Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Crouch.
Hi Jessica , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Heritage Brand started as hobby that quickly took on a life of its own. In 2002 I began making leather horse tack for myself to compete in, people were buying it off my horses and commissioning me for custom orders. Before long, it was a full time family operation, that then scaled to include employees, purchasing property for manufacturing, etc… For 17 years we built our brand around horse tack, dog collars and other small leather goods. We worked hard to galvanize our look and build a reputation within our industry.
In 2019 we launched our first handbag, the Marilyn bag, and it revolutionized our business. Each bag is individually hand crafted, uniquely numbered, made from the finest material I travel the globe to source, and priced to reflect the exclusivity and artisan nature. We underestimated the impact the one product would have on the future of our brand, and within months we had transformed from a horse tack business to a luxury western handbag brand. Today we are proud to be a legacy brand, commanding thousands for each piece we produce while still holding true to our roots of 100% American craftsmanship in Weatherford, Texas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Dealing with growth. Both at the beginning when we were struggling to become a viable business without another similar to pattern ourselves off of, and then perhaps even more difficult, when our brand exploded in 2019. Learning how to handle the demand, exposure, and viral popularity were legitimate problems. We were forced to close down our one and only showroom as we couldn’t keep product in stock. We changed to an online only model for several years, offering weekly collection releases of 40-50 bags that sold out in less than 2 minutes each week.
Growing our artisan team while not sacrificing quality or creativity amid this growth has also proven challenging.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We hand tool, paint and embellish luxury leather handbags. Each piece is one of a kind and uniquely numbered. Our pieces sell for thousands, and are collected like fine art. We have a passionate customer base that travel from across the US and Canada to shop from our showroom, purchasing heirloom pieces that will be cherished for generations to come.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The combination of our brand story which we are constantly telling and involving our customers in, with the exclusivity of our products makes our brand extremely unique and sought after. Our customers are the ones that do the majority of the advertising for us, and our customer retention is beyond belief.
Pricing:
- Handbags $1,400 – $25,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://heritagebrand.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritagebrand/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heritagebrandco
