Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke and Abby Hatteberg.
Luke and Abby, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When Luke and I first met in 2008, one of our initial draws to each other was our interest in travel and other cultures. I had lived in Italy for a year after graduating and Luke had just spent 4 months backpacking through Europe (a small backpack and $800 in hand alone), so adventure has always been at the heart of our relationship.
In the summer of 2012, we served in Spain for the summer and after returning home we were burdened with all these incredibly beautiful photos just sitting idly on our computer screen. We were both eager for a creative outlet and Luke anxious to dive into woodworking, so we decided on a whim to list those photos on Etsy (hey, it’s only 20 cents to list an item right?!). Well, we didn’t end up selling any of those Spanish landscapes, but we did catch the itch for entrepreneurship and the thrilling adventure of starting your own business.
Quickly, we saw a gap in the market for a push pin travel map- one that was beautifully designed for a modern traveler, not looking like it belonged in an outdated office or sterile living room. From there, we’ve been on a mission to design and craft the highest quality travel-inspired goods to help our customers hold onto their greatest memories. Even though, we weren’t able to live abroad when we started the business as we dreamed, in a way we could vicariously live through our customers and these travel-inspiring products, and that has just been the greatest joy.
Never in a million years did we think we would be running a business together in Dallas, TX, a hobby turned full-time endeavor is definitely not the plan originally envisioned. We have gone through so many transitions and transformations in 6 years it feels- a name change and rebranding, a complete overhaul of our product collections, many team member transitions, two moves (one to a larger home to house the business, one to our first commercial space last summer), and learning how to balance owning a business while simultaneously navigating becoming parents twice over – goodness it’s been a journey, but we are still here! And so deeply grateful for that.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Building and sustaining Wayfaren has been possibly one of the hardest challenges we have ever undertaken, yet it has also brought more joy and satisfaction that we ever imagined. Entrepreneurship is HARD WORK- you are the craftsman, the CEO, the accountant, the janitor, the supply manager, the designer – it all falls on you. I do not think we expected the grit required. In the beginning you’re running off adrenaline and the thrill of the new adventure, but a few years in the weariness sets in and have to really root yourself in your why’s.
We have gone through so many transitions and transformations it feels- a name change and rebranding, a complete overhaul of our product collections, many team member transitions, two moves (one to a larger home, one to our first commercial space), and learning how to balance owning a business while simultaneously navigating becoming parents twice over – goodness it’s been a journey, but we are still here! And so deeply grateful for that.
Wayfaren – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Wayfaren specializes in high-quality and handcrafted keepsakes for the modern traveler- Push Pin Travel Maps, custom engraved keepsake boxes, and personalized travel journals. I think what sets us apart in our industry is our thoughtful design and built to last a lifetime quality. The travel market unfortunately can be saturated with to be honest just some ugly products. We wanted to craft meaningful ways for our customers to hold onto their adventures, a keepsake that was as beautiful as their experiences.
It is simple, we stand behind our products. We pour over every detail of every item that leaves our shop; we know what an investment our customers make in our products and we do not take that lightly. So other than the caliber of our product, we are definitely most proud of our customer service. Their satisfaction is our very top priority and we will do anything we can to make sure people’s experience with Wayfaren is “wow!”
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For us first and foremost, we are “successful” if we are glorifying God in all we do in life and the business, if anything there isn’t aligned with Him we can’t call it success.
Beyond that, for us right now success looks like the gift of running this business together as husband and wife (even though at times it quite literally drives us crazy :)), taking exceptional care of our customers and always going above and beyond to make sure they are taken just the best care of, having the flexibility to spend intentional and rich time with our girls and them grow up watching mom and dad build a business, being able to have a very small hand in ending the global water crisis by partnering with The Her Initiative and giving back a portion of our profits, and the ability to fully support ourselves and a few team members with this business, that is very humbling.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1818 Chestnut St.
Dallas, TX 75226 - Website: www.wayfaren.com
- Phone: 214 763 1056
- Email: hello@wayfaren.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wayfarenco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/wayfarenco
- Other: www.wayfarenblog.com
Image Credit:
Cody Kurtz Photography
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