Trade Tales: How Pure Salt’s Cofounders Turned a Signature Look into a Successful Brand [Rebroadcast]

In this engaging rebroadcast of Trade Tales, host Caitlin Petersen delves into the inspiring journey of Lee Lincoln and Allie Morford, the dynamic cofounders behind Pure Salt Interiors. Released on January 1, 2025, this episode offers an in-depth exploration of how the pair transformed their unique design aesthetic into a thriving lifestyle brand. Below is a comprehensive summary capturing the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from their conversation.

1. Founding the Partnership

Background and Early Aspirations

Allie Morford shares her long-standing passion for design and entrepreneurial spirit. Growing up as a contractor's daughter, she always envisioned owning her own business. “I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Like, it was just something that was inside of me,” she reflects (02:33).

Lee Lincoln complements this narrative by recounting their serendipitous meeting in college. Assigned as roommates at Cal Poly, their shared love for creativity and design laid the foundation for their future collaboration. “We became instant best friends...we always loved to decorate our houses together,” Lee reminisces (03:36).

Transition from Corporate to Creative

Lee’s professional journey began in corporate marketing, inspired by her mother’s role as a marketing executive. After nearly a decade in the advertising world, Lee felt the need for a more fulfilling path, especially after the birth of her daughter. This led to the pivotal decision to join forces with Allie, culminating in the launch of Pure Salt Interiors in 2015. “We knew that building a business with your best friend is not going to be easy... it was going to take work,” Lee emphasizes (05:11).

2. Overcoming Early Challenges

Remote Collaboration and Financial Strain

Launching Pure Salt was not without its hurdles. Initially, Allie was relocating from Saudi Arabia, and both founders worked remotely, juggling other jobs to sustain the fledgling business. “Working two jobs... just made things pretty challenging in those first few years,” Allie admits (09:54).

The First Revenue Milestone

A turning point came when Pure Salt secured its first paying client, marking the shift from pro bono projects to revenue-generating work. Allie recalls the exhilaration of landing a substantial remodel project: “I remember landing that and being so proud that we would be able to bring in like a solid amount of money per month” (10:57).

3. Strengthening the Partnership

Communication and Coaching

Recognizing the complexities of running a business with a best friend, Lee and Allie prioritized open communication and transparency. “Communication and work... is really what's been our secret to keeping our friendship and our business partnership intact,” Lee shares (13:26). To further bolster their collaboration, they enlisted a partnership coach two years into their venture, enhancing both individual growth and joint decision-making (14:50).

4. Building a Lifestyle Brand

Expanding Beyond Design Services

From the outset, Lee and Allie aimed to create more than an interior design studio; they envisioned Pure Salt as a comprehensive lifestyle brand. This ambition led to the establishment of a retail shop and an e-commerce platform, allowing clients to purchase curated products that reflect their design philosophy. Lee explains, “We want to build a lifestyle brand... it's a marriage of style and function” (08:39).

Evolving During COVID-19

The pandemic necessitated a pivot to smaller-scale, remote design services, leveraging their product line to maintain business continuity. Lee notes, “We created a more like an e-design service called Shop Design... to design these spaces with our shop product” (26:28). This adaptation not only sustained their revenue but also expanded their product ecosystem.

5. Strategic Product Development

Collaborations and Licensing

A significant milestone was their collaboration with Pottery Barn, which emerged from an initial conversation at High Point Market. Allie recounts, “We struck up a conversation with them... and three years later, the opportunity came to be that next partnership” (30:16). This partnership allowed Pure Salt to design a bespoke rug line, further cementing their brand in the market.

Integrating Design and Retail

Lee highlights the symbiotic relationship between their design projects and retail offerings. “We're always like sourcing and looking for vintage or unique items... which then get on the shop or vice versa,” she explains (29:28). This approach ensures that their products and design services continually inform and enhance each other.

6. Scaling the Team

Organic Growth through Internships

In their first year, Lee and Allie focused on building their design team through internships, nurturing fresh talent and integrating them into the business. “We started with design internships... pretty much everyone worked out in the end to come on board,” Allie shares (35:19).

Expanding Operations

As the business grew, so did the need for specialized roles in operations, marketing, and e-commerce. Lee outlines their current team structure, which now includes over 30 employees across various departments, ensuring the seamless functioning of Pure Salt’s diverse operations (37:27).

7. Vision for Success and Future Endeavors

Defining Success

Allie defines success as the continual evolution of creativity and maintaining a healthy balance between personal life and business. “Success looks like a constant evolution of my own creativity... and making sure that the business... adds to [my life] and doesn't take away from it,” she states (45:52).

Lee echoes this sentiment, emphasizing pride in their work and the harmonious integration of family and business success. “Success... does look like creating work that you're proud of... being there for our families... and creating something that sets a great example for our kids,” Lee adds (46:42).

Future Projects: Design School

Looking ahead, Pure Salt is launching an online design school aimed at sharing their expertise with a broader audience. Allie explains, “This is just creating this platform for people to learn about furnishing design... from every corner of the world,” highlighting their commitment to education and community engagement (40:45).

8. Maintaining Friendship Amidst Business Growth

Balancing Personal and Professional Relationships

Despite the intense demands of running a successful business, Lee and Allie have cultivated a strong friendship separate from their professional roles. They prioritize fun and family time, ensuring that work does not overshadow their personal bond. “We have to protect the time where we're having fun, to focus on fun and family and be mindful of it,” Lee notes (48:19).

Allie adds that their mutual respect and understanding of each other’s roles help maintain this balance. “Always having the awareness of where we are and who we're supposed to be in those moments,” she explains (49:31).

Conclusion

The episode of Trade Tales featuring Lee Lincoln and Allie Morford of Pure Salt Interiors offers a compelling narrative of friendship, creativity, and strategic growth. Their journey from passionate designers to successful entrepreneurs underscores the importance of communication, adaptability, and maintaining personal relationships amidst business expansion. As they continue to innovate and expand their brand, Pure Salt stands as a testament to what vision and collaboration can achieve in the creative industry.

Notable Quotes:

• Lee Lincoln: “Communication and work is really what's been our secret to keeping our friendship and our business partnership intact.” (13:26)

• Allie Morford: “I think just be authentically ourselves... that's really what has allowed us to just carve out our own path.” (43:00)

• Lee Lincoln: “Success does look like creating work that you're proud of... and creating something that sets a great example for our kids.” (46:42)

For more insightful stories and design inspiration, visit businessofhome.com.