Versa Outfitters: Founders' Spotlight
Live with Alaska MEP
Join us for an insightful live interview with Erin and Chaney, founders of Versa Outfitters.
Live Summary
Join Sami Jo Lewis and Megan Militello from the Alaska MEP as they interview the founders of Versa Outfitters.
Don't miss our live interview with Erin and Chaney, the founders of Versa Outfitters! Discover how this cutting-edge clothing brand began and gain insights into their typical day in the business. Erin and Chaney will share the three crucial habits for entrepreneurial success and offer exclusive advice for startup businesses. Join us on Thursday, January 25, at noon, to learn about Versa Outfitters' exciting plans for the upcoming year. Get ready for a brief yet impactful session packed with inspiration and valuable insights!
Key Highlights
Starting a clothing company and product development. 0:00
Manufacturing process for clothing line, challenges and solutions. 7:51
Vetting suppliers for small businesses. 9:48
Habits for successful manufacturing and entrepreneurship. 12:07
Planning, consistency, and passion for business success. 14:10
Clothing line development and upcoming plans.22:14
Transcription
Sami Jo Lewis 00:00
Stay warm in this chilly weather. We have great guests with us today. And I'm super excited to introduce Megan with the Alaska MEP. She's going to be running these with me and so I'm super excited to have her here as well. How are you doing today? Megan? Happy Thursday.
Megan Militello 00:17
Happy full moon.
Sami Jo Lewis 00:28
All right, so we have Versa Outfitters here with us. We have the founders Erin and Chaney and we're super excited to welcome you. So to kind of get this started for people that don't know can you guys tell us a little bit about Versa Outfitters and how it got started?
Erin Ersland Thacker 01:08
Sure, I can take this one. We started several years ago now. We actually started there's three of us. It kind of just happened over lunch. We were sitting around and I asked the girls if they would be interested in starting a clothing company with me because I was frustrated with not being able to find things that I wanted was specifically our first product which is the fleece and and it just kind of snowballed from there. We said let's do it. They were super excited. Our third person was actually fell started kick sled. So she got busy with pick sled which was awesome and she kind of snapped back and does all kicks in now but now its just Chaney and I but that's kind of how it started. Just an idea and something that we thought was missing in the market and ran with it.
Megan Militello 02:06
that's amazing. I do. And then it was just the one pant that you came out with. Yeah.
Erin Ersland Thacker 02:12
Yeah. So we started with the fleece pants. And we have other generations that that we want to do and then we kind of haven't plans but yeah we started with that because I really wanted something that I could wear under waders and snow pants that was warm and look nice. You know, you come back from fishing. You gotta go to the grocery store or you want to go out to bars and things along those lines. You don't want to look like you're just rolled out of bed. So we wanted something that kind of looked nice and was super functional warm in layer Nice. Anything I found was either too long or too bulky or just didn't fit right. So that's that's what we started with. And then we're just kind of slowly adding to as we grow and are able to
Megan Militello 03:02
how long did it take you from having that idea like sitting with those weightings to like your first pair of pants
Erin Ersland Thacker 03:16
it was about a year and a half actually, I think because we launched in 2020 Sorry 20. And we launched with a small number and then we had to couldn't get anything manufactured. We couldn't get materials and all of that we kind of were stuck in the 2020 slump. So I think it was from the very start of the idea to where we actually launched about a year and a half.
Megan Militello 03:41
To know because I think a lot of people don't understand, but sometimes it's a long game. Right? Yeah, right. Yeah. I'm for the idea to actually come to fruition.
Erin Ersland Thacker 03:53
Yeah, it's kind of like building a house. You have a deadline or end date when it's supposed to be done. Just add three months, four months.
Sami Jo Lewis 04:02
Keep adding to it. Yeah.
Erin Ersland Thacker 04:04
And money
Sami Jo Lewis 04:11
that's a great, like super realistic approach to and I love that. I mean, that's really necessary. I know we're sitting here and like negative weather. We have a coworkers and Fairbanks negative 40. So it's like yeah, very practical, like see why those fleece lined leggings would be very, very helpful and so kind of pick from there. So you got kicked off in 2020 How many sloping lights now like do you have like I know you have more of these. You're modeling one, I believe. With pants, what do you guys have now? Well,
Chaney Frey 04:43
we have the pants and then the flat top and before pants launched. We were simultaneously working on another product. But we had to shelve it for the time being because like we were saying with materials, and timelines and just the budget that we had available to us, it was like we just couldn't do it at the time. So eventually we'll revisit that but we already have like two or three other ideas we're going to start working on.
Megan Militello 05:12
Yeah, we have we have two others completed that we are showing for now and then we have several others that we're going to start working on it probably goes first Did you already launched those new colors too? Yeah. What do you have right now on your line?
Sami Jo Lewis 05:31
We have so we have regular lines. We have a regular length and then we wanted to have something available for our short gals because not everybody is the same height. So we have a petite line. And then we have regulars in the teens. We just have those lack and then in our regular ones we have just a gray and then they moss and kind of a pink color and then a red as well. And the Reds coming back hurt
Erin Ersland Thacker 06:04
yeah, so we have a few colors that and then the black top or the flattop. We just had a black and I'm wearing that now and this is kind of another idea that something I just wanted. It's basically the opposite. Of best. It's please on top of your arms and your chest, you're hiking or something like that, especially in the winter. And you don't want to take your jacket off, but you're sweating. So the main body of it is kind of a sweat wicking material and a little bit lighter so your core can take a little bit cooler but then you have the little bit of wind resistance on your arms, upper neck and
Megan Militello 06:39
Yeah. I love listening to you talk about it and like why it's designed the way that it is. I'm like
Erin Ersland Thacker 06:53
yeah, it's a little explanation. I think. If you just see it you're like fur on the hood. The hood as well so it's nice and tight to the face. And so when
Megan Militello 07:11
double says a buff. Yeah, and I liked that. breathability because if it's like under your bed or something like that. Yeah, that's great idea.
Sami Jo Lewis 07:21
That's really practical, because I was looking at him. I mean, it looks like so like I love like the look of and I'm like oh yeah, that looks like really cute. And you're like talking about like, oh, wait, what? Can you do this? And I'm like, Oh, I had no idea. So
Megan Militello 07:39
thank you so much. We put a lot of this one. You know, speaking to the terms of how long it takes to launch things. This Chaney Do you even remember when we started this 20 bow. But I
Chaney Frey 07:51
know that took at least two years to do because the hood was kind of like a new thing. We were trying to work out the kinks of so. I mean, yeah, there was a lot of back and forth. Yeah,
Erin Ersland Thacker 08:03
so this took over two years. To bring all the way to completion. So definitely on the side of manufacturing things, definitely like a house. Don't expect to be done when you think you're going to
Megan Militello 08:18
how did you you have like one source like one manufacturer and that you guys use that. Okay, how do you come across these manufacturers?
Chaney Frey 08:28
Well, we first were working with a design studio. We no longer work with them, but they were the ones that kind of hooked us up with one of our first manufacturers correct. We found a new designer and we decided that we were trying to shop around cost too because we are pricing for pants is trying to make it as affordable as possible. So we're not really we didn't plan on doing any wholesale or anything like that because we knew it being made in the US. You know it was going to have a higher price point. So we're trying to make it as affordable as possible. So we're shopping around for other manufacturers and we found another one but you have to go through the process of you know, having them make some of the product and then you have to make sure that it's up to your standards and stuff. So quality control, and so that also takes a good chunk of time too. So, yeah, we've got a backup manufacturer that we're going to
Megan Militello 09:31
pants. In the future. Really interesting process because there's people making their own stuff somewhere, you know, and then there's people that Russia is doing it. So I love seeing how you know what that process looks like because I've never even thought about.
Erin Ersland Thacker 09:48
Yeah, it's tough. It's tough to find when we were kind of shopping around consoles. They talk to several kind of figuring out who we work with best because a lot of times, English isn't their first language to so finding someone that you can communicate with Well, we've found to be a little bit of a little bit challenging. So that's one thing that we now kind of use as a priority is something somebody that we can communicate with easily. My dog is playing with a rattle toy so that was something that has been a little bit of a challenge that we have been working with. But we we've had to vet several before we found one that could do our quantities that we wanted, because we're not because we have smaller quantities. So finding someone that knew us was really helpful for us too because we don't have to have those big volume numbers that we are not ready for yet.
Chaney Frey 10:52
Right
Sami Jo Lewis 10:56
Yeah, definitely. I feel like if solo entrepreneurs and people that are coming on I have not read envision it's really good to like hear how you got there and like the different vetting process and how long it really takes. So I appreciate you guys sharing how long it really took you and like the different steps that really takes to get where you guys are today. The next question I want to go into is like what does a typical day look like for you both on the business front
Erin Ersland Thacker 11:22
so it's really different for both of us. We both have other jobs as well. So this is kind of our second thing that both of us do so for me. And we will have different rules than we do for for versa. So we have very different brands and we are a whole brain together does a lot of like social and artistic stuff and does all that really well. So on my end I kind of do more of the packaging and manufacture communication stuff like that. And money numbers stuff that that lays on me and then kind of what to tackle.
Chaney Frey 12:07
I do the website, my website, both of us tag team on customer service. So there's oftentimes notification so I catch one I'll do it if she catches when she'll do it. But yeah, Erin's like logistics and fulfilling the order. She has inventory and she dropped it off at the post office. And then also does deliveries to like how it or recycle sheet because we do have our products there so it's really nice for people to go in and try them or pick up an order there. But yeah, I do. Our I do. Graphic Design, social media that kind of stuff.
Sami Jo Lewis 12:53
So with what you guys tackle during your businesses and it sounds like you guys both have other separate jobs too. So you guys are just busy all but would you say we know that? Entrepreneurs manufacturers I mean it's just like a nonstop yours are constantly busy. So what would you say are the three most important habits for becoming a successful manufacturer entrepreneur? I don't know if it's both one answer if you guys want to collectively come up with what you guys think are the top three. But I know be curious and other manufacturers or people that are aspiring to become one be interested?
Chaney Frey 13:30
Well, I would say vision passionate consistency because you got to know what you're aiming for and then have the tenacity to keep at it and especially like when you have the setbacks or when you have to keep going and having things changed and checking them and your timeline and deadline keeps getting pushed out now. And then just the consistency to like fall back on. Like your mission statement is like what are the core beliefs of your brand and your vision and then to keep you know, going back to that so that you're being consistent with who you are as a brand and then also your products. So
Erin Ersland Thacker 14:10
yeah, I would say those are extremely important. And then just keeping patients but also just keeping on things. So I like we both like lists and just having things kind of planned out a little bit and then things change. But you also just check things off. Make sure you're getting things done and especially if you're a full time jobs like Cheney and I do it's really important that we keep a checklist and make sure that we aren't letting things fall through the cracks. So I think that's important like something either weekly or daily or whatever it is for for your specific business but making sure that you're moving along and not letting things kind of fall between the cracks. So keep it efficient.
Megan Militello 15:00
Yeah, that's a great point and keeps you on track. Right? Like, don't how are you going to achieve that goal if you don't set all the little steps that it takes to actually get there? Yeah, yeah, exactly. And to the consistency.
Erin Ersland Thacker 15:15
I think having having those lists are okay, we have this big goal of getting the, whatever executed at whatever date and then from there backtracking what do we need to do in order to get to that place, and then you slowly chip away and then we can get to your goal? But just making sure that you're slowly chipping away if it's something that you're doing as a side project to
Megan Militello 15:43
especially with family and stuff, too. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's a lot. Yeah.
Erin Ersland Thacker 15:51
A lot. But take it a little bit at a time. I think it's really really helpful rather than looking at a picture at once. Like,
Megan Militello 16:00
yeah, like you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time. thing but you know, we just get away at it. That's all we can do. Yep. Yeah. the backwards planning is really smart. That is a great way to achieve your goal. And that's, yeah, just having that main thing and it's like all the steps it's gonna take to get there. breaking it all down and making it digestible. Elephant
Erin Ersland Thacker 16:34
the whole elephant, it's a little intimidating.
Sami Jo Lewis 16:39
Vision, passionate consistency. I really, really like that. And obviously it takes passion behind everything that you guys do and you have to have really, really want to move forward. But like you said, everything. Take time and things get pushed back, but as long as you're chipping away and staying consistent, just a little bit. Keep moving that work for you. So thank you guys. You guys that I think that just fits perfectly vision, passion and consistency. So if there's startup businesses or people that are wanting to do a startup business, and they have that dream, like you guys had, you know, a couple years ago, and it took that time, what what would you say is the biggest piece of advice you could give them when they're right at the beginning phase and they just have the safety and they have the screen
Chaney Frey 17:24
Well, just the summary would be no like, you gotta be married to that idea. Because there's going to be the ups and the downs. And so like, just gotta be ready to stick with it.
Erin Ersland Thacker 17:37
Yeah, certainly be passionate about whatever you want to do if it's going to take away from your family and your life like that. You got to really want to do something and then just not letting yourself get discouraged with those apps because they will happen if it's something you really want to do. Just there's always a way just got to figure out how to do it. And if something doesn't work once, take a step back. You can push pause on something we've done that we had to change designers, manufacturers, all the things and so we've had a slower build than what maybe what we'd like to have had so just having patience and just not giving up this if one door closes
Chaney Frey 18:24
and asking why why you're doing it in the first place because I don't think if it's money motivated. Like we said, If you don't have hang ups of like you're not after the idea, and it's just money focus, like you're gonna be very frustrated and disappointed. Yeah,
Erin Ersland Thacker 18:42
yeah. Yeah, go ahead. Oh,
Megan Militello 18:45
I think the married is just like a great way to Yeah, yeah. So like that in my business. So yeah. Yeah,
Erin Ersland Thacker 18:58
I think something. I think it's been sort of good for us. Sort of a hard pill to swallow but just something a little bit difficult. It's just kind of want to grow really fast. Or you want to make it big quickly. It doesn't always work that way. And just being okay with that and maybe building slower and having better processes in place and not wasting a ton of money trying to grow really fast. will help you in the long run. So that's it's hard to kind of think about like, Okay, well, let's put a pause on that until we can figure out the right person to use manufacturing wise or whatever it is. And just growing a little bit slower. That's okay, too.
Megan Militello 19:44
Yeah, I love that. That's so good. because not a lot of people.
Sami Jo Lewis 19:50
Yes, that's true. Yeah. And that's hard. When you have something that's like the baby, you know, that you're like, oh my gosh, and you're just like you see the end goal and you're like, I just need to get there and like how long like it's insanely building house, being married with like being able to like pivot and like be with the ups and downs. Like it's not gonna happen overnight. But as long as you guys see consistent, you guys actually are loving what you guys are creating and building no way I can actually get sign understands and everyone that we've talked to and always it's never like, Oh, I just have this idea and now it just sparked overnight. Perfectly. It's just take so much time. See, so
Erin Ersland Thacker 20:39
yeah, absolutely. Not to be afraid to ask people especially like this is such a great forum. It's such an awesome service that you guys have available. But we would not been able to do anything. If we didn't have people we could ask and there's just been so helpful. The anchorage community well, Alaska community I should say, but of entrepreneurs that we've kind of figured out, talk to you along the way and so helpful. So just reaching out to people like yourself or any other people that you know, it is so helpful in every way, even if it's not the exact same thing. That you're doing whether it wants to close once the food there's just so many things that crossover so having people to talk to it's really really helpful.
Megan Militello 21:30
community is so important. Yes. Absolutely.
Sami Jo Lewis 21:36
And I feel like Alaska has a pretty good one. Like really like Alaska. It really does want to all like band together. Yeah, yeah.
Erin Ersland Thacker 21:50
really is such a cool community especially. I mean, we're kind of in the outdoor space, but it's just people are always willing to help always offer you know, to give advice where you know, we use these people or this thing, whether it's websites or fractures, all types of things. So it's always great to have people to ask
Sami Jo Lewis 22:14
well, to kind of wrap this up, and like last question we like to kind of end with is what you guys are most looking forward to this coming year. I know it's kind of the beginning of the year. So you know, we talked about the beginning. Maybe there's like some things you guys are working on rolling out so what are you guys most excited about Versa Outfitters this next year?
Megan Militello 22:39
Yeah, we have definitely some ideas that we are hoping now that we've kind of taken our time and we've gotten designer with a production plant that we're going to use, hopefully be able to turn over some of our new designs a little quicker and have the next color. That's what we're really excited about. Ready for the next season.
Erin Ersland Thacker 23:02
Yes, well, like we said it takes about a year, especially in clothing if you start something here in advance, so we're already behind for next year, but hey, we'll do our best.
Sami Jo Lewis 23:19
Patient checklist. Yeah, one thing at a time. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Sounds like because you guys something if there's like one or two things that you'll be excited to kind of roll out then this time next year. Yeah.
Megan Militello 23:42
Okay, can you tell us to like if anybody is listening and wants to see your stuff, where can they find your product? Whether it be at a wholesale like a retail place or on your website, share with people where they can find your stuff?
Chaney Frey 23:57
Versaoutfitters.com and then like we said, earlier, we have some inventory at AK Cycle Chic and Alpine Fit Headquarters.
Sami Jo Lewis 24:22
Well, thank you guys so much for joining. It sounds like some Versaoutfitters.com That's where you can check out see the products they have hopefully, some products stay warm this winter. I know flattop top yeah it's amazing. So thank you guys so much for taking the time to hop on. I know a lot of small businesses. Dreamers they listless and like be like okay, this is how I got started like they can do it too. Just passion, consistency, not drive vision to get where you guys are today. So I really appreciate you guys taking the time. Come on. I know I'm sure it helped a lot of other manufacturers and if you guys want to reach out to your Alaska MEP team, we're here to assist you and check out Versa Outfitters stay safe this winter. And join us every other Thursday.