Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Gulakova, Marco Govoni.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m originally from Belarus, a landlocked country that used to be part of the Soviet Union.
My husband Marco, is originally from Bologna, Italy where he became a licensed Engineer some twenty years ago.
How did we meet? Uh! That’s an interesting story…
It was 2003 during St. Patrick’s day (yup an Irish celebration) and we were both on Greenville Avenue in Dallas. Marco was working in Tulsa at that time, he came to the US with almost no money in search of the American dream. I, on the other hand, was working for Mr. Perot as a software developer. I came to the country in 2000 with my eight years old son Alex, with big hopes of a better life for him and myself.
So… an Italian Engineer with a Belorussian beauty dancing Irish music and drinking green beer…. In big D!! Couldn’t get any better right?
Fast forward 15 years… we both have corporate jobs, we are financially in a better position and able to support our families back in Europe. The only thing missing was something we always dreamed of – starting a family business.
Both our home countries have very strong linen traditions so choosing linen as a passion we can share with our customers was an easy choice.
And that’s how LinenCasa was born!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth ride?? It’s never a smooth ride when you start a new business!
Time is the biggest obstacle, since we do everything for our business by ourselves, like design, website support, pictures, inventory, accounting, marketing and so on.
At the same time Marco and I both have full time jobs! I am also passionate about growing my own food, nothing tastes better than a ripe tomato harvested from your own garden!
Marco is obsessed with cycling, he rides anytime he can and competes in crazy gravel rides sometimes longer than 200 miles… in one day!
Another big obstacle that we were not expecting is that people in the US are not as familiar with linen as people in Europe so our mission became “educating about linen one towel at a time”!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about LinenCasa – what should we know?
We decided to concentrate our focus on stonewashed linen.
I know… there’s plenty of other fibers out there, so why linen and why we believe in our products?
Stonewashing makes linen softer, textured, more absorbent and (even better…) hassle free! Meaning a regular washer/dryer can be used and no ironing is truly needed for stonewashed linen products.
We are proud to have a product made of a fiber, flax, that has incredible properties and is Earth friendly! Highly biodegradable and doesn’t require a lot of water nor pesticides to grow.
We specialize in small lots, some of our towels are almost “collectibles”, when they are gone, they are gone!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Customer service is essential for a small business, we strive to meet customer expectations.
Product quality is also absolutely important, that’s why we partnered with one of the best linen manufacturers in Europe and we are constantly in touch with them to maintain the highest quality possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LinenCasa.com
- Phone: (469) 607-9944
- Email: info@linencasa.com
- Instagram: @linencasastore
- Facebook: @linencasaproducts
Image Credit:
Some of the pictures have been shot by Esther Huyhn, http://www.estherhphoto.com
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