Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian Lavelle.
Hi Julian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Julian Lavelle, the Owner & Vibe Curator at Bindl, and I’m very excited to share a little more about myself and my new business with you. Originally from Upstate New York (Syracuse), I moved down to Charleston a little over 3 years ago for the weather, culture, and food and now fully consider it my home. I’ve always been drawn to the coast and living so close to the water was a large inspiration for this company, its aesthetic, and the products I’ve decided to carry.
At Bindl, we curate a collection of aesthetic lifestyle, outdoor, and home products that embody the essence of the coast. The shop’s inception was born from a passion for aesthetics and a love for the beautifully branded things in life. At the brand’s core, we believe in the power of surrounding yourself with beauty and embracing a lifestyle that resonates with your unique tastes! We carefully select products that effortlessly blend functionality with style, allowing anyone to create spaces that inspire, rejuvenate, and reflect a personal aesthetic. Whether you’re seeking to elevate your home ambiance, enhance your outdoor living experience, or discover lifestyle products that bring joy to your everyday routine, Bindl is the shop for you. Our commitment continues beyond the products we offer, though! We believe in building a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate the beauty of branding & share a passion for artful marketing. A rising tide lifts all boats, and when we all choose to exist aesthetically, good vibes are infectious, and the world around us gets a little brighter!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story. Has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
You’d be hard-pressed to find any new business owner or entrepreneur who has experienced a smooth road without obstacles when following their passion. But that passion will motivate you to move beyond these obstacles and solve problems. The road to owning my online retail shop was anything but smooth sailing; however, with every mistake or hardship I’ve faced, I’ve come out the other side, learning something valuable that makes me more suitable for operating my business today. The struggles of starting my own business are amplified by the fact that it was entirely bootstrapped, making every financial decision much more pressure-filled and anxiety-inducing. From the cost of filing the proper paperwork to get off the ground to purchasing the product and all the other administrative expenses, there was a constant debate about whether this passion project was the right move and investment for me.
Following the nervousness and internal obstacles of starting up, there came additional struggles like that first inevitable lull in sales that made me second-guess myself or my first vendor pop-up, where I quickly discovered that selling chocolate-based products in the scorching heat of a Charleston summer melts your inventory quicker than you can put it away, and in the same instance, wearing a grey shirt on that hot summer day with no shade is an equally wrong decision.
Even still, I am facing new challenges, whether finding a way to enhance shoppers’ experiences on my website, filing taxes for the first time, or even determining when the best time is to purchase new products can be overwhelming. But I’ve learned to reprogram my perception of what I am doing, to take the good with the bad, and relinquish myself to the experience of owning a business itself and to be proud of that fact alone. There will always be things I could be doing better or tasks (often multiple) that loom over me as I continue this journey. Still, it is helpful to step back from the macro point of view and pick one obstacle to tackle each day so as not to become overwhelmed or discouraged.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bindl?
Bindl encourages its community to exist aesthetically with our everyday coastal goods. We respect strong branding and the work artisans put into creating quality products, and we want to continue building an online tribute and collection to showcase them.
What sets us apart is our dedication to finding consumers aesthetic products that will have their friends and family constantly asking, ‘Where did you find that’? Online e-commerce shops like Amazon are great for finding anything you’ve ever wanted, but Bindl brings you gorgeous products you never knew you needed. I want to keep pushing forward to add valuable everyday products that look good on your shelf and can’t be found on the shelves of other shops in the area.
Additionally, I am most proud of the cohesiveness and specificity of the products in my shop. Nothing motivates me more to keep pushing forward with this business than someone telling me they see my vision. I often have customers at my markets tell me how well all these products, sourced from entirely different vendors, come together to make a single curated collection, which is something that I will never tire of hearing.
The city of Charleston has enabled me to be as successful as I am in this venture through its dedication to weekly local markets, the community of others in the space, and the generosity of other small businesses that have allowed me to set up shop at their locations. As I grow, I plan to become more involved in the community, give back, and host events.
P.S. Our real differentiator is our Chief Marketing Officer, a German Shorthaired Pointer named Hazel. Read her blog post about my startup journey through her eyes here – https://www.shopbindl.com/blog/a-tail-of-entrepreneurship
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is not to take anything too seriously. I decided to start the business, and I decided to continue to be positive about it. People can sense when you care and get a sense of joy out of what you’re doing, and stressing unnecessarily about it is no way to build a brand that preaches sunshine and happiness.
Pricing:
- Items range from $6-$65 on the site
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopbindl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bindl_shop/ (handle: @bindl_shop)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094996544266
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/95066419/admin/feed/posts/
