Help Cody Grow Big Driftless

 

 

Hello Friends! My name is Cody Whittle and this is me doing something that I have never been good at, asking for help. I figure, it’s hard to ask for help and it’s uncomfortable for the person doing the asking, but it’s gratifying and rewarding to offer help when you are able to, so, here it goes.

 

I’m starting off with a bold goal of $20,000 which makes me feel hugely uncomfortable to even say out loud, but the whole goal doesn’t have to be reached, and in my experience, scary/uncomfortable moves are the ones that often pay off the most in the end so why not shoot for the stars? Plus, if I can convince enough people to throw just $10 or $20 into the pot, then we can get there, and it would be a massive help for what we’re trying to accomplish if we did.

 

I started Big Driftless in the spring of 2018 out of my apartment. I wanted to create a lifestyle brand in, and for, the Driftless Area that inspired folks to get outside and explore their surroundings within the Driftless Area, as well as the rest of the world at large. The goal of the company is to, “Promote a culture of enthusiastic positivity, appreciation for the natural world, and good living through adventurous curiosity and creativity.” What we do is design and create goods, right here, with our own hands, to support this mission. We use the design and manufacturing of goods as a vehicle to get us to our bigger goals of community building, supporting environmental conservation efforts and creative endeavors, and building something that people of the area can call their very own, as a love letter to a region and its people manifest.

 

Over the years I have utilized my can-do, bootstrap, do-it-yourself, sell-a-batch-to-buy-the-materials-for-the-next-batch, approach to business to nearly double my sales from the previous year, every year since I started it out. I went from being just one person at a little sewing machine in my apartment to having a nice beautiful space for retail and production, and a part-time employee. Enthusiasm for the brand grows every year along with sales, and the future looks bright for lots of exciting things to come. Currently, one of our biggest challenges is keeping up with demand and often times being sold out of certain products when people want them, and though this is a good problem to have, it’s a problem nonetheless. We make everything in small batches and this is partially out of a love for small-batch craftsmanship, but also out of a lack of resources and our current limitations, as we are a small crew (2 people) at two sewing machines (One industrial, and one home/hobby type machine).

 

This April will be the beginning of the fourth year for Big Driftless and we’re gearing up for a big year. We will be moving operations to another space, yet again (hopefully for the last time for a long while) and are eager to design and make new products that we have had in mind. As of now, the Big Driftless retail store is only open on Saturdays, but the plan is to get to a point soon where it’s open more regularly throughout every week (Tues-Sat).

 

What will the money be used for?

 

The bulk of this money would go towards equipment and tools. Right now one of our biggest hindrances to growth is our lack of proper equipment. We get by with the bare minimum at the moment and investment into more capable machines will not only make us more efficient in our pursuits but will also elevate our already high quality standards to the next level as well. This will be equipment that we will use daily for many years down the road.

 

Next up will be the costs of moving from one space to the next and the renovation and time that this will take (I have already cleaned up and renovated two spaces before this for Big Driftless. I’m excited, but wary).

 

Finally, the rest of the money will go towards materials and labor. We have had to buy materials in small increments multiple times a year and often run into supply chain issues or shipping mishaps that throw a wrench into the works. If we had the initial capital to invest in a big materials order all at once, that would set us up to work off of for a while without those stressors to deal with, and paying friends to help us will not only help us get over this beginning stage efficiency hump but will also make the work environment more fun for all.

 

These are all obviously things that a successful business needs to sustainably pay for on its own, but this fundraiser could help us with the boost that we need to keep improving and thriving. We don’t need saving, just a friendly little boost.

 

Thank you for checking out our Go Fund Me campaign, and please consider giving to the cause. Every little bit helps and our gratitude for your energy and enthusiasm is immense already. For more info on our story, principles, and current products, check out www.bigdriftless.com.