We recently had the chance to connect with Beth Derrick and have shared our conversation below.
Beth, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Each item is handmade, and I do mean handmade. Each piece is cut by me. Each stitch is hand sewn by my hands. Each rivet is hammered by my hands and maul. Each item is mindfully and intentionally designed, built and finished with the plan for it to be used for years, if not decades ahead.
Most items take at least an hour to make, if not 2-3 hours. Sure, some are made much faster than that – think keychains secured with a single rivet, valet trays, mouse pads, etc. But if it is sewn together, you can trust it took me at least an hour to make it for you. If it’s a custom item, or a bag, it probably took me far longer. Custom items (like custom knife sheaths) take 2-4 hours to make. Bags can take 20-30 hours, depending on the size and complexity.
Some items are high profit and high volume, others are negative profit and low volume, and I enjoy making them all the same.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sully + Proper is named after our late dogs, Sully and Zephyr. Sully was a giant Labradoodle, the kindest, gentlest, funniest, most loyal and intelligent dog of dogs. He never met a stranger, and was definitely here to love and be loved. Sully taught me to enjoy more of life, to rest and relax, to not always be so serious.
Zephyr was my first dog as an adult, and she was perfect. She was well mannered, very responsible, kind, polite, zen and meditative. I got her as a puppy, but she raised me, you know? I got her as a young 22 year old trying to find my way in the world, and she lead me through it all. Many describe her as being very proper, thus the name Sully + Proper.
They have both moved on from this world now, and my business being named after them is my way to honor their spirit and character.
My name is Beth and I design and make leather goods in a few treasured moments at the end of a long workday, or in a few hours on the weekends. I can often be found standing at my workbench, designing, cutting, planning, sewing or hammering something in progress. It could be a one of a kind bag, a batch of 300 keychains, or batch of 50 custom wallets. I do this for fun, and love every aspect of it.
Common sounds of my workspace:
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Norah Jones
Gregory Alan Isakov
Modest Mouse
Warpaint
Dave Matthews Band
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Incongruency. Incongruency between our words and actions. Between our energy and our words. Between our thoughts. Between our ideas and lifestyles. Between our timing. Between our needs and wants, motivations and disciplines.
Finding similarities. Finding congruency. We are more alike than different, and once we can lock in on similarities and familiarities, life gets into a good groove of trust, like, love and adoration.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
There’ve been some events that I was excited about setting up at. They were well marketed, well attended and seemingly well managed. But they weren’t for me. One in particular had excruciatingly loud music, and not the crowd that was there to purchase handmade leather goods. Aside from the slow event (I sold 2 items for a whopping $70), the extreme volume and frequency of the music was making me physically uncomfortable. There’ve been a few other events I was excited about that turned out to be quite slow and ineffective, but were the strongest learning lessons. I’ve learned to market my items in a more effective and more appropriate manner, and to say no instead of saying yes to everything.
A polite “no thank you” has been instrumental in maintaining the quality and dignity of my work.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
I believe in the value of working. Working to earn money, working to be good stewards of society and resources, working to be a better version of ourselves, working to better our position and life. Working smarter, harder and more effectively should bring us a sense of joy, purpose and self. Work is a foundation of life, and thus should be treated as such. We spend 2/3 of our lives working and sleeping, and 1/3 of it doing other things: eating, driving, showering, cleaning, relaxing, reading, time with others, etc. Working gives us direction, identity, structure, financial compensation, lifestyle factors, etc.
I think the answer to most things is: work.
Work to improve, work to do more, do better. Work to ground yourself. Work to elevate yourself. Work to better yourself.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If immortality were real, what would you build?
EVERYTHING! Gosh I love building and making things. I love the physical realm. I love people. I love the humanity and nature of everything. I love old structures and architecture, and the utilitarian usages of things. I love the notion of building something from used materials that would otherwise go to waste. I love the idea and practice of building things from sustainable materials that are environmentally positive.
Brands. Communities. So many leather goods. Cars. Motorcycles. Kit cars. Shoes. Bags. Wallets. Hats. Desks. Chairs. ATVs. Drum kits. Homes. Cabins. Fireplaces. Outdoor spaces. So many things I’d build …
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sullyandproper.supply
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sullyandproper.supply/
