Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Wright.
Hi Laurie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband, Chad Nakano, and I met in a bar in 2012 on the night before Thanksgiving. It was kind of magical. He worked in importing and I worked in fashion. As our relationship bloomed, we quickly realized we had many talents that could conquer anything. He wanted to design a good quality sock that would keep your feet comfortable, dry and have extra padding. He couldn’t find it, so we made it.
In 2015, we launched and had a big guest appearance at the Minnesota State Fair. Ever since then, it’s been a journey of a lot of ups and downs. It’s like riding a rollercoaster. It’s the most terrifying thing and yet the biggest thrill. You just have to stay on the rollercoaster. You can’t get off in the middle of it. Now in 2021, we are still on the rollercoaster. We have expanded our product line, added hats and are in the works of launching other new products.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Like I said, before it’s been a lot of ups and downs. We had investors that went south. We spent a couple of years paying them back. We struggled financially, we have moved several times and we have changed how we manufacture our products. It’s been quite the journey, but we are still in it and still believe in what we are doing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m the owner of Modern Envy Apparel and I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. I’m an “outside of the box” thinker. I grew up in Stillwater Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master’s Degree. During my college years, I spent a semester in Arizona and a semester studying abroad in England. After college, I moved to San Francisco, California, where ultimately met my business partner/husband, Chad Nakano.
My career started with being a teacher. After teaching for 4 years, I quickly realized there were so many other things I could do. I ended up taking a job at FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandise. During my time at FIDM, I started my own PR company called LJ Productions. This is where I co-hosted, presented and organized sponsorships for Fashion Shows. After FIDM, I moved on to Westfield Shopping Centers, where I worked on first to market trends. I helped new and upcoming brands grow their companies and expand across the Westfield Portfolio. During this time, I realized I should own my own apparel company and that’s what I did. I left Westfield and started my own apparel company called Modern Envy Apparel.
When I think of my most proud moments, 3 things come to mind. My most proud moment was when I had my daughter Kailani. She is my world. She lights up this world and there is nothing better than loving her.
In my personal life, I have found the most joy in moments where I can make a difference. At the age of 26, I lost my dad to cancer and a couple of years later my stepdad to cancer. During this time, I started running to cope with all the emotions. It eventually led to me running marathons and fundraising money for cancer research. Running a marathon is obviously difficult, but it gives you good perspective on how to handle life. It was bitter sweet when I could do something so rewarding and fundraise $ to make a difference in the lives of others.
In my career, it’s the fact that I started my own business, Modern Envy Apparel and I am still doing it. At Modern Envy Apparel, I do all of the business development. I basically run the front of the house, all customer interactions, pop ups, DTC and B2B. I manage all employees, forecast trends, oversee design, and do all social media. My husband does all the back end stuff. As a company, we have the mission statement- quality over quantity, and intent with purpose! It’s mission to deliver great products.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Yes! Enjoy every moment, make the most out of what you have and cherish your loved ones.
During covid, my husband lost his job and we essentially ended up giving up our place in San Francisco and moved to our family cabin in Minnesota. It was a blessing to spend time at the lake. In addition, it gave us critical time to grow our business, Modern Envy Apparel. For once we had the time to work on all the back end stuff. We were able to focus on our online business and grew it by 900%. We were also able to wok from anywhere so we did a lot of traveling and visited a ton of National Parks!
As hard as it was, it gave us a lot of time to reflect and work hard on our business.
Pricing:
- 1 pair of socks @$15
- 3 pairs of socks @ $40
- Hats $25-$35
Contact Info:
- Email: laurie@modernenvyapparel.com
- Website: modernenvyapprel.com
- Instagram: Modern Envy Apparel
- Facebook: Modern Envy Apparel
