We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Govea + Kate Abdelmalek and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah + Kate, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It all started when we were working for a former company and realized we wanted to make a bigger impact. Kate, our product designer, saw a gap in the type of products being designed for women. There was a need for innovative, sustainable, functional products that truly understood women’s needs and helped empower them to seamlessly get through their day. Most women’s products are designed by men, and we wanted to change that.

But it was SO MUCH more than just a product. We had a vision to build a company with intention. One that truly cared about their customers, their impact on the planet, and the empowerment of women globally. And as we dreamed about our brand, we realized that we could integrate our values and passion into the foundation of our company through things like our giveback program- which donates to educating women all over the world, sustainable product design, and our blog which highlights other female entrepreneurs and builds into the community.

It was a chance for us to use our talents to their full potential, to challenge ourselves, and make a difference in the lives of women.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
It’s crazy to see how much having intentionality and authenticity in your business sets you apart. We are proud to be creating functional, sustainable products that don’t sacrifice fashion. We are proud to have depth to our brand, and not just be another product company creating cheap products that go into a landfill, but to be truly seeking out the best ways to use our business resources to make durable products that women can use all the time.

It hasn’t been easy to grow as a small business, especially through 2020. We had to get creative on how to keep things interesting for our customers, all while waiting over a year for our factory to be able to produce new product. But we took it as a chance to partner with other small businesses. To not give up on our values and continue to build others up, donate a percentage of sales, and support other women and their products, even in months where we struggled. We don’t think we could have done it without eachother, and the skills we both bring to the table. Kate being incredibly innovative, coming up with new ideas for every issue that came our way. And Sarah being passionate about the community and never giving up on what the brand stood for.

That’s the biggest lesson we have learned. No matter what you face, don’t compromise the things that matter to you just to make another sale. If your brand doesn’t stand true to the foundations you put in place, then long term it will lose it’s voice and never succeed.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living in the LA area makes visiting super fun! Kate lives on the west side and is surrounded by some of the hottest restaurants and attractions. She would spend days exploring coastal LA, through going to places like beautiful Malibu Farm Cafe to eat on the pier, hiking through the hills of Santa Monica, hitting up the Venice Canals for a stroll, and heading down to Abbott Kiney to shop, eat the best ice cream from Salt & Straw, and grab food at any number of the trendy restaurants. Afterwards you have all of LA to explore. From the best exhibits of the LACMA, to the views of Griffith Observatory.

Visiting Sarah up in Ventura would be alittle slower pace. It would consist of days at the beach, enjoying the local surf spots, eating pier tacos, and grabbing coffee at one of the many charming local coffee shops. It could include a drive up the scenic coast into Santa Barbara to have picnics in the park, shop, and a walk along the pier.

Both feel incredibly lucky to live in coastal California, and enjoy some of the most beautiful sights on a daily basis. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We have both been incredibly inspired by fellow female entrepreneurs in our lives. From being a part of Dreamer’s Doers, which is a large online community of women who share their experiences/resources/support, to our amazing business mentor, Leah Justman, who runs one of LA’s most successful fashion showrooms and has shared so much knowledge and encouragement with us.

On top of that, we both have so many women in our personal lives who are entrepreneurs that are there for us through every up and down, and have lent their time and talents to help make this business possible.

And lastly, Kate’s husband Anthony has been an integral part of building this dream, always helping us pick up the slack and making sure we have our bases covered. We truly couldn’t have come this far without him!

Website: https://www.canaryandco.com/

Instagram: @canaryandco: https://www.instagram.com/canaryandco/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canaryandco/

Facebook: @canaryandcompany : https://www.facebook.com/canaryandcompany/

Other: tiktok: @canaryandco Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/canary_co/

Image Credits
For the first image uploaded (the main image of the bags on the table), credit: Public 311 Design Everything else was taken internally!

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