When I think of an ideal business partner, my sibling is not the first person I would think of. This was not true, however, for Emily and Mark Stallings, a brother and sister from Brooklyn who started the designer phone case brand Casely in 2017 when Mark realized there was a hole in the very saturated niche market of tech accessories. When he realized the opportunity, he recruited his sister Emily, who designed cases and the website. The business started as a subscription service, in which the company sent 2 cases per month with the goal of allowing people to match their phone case with their outfit. This has since shifted to be focused on one-time purchases of the company’s many designs on phone cases, AirPods cases, and power pods. They collab with many organizations, including the Van Gogh museum and Crayola, in which they create unique cases that showcase artwork related to the organizations.
Additionally, Casely places a lot of emphasis on their mission to give back, especially through their initiative called “#EveryCaseCounts”, in which they donate money from their profits to support a variety of charities, along with giving an extra $1 to a Charity-of-the-Month for every tagged Instagram post featuring the hashtag #EveryCaseCounts – through this campaign, they have donated over $1 million in their lifetime. They also give artists the chance to feature their artworks on a case and get paid for it, allowing up-and-coming artists to get their art out and make a profit from it. These initiatives make Casely stand out as an organization who values impact rather than profits. This approach shows the redemptive mindsets of the owners, and is a great example of using creativity to find a niche market, and use that advantage to help others!
The journey starts in a grocery store – specifically the produce aisle, and more specifically, in front of the brocolli. Colby Bauer, a twenty-something surfer, was tired of trying to carry around all of his stuff, from his keys to his cards and cash. There was no good, minimalistic way. Until he saw the brocolli, wrapped in the answer to all of his problems: a rubber band. At that moment, he had it figured out. It helped him to be more mindful about the stuff he carried around every day and free up the time and space filled by managing all of his things. However, brocolli rubber bands are not made to last, and before long, he needed something else. So, with some hot glue, scissors, and elastic, he put together a prototype of what would eventually be called “ThreadWallets” – a minimalistic and durable elastic wallet meant to help carry his stuff around. Then he met someone with a sewing machine – McKenzie – and together they made wild, passionate wallets. They sold them at farmers markets and other sales, and they sold like crazy. People were in love with how simple they were. McKenzie and Colby ended up getting married, had a family, and turned ThreadWallets into a company with the mission of helping people get their stuff together and Carry On. Since then, they have upgraded their brand to carry elastic wallets, bifold wallets, crossbody bags, lip balm holders, tote bags, lanyards, and AirPods cases.
er of ThreadWallets myself, it is obvious that this company has had an impact on all who purchase from them. Their stylish but minimalistic wallets encourage a mindset of simplicity, not requiring users to carry around everything – only the essentials. The company may not seem to be the most significant, but they are making a huge statement and helping people living simply and Carry On. As their website boldly states,”Thread established its brand mission, Carry On, as a call to any and all that values personal progress and self-expression. With this slogan we are driven to be the go-to all things carry brand.” It would have been easy for Colby and McKenzie to see their product as something that wouldn’t be adopted by many based on its simplicity. However, they believed in their ability to solve a problem that many didn’t know they had, helping people live better along the way. This is an inspiring story of someone seeing a problem and finding a way to solve it, perfecting it along the way!
Many people recognize Millie Bobby Brown’s name from her numerous iconic TV/movie roles, including Eleven in Stranger Things and Enola Holmes in the Enola Holmes franchise. On top of these and other award-winning performances, she runs a business called “florence by mills”. This company is a beauty company focused on selling makeup products. What makes her stand out from other beauty companies is her approach to beauty from a Gen-Z standpoint. Additionally, she creates beauty products “founded on the belief that true beauty comes from loving and embracing yourself.” As she explains, she sat in hundreds of makeup chairs throughout her career, allowing her to experiment with what worked for her skin. As a result, she has found what she loves for her skin – and her mission is to help her generation find that as well.