Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Swanson
Hi Rebecca , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Pine and Berry Co is a northern Minnesota based small-business featuring handmade scrunchie bandanas for dogs owned by my dad, Ken Cue. I (Rebecca Swanson) had originally started Pine and Berry Co. as a digital drawing Instagram page during the start of the pandemic. However, once my dad wanted to open up a small shop, I wanted to hand over an already established page to him, since it had been inactive for a while. I have a background in social media marketing and content creation, so I offered to help him get some photos and videos up on Instagram and TikTok, as well as building a website to sell the scrunchie bandanas on.
My parents used to use the classic tie-on bandanas, but their dog, Remington, always found a way to scratch them off. My dad was inspired by my hair scrunchies to come up with an idea to adapt the scrunchie concept to a dog bandana. Due to health reasons, Ken ended up having a leg amputation after an infection just wouldn’t heal. He was a nurse by trade, but ended up having to quit his career due to health. He spends his days at home now, hanging out with his best friend, my parent’s golden retriever, Remington. Wanting to do something to still contribute an income, he was inspired to take his scrunchie bandana idea to the next level and bring it to life! After research and practice, he figured it out.
Ken was in the U.S. Navy, and ran the tailor shop on his battleship. There, he did simple sewing, patches, and hemming of pants. He had some knowledge of sewing, but that was many years ago. He called my aunt (his older sister, Barb) who has been sewing for over 50 years and asked her for sewing lessons. After spending a week learning how to use the new machines (and not the old 1950s versions that were on the USS Iowa), he was ready to try to figure out how to make these bandanas.
Hours and hours of practice, refining his custom pattern, and learning the ins and outs of a sewing machine, he perfected the dog bandana with a scrunchie style collar. The bandanas fit snug on a dog’s neck, but not too tight! They stay on a dog even with the roughest play or the craziest of neck scratches. Dogs love them! One customer even has to give a treat to their dog in order to take it off!
We hope to share our scrunchie bandanas with everyone!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We are still a fairly new small business – some of the struggles have been sharing our story, designing and learning the ins and outs of sewing (for Ken), and getting our name out there. The small business market is over-saturated, and so we are figuring out how to stand out and connect with fellow dog owners so their dogs can sport Pine and Berry Co. Bandanas for themselves! Another struggle would be competition with big box stores. Our bandanas are priced to cover all of the material and shipping costs, and when people find a super-cheap bandana on a store like Amazon, it’s hard to compete with that. If people understand that the for sale cost listed isn’t a pure profit, people may want to support us more.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Pine and Berry Co. are scrunchie bandanas created for dogs (and cats). The scrunchie creates an easy on-and-off application to place the bandanas on your dog, even for the most squirmy dogs. (We do make a small size that may fit some cats too!)
These scrunchie bandanas are made to stay on through anything! We are most proud of seeing our bandanas out and about – it hasn’t happened very often, but when it does, it’s so exciting! I am so proud of my dad seeing an opportunity and taking it to forge his new way through “unexpected retirement.'”
Ken’s background is in nursing, and Rebecca currently works in marketing and had a background in social media content creation and management.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
It surprises people that it’s Ken that does all of the sewing and creating of the bandanas! Rebecca only has created a hand drawn exclusive design to be used for Pine and Berry, but otherwise, the talent is all behind Ken. Not very many people knew that he had such a talent for sewing!
Pricing:
- Each bandana is sold for $25.00 plus tax and shipping.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pineandberryco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pineandberryco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pineandberrydesignco
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pineandberryco?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
