How Pure Salt’s cofounders turned a signature look into a successful brand [Rebroadcast]

Summary

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.

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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).

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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).

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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.

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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)

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

Transcript

[Lee Lincoln]

Building a business with your best friend is not going to be easy. We went in with our eyes wide open and we knew that just like a marriage, that it was going to take work. We knew that we had to have these hard, difficult, not conversations that you traditionally have with your best friend to make this work for both of us.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Hi, I'm Caitlin Peterson, the editor in chief of Business of Home. Welcome to Trade Tales. As we wrap up the sixth season of the show, we're taking a break this month to dream up even more great stories for you about building a better design business. On that front, I've got some pretty exciting news to share. In March, Trade Deals is going weekly with the launch of a companion show called Ask Us Anything. That's right, we're going to have even more candid discussions about creative entrepreneurship with a new advice show where I'll be answering a designer's question on air with the help of past Trade Deals guests. Then that's where you come in. I want to hear all of the questions you wish you could ask, quite ready to own up to, whether it's about pushy clients or crabby contractors or problem employees. Or maybe you've got a question that's a little bit more philosophical about when to hire or how to get payroll, right? Or if you need a coach or what it takes to level up. And don't worry, we're going to keep it anonymous. So if you've got a question that you'd like answered, please start the conversation by sending me an email@tradetales businessofhome.com that's tradetalesusinessofhome.com I've picked out one of my favorite episodes from the show's archive to share with you today. My conversation with California designers Lee Lincoln and Ali Morford of Pure Salt Interiors from 2023, where we talked about how the pair turned their signature look into a wildly successful brand. We talk a lot on the show about how to level up, but one takeaway I especially loved from this conversation with Ali and Lee was the fact that hitting a certain echelon of success doesn't necessarily mean that you suddenly stop working on your business. You'll have to tune in to find inspired them to hire a partnership coach and how they were restructuring their own roles within their firm in order to refocus their energy on creativity. We'll be back with an exciting batch of new episodes starting in late January, but for now, happy New Year and enjoy the show.

[Allie Morford]

I can remember sketching layouts of houses since a Super young age. It was something that just came naturally to me as a contractor's daughter. So I can remember being in the tile stores and slab yards for hours and hours on end as a kid. As far as my early career path goes, I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Like, it was just something that was inside of me. And I can remember just going down our main street in San Clemente and being in love with these little shops and these shop owners and, like, wanting that for myself someday. So I always had that dream inside of me.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's Allie Morford. After college, Allie made good on her entrepreneurial dreams by starting a floral business. Over the years, the venture transformed, first shifting toward event planning and then into interior design services. But when Ally's husband landed a job in Saudi Arabia, the relocation gave her a minute to pause and picture the next phase of her career. Ali saw herself with a business partner by her side, and she knew just who to call.

[Lee Lincoln]

We were randomly assigned as roommates at Cal Poly, and we were in the dorms together. We became instant best friends. We'd be the ones on the lawn, you know, repainting, found furniture that was on the corner to decorate our houses. I mean, that was just something that we always loved to do together. We always loved to flea market and find interesting things. And if we didn't have any art, we'd go to the art store and buy canvases and. And paint stuff to put on the walls. I mean, our other roommates thought we were a little interesting, but now they look at us and like, yeah, makes sense.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's Lee Lincoln. Though the pair's design partnership sparked during their college years, Lee's own creative journey began much earlier.

[Lee Lincoln]

I'm a triplet. I have two fraternal sisters. So since the day I was born, I always had to kind of carve out my own space. And I was quickly, you know, in my early years, called the creative one. I used to paint and sketch. I used to design and redesign our shared bedrooms. But then when I was thinking about my career, my mom was actually a huge influence and role model for me. She was really the breadwinner for our family and raised the ranks in corporate marketing. And I got to watch her. I watched her do all the things, and she traveled around, and it just looked so intriguing to me.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Inspired by her mom, Lee studied graphic communications in college and went on to climb the ranks in the advertising world for nearly a decade. It was an experience that eventually left her itching for something more.

[Lee Lincoln]

I truly loved it. But at the Same time. It was pretty grueling and super demanding. And when I had my daughter, that's really when I started to question, like, is this really the right thing for me long term? After many conversations that Ali and I had about pursuing a business together, Ali asked me to be her partner and start this design business with her. And I, you know, surprising to me, actually said yes, and we started it.

[Caitlin Peterson]

The pair launched purSalt Interiors in 2015, with Ali in Saudi Arabia and Lee working nights and weekends while still in her corporate job. A lot has changed since then. I wanted to talk to them about the partnership coach they hired to bridge a gap in work styles. How relationships cultivated on their first trip to High Point Market led to a new Pottery Barn collaboration, and how they're reexamining their roles within their own firm these days to get back to creativity. When you started the business kind of remotely separate from one another, what was the work that you were doing? Who were the early clients and how did you make it work remotely?

[Lee Lincoln]

You know, from early on, because, you know, we didn't have formal interior design background, we knew that we had a ton to learn. And so, you know, Alliant had had that one project under her belt. We'd obviously done our own projects and things for friends and, and whatnot. But at that time, we're like, you know, we really need to take anything and everything we can get our hands on. So we, of course, at the time we're designing our own houses. We did our parents houses, which is not recommended. Just kidding. And then we took on, you know, a pro bono projects. One was actually a really lucky project that we got. I had a dear friend who was actually building a house from the ground up on Balboa island. And she got wind of our venture and, and asked us to do it. And we said we'd do it for free. And we did. And it was great. Because, you know, the big thing for us when we started the business was we want to be more than an interior design studio. Like, we want to build a lifestyle brand. The one thing that Allie and I were always in line with was we have very similar taste. Both born and raised in Southern California. Like, we've always loved the outdoors. We've always thought of design as, like a marriage of style and function. And so that was really important to us as we were building, as we were creating these initial projects, was to create something that actually showed what our overall approach and aesthetic was. And so we took on those projects to do that. And those projects actually let us do that allowed us to start capturing our work and then putting it out there so people saw what we were about. It also taught us a lot of things on the job. Going to Cal Poly, it's very much a learn by doing. So. We're very used to jumping in and being sponges of knowledge and just asking questions. And if you don't know something, digging in, learning it, I mean, that's something that. That's a grit that we both have always had. We're true believers that, like, if you put your mind to anything, you can, you can do it. And so that was really the first, gosh, I would say, over a year. Would you al of building the business, that was, like, a good amount of what the work was.

[Allie Morford]

Yeah, I mean, I can remember with that first project, that Balboa project, being dowdy, working on the design deck and pulling and designing from afar, literally from across the world, with her plans on my desk and Pinterest pulled up and making this huge. I think it was like, 400 pages by the time we were done with it, which is way too big. We would never do that today. But I remember doing that and then going back home when I actually moved back and meeting with her and sitting down at the table and presenting everything to her and just feeling, like, really, really proud that we were able to do that, like, in such bizarre circumstances, and really create something that was in this incredible neighborhood, like this outrageously amazing home to start with as your first project and this client who fully trusted us, it was a pretty special kickoff to starting the business together.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What were some of the early growing pains? What were the things that you felt, you know, kind of challenged you the most in the first couple years?

[Allie Morford]

Oh, there were a lot in the first couple years that was. It was hard. I mean, there are still a lot now, but different growing pains, I would say. I think in the beginning, what the hardest was definitely the distance. On my end, I'm moving back from Saudi Arabia to California and working mainly for free to build a portfolio that we were really proud of. And then we could start off with. But that's really hard to work for free or on one income. And we were also in the process of buying a house and, like, starting restarting our lives back here in Orange County. So it's extremely challenging on that end. And then Leah's working two jobs. One, like, her main job is extremely demanding. I mean, double full time, and then in addition, like a night shift for. For pure salt. So, I mean, that was just that wore down on her and it just made for things to be like pretty challenging in those first few years.

[Caitlin Peterson]

When did you make the pivot to having revenue coming in? What did that look like and how did that change things?

[Allie Morford]

Oh, I can remember the day that happened. It was like one of the best days of my life because we were at a place where we both knew like we couldn't do anything more for free. I personally truly couldn't financial anymore. I needed to begin making an actual living and, and pay for the mortgage that we had signed on for. And so we had had an initial consultation with this project that was a pretty good sized remodel for where we were at. It included furniture and construction, the whole, the whole thing. And I remember landing that and being so proud that we would be able to bring in like a solid amount of money per month. We would need to hire or not higher, we would need to have a little bit of additional help in design. And it was really, we could feel like that was the next step towards something a little bit bigger than where we were at in those very, very early days.

[Lee Lincoln]

To, to Ali's point, you know, like, let's say it was over a year of, you know, not being, not having any revenue. I had another full time job. So Ali really did feel that initially especially moving back from Saudi. So one thing that's interesting is, is you know, just for a partnership like this. But one thing that we did at that time too was like, okay, like we're, we're making money now, but al that money is yours. You know, I'm going to continue until I, until I transition 100%. Like we're good because at the end of the day this is a true partnership. And I think when you talk about challenges too, I think one thing that Ally and I went into creating the business with is the understanding that building a business with your best friend is not going to be easy. I think some people might think like, oh, how fun. I'm going to start a business.

[Caitlin Peterson]

You're going to hang out every day.

[Lee Lincoln]

Yeah, but, but we, we went in with our eyes wide open and we knew that just like a marriage that it was going to take work. It still takes work. It was going to take communication and being open and honest and transparent. And those are, those are some of the initial things that we did feel, but that we also worked through because we had our eyes open and because we knew that we had to have these hard, difficult, not conversations that you traditionally have with your best friend just in an effort to make this work for both of us.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What is the secret to the success of your partnership?

[Lee Lincoln]

Communication and work. I think that we have times where we're in a really great flow and it's easy. And then we also have times where all of a sudden it's. It goes in a different direction. And I think what we've learned over time is hit those things head on. Don't let them fester up. Don't let them be felt by you and you alone. But come together. Come together if you can. And if you can afford a coach with a coach, because that's extremely helpful. Because as individuals, we all see process, approach things differently. And I think a coach helps you understand and recognize that. But those things like a communication, a coach, or just the ability to come together and hit things head on, I think is really what's been our secret to keeping our friendship and our business partnership intact.

[Allie Morford]

Yeah, I would totally agree. And like, just to say it in a little bit of a different way, but the same thing, like, just a commitment to our own personal growth and awareness of how we are as individuals, as how we are as partners and business owners. I think just that that awareness of where we're at individually has been kind of life altering. And that really has come from the business coach that we have hired.

[Caitlin Peterson]

When did you first start that relationship?

[Allie Morford]

Well, we've actually started with a business coach. She's actually a dear friend of ours, probably like two years in, I would say, to the business. So really when we started, like, officially together, we would meet with her periodically, so like once a quarter or so. And she really helped us out of some, like, really tough times, like where we were just making big decisions. But, like, maybe we each had different visions for where we were going and we just needed to be aligned. She would help us articulate those things, and that was. That was a game changer for us. As we grew, we just needed individual help as well as partnership help. And so we hired a partnership coach who helps us separately on our own paths and then helps us together on our path, you know, in business. So that that's been pretty much the last year and a half or so we have had her on board.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's amazing. I want to call out the fact that the growth of your business and the kind of runaway success of your business has been really fast. What has that experience been like for both of you?

[Allie Morford]

Well, it doesn't feel that fast.

[Lee Lincoln]

I think I attribute the success of Pure Salt to our previous experience as well. So I think it's all been a journey. So I Think when Allie says, oh, man, it doesn't feel that. Yeah, yeah. I think because if it wasn't because of what Ali went through as an entrepreneur at the Vine's Leaf or what I went through in corporate America in advertising, I don't truly believe that the business would be where it's at. I think we have the unique combination of both of our experiences that have helped us come together and build this the way that it is. And I don't think if it was just me on my own or just Allie on her own, and I truly believe this, that it would be what it is. And I think that, you know, right now I'm just talking about Ally and I, but I think also a huge part of our business success is our team. And some of our team members have been with us from almost the very beginning. And from the very beginning, we've always said, again, you know, as a partnership, that two minds are better than one and three is even better than two. And I think that that philosophy is something that we use in our. In the way that we design. We love collaboration. We love people's ideas. We love throwing things at the wall. And I think that that is really where the growth has come from and why we are where we are. But I think it also is why it doesn't feel like that quick.

[Allie Morford]

Lee and I, as individuals, are both really hungry dreamers. We just, like, always have something we're. And we go get it. And I think when you put two of those kinds of people together, you just get everything at a faster speed. And that just pairs with everything that Lee was saying, too. We just have this. We just have this desire that just doesn't really go away ever.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How do you divide and conquer? When are you working together? And then do you have sort of separate spheres of influence within the business?

[Allie Morford]

Yes. I think because of our backgrounds, there are naturally, like, zones of the business where we both naturally gravitate towards, and it's just. It just has kind of happened that way. So Lee gravitates towards marketing. I gravitate towards retail. And so with that, it's just a really natural division of responsibilities. And so we do it in that way a little bit. And then as far as design goes, we divide and conquer our projects as well. So we will have a constant roster of clients that are coming in and all at different points in the design process. But Lee will lead her own projects, and then I will lead my own projects with our design team. So. And all under the, you know, under the brand of pure Salt. So we're all pushing for the same vision. We're all using the same resources, and the end product is, like, ultimately something that represents our brand. And so it really works well. And we typically just have conversations about what, you know, which clients we've met and how. Who it makes the most sense to take on. Yeah, who it makes the most sense to take on. And then. And then we'll just go from there.

[Lee Lincoln]

You know, one thing we love to do, and I think we got to do it a lot earlier on, and we still. We're trying to get back to a place where we can do it even more. But, like, we do love to collaborate with one another. Like, we love to, like, throw something at each other just to see what the other person thinks. Because what's interesting is, like, you know, a lot of times we're. We're on the same page, but a lot of times we. We push each other creatively or we'll challenge each other creatively. And I think. I think we both like to be challenged. I think that that drives us. And we always say, like, it's really good to get uncomfortable. And I think sometimes with your, you know, with your other half, it's. It's that they're the one that's going to make you better. So we've had a lot of opportunity recently to collaborate on product development. So as we've grown our shop and as we've grown our product assortment in sourcing and procurement and product design with some of these licensing partnerships and whatnot, I mean, those are some of the most amazing experiences where we get to get together and dream things up and like I said earlier, throw stuff at the wall. And I, you know, personally, like, it's one of my favorite things that we can do. Like, who doesn't want to dream stuff up with your best friend in pursuit of, you know, really cool new things that aren't out there, you know, that. That don't exist, that you can actually create.

[Caitlin Peterson]

You know, you touched on this earlier, but both of you founded this business really wanting to build a brand that wasn't just a design firm. What did the original roadmap look like? And how much of, kind of the breadth of your business today really reflects that original thinking and how much of it has changed as you've built it?

[Allie Morford]

I think our original vision was really to have a really awesome roster of clients and projects that stood for what we stand for. And then as we grew, growing that into a shop where people can purchase and see these things online or see Our projects and like, aspire to be like them and purchase those products to put into their own home. So that was really like our, our initial vision. I think we had big dreams of what it could be, but, like, where it is now. And like, the partnerships and the licensing deals that we have been able to develop, like, are far beyond what I thought would be possible in the very, very beginning days. And that has opened up a lot of different doors and different directions to where I feel like we this to a whole other level that just is far beyond my wildest dreams. From the beginning, was the original idea.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Like a retail shop? Like, you open the door, you come in physical, or was it more of an e commerce experience?

[Allie Morford]

I think we didn't really. So I think with retail, we didn't really have like a goal for retail. It wasn't like that's what we wanted to set out and go do. That was actually like a really natural evolution of where we were at with, with our design studio and people naturally coming into our doors and seeing our surroundings and asking to shop before we even really had a shop.

[Lee Lincoln]

Well, the one thing that I would add to this just prior to that design was kind of this like, unattainable, unapproachable thing. Like it was a little bit like, harder to get to. And then all of a sudden, you know, with Instagram and whatnot, like, more and more, more of it was out there and you were being able to see and understand more of it and you. We could understand who these designers were and put names to faces. And I think that was really intriguing to me and is one of the reasons why I really love the idea of building the brand Pure Salt. And then that naturally evolved into people knocking on the door and just wanting to come and see it. And so then we turned it into a full blown retail shop. And so I think it was the idea of kind of giving that peek behind the curtain and being open and transparent and showing people what we're about was always from the beginning. How we did it was kind of something that morphed over time as it came to life.

[Caitlin Peterson]

The piece about wanting clients to really understand holistically what was happening behind the scenes to make their project happen. Did that work? Did it change the way your projects felt? Did it change your client relationships?

[Lee Lincoln]

I think so, even to this day, how we've evolved our store and then the building next door is our design studio with, you know, a beautiful door separating the two that people can see into. I mean, we have people walk into the shop because it works both ways too. Like, we'll have shoppers walk in and be able to see, oh, wow, what's that? And then ask the question of like, okay, well, can I learn more about your design services? But then on the other side we'll have, you know, clients come in and want to go shop, you know, so it's kind of been like a twofold thing that actually has worked. Worked really nicely, I think.

[Allie Morford]

Yeah, I totally agree. I think that when you walk in there, you can feel what we're creating. And like, that feeling is not something you can get in a design deck, you know, that you send over on an email, but they get it when they come in in person. And so I think that's a really important thing for them to experience and like, really instills like a different level of trust in our clients, knowing that they love how they feel when they're in there and that ultimately they're going to love how they feel when they're in their finished homes.

[Caitlin Peterson]

At this point, do you think that both businesses sort of need one another to create that loop?

[Allie Morford]

Totally. And we kind of always knew that, like we, we have this like, it's like a, like a little circle of like three different parts of the business. And Lee does a really good job at explaining this, but I'll do my, my best attempt. But we have our design services and our design services use our product from our E. Comm shop and then once our finished projects are completed, then we take photos of those projects which then move into our social media, which then supports our E. Comm and then supports more services and sells product there. And then in addition to that, all of those products are then in our retail store or a lot of the products, not all of them are in our retail store where you can come in, see touch and feel. And so it really is like this cyclical business model where each piece of the business really does depend on the neck and it works really well. It's very complicated, but it does work really well in supporting each other.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How did that procuring from the lines you carry, how did that evolve and what percentage today of what makes it into your projects is part of that pure salt product ecosystem?

[Lee Lincoln]

Yeah, I think that that was a huge pivot that we made during COVID So we had this shop, we had our design services. Our design services, you know, at the beginning of COVID were more, you know, large scale new build or huge remodels. You know, so we had a handful of projects that we were leveraging product from Our shop in, but not fully. So I would say at the time, you know, maybe like 60, 40 or something like that. But then when Covid hit, you know, construction, you know, really slowed down, but we had people knocking on our doors, just really wanting, like everybody wanted their houses to. To feel better. I mean, they were spending so much time in. In them. And so we created a more kind of like e design service called Shop Design where, you know, our designers could work from home. We worked from home and we could facilitate, you know, basically our creative design process online and help people do smaller scale projects. And you know, the impetus of it was to, you know, design with our shop product. So we would design these spaces with, you know, 90% our shop product and you know, to keep kind of both sides of the business moving, but also to really facilitate that need that we are hearing from our customers of. Please tell me what, you know, what I can do, how I can buy your product and make sure it's the right decision for my home.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How did that transform the business's revenue?

[Lee Lincoln]

It worked. It worked. It worked for the time. So it definitely is what got us through Covid in a rather decent way. You know, coming off of COVID again, another pivot. You know, Ali and I decided to transition off of those more smaller scale projects just because it's not really where we can be as creative with materials and architecture, et cetera, and have gone back now to fewer, bigger projects that we can really, really work hard to put our creative stamp on.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Are you still sourcing almost exclusively though from the shop or does that put you back in a place where you're, you know, bringing in more of a mix from outside as well?

[Allie Morford]

It puts us back in a place where we, you know, are still sourcing from our shop. But then in addition to that, we're able to like, really get creative and make some custom things or source things from, you know, trade resources that we are not able to carry on our shop because they don't, you know, support the E. Comm. That side of the business. So it does open up a lot of opportunities there. So yeah, I would say now it's probably about 50, 50 that we source from our store and then from other resources.

[Lee Lincoln]

And we also use these design projects to, you know, enhance our shop as well. So like we're out there always like sourcing and looking for vintage or unique items and if we see that stuff and maybe it doesn't end up working on, you know, that project, we then get it on the shop or vice versa or we it's, you know, it's. It's a new vendor that we found that we love, that we push to then also get on the shop. So, again, kind of leveraging the two to work for one another as well.

[Allie Morford]

Yeah, it's become a little bit part of our product development process where we incorporate them on both ends.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Speaking of product development, I mean, you started designing things yourselves as well. Can you tell me about how that growth area came to be?

[Allie Morford]

Yes. So we were at High Point Market probably four years ago. It was our first visit to High Point, and we were roaming around completely blind. We really. It was. It was our first time, so we had no idea really where we were going. And so we just were meandering and we wandered into a rug showroom called Momenti, which is also where we met you.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Yes.

[Allie Morford]

And just struck up a conversation with them. And they were just like a super warm and, like, really awesome group of people that we just connected with and saw a couple of their lines that they had done with licensing partnerships, and we're talking to them about that. And I was like, well, maybe this will be us someday. And I said that out loud and fast forward probably three years. The opportunity came about for us to be that next partnership with them. And that's how it really, like, organically evolved. And we just, like, were beyond excited and really got to be so creative with the rug line and, like, what we were wanting to dream up. Like, we. We had some pretty out there ideas and things that we wanted to make happen that we hadn't seen before, which is. Is very par for the course for Lee and I. And that process of creating those rugs with. With Momenty was so special because we were really in, like, the. The nitty, nitty gritty of the construction of those items. And, like, really wanted to create something that we were so proud of. We didn't want to just put our name on something and kind of call it a day. So put a lot of time and energy into that. That line that we're. That is currently out and ready to be sold in about a month from now.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How does that fit into your bigger plans for brand development?

[Lee Lincoln]

Yeah, I mean, I think the thing that was so exciting about this collaboration with Pottery Barn is, you know, Pottery Barn is a brand that we have been using and sourcing from and have loved for many, many, many years. And so the idea that they see our vision and is intrigued by it and think that, you know, we have these common, shared values and our clientele has these common, shared values is amazing and super exciting. And I think, you know, having them partner with us, a brand that big and the exposure that that could potentially give us is super exciting in brand development. I mean, the brand awareness alone is huge and really one of the key factors that got us super excited about partnering.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How do you get ready for that kind of spotlight?

[Allie Morford]

I mean, I think the biggest, the biggest way was we just, we revamped our entire website and brought, you know, just brought everything up to the next level, made sure every single thing that is on that website we are beyond proud of and, and it's an expression of our own brand. So I think that was a huge undertaking for us within the last few months that we just put a lot of focus on. Same thing goes for just all of our social platforms. Just making sure everything is like what we want to represent from our voice to our photos. Just like infusing everything with the highest quality that we can possibly put out there.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Did that also impact some of those operations side hires that you've been making?

[Lee Lincoln]

Absolutely, yes, definitely. Just preparing for and making sure that those systems and processes are in place. If we do see, you know, a spike in, you know, volume or whatnot, making sure that we're prepared for it.

[Allie Morford]

Even on our services side, like we have been really thoughtful and this is coming off of the shop design, you know, where we were doing just a lot, a high volume of projects throughout the country during the COVID years. And then coming into this space now where we're just doing, we're doing fewer projects, bigger projects and they're just way more focused. But I think that goes hand in hand too with where we're at now. With going into this space of potentially having more eyes on us is like knowing that we're going to be getting those inquiries coming in and knowing that we can be super picky with what we do, take on and picky in the best way, you know, in, in, in the way that we are going to show up with our best foot forward on these design projects and really put our all into the few that we have. And by few, I mean, you know, 10 to 20 big projects at a time, depending on where we're at.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Yeah.

[Allie Morford]

But really, really focusing on the quality and not necessarily the quantity.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Thinking about like those kind of shared values. I want to go back in time a little bit. When did you start hiring and how have you approached building a team?

[Allie Morford]

So we started hiring like basically our first year together. We started with design internships and these were with designers, a very small handful. One who was. Is still with us today. And we started with them because they're hungry, they're learning, they're ready to dive into anything that they can get their hands on. So they would come on and work with us for. We would do three or six months internships, depending on, you know, the person and. And what we were in need of at that time. And then at the end, basically had all of that training under their belt, would offer them up a job offer, and for the most part, like pretty much everyone worked out in the end to where they came on board. And we were able to really organically grow our design team that way. And then we got to a point where we needed to do more traditional hiring and, you know, do interviews and get resumes and build. Build a design team that way. But still, internships are part of our program. We have new classes starting in spring and fall, and it's just part of our evolution of. Of growth of that team.

[Lee Lincoln]

On the operations side was more traditional, you know, so more of the, you know, resumes, hiring. I think it started, you know, with a logistics and operations person. It's evolved into, you know, an E. Com department, warehouse team, an HR director, you know, but again, it was just like one and then the next and then the next. And every single time you make a decision to hire on, you know, specifically the leaders too, because you're bringing somebody in to share a core part of the business and the business growth and leadership with you, you know, you're kind of, you know, truthfully taken a risk, you know, and the goal is to like, bring this person on so you can increase the level of business and in turn increase your revenue. And so, you know, it takes a little bit of just gut and knowing and then. And then evaluating if you're in it truthfully.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What does your team look like today?

[Lee Lincoln]

Yeah, we have just over 30 people. There's basically three areas of the business. So to start with the design team, you know, we've got project manager and, you know, I think a little over maybe 10 or 11 designers include, and then Allie and myself. We've got a marketing team that includes our director, our creative director and director of marketing, along with a graphic designer and an assistant. Then we've got our operations side that's over at our warehouse, where we've got a warehouse team, our director of operations and our purchasing team. And then we have our full E. Com team, so an E. Comm director, asset manager, product developer that help us really manage the, you know, the overall growth of the E. Comm side of the business. I think that. Oh, and then of course, we would not be able to have all of these people if we didn't have our HR director.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Your roles have evolved so significantly from when it was just the two of you to the operation you're overseeing today. How do you navigate that as an entrepreneur, both kind of strategically, but also emotionally as your job responsibilities shift. Shift.

[Allie Morford]

I think traditional or like, I think in the past, like, we have really just known, like, exactly where we belong and where our lane is and we're creative, but we're also overseeing the business. And it was very clear. And then I think in the last year, because of all the growth, we have had to really divide and conquer and like, both individually take on different pockets of the business and a lot of the operations of the business and like the nitty gritty details that have become a little bit overwhelming just in on the day to day. So I think at this point now we're really trying, like, we're really focusing on growing our team internally and like, training and getting everything really dialed and in a good spot so that we can then come back to being really in that creative zone as creative directors of our own companies and leading. Leading that, like, the vision of the company and the brand. And that's not like the easiest shift when you're in this space of growth and shifts and change, but we're really being mindful of getting ourselves back there.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Is there anything for each of you? What is the one thing that you each would never want to delegate away?

[Allie Morford]

Design. 100% design. I mean, I think for both of us, we hold on with white knuckled grips on those projects, and I think that's really important. You know, I mean, I think us being in those projects with our design team is ultimately what is driving the business forward and driving that creative vision forward in so many different ways, not just for the homeowners, but like, for the brand as a whole. And so I'm super precious about not letting that go. And I think Leah's the same way.

[Caitlin Peterson]

You aren't done right? You're still growing, you're still evolving, you're still launching new things. What's the next phase of Pure Salt?

[Allie Morford]

Yeah, we're definitely nowhere near done. So we've got a lot, a lot of things on our minds and a lot of new goals that we are chasing after. I think the first and foremost one, our next and upcoming one, is design school, which really has come out of a need for us to share our point of view, our Information, our resources with a broader group of our. Our customers. And this is really just creating this platform for people to learn about furnishing design, about construction design, about styling from our point of view. And you can do this from, you know, all over the world.

[Lee Lincoln]

You know, it was also just in an effort, if we're taking on, you know, fewer, bigger projects, like, we can't influence as much and we can't, you know, provide for people that want our, you know, information. And so this was truly in an effort to be able to do that. And so, you know, last year, we put, you know, spent a lot of time and resources in pulling together this online course that people can purchase and that will help them, from the pure salt point of view, create a pure salt home. So whether that. That's if they're embarking on a renovation or if they just bought a home and just need some advice on how to pick the right furnishings for their home, or on a smaller scale, just learn how to style the way that we style and why we style the way that we style and really the philosophy behind it. So it's three different courses. You can buy it as one package, or you can buy them individually. But we're super excited about it. We had a lot of fun creating it. And that's just like, one of the things that, again, like we said earlier, we always try to listen to our followers on Instagram or our customers and clients and hear the things that they want. And so this was just truly in a response to them saying that they want more of that.

[Caitlin Peterson]

When you look back at your business, what is one thing you know now that you wish you had known from the beginning?

[Allie Morford]

I mean, I would. I think the one thing that, like, jumps out at me when you ask us that question is something that I think we both knew at the beginning and we still know now, but we stay super true to it, is we just have to be authentically ourselves. And that in every zone of the business, you know, whether it's creatively or logistically or. Or what, on Instagram or in design school or in our retail store, wherever, we are just being truly authentic, authentically ourselves. And we have stayed true to that from day one. And I think that's really, like, what has allowed us to just like, continue to carve out our own path and not do what everybody else is doing in the same way that everyone else is doing it, but just. Just be authentically us.

[Caitlin Peterson]

As you've grown, as you have new ideas that you want to pursue, as you want to add New facets to the business. What is the secret to not getting bogged down in the day to day and leaving yourself room to chase new ideas? Because I feel like it sounds like that's something both of you do really well.

[Allie Morford]

Oh, I'm so glad that you think that of us, that it's actually really hard to do that for ourselves. I think it really has been challenging to find that space to continue to dream. But. But I would say that what Lee and I both do well is recognizing when we are in that zone of being bogged down and lacking inspiration, and when we're both there, we carve out the time to focus on where we want to take the business and what we both want to do and what's going to excite us and what's going to push us to that next level. And that's where we'll carve out our business meetings. And so we'll take ourselves somewhere for the day and we'll sit by a pool somewhere, we'll get a massage and we will just dream. And like, that is really like what keeps it alive, I think within our own hearts as designers and as creatives, but also together as a partnership and really being responsible for this bigger beast of a business that we're trying to build and keeping it infused with exciting and fun new ideas.

[Lee Lincoln]

And the only thing I would add to that, because I think that that's so spot on, is we also have each other. So a lot of times one person gets pulled in that direction and the other one, like sees it and can help pull them out a little bit or can help create that moment where it's like, okay, like, you've been so much in this. Like, let's get out of this. Let's go dream, let's go remember, let's go be inspired and understanding the importance of that creative vision and truly like that. That's what you founded and created the business off of.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What, what does success look like for each of you?

[Allie Morford]

I think for me, success looks like a constant evolution of my own creativity, of our creativity that we share, you know, for this business of continuing to just grow it and evolve it and not fall away from it, it's a really tricky balance to maintain. But I think keeping that balance is really the sign of success. And then also keeping all of this in balance with my own personal life and my own, my own friendship with my dear friend Lee and like making sure that, that my life on the inside is really healthy and happy and well rounded and, and that the business and that this creative venture, like, adds to it all and doesn't take away from it.

[Lee Lincoln]

I think success, to me, really does look like creating work that you're proud of. So designing homes that you are just so proud of, every little detail. I think it's also, you know, we started this business, you know, when we were at a place of we want to create something of our own. That, to Ali's point, also helps us be the best versions of ourselves. Be there for our families, be there for our husbands, and be there for each other. And so I think, you know, that's also a huge part of success overall to me is being able to have that with this business as well and create something that, like, just like my mom created for me and what she was doing, you know, that sets a great example for our kids. You know, we are blessed. We live across the street from one another. Our families are best friends. Our kids are best of friends. And, you know, they're. They're. Ally's kids are just as much my kids as my kids are her kids. And I think that there's such. We're so lucky that the success of the business. When I look at the success of the business, it's. It's. It's through having that as a part of it.

[Caitlin Peterson]

I can't believe we got this far. And I didn't know you lived across the street from each other, to be completely honest.

[Lee Lincoln]

That's amazing.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Amazing. I want to ask about your friendship. How have you cultivated a space for each other that is separate from pure salt, and how do you protect that?

[Lee Lincoln]

We have had to work at it because a lot of times we'll go and do those fun things, and it's not because of us. It's actually more because of our spouses. They, you know, they want to bring up the business and talk about the business, and we've had to really protect the time where we're having fun, to focus on fun and family and be mindful of it. I think really it's the mindfulness of it all and then communicating about it, not just to each other, but also to, you know, our significant others to make sure that they know, like, hey, there's time for work, but there's also time for play. And right now we gotta play, you know? Yeah.

[Allie Morford]

And I think, too, on the other side of that, like, I think because we're both, like, light perfectionists and, like, really true, like, just pride ourselves on professionalism when we are in, like, our work zone. We are both in our work zone and we stay there and we know we're, that's where we're, that's where we're going to be in that moment. And then when we switch out, like, we switch into friend zone and it's like a very fluid, you know, exchange now, like this far in. But I think, like always having the awareness of, like, where we are and who we're supposed to be in those moments, like, we both just sort of always naturally had that, too.

[Lee Lincoln]

Yeah, but don't, but don't mistake the fact that, like, we'll be, you know, sourcing in Africa and look at each other like, oh, my gosh, how is this our life? You know, or at High Point, you know, there's also these moments where, oh my gosh, I get to do this with my best friend. That's so cool. Let's go celebrate.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Totally. It's really beautiful. Truly. Thank you both so much. This has been amazing.

[Lee Lincoln]

Oh, thank you. This has been so fun.

[Allie Morford]

Yeah, it's been so awesome. Thank you.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's our show for today. Thank you so much for listening. Before you go, if you'd like to keep up with the latest design industry news, more great podcasts, check out new products or browse job openings, head on over to businessofhome.com if you have a note for the show or a story of your own to share, I'd love to hear from you and you can email me@trade talesusofhome.com finally, if you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show. Trade Tales is produced by me, Kaitlyn Peterson with Fred Nicholaus and Caroline Burke. This episode was edited by Caroline Burke and Michael Castaneda. Our theme music is by Kyle Scott Wilson. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you again in two weeks.