’s the best place to follow me and, kind of, understand my world and, um, my level of creativity.

Um, as far as things that I have coming up. There’s a lot. There’s a lot on the horizon, um, a lot to do with teaching and, um, just inspiring people, people even more to continue in the pursuit of their own creativities. A couple of platforms I’ll be launching, um, towards April. You can look out for that. I’m really big on not saying what I’m working on. So you guys know Imma keep that on the hush. Just follow the journey, and you’ll see, but yeah.

Helen: Yeah, and you’ll get to see Treasure dancing. So, it’s worth it.

Treasure: Imma keep a smile on your face if I can.

Caroline: Well, we can’t wait to see what you’re cooking up this year. And, um, I hope all our listeners will go and follow you and support you. And thank you so much for chatting with us today. It was so much fun.

Treasure: Thank you for having me. I truly enjoy talking to you ladies, and I’ll be, um, on your Instagram taking a peek at everything.

Caroline: Amazing.

Helen: Yay. Alright, we’ll see you there.

Treasure: Alright.

Helen: Okay. Bye.

Caroline: Bye.

Treasure: Bye.

Caroline: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com.

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about, Treasure’s beautiful bags, in this episode at lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: And if you’re loving the show and you want to help us out, you can support us on Patreon. Contribute $5 or more a month and you’ll get access to our bonus episode feed. Contribute $10 or more a month and you’ll get a 15% discount code for both of our shops, which basically pays for itself, and an extra bonus mini episode. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. And thank you all so much for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Bye-bye.

Caroline: Ooh!

Helen: Oooh!

Caroline: Ooooh!

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