We were thrilled to be interviewed in Franklin Lifestyle in April 2021 as a “Local’s Choice” feature. If you follow us on social media, you might have seen our Instagram post when the magazine hit the shelves around town. We tend to keep the spotlight on our vendors and artisans, which means we don’t talk about ourselves much. But as a small family-owned business that we started from scratch...well, that kind of attention is pretty exciting!
The article was a great nudge to pause and reflect on just how far we’ve come. We started out with the simple idea to package the artisan delights we found at our local farmer’s market into unique corporate and visitor gifts. In the process, we got to know the stories behind the vendors and products we love, and what can we say? We were hooked on local.
We had no idea at the time that our gift basket side hustle would grow into two thriving brick-and-mortar shops (Nashville and Franklin) and two very successful online gift brands, High Note Gifts and Made in Tennessee.
Most businesses start as physical locations, then open an online platform, but we did the opposite. After some very successful years as an online store, we decided to set up shop in The Factory at Franklin in 2017. Our goal wasn’t even to make more sales; we were just really craving that personal connection with our customers. It worked so well that we did it again in 2019, at L&L Market on Charlotte Avenue in Nashville. Bringing this business to life in physical space(s) was an absolute dream come true - we even got to hire some of our favorite local carpenters and artists to make the stores special.
Another reason we were so excited to be featured in Franklin Lifestyles was the chance to get a little press for our vendors. The article spotlighted some of our best-selling artists and local businesses, from Music City Suds Soaps and JM Thomason spices to Dear Mushka Jewelry and Sweet Tea Candles. Our artisans and vendors are truly the heart of our business and our mission, so we loved seeing their names in print just as much as seeing our own.
We had so much fun giving our neighbors a little peek behind the curtain and taking the opportunity to introduce our family business. Baby Aubri even made it into the photo shoot—what a lovely time capsule for our family and our company!
Thanks, Franklin Lifestyle!
