Brenna & Company: Northern Virginia small business
“This is my version of early not gonna lie.” Brenna said, holding up her cup of coffee, “Ronin, didn't go to bed till 4:00 AM.” We laughed it off, but that’s the reality for her as a mom of 2 kids under 5 (and one more on the way). As a mom, our 12:30 PM interview is early. Brenna is the founder of the Northern Virginia-based gift boutique, Brenna & Company. "Handmade, affordable, and adorable" are the 3 keywords that summarize her business. She offers a variety of products ranging from phone grips to live plants (plants available at vendor events). Her main selling point is handmade jewelry and accessories. Each piece is made out of polymer clay with nickel-free, lead-free, and hypoallergenic earring findings. “I want [them] to be safe and gentle for everyone!” she noted.
Founded back in 2021, Brenna & Company's namesake comes from her kids. They are the "& Company." Everything she does is for them and they greatly influence her business. Their personalities and interests inspire Brenna. For example, last year her daughter was watching a lot of Disney movies, so Brenna went ahead and made a princess line. Whether they know it or not, they're putting in the work and that is recognized in the name.
Her products can be ordered online through Facebook, or found in person at 2 different locations- Unique Creations in Boyce and The Quirky Closet in Winchester.
Take a peek through some of her products!
Moving on up! Newest Expansion to The Quirky Closet
Her most recent expansion was to The Quirky Closet. Her connection there started by answering an ad looking for a part-time employee. When she got the call for the interview, Hillary asked her to bring some earrings in to show her!
"I brought her literally a whole bag. I didn't know what to take. I was so nervous. I brought her one of everything. She was like 'Yeah, you're hired. And I'm gonna put these in my shop.' I just sat there, like, oh my gosh. She's going to sell my pieces, they're gonna be in her store, and I get to work there." Brenna & Company's expansion to a 2nd physical location has been a wonderful experience for her business. It's her biggest spot to date. Recently she has been pulling inspiration for new designs from items found at The Quirky Closet. She wants to make sure shoppers can always find an accessory to go with their new fit.
"It pushes me to think outside the box and design something [that] I would've never done [before]... That's what has worked lately and people are loving it."
As wonderful as it is, it can be challenging from a time management position. "I'm not used to making that much product at once...12 pairs [of earrings] took me 2 days [to finish]." It's made her really step back and reevaluate how she plans for current business and future product launches. She's already started thinking about her Fall collection!
Brenna "& her Community" Rally Behind her Company
Even though her demand has increased significantly, her biggest priority continues to be producing quality products that she is proud to wear. "I do not [and] will not sell something that I personally would not wear every single day," she stated. If she doesn't love it, it will not be made or sold. She has high standards for her products. She deeply cares about her supporters and wants nothing but the best for them.
It's what made Brenna & Company stand out to me. There's a feeling of comradery between herself and her growing customer base. When we were talking about it over Zoom, her face lit up when I was asked about her relationship with her customers, it felt genuine. On Facebook, her business mainly operates off of a group instead of a business page. “[With] a page, you don’t really have a face. Anybody can log onto my page and post as me, but in my group, you see it's coming from me.” They get to know the face and the family behind the business. "That's my favorite part of my business... no matter how big I get or if I never grow again, I don't ever [want to] change that part... It’s my little comfort zone." Community is a big part of her brand. She has a whole web of support behind her. She can always count on her friend Beth to be there. Brenna runs ideas by her. She keeps her grounded and gives her honest advice from an objective standpoint. "I would not be here if it wasn't for [Beth] and my family being there every step of the way."
Future Plans
Brenna is currently working on offering private earring-making parties. She would bring supplies and teach attendees how to make their own earrings! Those are set to be available by the end of summer. Be sure to check out Brenna's current inventory on her Facebook group or in person at The Quirky Shop or Unique Creations! And follow her journey on all of her social media platforms!
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