Handbags at the Half-Time Show Featuring Famed Comedian Sarah Colonna

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Hi and welcome to the Handbag Designer 101 podcast with your host, Emily Blumenthal, handbag designer expert and handbag fairy godmother, where we cover everything about handbags, from making, marketing, designing and talking to handbag designers and industry experts about what it takes to make a successful handbag.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Welcome, Sarah Colonna, to Handbag Designer 101, the podcast.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I think, from celebrity standards, you have hit that tipping point.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>We have officially made it for 2024.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Starting it on a high note, this is the clutch to well, we'll get into that, but welcome, welcome, welcome.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Thank you so much.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Thank you for having me.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I've been looking forward to this.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So you, by trade, are not a handbag designer.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know I could say what you've done, but you know, as long as you've accomplished it all, you might as well share everything you've done, because it is vast.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Well, thank you.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It feels weird to plug yourself, but that's what you're supposed to do, right?

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<v Sarah Colonna>Plug, plug, plug.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, I started as an actress and a stand-up comedian and took a long time to start making money.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I was obviously bartending during a lot of that time.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Are you a good bartender?

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<v Sarah Colonna>I was a really good bartender.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I have to say Like really good, fast, probably a little bit bitchy, a little like give me your order of trying to make money here.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And you memorize the track of drinks.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Because when I cocktail waitress that's how I crashed my parents' car was memorizing the drink mix and I was a high-performing student but a terrible waitress that I had all of the drinks in order written on my arm and I crashed my parents' car as I was studying.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>When I'm going to reverse, oh my God.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, because at the fast place places you had to know the orders that the drinks were made by the level of alcohol.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Oh right, yes, Okay, I was more.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I sort of cheated my way into it and I sort of pretended that I knew what I was doing.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And then I just watched other bartenders and then I would, like you know, study what was in drinks on the side your band, nobody was any the wiser.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And then if I ever got something wrong, I would be like, oh, sorry, I misheard you.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And then I'd go, you know, like Are you too drunk to understand that you were wrong at me?

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<v Sarah Colonna>Exactly, it was you.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It was you you misordered, so yeah, and then I started getting paid to do standup and act.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And then I got on Chelsea Lately, which was definitely my big break.

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<v Sarah Colonna>The talk show that was on I know you're familiar, but maybe not everyone is, but that was on E and I was a comedian on that show and then they ended up hiring me as a full time writer and that really, as it did for a lot of comedians, catapulted a lot of people's career because it was a lot of exposure.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Was that one of those moments?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Just to like go back to that, because living in New York City, because I've been on a couple shows I was on how Do I Look and the funny thing, it's a whole other story.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>It's a whole other.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But the costume stylist that they had for the intervention was an actress slash stylist and if she was in New York it'd be the other way around by default.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But the wild thing is, in LA she didn't eat the entire week and I'm like what?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And then I realized like people do coke in the morning there, but that's like a whole other conversation.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I was like, oh, that's why you're not hungry For new.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So yeah, that was my venture, that everybody in LA is trying to do something and that must be stressful in itself.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Just to live there every day knowing that like everybody is doing the same thing.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It is.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I mean, it's split up in some ways.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Obviously some people are trying to be on the director side or the writing side, but it does feel overwhelming.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I mean, I moved here from Arkansas right out of college and I thought I didn't realize that.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So every for Walmart, I mean you know what?

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<v Sarah Colonna>It might have been an easier route to making the money and not having to bar it center the main side of my.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But yeah, I basically was.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Once I started working at bars and restaurants, I realizing everyone was trying to do it, I thought, oh God, what am I doing?

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<v Sarah Colonna>Thinking I can stand out in the crowd.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But I always wanted to do it and I just I'm.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Thankfully I never gave up and thankfully I had family who supported me not giving up.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I stuck it out and then, yeah, finally getting the job that I had a bunch of little jobs and some good jobs, but I still had to bartend because people would even recognize me from a guest store on something and they'd say why are you bartending?

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<v Sarah Colonna>And I'm like because I got paid one time for that one job and that's very long.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So it was until I got on Chelsea and had a full time writing job that I was finally like salary and benefits.

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<v Sarah Colonna>you could breathe, yes yes, and you can actually breathe and it was great.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So, and from there and when that show ended, everything kept going and I wrote a couple of books.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I'm a New York Times bestselling author to something I never thought I'd get to say, but I get to say it forever.

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<v Sarah Colonna>My book agent.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I remember when I hit the bestsellers list he called me and he said this is a credit they can never take away from you.

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<v Sarah Colonna>They can never say like maybe if you don't just stand up anymore, maybe they would call you a former comedian, maybe they would say a former actress.

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<v Sarah Colonna>They can never say you were always a New York Times bestselling author and I was like great, I'm always going to say that credit I'm never going to say that first.

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<v Sarah Colonna>You should say that first, no matter what I know right, and it's a pretty big deal.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So yeah, new York Times bestselling author comma and a standup and a handbag designer.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And a handbag designer, which I definitely never expected or saw coming, but I'm very, very proud of that accomplishment too.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So you were working through you.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Obviously you know the narrative of how people become designers is obviously not a straight path.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>It's not never, ever linear right.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>It's usually typically out of a solution or a need or being in an environment where you realize like, hey, I see a hole in the market.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And it's so fascinating that the most of responsible people, when they get this idea, everything kind of falls to the curb.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>It's like oh, this doesn't make sense at all.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I have no experience, no background.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm doing this, I'm obsessed.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You can't tell me I'm wrong.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm going to spend all this money, jump in, lose everything on a learning curve, but guess what?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm still going.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm obsessed.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So I mean mildly familiar with how all this came to be.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>But you want to talk a little bit about that.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Yes, so I and it's definitely.

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<v Sarah Colonna>We came from exactly what you said seeing a hole and a need for something.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But so my husband is a former NFL player.

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<v Sarah Colonna>When we met he was playing.

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<v Sarah Colonna>He was a punter for the Seahawks.

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<v Sarah Colonna>He played for Green Bay before that.

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<v Sarah Colonna>He had a very long NFL career and I've always been a big sports fan.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I've always done the sporting events, but I hadn't really until I don't think I'd been going to professional football games for quite a while.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you want to be with him.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Oh God, I love it.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It's so much fun.

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<v Sarah Colonna>My dad was a sports editor, so I grew up going to baseball games and baseball is always my first love.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And they don't have a.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Really until recently, most of them didn't have a bag policy.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It was kind of a whatever, because baseball like so family oriented and it's really hard to restrict it, I think.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But anyway, so it wasn't ever really much thinking about a bag policy.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And so when I met my husband 10 years ago, then I started going regularly to Seahawks games and their bag policy is the all clear policy, which is very challenging because people think that means your bag has to be clear, but it doesn't have to be.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Very clearly states that you can bring in a clutch that is four by five by six by five, very specific.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And I was just bringing a clear bag at first because I wasn't even trying to think about how to come up with it Was that a weird transition that you'd always brought.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You dressed your look for, I mean, as a woman, we dress typically stems up or bag.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>We're reverse engineered by the bag.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So if you're wearing, you know.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And to get into the intricacies of how a bag is made and the retail, anthropological designing of it, you know you're going to a football game.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>You know.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>No matter what, you need a bag that you can wear at either cross body or, as they go, with the shoulder, and has a lot of a high drop to accommodate or has the capacity to fit everything that they need in those very minor dimensions.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So right.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I was going in with like their little clear bags that they sold in the NFL store or whatever, and the first day that I really was like what am I doing?

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<v Sarah Colonna>It was on my period and I was like this.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I mean not that obviously it's not something to be ashamed of, but nobody necessarily wants to run around with their tampons on display and then I was like now they would, but maybe not that.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Well, yeah, but or your medication or your credit cards or how much cash you're carrying or all this stuff.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And I was like I'll just like right there in these clear bags, and to find something that was not clear to fit those dimensions is really almost impossible and they're very strict about it.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I mean you put it down on a little size or, and if it is just even like an inch over, you got to go to a locker.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I kept seeing people get turned away, people that didn't understand the policy, know the policy.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And I have a really good friend who has been in the fashion industry a long time, my friend Erica, and she's really good friends with a handbag designer, maria Zarian, and her company is M and Ania.

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<v Sarah Colonna>She makes beautiful handbags and she lives in Burbank, california.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I live in Sherman Oaks, not far from each other.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I reached out to my friend Erica and I said can you put me in touch with Maria?

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<v Sarah Colonna>I want to talk to her about this idea that I have, because I said to my husband why am I not making bags that fit these dimensions?

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<v Sarah Colonna>I should.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you grow shopping for one Like specifically I?

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<v Sarah Colonna>have, yeah, many times, and mostly I would find something, but it wouldn't be like the right depth, it would just barely fit anything, or like a little you know something and then.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But also I would just grab something that's kind of a throwaway.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And then I'm thinking I'm going to games all the time, why don't I have one bag that I can always bring and that's nice, that's gonna last.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I met with Maria and she said, yeah, we can do this, and so obviously I give you the designing part.

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<v Sarah Colonna>She was very, very much a big part of because I don't know how to do that right.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So she, I sat with her and talked her through it and we went back and forth for you know a few months obviously, on the design and what it would look like and all the different things you could do, and she did the drawing part and helped me develop it and I finally got to where I was satisfied with it.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It's deep enough, because they don't really have a rule on the depth.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, some hockey games do.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Now they say one inch.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I started making wristlets too, and it's just, they really make it complicated for women to have a nice time.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But NFL and concerts, college stadiums.

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<v Sarah Colonna>They all have this same role, that it's gotta be four by five by six by five, and they don't say about the depth, so it doesn't get you know in with those dimensions.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It's not like you can make it super wide.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It would look weird, but it's deep enough and it does.

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<v Sarah Colonna>If it's your phone, there's a little pocket, definitely, so you can put your credit card in your license or your cash or whatever separate Not that anyone carries cash anymore, but I was like it needs to have enough room for my phone.

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<v Sarah Colonna>You know, some lipstick during the game, whatever little thing, tampons maybe if you have to carry medication.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I have a few customers that are like I, always have to carry insulin medication and it was important to them that they get to actually just not have to showcase that.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So they love this too.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So there's a lot of reasons to wear it.

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<v Sarah Colonna>But also just stylish was important to me, right?

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<v Sarah Colonna>I wanted it to be stylish and then the big factor being that most football still a lot of football stadiums especially me I was going in Seattle or outside.

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<v Sarah Colonna>If I'm gonna spend money on it, I don't want it to be ruined.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So water resistant, stain resistant, bags that can last, and that all became very important.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And then I said I would love to be able to wear it.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So it's cross body, obviously you can also do it on your shoulder.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I said we got to make these straps really long so they can accommodate anybody tall, short, big, wide.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Whatever we got going on, we need to make sure people can wear them.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And that was one of my girlfriends is very tall and she said a cross body just like almost never works for her because people never make the straps long enough.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So we have that.

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<v Sarah Colonna>They're adjustable.

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<v Sarah Colonna>And then I wanted to be able to wear it at the waist.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So we came up with on the back there's a sleeve, a convertible element.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, so you can take off the strap and you can pull it through the sleeve on the back and then you can just wear it around your waist.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Hands free at a football game is definitely key.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Obviously it'd be hands free with cross body, but there's just this freedom when you can just put it around your waist and run around and not think about your bag anymore.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So go ahead.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Just to ask you a little bit about the process, because I've worked with so many, I've dealt with so many.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I myself have gone through being an quote unquote independent designer.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>I have this aversion to saying emerging, because I don't like that, because then that means you never have a chance to emerge per se.

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So like when you found Maria, being that she is an established designer, did you set terms with her saying I'm going to pay you as a contracted designer?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Or did you go and say do you want a partner?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Was it awkward?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>Or how did you present it with her to her?

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<v Sarah Colonna>You know, that's a really great question and we basically worked out.

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<v Sarah Colonna>A contracted designer would say she didn't and I use.

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<v Sarah Colonna>She has her own factory and that became a really big part of it too.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So I still work with her.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I have everything made at her factory in Burbank and now In California, yeah, so that was important to me.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I like to keep them made in the USA.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I think it's just a nice way to be able to say I'm also getting you know, making something here and keeping people employed as best I can, or around this situation, and also, I think for football fans they would love to hear that and also for me, because I was just starting with all this.

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<v Sarah Colonna>It was a way to be able to I can visit the factory.

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<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, I could see I could hands on.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I wasn't getting something shipped to me.

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<v Sarah Colonna>You know from overseas that then I would have to.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I could be really hands on.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I could walk into her factory, and which was really cool.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I mean, the day they started production on them, I went there and decided to watch them start making these bags and I was like this is really cool.

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<v Sarah Colonna>This is.

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<v Sarah Colonna>I can't believe we did this, you know.

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<v Sarah Colonna>So she basically I paid her to help design and then I keep the business with them and so yeah, so in terms of, I mean, like anything, everything comes down to connections and relationships, right?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>So without her, the barriers to entry would have been massive, right?

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<v Emily Blumenthal>And LA has.

00:14:08.847 --> 00:14:24.745
<v Emily Blumenthal>You're very fortunate because LA is one of the cities that happens to have affordable production, and you know, to manufacture LA is actually cheaper than manufacturing in New York, which a lot of people don't know, but that's true because there's still a lot of local manufacturers that exist.

00:14:24.745 --> 00:14:26.028
<v Emily Blumenthal>Claire V still does it.

00:14:26.028 --> 00:14:30.783
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know there's a lot of designers that do that, but you know to come up with this idea.

00:14:30.783 --> 00:14:38.566
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm sure you had an idea like okay, if these customers are going to these games, it's a certain kind of demographic.

00:14:38.566 --> 00:14:45.106
<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you do like actual competitive analysis, research or demographic research?

00:14:45.106 --> 00:14:55.465
<v Emily Blumenthal>Or like, okay, she, he, they, whomever the customer is, is typically within this range, this range, or they're earning this amount, or were you like this is who they are?

00:14:55.465 --> 00:14:58.583
<v Emily Blumenthal>I haven't got, this is how much I think they'd be willing to pay.

00:14:59.174 --> 00:15:00.879
<v Sarah Colonna>So no, I did no research on that.

00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:08.345
<v Sarah Colonna>I did basically from my experience, right.

00:15:08.345 --> 00:15:18.005
<v Sarah Colonna>So I know that there's season seat holders that go to every game that would definitely invest in a bag that they're going to keep and I say invest as if it's like a huge.

00:15:18.005 --> 00:15:22.837
<v Sarah Colonna>You know they're a higher price point because they're made here and because the material is nice, but it's not if you're to me.

00:15:22.837 --> 00:15:28.067
<v Sarah Colonna>I know a lot of people are repeat game customers, right.

00:15:28.067 --> 00:15:30.301
<v Sarah Colonna>So that's really my target market.

00:15:30.341 --> 00:15:36.441
<v Sarah Colonna>For the most part, if you're going to one game, you're probably going to buy the clear bag, and just you know if you're never going to go again, and that's fine.

00:15:36.441 --> 00:15:41.456
<v Sarah Colonna>But for people that attend them also, they double as your concert bag, like this summer.

00:15:41.456 --> 00:15:43.083
<v Sarah Colonna>I mean, god bless Taylor Swift.

00:15:43.083 --> 00:15:53.839
<v Sarah Colonna>I sold so many bands because people were going to Taylor Swift concert and she's in stadiums that have that rule and they didn't want to muck up their outfit with a clear bag, and I'm not, you know.

00:15:53.839 --> 00:15:57.879
<v Sarah Colonna>So there's some companies that make really fun ones and so I'm not trying to, you know.

00:15:58.119 --> 00:15:58.801
<v Emily Blumenthal>It is what it is.

00:15:58.801 --> 00:16:06.423
<v Emily Blumenthal>You can say it yeah, to be an early adopter in something is no small feat, so I think that in itself is pretty admirable.

00:16:06.903 --> 00:16:07.225
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah.

00:16:07.225 --> 00:16:10.034
<v Sarah Colonna>But I mean people make some cute clear bags, right.

00:16:10.034 --> 00:16:15.178
<v Sarah Colonna>They're as best they can, but definitely a lot of people are, you know, like a Taylor Swift, Beyonce to.

00:16:15.178 --> 00:16:22.605
<v Sarah Colonna>They had stadium tours this summer and people would want, you know, a nice bag to go with their outfit that they spent all these money for their tickets on, Right.

00:16:22.605 --> 00:16:36.625
<v Sarah Colonna>So I definitely found that market and that's been over the past I'd say three or four years that I've noticed more post pandemic, yeah, and people going to you know these concerts are back and people are needing something for that.

00:16:37.315 --> 00:16:41.826
<v Sarah Colonna>So to that point, I started off with and maybe I should have done the research on this.

00:16:41.826 --> 00:16:45.466
<v Sarah Colonna>To be honest, I started off with a lot of two tone bags, right.

00:16:45.466 --> 00:16:49.211
<v Sarah Colonna>So I basically we started with, obviously because I was in Seattle.

00:16:49.211 --> 00:16:52.883
<v Sarah Colonna>We started with the Seahawks colors, like blue bag with green sides.

00:16:52.883 --> 00:16:53.806
<v Sarah Colonna>They're so cute.

00:16:53.806 --> 00:16:55.279
<v Sarah Colonna>I'm obsessed with these bags.

00:16:55.279 --> 00:17:06.445
<v Sarah Colonna>There's also like a navy and red one, because what we did was target the bigger market teams but also ones that could be used for other teams.

00:17:06.445 --> 00:17:11.618
<v Sarah Colonna>So like there's a light blue and red that could be the Giants, that could be the bills and that could be the Cubs.

00:17:11.618 --> 00:17:12.602
<v Sarah Colonna>That could be Right.

00:17:13.575 --> 00:17:17.486
<v Sarah Colonna>So, finding things that would be the only ones very specific, probably they couldn't.

00:17:17.486 --> 00:17:19.688
<v Sarah Colonna>Well, that's not true, because I have a green and yellow.

00:17:19.688 --> 00:17:22.742
<v Sarah Colonna>That's Packers, because they're such they just deck out there.

00:17:22.742 --> 00:17:31.259
<v Sarah Colonna>You know, you just kind of look at these teams that like deck out for the games, but also it's like the Oregon Ducks are those colors and there's some college teams that the other college teams, those colors.

00:17:31.259 --> 00:17:40.246
<v Sarah Colonna>So I really went with trying to find people that would, and the blue and green were very easy for me to sell because I was able to do a lot of press in Seattle and talk about them.

00:17:40.246 --> 00:17:50.265
<v Sarah Colonna>So once you're able to explain, you can bring this bag into the stadium and it's stain water resistant and you're going to be able to use it forever and it's going to fit all your needs.

00:17:50.265 --> 00:17:53.884
<v Sarah Colonna>And then, okay, people, it's easy for people to purchase.

00:17:53.884 --> 00:17:55.018
<v Sarah Colonna>It's really the messaging.

00:17:55.077 --> 00:17:57.044
<v Sarah Colonna>I think that has been the hardest part for me.

00:17:57.044 --> 00:17:59.321
<v Sarah Colonna>Anyway, I'm off track.

00:17:59.321 --> 00:18:04.339
<v Sarah Colonna>But so I made all these two-tone ones and they sell and they're very popular and they're really adorable bags.

00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:09.182
<v Sarah Colonna>But I did find that people really gravitate towards the traditional colors.

00:18:09.182 --> 00:18:12.183
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, they just want either a black or a solid blue.

00:18:12.183 --> 00:18:14.821
<v Sarah Colonna>I make a solid red, that's just I love.

00:18:14.821 --> 00:18:21.186
<v Sarah Colonna>But they really want that because if you're going to spend the $105 on it, you want it to be a cream.

00:18:21.186 --> 00:18:24.522
<v Sarah Colonna>No, I haven't done a cream yet, but I know it's been suggested.

00:18:24.542 --> 00:18:36.983
<v Sarah Colonna>Sure, yeah, it's almost a seasonless color by the way, fyi, fyi, I just did a denim and that was the first time I did something that wasn't from the vegan stain and water-resistant material.

00:18:36.983 --> 00:18:40.981
<v Sarah Colonna>Obviously, denim is denim, so did you make it coated?

00:18:40.981 --> 00:18:47.286
<v Sarah Colonna>It's not coated, no, but it's really sturdy really and it's just like a spot clean denim.

00:18:47.286 --> 00:18:54.980
<v Sarah Colonna>They're so cute and those actually were very popular for concerts and I think they'll be very popular when festival season comes right.

00:18:54.980 --> 00:18:56.338
<v Sarah Colonna>They're going to be.

00:18:56.419 --> 00:18:57.442
<v Emily Blumenthal>Did you look into this?

00:18:57.442 --> 00:18:59.221
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm sorry, I have a billion questions.

00:18:59.315 --> 00:19:04.484
<v Sarah Colonna>I hope this is okay because I no, it is, but I just know that I probably didn't, whatever you're about to ask.

00:19:07.378 --> 00:19:18.796
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean being this one of one and realizing like, okay, and just to go back to what you were saying, I went to Michigan and those colors are maize and blue, but people say go blue.

00:19:18.796 --> 00:19:21.343
<v Emily Blumenthal>And whenever I hear go big blue, they're talking about the giants.

00:19:21.343 --> 00:19:22.045
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm like are you?

00:19:22.045 --> 00:19:23.378
<v Emily Blumenthal>Oh, I didn't know.

00:19:23.378 --> 00:19:24.301
<v Emily Blumenthal>So I get it.

00:19:24.301 --> 00:19:31.324
<v Emily Blumenthal>So that's just a side note, but in terms of, I mean, you've obviously had to learn on the ground.

00:19:31.324 --> 00:19:34.743
<v Emily Blumenthal>I read that you started this in 2017.

00:19:34.743 --> 00:19:44.887
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you've been doing it right, Long, long time, Starting out and figuring this out and recognizing like, okay, the straps need to be adjustable.

00:19:44.887 --> 00:19:46.781
<v Emily Blumenthal>How adjustable is it too much?

00:19:46.781 --> 00:19:48.300
<v Emily Blumenthal>So I sell the straps separately.

00:19:48.300 --> 00:19:53.226
<v Emily Blumenthal>Were there anything from the learning curve that you wish would have known?

00:19:53.226 --> 00:19:54.296
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like that?

00:19:54.296 --> 00:19:55.901
<v Emily Blumenthal>Now you're like, oh, it's so obvious.

00:19:55.901 --> 00:20:01.758
<v Emily Blumenthal>If you ever wanted to start a handbag brand and didn't know where to start, this is for you.

00:20:01.758 --> 00:20:07.526
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00:20:08.335 --> 00:20:11.021
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00:20:11.021 --> 00:20:12.184
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<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm Emily Blumenthal, handbag designer, expert and handbag fairy godmother, and this is the handbag designer 101 masterclass.

00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:27.920
<v Emily Blumenthal>Over the next 10 classes, I will break down everything you need to know to make, manufacture and market a handbag brand.

00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:37.365
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00:20:37.365 --> 00:20:48.480
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00:20:48.934 --> 00:20:55.102
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00:20:55.102 --> 00:21:05.222
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00:21:05.222 --> 00:21:09.084
<v Emily Blumenthal>So let's get started and you'll be the creator of the next it bag.

00:21:09.084 --> 00:21:25.481
<v Emily Blumenthal>Name me, emily Blumenthal in the handbag designer 101 masterclass, so be sure to sign up at EmilyBloomethalcom slash masterclass and type in the code on cast to get 10% off your masterclass today.

00:21:29.315 --> 00:21:54.423
<v Sarah Colonna>I would definitely say probably I would have started with more just solids instead of the two tone ones, just because everybody kind of, and then and then also, when you have only a certain amount of two tones right, I had like the dark, blue and red, because that could be the Patriots, that could be the Texans and then the Valkyries, it could be bleeds into a lot of other sports as well.

00:21:54.423 --> 00:22:02.042
<v Sarah Colonna>But what I did went by starting with a few two tone ones was then people would say, well, why don't you have a brown and orange one for the brown?

00:22:02.042 --> 00:22:05.404
<v Sarah Colonna>And I would say, well, because that's only going to be for the browns.

00:22:05.404 --> 00:22:09.961
<v Sarah Colonna>And if I have people buy that, then what would that be Please everybody and that's a free bar of rule.

00:22:11.095 --> 00:22:18.287
<v Sarah Colonna>And so when I try to make that clear on the site, like I started, with ones that could be multi-use for different teams, and I'm always open to suggestions.

00:22:18.287 --> 00:22:28.566
<v Sarah Colonna>But then, as I'm gone on specifically since I'd say probably 2020 on or at, you know, after 2020.

00:22:28.566 --> 00:22:34.732
<v Sarah Colonna>It's really bad at bigger market for people wanting just the solid black, the solid blue.

00:22:34.732 --> 00:22:40.634
<v Sarah Colonna>That's why I made a red, because I know red is, you know, just a great color and also people love it for our concerts.

00:22:40.634 --> 00:22:48.163
<v Sarah Colonna>And then also you've got a million teams that use red as one of their main colors, so it can also compliment your gear.

00:22:48.284 --> 00:22:56.275
<v Sarah Colonna>But my main response to people that ask for like, oh, I want a Vikings bag, I go, well, you get a black one with gold and it's going to compliment your gear perfectly.

00:22:56.275 --> 00:23:00.393
<v Sarah Colonna>You don't need it black and purple, and then it doubles as your night out bag.

00:23:00.393 --> 00:23:05.693
<v Sarah Colonna>So I use it all the time just to go out, because I don't love to carry like a big bag to a bar or something.

00:23:05.693 --> 00:23:31.212
<v Sarah Colonna>So it's become so multifunctional that I think I wish I would have known in the beginning to focus more on that, and then what I'd like to do is find a way to well, I don't even know if I should say this, because I don't know if I should put it out there, because I don't even know if it's possible, but I would love to find a way to be able to be like okay, I can make a specific one for a specific, have you thought about reaching out to the teams for licensing?

00:23:31.493 --> 00:23:33.300
<v Emily Blumenthal>Because that's essentially what you're saying.

00:23:33.863 --> 00:23:39.559
<v Sarah Colonna>Well, no, no, no, I meant making them specific colors for customer if they reached out.

00:23:39.760 --> 00:23:41.526
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, that is a hot mess.

00:23:41.526 --> 00:23:43.613
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, no, I got it.

00:23:43.633 --> 00:23:45.000
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, I bet, in bulk order.

00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:47.048
<v Sarah Colonna>It would have to be in bulk order, that would be the only way.

00:23:47.048 --> 00:23:51.003
<v Sarah Colonna>But also, to that point, our material, because it has to be.

00:23:51.003 --> 00:23:53.231
<v Sarah Colonna>This material I'm not gonna Because it's reduced.

00:23:53.291 --> 00:24:09.679
<v Emily Blumenthal>In LA you also have that extra requirement that they have to make sure that the material doesn't emit gases, because I know I forgot the rule or whatever it's the law, but LA, california has one specific that you have to have a disclaimer at the bottom stating that it's EPA gas-free or blah, blah, blah.

00:24:09.679 --> 00:24:16.057
<v Emily Blumenthal>I know I'm talking at a term, but I know the manufacturers there technically need to follow that in some way, right?

00:24:16.739 --> 00:24:22.806
<v Sarah Colonna>Well, that and just the material being that it has to be this vegan leather that's stain of water resistant, all that.

00:24:22.806 --> 00:24:25.095
<v Sarah Colonna>It doesn't come in every color.

00:24:25.095 --> 00:24:32.746
<v Sarah Colonna>Finding matching colors was finding a blue and silver one that I thought would go with the cowboys was a little tricky to find the right blue and stuff like that.

00:24:32.746 --> 00:24:40.016
<v Sarah Colonna>So it's like, and then you look and teams have, they have different jerseys for different games and sometimes they're darker blue than the reverse.

00:24:40.277 --> 00:24:41.903
<v Emily Blumenthal>And then they reverse colors.

00:24:41.903 --> 00:24:43.490
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, and you're like what am I doing?

00:24:43.490 --> 00:24:44.829
<v Emily Blumenthal>I can't fleece everybody.

00:24:44.950 --> 00:24:45.351
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah.

00:24:45.351 --> 00:24:56.778
<v Sarah Colonna>So if somebody was to say I want this specific one, but obviously in a bulk order I can't make one per, it would never, it wouldn't make any sense and also they're expensive to manufacture, as you noted, since they make them here.

00:24:56.778 --> 00:25:00.012
<v Sarah Colonna>So that would be great if I found a way to do that.

00:25:00.012 --> 00:25:06.157
<v Sarah Colonna>But as far as licensing, no, I haven't even considered it yet because that goes through the NFL.

00:25:06.157 --> 00:25:09.348
<v Sarah Colonna>It's not one team Like you can't, one string can't.

00:25:09.348 --> 00:25:19.865
<v Sarah Colonna>All the sudden, it has to go through the entire NFL, and what they would take from that and what it would cost, I think would just sort of not make a ton of sense for me right now.

00:25:19.865 --> 00:25:44.539
<v Sarah Colonna>Now, if I hadn't, you know, like a Ari Andrews size company or something that she's doing with where by EA which I, by the way, been certainly trying to me when they're on this idea, because I think that finding to me, finding someone that already hasn't established bigger apparel brands and partnering with them, would be a great way to take this to the next level, because I mean.

00:25:45.170 --> 00:25:48.664
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, having been through that experience, that is so tricky to do.

00:25:48.724 --> 00:25:58.173
<v Emily Blumenthal>That I mean, in my opinion and again, I don't like giving out advice I always saying, like well, having lawyers in the family is enough.

00:25:58.173 --> 00:26:07.833
<v Emily Blumenthal>That whenever even a family, somebody in the family, gives you advice, the first thing they'll say is I'm just telling you, this is my opinion, you can do with what you want with it, kind of thing.

00:26:07.833 --> 00:26:11.385
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know, I've had so many people come back to me and you told me this.

00:26:11.385 --> 00:26:14.664
<v Emily Blumenthal>I'm like, hey, you just listen, this is just my professional opinion.

00:26:14.664 --> 00:26:15.710
<v Emily Blumenthal>I can't say anything.

00:26:15.730 --> 00:26:38.387
<v Emily Blumenthal>But working with apparel designers who have their own mission and DNA and customer it's doing collabs, or one off in and outs as they call them, is always the best way to go about it because it has a big ending and an ending and you could take advantage of their distribution and their audience and then they can take advantage of the product that you've created and it might be in.

00:26:38.387 --> 00:26:47.740
<v Emily Blumenthal>Collabs are always the best and it's also a great testing ground to see, for you know, proof of concept if it works, if it doesn't work, you know you move on.

00:26:47.761 --> 00:26:52.355
<v Sarah Colonna>Yes, yeah, I would think it would definitely have to be a collab to start with her.

00:26:52.355 --> 00:26:56.991
<v Sarah Colonna>If I, you know, this is all just putting out there as a dream Anybody.

00:26:56.991 --> 00:27:06.847
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, because they would have to have a specific right to sell them in stores and not without me going through the whole licensing process of just of my whole company.

00:27:06.847 --> 00:27:08.192
<v Sarah Colonna>You know what I mean.

00:27:08.192 --> 00:27:13.946
<v Sarah Colonna>Like you can, you cannot put anything in a NFL store that isn't licensed by them.

00:27:13.946 --> 00:27:18.605
<v Sarah Colonna>So some people like I know, I know that touch by a list of Milano.

00:27:18.625 --> 00:27:25.646
<v Sarah Colonna>I know that she has something where she can actually collab and use the end and sort of use that process without a great.

00:27:25.646 --> 00:27:28.256
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, but it would be a short stint, like you said.

00:27:28.256 --> 00:27:38.897
<v Sarah Colonna>So something like that would be great, it would get it off the, it would sort of take it to the next level and also, like I said, get through that little hurdle that I don't encounter it nearly as much anymore.

00:27:38.897 --> 00:27:42.170
<v Sarah Colonna>But obviously the title of all clear is what I bat.

00:27:42.170 --> 00:27:43.695
<v Sarah Colonna>So it's a lot of battling.

00:27:43.695 --> 00:27:46.487
<v Sarah Colonna>That the messaging, I think, is the biggest part.

00:27:46.487 --> 00:27:50.326
<v Sarah Colonna>Like I see all the time people go, no, it's got to be a clear bag, and then I'm like, no, it doesn't.

00:27:50.326 --> 00:27:51.851
<v Sarah Colonna>And then I send them a copy of the policy.

00:27:51.911 --> 00:28:00.752
<v Emily Blumenthal>I certainly the education, like my launch into handbags was similar but obviously nowhere near what you've accomplished.

00:28:00.913 --> 00:28:04.027
<v Emily Blumenthal>But I came up with a little handbag to go hold on to when you go out.

00:28:04.027 --> 00:28:11.407
<v Emily Blumenthal>I had a DJ boyfriend and I said, oh my God, and this was the time of flip phones, you know when, like the biggest phone was this big.

00:28:11.407 --> 00:28:26.355
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know it would go over your wrist, it would go over your finger and I, you know, boo strapped and got it into birddust and bendles and patented them, which I want to talk to you about, and then knocked myself off and came up with a lower end line and then went to QVC and so forth.

00:28:26.355 --> 00:28:46.369
<v Emily Blumenthal>But I realized from doing trunk show after trunk show and even going to concerts that if I wasn't there to explain the utility of what this bag was good for, or buying a bag of a name that nobody knew, that if I wasn't there it wouldn't sell unless somebody literally googled, which wasn't what it was.

00:28:46.369 --> 00:28:53.742
<v Emily Blumenthal>Now, you know, part of like a bag for concert, bag for stadium, and I'm sure yours probably pops up at the top.

00:28:54.365 --> 00:28:54.807
<v Sarah Colonna>It does.

00:28:54.807 --> 00:28:57.134
<v Sarah Colonna>It does now for sure, which has been great.

00:28:57.154 --> 00:29:03.016
<v Emily Blumenthal>That's really helpful, because I definitely have customers that see a winner like trying to stumble upon your bag.

00:29:03.377 --> 00:29:05.724
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, it's really nice to finally be.

00:29:05.724 --> 00:29:12.471
<v Sarah Colonna>You know, it definitely took a few years to be beyond just my own social media reach and my own, you know, and I understand that.

00:29:12.471 --> 00:29:18.287
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, and that's another thing that was really wonderful to be able to work with Maria on was to manage expectations.

00:29:18.287 --> 00:29:25.683
<v Sarah Colonna>For her to say to me your sales are good, trust me for your first year, for your second year, for your you know, right to hear.

00:29:25.723 --> 00:29:28.756
<v Sarah Colonna>That was nice, because I don't know, I don't have that concept right.

00:29:28.756 --> 00:29:41.224
<v Sarah Colonna>I'm sort of stumbling into, I'm not on the business end of it and I mean you are now, I am now for sure, yeah, but I mean I didn't know the business end of it, I didn't know what was good, what wasn't good, which would you know?

00:29:41.224 --> 00:29:44.643
<v Sarah Colonna>So, and nobody can really, you know, deem anything good or bad, obviously.

00:29:44.643 --> 00:29:53.598
<v Sarah Colonna>But it was just nice to have the feedback of like no, this is a good start, this is a good process, like you're not just spinning your wheels type thing, and that felt really good.

00:29:54.140 --> 00:29:57.027
<v Emily Blumenthal>How did you come up with the name?

00:29:57.027 --> 00:30:06.368
<v Emily Blumenthal>And you also have patent and you know I have handbag designer 101, which just is my brand, my property in a few categories.

00:30:06.368 --> 00:30:16.230
<v Emily Blumenthal>When you do the trademark, you know a lot of people who haven't done the trade marks before they'll get rejected for generic names like handbag designer 101.

00:30:16.230 --> 00:30:25.425
<v Emily Blumenthal>You always have to put this disclaimer saying you don't own the rights to handbag, you don't own the rights to designer, you don't own the rights to 101, you only own the rights exclusively of those names together.

00:30:25.425 --> 00:30:32.615
<v Emily Blumenthal>So happening a name like what your brand is and then also having a patent like how did you go about?

00:30:32.615 --> 00:30:34.222
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like, is it the Sarah Kelowna bag?

00:30:34.222 --> 00:30:35.909
<v Emily Blumenthal>Is it the concert bag?

00:30:35.909 --> 00:30:39.564
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like did you do this research to try and think like, what would make the most sense?

00:30:39.905 --> 00:30:42.476
<v Sarah Colonna>Well, it was definitely basically the stadium bag.

00:30:42.476 --> 00:30:51.575
<v Sarah Colonna>It was definitely because it was so specific to the sizes and I think that the design patent, which I know is very hard to get, and I was very for a handbag, you know.

00:30:51.755 --> 00:30:53.701
<v Emily Blumenthal>But it's a design patent, not a utility patent.

00:30:53.701 --> 00:30:55.044
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's a design patent, yes.

00:30:55.625 --> 00:30:57.239
<v Sarah Colonna>Okay, and so they have.

00:30:57.239 --> 00:31:06.795
<v Sarah Colonna>It was because of the sleeve on the back, it was because of the sizes and all of that, so, and I mean it took a while but I was granted it, which I was just like shocked.

00:31:08.178 --> 00:31:10.462
<v Emily Blumenthal>New York Times bestseller and patent owner.

00:31:10.884 --> 00:31:17.619
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, yeah, so Pat did, and it was yeah, and so it was a bestseller patent.

00:31:17.619 --> 00:31:18.522
<v Sarah Colonna>So it was.

00:31:18.522 --> 00:31:22.800
<v Sarah Colonna>That was a process, because I, as you said, you know it's, it's not an easy thing to get.

00:31:22.800 --> 00:31:32.821
<v Sarah Colonna>A lot of times they reject it because they just say, well, this is, or this is what my trademark attorney was like, look, a patent on a handbag is like can be tricky because people say there's already a bunch.

00:31:32.821 --> 00:31:36.634
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, so that was a good accomplishment, because that way I can.

00:31:36.634 --> 00:31:42.859
<v Sarah Colonna>You know, I, there's going to be probably copycats and whatnot and people that go, oh, I can make a non-clear bag, that blah, blah, blah off.

00:31:42.859 --> 00:31:43.442
<v Sarah Colonna>It's the thing.

00:31:43.442 --> 00:31:50.433
<v Sarah Colonna>And at least I have a little bit of heels dug in on that, right, and then, yeah, and then I'm in the trademark on the name.

00:31:50.453 --> 00:31:58.863
<v Sarah Colonna>So clutch women I came up with because the term clutch is so obviously used in sports and because, right, look at that, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:31:58.863 --> 00:32:19.317
<v Sarah Colonna>So it was a play on that, and also being a clutch woman, being a good friend, being loyal, being all these things, which is I just wanted to incorporate the female empowerment aspect of it too, and so the lining is my signature, with not my signature, but with I write things like your loyal, you know, your determined, what's in this and your clutch.

00:32:19.317 --> 00:32:36.948
<v Sarah Colonna>And so it's like the inside is just these little inspirational messages when you open it up, which I just thought was like a cool thing to add to it and to sort of add to the female-owned business side of it and, you know, appeal to women who want to have a little bit of a you know I'm clutch walking into this game and I'm stylish and I'm clutch.

00:32:36.948 --> 00:32:39.096
<v Sarah Colonna>So that was the title really came between.

00:32:39.096 --> 00:32:45.516
<v Sarah Colonna>The word for, you know, being used so often in sports and also just being used in female, impel me.

00:32:45.536 --> 00:33:01.007
<v Emily Blumenthal>No, can I ask you when you started out just from the packing, shipping, labeling, returns were you involved with all of that yourself or you were able, because of your relationship, were able to streamline it right off the bat?

00:33:01.627 --> 00:33:06.404
<v Sarah Colonna>Well, so I was yes, we would do it from the factory, and they showed me the packaging.

00:33:06.404 --> 00:33:23.019
<v Sarah Colonna>We worked on that and then I had a good friend whose boyfriend does great designs, so he helped me with my logo and with the like, the hang tags, and we have these little insert cards that go in each package that tells you exactly that the bag fits, the measurements and blah, blah, blah.

00:33:23.019 --> 00:33:30.769
<v Sarah Colonna>So yeah, all those little details and how they're packaged and whatnot I got to be definitely a big part of that that's.

00:33:30.951 --> 00:33:32.897
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean it all comes through relationships.

00:33:32.897 --> 00:33:39.817
<v Emily Blumenthal>And you know, I sing and I bet it's pretty similar in LA, because LA is look, it's not for the faint of heart.

00:33:39.817 --> 00:33:44.317
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's definitely not the easiest place to live, especially considering environmentally.

00:33:44.317 --> 00:33:54.167
<v Emily Blumenthal>People all kind of theoretically, all the people have these same end goals, but when you're crossing over, even into handbags, it's you know, as you know, it's a crowded market.

00:33:54.167 --> 00:33:56.522
<v Emily Blumenthal>To try and stand out it's really tricky.

00:33:56.522 --> 00:34:00.436
<v Emily Blumenthal>So it's like be nice to everyone, you never know who you'll know.

00:34:00.436 --> 00:34:04.090
<v Emily Blumenthal>I mean, I tell my students today's classmates are tomorrow's colleagues.

00:34:04.090 --> 00:34:09.074
<v Emily Blumenthal>So without those relationships you wouldn't have been able to pull off what you were able to pull off.

00:34:09.074 --> 00:34:12.322
<v Emily Blumenthal>And oh, 100%, that's just amazing.

00:34:12.842 --> 00:34:14.025
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, definitely.

00:34:14.025 --> 00:34:25.594
<v Sarah Colonna>I mean definitely having someone that has a tried and true business and her own factory and knows everything and very generous, like become really good friends.

00:34:25.594 --> 00:34:47.311
<v Sarah Colonna>And she was very generous with input and with, you know, telling me things that I probably hadn't thought of, like you need a one tag, you needed this, you needed that, and, and then when I came up with the yeah, I was like okay, okay, and then go, yeah, so all of that stuff was definitely relationship and I couldn't have done it without it, that's for sure.

00:34:48.414 --> 00:34:52.706
<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you have any hopes or interest in going beyond D to C?

00:34:52.706 --> 00:34:55.253
<v Emily Blumenthal>Like, do you want to go on to a QVC?

00:34:55.253 --> 00:34:56.215
<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you want that kind of?

00:34:56.215 --> 00:35:07.280
<v Emily Blumenthal>Because, like you know, you were saying that your customer or someone who goes to games and so forth, you know, goes to concerts and that's a certain person, somebody who has box seats and all that.

00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:11.974
<v Emily Blumenthal>You know we talk a lot about price point and a lot of designers.

00:35:11.974 --> 00:35:18.277
<v Emily Blumenthal>Because they lack scale, they overpriced their bags and then they then price themselves out because they're just trying to make money.

00:35:18.277 --> 00:35:28.677
<v Emily Blumenthal>So you know, these are all different kinds of customers and having this back for the specific audience, do you think there's more opportunity for you to grow beyond D to C?

00:35:28.677 --> 00:35:29.900
<v Emily Blumenthal>Definitely.

00:35:30.061 --> 00:35:33.108
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, I mean, do you want to?

00:35:33.108 --> 00:35:34.731
<v Sarah Colonna>Absolutely, Of course I do.

00:35:34.731 --> 00:35:50.322
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, you know, I would love to be working beyond I don't want to say beyond my the size of it's a small factory and I'd like to obviously keep it there in many ways, but I'd love for it to be able to be like okay, how do we keep it here?

00:35:50.322 --> 00:35:55.458
<v Sarah Colonna>Right, Like you know, it's so it's a, B, but yeah, I definitely want to grow beyond that.

00:35:55.458 --> 00:35:58.367
<v Sarah Colonna>It's more figuring out how.

00:35:58.367 --> 00:36:03.005
<v Sarah Colonna>I mean it's just figuring out how it's been good, it's been consistent, Do you?

00:36:03.045 --> 00:36:10.436
<v Emily Blumenthal>have your customers that come back and buy more and more, like you're repeating, I do actually have a lot of repeat business, which is I didn't expect that, but I do.

00:36:10.496 --> 00:36:13.023
<v Sarah Colonna>I have a lot of repeat business Every time I have a new one come out.

00:36:13.023 --> 00:36:19.784
<v Sarah Colonna>They buy that, a lot of people gift them and I have a lot of male male customers, a lot of male customers.

00:36:20.184 --> 00:36:22.273
<v Emily Blumenthal>A lot of people don't tend to think about that either.

00:36:22.844 --> 00:36:43.431
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, and when I realized that it helped me figure out certain ways to market and to reach out, you know, even like the social media ad space, things like that, because there's a lot of men who want to buy them for their person, that's coming to the game with them Like it's, yeah, it's a great gift for a sports loving woman, a concert going woman, these things.

00:36:43.431 --> 00:36:46.795
<v Sarah Colonna>So that has been especially around the holidays.

00:36:46.795 --> 00:36:58.235
<v Sarah Colonna>It's like every order that I get is you know, robert, so, and so Jeff, so, so I'm like, oh, look at these men, his bag, so that has been, you know, something that I didn't even think about in the first place.

00:36:58.235 --> 00:37:00.313
<v Sarah Colonna>I just was like, oh well, my customers will be a woman.

00:37:00.313 --> 00:37:05.532
<v Sarah Colonna>No, it's men buying them for their girlfriends or what, their partners, their friends, all that stuff a lot.

00:37:06.324 --> 00:37:12.217
<v Emily Blumenthal>And you don't sell them yet at any stadiums or theaters or anything like that.

00:37:12.217 --> 00:37:14.954
<v Emily Blumenthal>You don't have any consignment concession.

00:37:14.954 --> 00:37:18.233
<v Emily Blumenthal>Have you thought about doing that on something you can't do that?

00:37:18.894 --> 00:37:19.556
<v Sarah Colonna>No, you're not a little.

00:37:19.556 --> 00:37:21.853
<v Sarah Colonna>No, no, no, that, and not unless they're licensed.

00:37:21.853 --> 00:37:25.054
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, you can't sell anything in a stadium that isn't licensed by.

00:37:25.864 --> 00:37:27.692
<v Emily Blumenthal>So maybe there's something in the future for that.

00:37:28.144 --> 00:37:29.250
<v Sarah Colonna>But no, there definitely is.

00:37:29.250 --> 00:37:35.876
<v Sarah Colonna>I did meet with a team in the Canadian Football League about developing one for them, because they own their own.

00:37:35.876 --> 00:37:42.168
<v Sarah Colonna>Basically, I don't know how to say it, but you don't have to get licensed through the CFL for them, like you could just go.

00:37:42.168 --> 00:37:46.472
<v Sarah Colonna>So I met with them, we worked on it, we saw for Canada you could do anything there.

00:37:47.764 --> 00:37:48.990
<v Sarah Colonna>And they have the same rule now.

00:37:48.990 --> 00:37:54.869
<v Sarah Colonna>So I actually have a lot of Canadian customers, but I definitely have not ruling out getting licensed.

00:37:54.869 --> 00:37:56.255
<v Sarah Colonna>I would just need to do it.

00:37:56.255 --> 00:37:57.206
<v Sarah Colonna>It would have to be.

00:37:57.708 --> 00:38:11.237
<v Sarah Colonna>You know, I know that discussion is going to involve like, ok, we're going to have to do it in a bigger space, we're going to have to mass produce them and they're going to want to do different material, and that is the hard part to figure out, because I know that that's going to.

00:38:11.237 --> 00:38:16.153
<v Sarah Colonna>I know I can't be too precious about it, but there's a certain point where it's going to have to.

00:38:16.153 --> 00:38:18.190
<v Sarah Colonna>They're not going to want to make them at the.

00:38:18.190 --> 00:38:18.932
<v Sarah Colonna>You know, I don't.

00:38:18.932 --> 00:38:20.608
<v Sarah Colonna>I guess would just be very.

00:38:20.708 --> 00:38:27.150
<v Sarah Colonna>I don't make a ton off of each bag, but obviously they're priced to make a profit, because what's the point?

00:38:27.150 --> 00:38:40.614
<v Sarah Colonna>But that's like you said, but they're expensive to make for bag and so I know that in that space I would be told like this isn't, we can't maintain it this way, and it would have to come up with how we're going to continue to do it.

00:38:40.614 --> 00:38:53.885
<v Sarah Colonna>And hopefully, you know, I would want to press to keep making them in the United States and preferably somewhere where I can visit and be hands on and not just let it all the sudden become this like chief inversion of what I started.

00:38:53.885 --> 00:38:57.070
<v Sarah Colonna>So I think there's got to be a middle ground and I know that's what would.

00:38:57.070 --> 00:39:01.195
<v Sarah Colonna>And I'm talking, you know, I'm talking about something I haven't even had a meeting on yet.

00:39:02.407 --> 00:39:03.030
<v Emily Blumenthal>But I out there.

00:39:03.030 --> 00:39:04.454
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's the 25 year.

00:39:04.454 --> 00:39:06.057
<v Emily Blumenthal>That's all it takes, yeah.

00:39:07.070 --> 00:39:08.105
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, and I think I will.

00:39:08.105 --> 00:39:12.525
<v Sarah Colonna>I've definitely been getting some attention of different, you know, from all the.

00:39:12.525 --> 00:39:31.768
<v Sarah Colonna>I have my social media, have I had a hindux that reached out to me about advertising with them and it just it didn't make financial sense for me with them, but they were actually and I don't know why, maybe their licensing is different too but they were going to allow me to sell them in the stadium, but it just didn't.

00:39:31.768 --> 00:39:39.831
<v Sarah Colonna>That one didn't make a ton of sense financially, but right, and there's definitely people that have reached out over the years, like I said, meeting with that CFL team.

00:39:39.831 --> 00:39:52.335
<v Sarah Colonna>So I know it's going to get to that and that I'll be able to have the right meeting and say, ok, let's do licensing, let's make these nice bags, let's sell them in your store, let's put the cross body over a jersey and show everybody how good it looks together.

00:39:52.335 --> 00:39:53.971
<v Sarah Colonna>Right, but right, right.

00:39:53.971 --> 00:39:55.869
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, but it's amazing.

00:39:55.869 --> 00:39:58.873
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, I'm figuring out how to do that and keep it.

00:39:58.873 --> 00:40:00.706
<v Sarah Colonna>Quality is going to be yeah.

00:40:01.168 --> 00:40:04.072
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, dude, this has been amazing.

00:40:04.072 --> 00:40:15.315
<v Emily Blumenthal>I am so grateful for you to have taken the time out of your busy LA schedule, standing in the middle of the day morning for you, where clearly that's where all your shows happen.

00:40:15.315 --> 00:40:19.949
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's what 10 am I know that's how they do it over there.

00:40:19.949 --> 00:40:23.445
<v Emily Blumenthal>Breakfast oh it is, it's chocolate, 100 percent, sarah.

00:40:23.445 --> 00:40:29.811
<v Emily Blumenthal>How can people get their hands on clutch women and, if they're so inclined, get a big laugh to go with it?

00:40:30.126 --> 00:40:30.405
<v Sarah Colonna>Clutch.

00:40:30.405 --> 00:40:36.652
<v Sarah Colonna>Womencom is where all my bags are, and also if you go to Sarah Kelownacom, there's a link there.

00:40:36.652 --> 00:40:39.032
<v Sarah Colonna>It's Sarah with an H-C-O-L-O-N-N-A.

00:40:39.032 --> 00:40:46.465
<v Sarah Colonna>There's a link there, and that also has all of my tour dates on it and all my social media and links to buy my books and all the things.

00:40:46.465 --> 00:40:47.911
<v Sarah Colonna>So that's your one stop shop.

00:40:48.204 --> 00:40:49.711
<v Emily Blumenthal>Do you sell the bags on tour?

00:40:50.405 --> 00:40:51.309
<v Sarah Colonna>No, I don't.

00:40:51.309 --> 00:40:52.893
<v Sarah Colonna>No, it doesn't.

00:40:52.893 --> 00:40:56.565
<v Sarah Colonna>I sell my books on tour because it fits sort of.

00:40:56.704 --> 00:40:58.632
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, you kind of can choose what's coming with you.

00:40:58.632 --> 00:40:59.909
<v Emily Blumenthal>Yeah, yeah.

00:41:00.010 --> 00:41:06.853
<v Sarah Colonna>I don't think that I feel like the audience coming to the stand up shows may not necessarily be the same one that's going to the games.

00:41:06.853 --> 00:41:15.175
<v Sarah Colonna>I mean, some are both, obviously, but it makes more sense to for books afterwards, because I'm doing stand up on stage instead of really doing that.

00:41:15.175 --> 00:41:17.090
<v Sarah Colonna>Well he knows I might be out there hocking.

00:41:17.090 --> 00:41:17.893
<v Sarah Colonna>I'm hocking them all.

00:41:18.304 --> 00:41:21.394
<v Emily Blumenthal>One, I hey, if you weren't on stage, it's a marketing expense.

00:41:21.394 --> 00:41:22.509
<v Emily Blumenthal>So there's that, right there.

00:41:22.509 --> 00:41:23.170
<v Emily Blumenthal>That's I know what.

00:41:23.291 --> 00:41:24.474
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, a lot of girls count.

00:41:24.474 --> 00:41:31.498
<v Sarah Colonna>A lot of women come to my shows with their clutch women because some clubs actually have the rule to and it's all it's.

00:41:31.498 --> 00:41:34.286
<v Sarah Colonna>And I've seen people at games in the wild like people.

00:41:34.286 --> 00:41:44.266
<v Sarah Colonna>I don't know if first he's always be in Seattle because I was always going to games there and I would know, oh, I know that person or oh, it would be someone that saw me on Right Seattle TV when I go.

00:41:44.266 --> 00:41:50.253
<v Sarah Colonna>I went to see my husband play in Dallas and this woman came, just walk it up to me and she's like I have your bag.

00:41:50.253 --> 00:41:51.248
<v Sarah Colonna>I was like, oh my God.

00:41:52.344 --> 00:41:54.632
<v Emily Blumenthal>It's almost as exciting as being a New York Times.

00:41:54.672 --> 00:41:57.693
<v Sarah Colonna>best it was honestly pretty, pretty up and cool.

00:41:57.693 --> 00:42:02.494
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah, I was like, oh my God, so starting to see people out there with them was was really cool.

00:42:02.494 --> 00:42:04.047
<v Sarah Colonna>And then wild, yeah.

00:42:04.047 --> 00:42:04.469
<v Sarah Colonna>Yeah.

00:42:04.469 --> 00:42:07.514
<v Sarah Colonna>Just knowing that it's spread out like that has been awesome.

00:42:08.264 --> 00:42:09.811
<v Emily Blumenthal>Sarah, I can't thank you enough.

00:42:09.811 --> 00:42:12.873
<v Emily Blumenthal>I encourage everybody to go see you.

00:42:12.873 --> 00:42:14.135
<v Emily Blumenthal>You're the funniest.

00:42:14.135 --> 00:42:15.289
<v Emily Blumenthal>You have your own podcast too.

00:42:16.164 --> 00:42:17.871
<v Sarah Colonna>Yes, it's called All you Like Podcast.

00:42:17.871 --> 00:42:24.695
<v Sarah Colonna>Right now we have it is so called Married at First Sight, which is very fun, so if any of you guys are married at First Sight fans, come listen to us.

00:42:24.695 --> 00:42:27.673
<v Sarah Colonna>But we also do other fun stuff, so check it out regardless.

00:42:28.184 --> 00:42:31.094
<v Emily Blumenthal>There is so much content coming for Sarah Kelowna in a clutch bag.

00:42:31.094 --> 00:42:35.693
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thank you so much, and I get absolutely going to get my hands on one.

00:42:35.693 --> 00:42:36.556
<v Emily Blumenthal>Talk to you soon.

00:42:36.985 --> 00:42:39.193
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thank you, thanks for listening.

00:42:39.193 --> 00:42:44.585
<v Emily Blumenthal>Don't forget to rate and review, and follow us on every single platform at Handbag Designer.

00:42:44.585 --> 00:42:45.449
<v Emily Blumenthal>Thanks so much.

00:42:45.449 --> 00:42:46.487
<v Emily Blumenthal>See you next time.