Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Barton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Maggie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My background is in investing (I learned all about it growing up in a family hedge fund!). But my passion has always been on the other side of the business… the creative side. I started my first business in middle school & high school selling jewelry. I knew fashion had to be a path I’d love to go down. I landed an internship at David Yurman in merchandising and design. After that experience, I knew working at a big corporation wasn’t going to be the best fit for me. I wanted to be steering the wheel with whatever I did with my career, otherwise, I felt unfulfilled. I’m a creative big thinker and my ‘style’ wasn’t typical of what you’d see from an employee… so I tapped into that entrepreneurial bug and started launching companies. Some went great, others, not so much (hey, that’s the way it goes!).
I studied entrepreneurship at OU (Oklahoma) where I met my husband we graduated & launched Spur Startup, a crowdfunding platform for college student projects. We also launched the Founder’s Journal, a guided journal for entrepreneurs to learn from their mistakes and stay motivated along the way.
Through this time, I started wearing more button-down clothes. And the sleeves drove me insane! Always unrolling, never fitting, looking terrible all the time… I asked around and so many women agreed with me & said they’ve never been able to find something that fixed it. That’s how CuffedUp was born. I was originally inspired by slap bracelets I used as a kid because they could open and close to fit different sizes…. but they would never work and always popped off. Jon was cutting them up in the kitchen and using new materials, like liquid silicone and magnets, to tweak it enough to work. Never did I think I’d become an expert in slap bracelet history!! We filed our patent, found a manufacturer, and got CuffedUp going. Jon is a talented graphic designer, so together we put together our brand, logo, packaging, website, swag, etc. This is how we were able to move so fast. A lot of the time, it seems easier for us to learn how to do something and get it done than spend time looking for someone else. You’d be surprised how fast you can learn something when it really matters to you.
We launched CuffedUp in October of 2018. In under a year, we’ve sold thousands of pairs in all 50 states. We’re in over 150 store locations. And we just started working with the Harmon Brothers (the creative video team behind Squatty Potty, Purple Mattress, and some Poo Pourri videos). Since working with them and launching our digital ads, our monthly sales have grown 4x. And we’re doubling growth at least once a month. I’m so thankful that we have this opportunity and am excited to see where CuffedUp goes over the next year!
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?
I battle chronic illness & was diagnosed a few months before launching CuffedUp. It was a horrible experience- I couldn’t get out of bed, my memory was all messed up, I looked different, my hair fell out, the list goes on. It was really scary because I knew something was off about my body. I had to bounce around between doctors to find someone who would take me seriously. As a woman, you’ll experience a much higher difficulty getting a diagnosis. Many doctors wrote this off to “You’re PMSing” or “You’re doing so much with your career you’re probably just stressed.” I had to do research on my own and ask for specific tests.
Every day is a new day and I’m not always sure how I will feel. Sometimes doing simple tasks were really difficult. I’ve been working with some of the best doctors and am happy to report I’m on the mend! I want to let other female founders, boss babes, & warriors know that just because you have a chronic illness, doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish what you set out to do before you got sick. You also have to *HAVE TO* be an advocate for your own health. Always remember, With God, everything is possible.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about CuffedUp – what should we know?
CuffedUp is the brainchild of Jon and I. I’m a compulsive problem-solver. I’m always popping out ideas to fix different issues. CuffedUp keeps sleeves rolled & styled- it’s that simple! I feel like we’re in a time where people are focused on just starting up ‘sexy’ business (like tech, bitcoin-related, etc). CuffedUp is refreshingly simple in a landscape of overcomplicated businesses. And that’s what we do better than anyone else- we simplify things. Getting dressed is easier. Keeping your look fresh throughout the day is easier. It’s a little thing, but it makes a huge difference in your day.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
An opportunity you’re well-positioned for should have nothing to do with your sex and everything to do with your unique skillset. I think its great women have come together to support each other and find a sense of identity, but you have to have a sense of self beyond being a woman. I have a really equal viewpoint of both sexes. It’s not that women are good at X and men are good at Y. It’s just not like that. I think there are more opportunities for all sexes and socioeconomic backgrounds right now. With e-commerce, you can literally start selling anything. Social media lets you cultivate and tap into an audience instantly. The barriers to entry are lower than ever to start a business. I encourage my girlfriends to tap into that and realize they don’t need to go through someone to achieve what they want.
Pricing:
- $19.95 (1 pair of CuffedUp)
- $79.80 Stocking Stuffer Bundle (1 FREE pair + 4 pairs)
- $35 The Founder’s Journal
Contact Info:
- Website: CuffedUp.com ; spurstartup.com
- Email: maggie@cuffedup.com
- Instagram: @raisingthe_barton @cuffedupcuffs
- Facebook: facebook.com/cuffedupcuffs
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