Meet Vanessa Deets

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vanessa Deets. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vanessa below.

Vanessa , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My work ethic? 100% from my mom.

She raised me on her own, and we started our journey together with absolutely nothing when I was about four years old. I vividly remember our small one bedroom apartment—we shared a bed, ate meals on the floor because we didn’t have furniture, and there were weeks when a 50 cent candy bar at the store was simply out of the question.

My mom didn’t have a college degree, and finding a job to support the two of us wasn’t easy. But she had a magnetic personality and an unstoppable drive. She landed a job she would grow in and stay with for the next 15 years. Over time, she turned our life around—taking us on trips, buying our first home, and even gifting me a brand new car when I turned 16.

Watching her hustle, sacrifice, and rebuild our life from the ground up made a permanent imprint on me. I’ve been working since I was 16, often juggling two jobs at a time—not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I loved earning my own way, creating my own freedom, and chasing my goals.

Like my mom, I didn’t pursue college, but I’ve never let that define or limit me. At 20, I applied to be a temp at a major motion picture studio. I never temped a single day—I was hired full time right out of the gate. Since then, I’ve consistently leaned into challenges, chased growth, and shown up ready to prove myself.

Whenever things feel hard or overwhelming, I think of my mom. I think of how hard she worked to build a better life for us. And then I dig a little deeper, knowing I carry that same fire. Her determination and ambition live in me—and now I get to do it all for my family.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

A Branch & Cord was founded in 2020 by Vanessa Deets. The brand was inspired to craft unique, handmade macrame products that fills both an emotional and functional need. The problem discovered wasn’t people only looking for new aesthetics. Our products are also about helping people reclaim joy in their daily lives and offering them more than decor. We offer products crafted for the way people want to feel every day. We use color psychology, aromatherapy and sensory experiences to improve mood, organization, and daily rituals. Our products are small but impactful tools for living a more joyful, intentional life.

A Branch & Cord is not just another accessory company. It is a US based, women owned and minority owned business with a global presence, with over 600 retailers and over 12k social media followers. We have earned several publication features in magazines, news stations, podcasts and public speaking appearances.

We proudly prioritize high-quality materials and craftsmanship across all our products and packaging, creating products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but provide a function, creating products that evoke happiness and building strong connections with our customers.

With these priorities in mind, the long term goal of A Branch & Cord is to be a recognized name in the handmade product industry—a brand synonymous with quality, creativity, and joy. We envision creating a community of loyal customers who not only love our products but also share our values of mindfulness, sustainability, and connection.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Building a community of local small business owners is the #1 key for my survival as a small business owner from day 1. There are so many unknowns and highs and lows along the entrepreneur journey and having a community of like minded people is an incredibly valuable resource that I rely on almost daily. Showing authenticity from the start will go a very long way with customers. People want to buy from genuine people whom they can relate to and want to support. These people will stick with you through your entire journey when you consistently show up as yourself. Finding a business coach along the way has opened my eyes to so much. It’s almost like business therapy. As business owners we constantly have ideas, plans and goals in our heads but often it can be a challenge to see these things clearly. Investing in a business coach and help you narrow down what’s most important depending on the season you are in and help navigate any obstacles.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I absolutely love to collaborate with other businesses! Whether it’s launching a new product, figuring out ways we can both support our businesses, offering giveaways, building retail and brand partnerships and more. I am always open to ideas! They can find me on Instagram at @abranchandcord or via email at info@abranchandcord.com.

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