Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Fowler.
Hi Stephanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was a corporate executive and had twins when our oldest wasn’t even two. Life was busy and felt chaotic working full-time outside the home with a demanding career and three little ones at home under the age of two. I was desperately searching for something to help me feel organized and pulled together. I wanted a bag that kept me organized when we were out as a family but also felt chic and polished enough to carry into the office. I was frustrated by the options I had for multi-purpose bags. As a result, in 2015, my husband Vince and I created Austin | Fowler to solve that problem for good. Austin | Fowler is a company that designs bags that keep women chic and organized for work, travel, motherhood, and every day. We needed to gain knowledge in design and manufacturing, so we googled our way through starting this business in the beginning. I continued to work full-time in my career for many years and would come home from work, make dinner for our family, and spend time with them. Then, when the kids went to bed, I would open my laptop and start working. For many years, I built Austin | Fowler in the small pockets of time I could find while not working and being a mom to my now 4 kids.
Has it been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been a lot of ups and downs, and I didn’t expect so many trials, so it caught us off guard in the beginning. Everything was a first for us. The first time we dealt with a manufacturing, technology, or customer service issue. Everything was a learning experience. Entrepreneurship can be a rollercoaster. Still, along the way, you develop tremendous confidence from going through those trials, creating a grittiness you may not have had before through working a job in the corporate world. Each mistake forces you to tweak your system or process to prevent it from happening again. But sometimes, unfair or harsh things happen that are entirely out of your control, and you must also learn to navigate those with grace. There are nights, certainly early on in the journey, where you might lose sleep thinking that something will sink this ship. But now, as you mature as a company, you grow more confident that although you may not know the answer, you’ll figure it out.
We’ve been impressed with Austin | Fowler, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart?
Austin | Fowler is the brand of bags and accessories that I had been looking for and could never find. It’s made for the woman who wants a go-to brand of bags and accessories to keep her effortlessly chic and organized for work, travel, as a mom, and every day. Our timeless and elevated designs will be as relevant this year as they were five years ago. They help women to feel polished and pulled together.
We design bags that keep women chic and organized and eliminate that “hot mess” feeling that so many women admit they feel like sometimes. Because we wear so many hats and are often on the go, that frazzled feeling can creep in so easily. Women who feel more organized and polished show up as their more confident selves. This allows them to live out their unique purpose in the world and have an impact. We truly believe that something like a chic and organized bag can have a tremendous effect on a woman’s life – and our customers tell us that Austin | Fowler products do just that for them all the time!
What’s next?
Austin | Fowler has a tremendously loyal customer base; we are endlessly thankful for that. We will continue to design timeless products that keep women chic and organized. We have hosted events to allow our Austin | Fowler community to connect in person and feel the brand in a very tangible and inspiring way. Our products, service, and team are improving constantly, and we are working to become that iconic heritage brand that women adore and are inspired by. We have a tremendous opportunity to impact millions of women’s lives positively. And we’ll keep going to accomplish that and more. Our focus is not on growth at a break-neck speed because we want to prioritize family and take advantage of moments with our four kids. Instead, we’re growing a strong, healthy company with an incredibly loyal customer base that will be successful and booming for decades. In so many ways, we’re just getting started!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.austinfowler.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austinandfowler/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austinandfowler
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/austinandfowler/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@austinfowler
Image Credits
Austin | Fowler
