Tuesday, March 19, 2024 Mar 19, 2024
41° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Business

Locally Sourced: Meet Four Dallas Entrepreneurs Who Turned Their Passion Into Profit

Founders of companies like Bailey’s Blossoms and Baublerella show that doing what you love can lead to success.
By
Bailey's Blossoms
Courtesy of Bailey's Blossoms

Children’s accessories, designer boots, jewelry cleaner, and candles — this list might sound like ordinary items found in any boutique, but the entrepreneurs behind these Dallas-based products are building their brands on deep-rooted passions.


Check out our latest Locally Sourced stories to learn more about: a side gig turned multimillion-dollar company, Texas-style taking NYC by storm, an alternative to traditional jewelry cleaners, and candles that are contributing to the fight against human trafficking.



Bailey’s Blossoms
Erin Hooley has grown Bailey’s Blossoms from a passion project to a $12 million clothing brand.


When mother of six Erin Hooley began making hair accessories to provide her family with additional income during the 2008 recession, she never thought the hobby project would turn into a children’s clothing company, Bailey’s Blossoms. An e-commerce brand with clothing primarily sold online, the company also provides products to more than 1,000 retailers across the country.


Bailey’s Blossoms has seen phenomenal growth during COVID-19, with annual sales approaching $12 million.


Named after her oldest daughter, Hooley’s company employs a 35-person team and has launched sister brands for tweens, teens, and mothers. With no college degree, Hooley says she relies on her innate leadership skills and engagement through social media to spark ongoing growth.


“We’re trying to build the culture that Bailey’s is a community where people become part of the brand,” Hooley says. “We put the person back in the story again; this is not just about outfits and clothing.”


– Jenny Rudolph

Cowgirl Chic Sisters Lizzy Means Duplantis left, and Sarah Means bring a modern flair to their bespoke boot brand.

You Bet Your Boots
Dallas bespoke bootmaker Miron Crosby blends Old West and contemporary styles.


In New York City, a thousand miles away from their family ranch in West Texas, sisters Sarah Means and Lizzie Means Duplantis were surprised by the positive feedback they received when they wore their traditional cowboy boots out on the town.


“New York gave us the confidence to be authentically Western,” Duplantis says.


Drawing inspiration from the city and classic streetwear, the sisters founded Miron Crosby in 2017 and opened a Highland Park Village studio. Since then, the brand has attracted celebrity customers like Gigi Hadid.



Its new collection draws inspiration from recent social movements, focusing on love and positivity in dark times. They say they hope their designs continue to prove that anyone can rock a pair of cowboy boots.


“Western has had such relevance in high fashion of late, which has been great for us,” Means says. “And we’re so grateful to have contributed to that.”


– Ellie Beeck

[img-credit align=”alignnone” id=” 831781″ width=”1800″]Baublerella jewelry cleaner[/img-credit]

Pretty in Pink
Dallas entrepreneur Chevis Douville created Baublerella to clean jewelry the safe and natural way.


After sizing up the competition, Baublerella founder Chevis Douville decided she could bring something new to the jewelry cleaner market and in 2015 launched a line of clean-crafted, beautifully packaged products.


“I realized there was just a handful of people making jewelry cleaner, and it all looked pretty much the same,” she says.


Douville’s products include rinse-free gemstone cleaner and hand-crafted mitts to polish brass, silver, gold, and plated jewelry. 




Chevis Douville’s product line includes the on-the-go gem cleaner Bling Brush and metals polisher Glitzy Glove.


And after her daughter got blisters, the resourceful entrepreneur created a fragrance-free balm to protect and hydrate feet.

Baublerella products are sold online and shipped to 4,000 stores nationwide, plus about 10 in the Dallas area.

Her packaging and natural ingredients make them stand out.

“I call them pretty little problem-solvers,” she says.

– Paige Walters

Calyan Wax Co. candle
Giving Back An interest in social entrepreneurship led Jacob Johnson to launch Calyan Wax Co. three years ago. It’s on track to more than double its sales this year.

Bundles of Soy
Calyan Wax Co. is bringing light to a dark world


A group of young entrepreneurs created Calyan Wax Co. with a higher mission in mind. Driven by a passion for helping survivors of human trafficking, Calyan Wax Co. CEO Jacob Johnson has quickly taken his self-pour soy candle company from its humble beginnings in his mother’s home to its first brick-and-mortar venue in Arlington.


Along the way, sales have grown from about 2,000 candles in 2017 to nearly 40,000 last year.


Now joined in the venture by four other young entrepreneurs, Johnson’s efforts have raised more than $54,000 (5 percent of revenue) for Addison-based Traffick911, a nonprofit that pairs survivors with advocates and mentors.


Calyan’s products are available in stores across North Texas, including Whole Foods, and the company is on track to sell 100,000 units this year. Poured in either clear or matte black tumblers or vintage amber jars, the candles have a clean, handsome aesthetic and pack a fragrant punch, with a dozen scents such as Cedar + Tobacco and Apples + Maple Bourbon.


-Sofia Krusmark

Related Articles

Image
Business

At Parkland Health, the End of Subjective Surgery

Artificial intelligence is helping trauma surgery teams make data-based decisions about when to operate at Dallas County's safety net hospital.
Advertisement