We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Debraeyia Drayden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Debraeyia below.
Hi Debraeyia , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
From life experiences. Honestly, it’s not a trait I inherited but learned. I discovered that if I repeatedly failed, I only had myself to blame, so ultimately future failure was never an option. As a Mom to three boys, it’s imperative I teach them to keep pushing and that hard work will pay off.
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?
First – I’m a serial creator. From quilting and sewing to arts & crafts, to cooking and woodworking, I enjoy anything that requires me to use my creative side!
On the professional spectrum, I am the sole sewist and founder of Piper Lane Kids Co., a bevy of sustainable, premium quality handcrafted soft-sole footwear and small goods brand that caters to children – from preemie-hood to toddler-hood!
Our products are created with the quality and consistency I believe we all desire as consumers. From the stitching to the packaging, nothing but love is poured into the products you purchase from PLKC. As a mom, I want affordable & quality products that won’t harm my kids or my family and that are unique. I don’t know about anyone else, but seeing the same thing in the next person’s hands isn’t exactly my idea of appeal. We don’t mass-produce – we do so in small batches, our products are QC’d by a human, are handstitched by a human (on a machine of course), and are made to last. If you purchase a PLKC product, you should find comfort in knowing it was made right here in Texas and is made to last with proper care! Plus, they do make for some great conversation pieces!
I think the most exciting part of what I do is the connection I make with other parents, who get to share in the memories we create with our products. From seeing our moccasins in birth announcements to NICU graduation photos to breathing new life into precious clothing and articles from family or friends, taking old (& new!) fabric and turning it into new pieces for the next generation brings me immense satisfaction. Being able to take a skill I’ve had since I was a child and use it to bring joy to someone else…is both humbling and beyond heartwarming! Never did I imagine the shift in my career path when I brought my children into the world, but I couldn’t ask for a better journey.
We have so much in store – from new products to expansion within the brand itself – and we can’t wait to be able to share it with all of you! I hope you will stay tuned!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’d have to say ambition, independence, and acumen are my top three. It’s so vital not just to a brand or business, but to one’s career to either possess or attain those attributes. Being independent to me, means understanding that your movements will often be solo and your accomplishments will go unrecognized. Being ambitious or having ambition means you are in drive mode 24/7. Whether that’s crafting an email at 2 a.m. or going the extra mile to ensure your brand/business is at its peak performance. Of course, possessing great acumen is also imperative. You have to be smart, think and act quickly, and know your craft! While good judgment comes with experience, I have always been determined and independent and I think having those qualities is a big part of where this brand continues to take me and where I’ve already gone.
If I were to emphasize one of the biggest necessities in being able to scale or elevate your brand or business, I’d say it is being able to pivot. We all know nothing is guaranteed and things happen quickly in this day and age, so having the mindset that change is often good in business whether planned or not, along with knowing your audience, will afford you the ability to pivot as needed. More often than not, where we started isn’t where we end up and I think any entrepreneur can find great success with those qualities as a part of their foundation blocks.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I’m sure I’m not the only one with the following sentiment…
Big business! Big businesses are a hefty challenge for us as smaller businesses. Unfortunately, we don’t necessarily have or are afforded the same platforms as those larger-scaled entities, and in today’s world, if you aren’t large or have major backing, it can be challenging – although not impossible – to scale as quickly or as much as you envision. Adding to that, we’re in an economy that is very much “penny-pinching,” and rightfully so – so the larger more mass-produced, and often lower-quality brands are overshadowing the smaller, well-made ones with cheaper pricing.
So yes, we too face challenges and obstacles, but by keeping the course and pivoting when necessary, we’re able to still find success on our platform as a small business and independent brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.piperlanekidsco.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piperlanekids
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/piperlanekidsco/
Image Credits
Photo Credits: Debraeyia Drayden | Piper Lane Kids Co.
