Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabe Mueller.
Hi Gabe, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started Ivy & Ash in June 2020 after the pandemic halted most of my work as a freelance trombonist and trombone instructor. I had begun researching product-based companies and coming up with ideas of things to sell online, and I stumbled into nail wraps after seeing a few folks selling them online on Etsy. I’ve loved doing my nails at home since I was a kid, and I had been a big fan of nail wraps, so I started looking into how to make my own. After many late nights searching Google, I found a nail wrap manufacturer, ordered samples, quickly learned how to set up an online shop with Shopify, and consumed as much information as possible on running an e-commerce business. It was a great time because so many folks weren’t going into the salon to get their nails done, so at-home nail art options took off. Initially, I struggled with things like inventory management and cash flow, but my business steadily grew. I started creating custom designs for the 2020 holiday season, which was a big step (it was a larger investment with the manufacturer than using their stock designs, which is what I had been doing up to that point).
In the late summer of 2021, I added wholesale to my business, and slowly boutiques across the country started stocking my nail wraps. At the end of 2021, I went through a re-branding process which resulted in my current brand today. 2022 was a big year for me, with many major accomplishments and new challenges. In early spring, I got a huge wholesale account with a national retail chain, Scheels. That was a game-changer for my business. I had already considered working with my manufacturer to create a fully custom nail wrap design, both in the colors and prints and in the shape and function of the nail wraps. This, however, was a large investment, and due to the new order with Scheels, I could make that investment. Around that time, I also moved out of my home office and into an office space in my neighborhood. All of this was exciting and something I would not have imagined when I started in 2020. It has been an incredible learning experience. Ivy & Ash will turn 3 this June, and I’m excited to celebrate all I’ve accomplished over these past 3 years! This year I am working on expanding wholesale into more boutiques across the country. I also hope to gain 1-2 larger retail accounts.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
Running Ivy & Ash has been an incredible learning opportunity, and I’ve grown much as a business owner and human being. It has been a challenging road. As a freelance musician, I knew a little about running a business but only a little about the ins and outs of selling a product online. My biggest challenges have involved things like inventory management and cash flow, as well as being able to predict what styles, colors, and designs customers would love. Especially early on, I would have styles that would sit and hardly sell at all and others that I couldn’t keep in stock fast enough.
It’s hard to say what struggles I’ve faced over the past 3 years. Almost everything about running this company was new to me, and while some hurdles are smaller and more manageable than others, it’s all been something I’ve had to figure out how to make it work. I’ve learned how to create an e-commerce website and handle all the logistics of selling and shipping products, how to find and market to my target audience, how to manage communications, timelines, and expectations with an overseas manufacturer, and how to sell wholesale to small and large retailers. The list goes on, really!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Overall, I consider myself a serial entrepreneur. Right now that includes running Ivy & Ash, but that won’t always be the case. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, even as a little kid setting up lemonade stands every summer. I have an innate drive and passion for learning and creating successful things. I’m also passionate about gender equity and being a strong female presence in everything I do. I want to be a role model for other girls and women to show them that they can be successful entrepreneurs and build big things for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Being an entrepreneur and business owner can be very lonely because while my family and friends are very supportive, they don’t really “get it” when it comes to the details of what I do. That said, my husband, 100% deserves credit for fully supporting my crazy ventures with Ivy & Ash.
It’s nice to have other folks doing what you are doing to lean on and ask questions. I joined a small group of women who sold various products (jewelry, candles, home goods, etc.) online early on. This “biz besties” group was crucial in helping me grow through the first couple of years with Ivy & Ash.
This year I’ve leveled up a bit and have joined a “mastermind” – I’m in a group of 15 other women who run a variety of businesses (both service-based and product-based). It’s run by an incredible woman, Emily Grey, who will lead our cohort as our coach and guide. I’ve been in another program led by Emily that focuses on wholesaling your products, and I’m excited to grow more under her guidance and with the other women in my group.
Pricing:
- All nail wraps – $10
- All press-on nails – $16
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopivyandash.com
- Instagram: @ivyandashnailwraps
- Facebook: @ivyandashnailwraps
- Other: tiktok – @ivyandashnailwraps
Image Credits
Photo credit for the picture of me: Jordan Jones Photo, Credit for all other pictures: Courtesy of Ivy & Ash
