One weekend while studying abroad in Italy, Ariel Kaye checked into a boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast and got into bed after a long day of travel. She felt sheets that were softer and more luxurious than anything she had ever experienced. The experience stuck with her.

Ariel went on to graduate from NYU before spending ten years at an agency in brand development and advertising. In 2012, she was shopping for bedding and was faced with overpriced monotonous products. So in 2014, with those Amalfi Coast boutique hotel sheets in mind, she launched Parachute, a direct to consumer home essentials brand that offers quality, non-toxic bedding, bath, and table linens. In addition to their e-commerce site,the brand also now has their own hospitality line and in 2016 opened The Parachute Hotel.

In this episode, Monica chats with Ariel about how she got started, how she best utilizes the advice and expertise of her investors, the importance of evolving with your customer and the number one thing you need to know about building a team.

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'By giving yourself time to grow and evolve with your customer you can do your job so much better. ' - Ariel Kaye

Show Notes:

• What the Parachute brand is
• Why Ariel feels like she's still getting started
• What Ariel was doing before launching Parachute
• Why Parachute launched with bedding
• The complexities of the manufacturing process
• What her team looks like four years in
• The challenge of creating the hospitality line
• When they opened their first retail store
• What the retail experience is like at a Parachute store
• The next areas of expansion for Parachute
• How her board and investors offer support
• The biggest challenges Parachute has had to address have to do with inventory
• What Ariel considers her biggest success

'We like to think of quality and comfort as the center of everything that we do.' - Ariel Kaye

Links Mentioned:

• Check out Parachute
• Connect with Ariel:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

'When I hear people say 'This was the best night of sleep I've ever had,' there's something that really hits home and makes me so happy.' - Ariel Kaye