Persevere through trials and tribulations to reach success

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's podcast.
[00:05] SPEAKER_01: Hello, I'm Mario Toniguzzi, managing editor of Edmonton's podcast. Joining me today
[00:11] SPEAKER_01: is Carly Gramlick, who is founder and CEO of Upper District in Edmonton. Thanks for joining
[00:17] SPEAKER_00: us today, Carly. Thanks for having me.
[00:21] SPEAKER_01: Well, let me just start by asking you. Tell me a little bit about Upper District, what
[00:26] SPEAKER_00: it is and what you do. So I'm the founder and CEO. We're about six and a half years
[00:31] SPEAKER_00: old. We're a Canadian-based sustainable luxury fashion and accessories brand. So we've
[00:35] SPEAKER_00: launched our Iowir line. We're currently building out our expansion. That involves a
[00:39] SPEAKER_00: peril with the ability for tracking impact, guaranteeing authenticity and the ability for
[00:45] SPEAKER_01: resale. So do you have like a physical presence in Edmonton? Or let me talk a little bit.
[00:53] SPEAKER_00: Yeah. Yeah. So right now we're kind of building out more so our physical retailer side
[00:58] SPEAKER_00: of things. Eventually kind of moving into Omni Channel as well, but ultimately what we
[01:03] SPEAKER_00: decided initially was working with physical. So as a newer brand, we really wanted, especially
[01:09] SPEAKER_00: within luxury, we really wanted to hone in on that customer experience. So the way to do
[01:14] SPEAKER_00: that we felt in terms of like our budgeting constraints, the best way to do it would be
[01:18] SPEAKER_00: through physical. So partnering with retailers who are kind of well aligned with our brand
[01:24] SPEAKER_00: values, our story and can really kind of convey that to the consumer. So we work kind of
[01:30] SPEAKER_00: in conjunction with them, but with that being said right now, we're also, yeah, kind of
[01:34] SPEAKER_00: building out the commerce side of things as well and kind of the nesting our digital journey.
[01:39] SPEAKER_01: So in terms of the types of products that you have, maybe you could talk a little bit
[01:46] SPEAKER_00: about the range there. Yeah. So we've got our Iwear lines right now. Our physical retailers
[01:52] SPEAKER_00: always get kind of first first dibs that our new collection releases. Again, it's taken
[01:58] SPEAKER_00: some time. We're really finessing our products in that sense as well, kind of our manufacturing,
[02:04] SPEAKER_00: the logistics and all that good stuff. And then we're working on our ready to wear apparel.
[02:09] SPEAKER_00: So that'll be coming through probably in the next 18 to 24 months, I'd say.
[02:13] SPEAKER_01: Okay. What's the history behind this? How did this start? And why?
[02:18] SPEAKER_00: You know, it was always, it was always kind of an interest of mine turned hobby, turned passion.
[02:26] SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, I grew up, I come from pretty humble roots. I grew up as a farmer's daughter.
[02:30] SPEAKER_00: We didn't have a lot of money. My mom left and we were kids. So I was raised by a single dad.
[02:35] SPEAKER_00: So, you know, the world of luxury literally wasn't world away. It was something that was
[02:38] SPEAKER_00: completely out of reach. And as I got older, it was kind of the the details surrounding it.
[02:44] SPEAKER_00: And, you know, it was more of a kind of the psychological side that really drew me to it.
[02:49] SPEAKER_00: You know, it was like I said, a world away. There were a lot of unknowns. And I really
[02:53] SPEAKER_00: wondered kind of what drew people to luxury. What kind of experience came with it? What kind of,
[02:59] SPEAKER_00: you know, products really resonated with people. So as I got older, I started to kind of look into
[03:06] SPEAKER_00: it a little bit more grounded. I went kind of the traditional route, you know, graduating high school,
[03:11] SPEAKER_00: going to university, actually, the healthcare background. But it was when I was 26 that I really
[03:17] SPEAKER_00: decided to kind of pursue this passion of mine. So at that time, you know, I was married. We were
[03:24] SPEAKER_00: actually struggling to start a family. And it was kind of one of those moments where you really
[03:28] SPEAKER_00: sit back in life and think about what truly makes you happy. And that's ultimately when I decided
[03:32] SPEAKER_01: to take that leap of faith. So, hmm. What do you think that why people are attracted to luxury?
[03:39] SPEAKER_01: You know, you know, whether it's a vehicle like a Ferrari or I wear or whether it's a
[03:46] SPEAKER_01: an estate home, you know, what is the draw for luxury? I honestly think it's not the financial
[03:54] SPEAKER_00: value that comes from it, but rather, you know, kind of a personal value, more personal value.
[04:00] SPEAKER_00: So something you've worked incredibly hard for. And now you've really, you know, been able to
[04:06] SPEAKER_00: obtain. And then it's, to me, more of a personal satisfaction and kind of, you know, what would be
[04:17] SPEAKER_00: the best way to describe it. Kind of that reward. It makes you feel good too, right? Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
[04:24] SPEAKER_01: To know that you have a Ferrari. Yeah.
[04:30] SPEAKER_00: I mean, to everybody, it kind of means something different, but for me, personally, it would be that
[04:36] SPEAKER_00: you know, that that piece that you've worked so incredibly hard for. Yeah, yeah. What are your plans
[04:40] SPEAKER_01: for the for the business? Well, first of all, I just want to go back. How'd you come up with the
[04:46] SPEAKER_00: name upper district? You know what? It kind of hit me one day and it really resonated. I wanted
[04:53] SPEAKER_00: something with a very, you know, refined feel to it. And I was actually just driving to my day
[04:59] SPEAKER_00: job at the time and it hit. So what was you doing? A very upscale feel. I actually am a dental hygienist.
[05:07] SPEAKER_00: Ah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's where where the soul came from.
[05:14] SPEAKER_01: So, you know, when when you look at the company going forward, so what are your plans for the company?
[05:22] SPEAKER_00: So right now, we're kind of building in tandem within Canada and the US.
[05:27] SPEAKER_00: And then from there, we've kind of been in discussions with European retailers. So building out
[05:33] SPEAKER_00: our European expansion, we've also been in conversations with large groups and retailers in the
[05:39] SPEAKER_00: Middle East. So we're looking at the UAE and probably three to five years. We've also been in
[05:45] SPEAKER_00: very early discussions with retailers in China as well. So looking at, you know, TMA Luxury
[05:50] SPEAKER_00: Pavilion, Lane Crawford, we're going to take the Asian expansion a little bit slower just because
[05:56] SPEAKER_00: of the entry to season. Well, you know, just about every element of business. So that one will
[06:01] SPEAKER_00: probably move within the next like, say, five plus years. Okay, then. Now, in looking at your
[06:08] SPEAKER_01: bio, one thing struck me and it was in quotes, well, I put in quotes, it described yourself as being
[06:19] SPEAKER_01: unapologetically unconventional. Okay, you got to describe that for me. What does that mean and why?
[06:24] SPEAKER_00: So where that all comes from ultimately is my background. I wasn't born into a family, you know,
[06:30] SPEAKER_00: of wealth or a well-connected family. So I've built this from scratch as a farmer's daughter with
[06:35] SPEAKER_00: absolutely no financial backing, no network, and I've really had to take it right from day one.
[06:41] SPEAKER_00: So I think that's unique in the sense that I bring a really unique perspective to Luxury because
[06:45] SPEAKER_00: technically I am an outsider. So that's where I consider myself unapologetically unconventional because
[06:51] SPEAKER_00: I'm not someone that's typically found within the industry, but I think I bring so much value in
[06:56] SPEAKER_00: terms of that unique perspective and kind of a different mindset. Let's talk a little bit about the
[07:01] SPEAKER_00: farm life. Where did you grow up? So I grew up about three hours. That'd be east of Edmonton.
[07:10] SPEAKER_00: It's a really small village. There's both 500 people, Edgerton, Alberta is the name of it. So I grew
[07:16] SPEAKER_00: up about 15 minutes north of Edgerton. I went to school, K to 12 there. It's a very small, tight-knit
[07:23] SPEAKER_00: community. And when they say it takes a village to raise, you know, raise a child, that is definitely
[07:30] SPEAKER_00: the case in my sense. So we were very active and lots of different sports and everybody within
[07:36] SPEAKER_00: the community is kind of pitched in to help raise my brother and I, which was fantastic.
[07:40] SPEAKER_01: What did your father do in terms of farmer? Just a small grain farm. So canola, barley,
[07:48] SPEAKER_00: wheat were kind of the main. And then we had just a few, you know, kind of livestock as well.
[07:54] SPEAKER_01: So some cattle and that type of thing. And what about yourself growing up? What were you kind of like,
[08:01] SPEAKER_00: I guess, daily chores? Oh, we had chickens. So part of our chores were gathering, washing eggs and
[08:10] SPEAKER_00: and just kind of helping out anywhere we could. So as we got older, harvest was always a big time.
[08:16] SPEAKER_00: So my dad would drive the combine, my brother and I would drive the green trucks and load and
[08:21] SPEAKER_00: unload and that type of thing kind of move augurs around. So we were taught the value of hard work
[08:27] SPEAKER_01: very early on. That's what I was going to ask you. Like when you look back at growing up on the farm
[08:34] SPEAKER_01: outside of hard work, what other lessons did you learn from growing up in that environment that
[08:43] SPEAKER_01: obviously, you know, did you well for sending you up or what you're out today? Perseverance and grit.
[08:50] SPEAKER_00: You work hard for what you want and you don't give up. So a big part of that too was, I mean, like
[08:56] SPEAKER_00: I said, we didn't have a ton of money. So it was really being financially smart and making, you know,
[09:04] SPEAKER_00: choices that we're going to kind of set you up for success in the long run, which is funny because
[09:07] SPEAKER_00: as an entrepreneur, sometimes that was one of my biggest fears and kind of, you know, stepping
[09:13] SPEAKER_00: outside of my comfort zone is kind of the financial side of things. But yeah, definitely just a
[09:18] SPEAKER_00: lot of perseverance, a lot of grit and really working for what you want. Now, do you go back?
[09:26] SPEAKER_00: To the farm? Always. Always. Yep. It's honestly one of my favorite places in the world to be.
[09:33] SPEAKER_00: And my kids too, I've got five year old and the three year old. And they just, they love being
[09:38] SPEAKER_00: out there with their grandpa. And now grandma, I have a stepmom as well. And so we try to get out there
[09:44] SPEAKER_01: as much as possible. Now, besides obviously, the people element too, what's the appeal for you to
[09:51] SPEAKER_00: being back on the farm? It's so serene. It's quiet. And it's a place where you can really kind of
[09:57] SPEAKER_00: take a deep dive into, you know, kind of the mental side of things and just think
[10:03] SPEAKER_00: when I was out there growing up, like we didn't have, you know, TV or anything like that. We had
[10:08] SPEAKER_00: the two kind of local channels. So we spent a ton of time outside. We were very active kids. And
[10:13] SPEAKER_00: even now when I go out there, you know, in the summer, I'll go for walks and runs and bike rides.
[10:17] SPEAKER_00: And the winter will take my cross-country skis out there and ski. And it's just, it's a place where
[10:22] SPEAKER_00: I can really go and think and clear my head. Now, as you had barked on this entrepreneurial journey
[10:31] SPEAKER_01: a few years back, you know, if you could rewind the clock for a second, what were the toughest
[10:38] SPEAKER_01: challenges you faced setting up a business and starting a business? Oh my gosh, I feel like
[10:44] SPEAKER_00: there's a laundry list of them to be honest with you. You know, kind of taking that initial leap
[10:48] SPEAKER_00: with a big one. And then going into it essentially blind. The passion was there. But it was a sinker
[10:59] SPEAKER_00: swim. Learn as you go, figure it out. And, you know, essentially learn everything you possibly can
[11:07] SPEAKER_00: read everything you can, you know, kind of build a network, find your mentors.
[11:11] SPEAKER_00: But one of the biggest challenges that we faced early on was with our U.S. trademark. So the
[11:19] SPEAKER_00: trademark encounter went through without any issues. In the States, we moved through the entire
[11:25] SPEAKER_00: process until it passed through the examiner. And then it was published in the Gazette, which it kind
[11:33] SPEAKER_00: of leaves it open for other companies to essentially dispute it if they feel that it's too close to
[11:39] SPEAKER_00: there. So it was the absolute, it was the last day that it was published in the Gazette. We got
[11:44] SPEAKER_00: hit with a dispute. And it was two or two and a half years of legal battle. And yes. And as a young
[11:54] SPEAKER_00: brand, it was a matter of like, do we just throw our hands up and give up? Or do we sink the money
[12:02] SPEAKER_00: into it, fight through it? Because we knew early on that we had a good chance of winning the case.
[12:10] SPEAKER_00: It was just a matter of did we have the financial needs to push through it? Yeah.
[12:15] SPEAKER_00: So that was a big, a big one for me. It took a lot of, you know, it, there was a lot of strain.
[12:23] SPEAKER_00: And kind of a matter of like the other side essentially expected us to just throw our hands up
[12:28] SPEAKER_00: in the air and say, okay, fine, you can have it. We give up. But ultimately we pushed through and
[12:33] SPEAKER_00: we got it. But it was a very stressful time. It was a, you know, two years of not knowing whether or
[12:39] SPEAKER_00: not the brand was going to survive. Or whether or not we were going to make that move into the states.
[12:44] SPEAKER_00: So that was one of the biggest challenges we faced early on. And then from there, it's just been,
[12:51] SPEAKER_00: obviously being very strategic financially. We've been bootstrapped thus far. We're looking at
[12:56] SPEAKER_00: doing a raise, but really having to hone in on where, you know, we're putting those resources.
[13:03] SPEAKER_01: What do you think it was that got you through that time?
[13:09] SPEAKER_00: Grit and perseverance. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And just really
[13:19] SPEAKER_00: passionate about it. I visualized what I wanted, where I wanted to be. And I knew that I was going
[13:29] SPEAKER_00: to get there despite the obstacles. So just just being very, yeah, just kind of feeding off the
[13:37] SPEAKER_01: whole, the passion of it ultimately. What advice would you give people who want to start up a business?
[13:46] SPEAKER_00: I would honestly say, you're sleep protect your mental health because it's going to take a beating.
[13:55] SPEAKER_00: So establish early on what's going to keep you grounded. And, you know, where you're,
[14:02] SPEAKER_00: you know, have that strong visual of where you see yourself, what you're working so hard towards.
[14:09] SPEAKER_00: And not just that, but your purpose and your intention. Think of kind of a greater good of what
[14:14] SPEAKER_00: you're working towards to and what you want to be able to offer because in times where it's really
[14:18] SPEAKER_00: challenging, that's what's going to keep you going. Yeah. So for example, you know, my,
[14:24] SPEAKER_00: my purpose and my life intention is to really empower women and girls. And ultimately, as I get
[14:30] SPEAKER_00: further down this line, that's what I want to be able to focus on as well. So keep kind of the
[14:34] SPEAKER_00: bigger picture in mind. And just yeah, find what, what you can also do to help kind of step away
[14:43] SPEAKER_00: from it and how you're going to compartmentalize that stress because it's going to hit like a
[14:47] SPEAKER_01: free train. So, yeah. Do you think that that mental health part of it is something that a lot of
[14:55] SPEAKER_00: entrepreneurs really don't pay enough attention to? Absolutely. I think they know that they're going
[15:02] SPEAKER_00: to run into obstacles and, but they don't know just how much of an effect it's going to have. So
[15:08] SPEAKER_00: you really kind of have to step back and almost look at yourself from an outside perspective and
[15:15] SPEAKER_00: look for the red flags. And I find I have to do that. I have to be really in tune with myself as
[15:22] SPEAKER_00: well because again, I have two small kids and I don't ever want, you know, the stress I feel ultimately
[15:27] SPEAKER_00: to have an effect on them. So again, it's kind of stepping back and really analyzing where those,
[15:35] SPEAKER_00: you know, those red flags are essentially. I would say, yeah.
[15:42] SPEAKER_01: Stepping back also, you know, we can talk about the stepping back from the actual business,
[15:48] SPEAKER_01: right? Because as we all know, it's almost, you know, for many 24, 7 jobs.
[15:55] SPEAKER_01: It's all consuming. Yeah. It really is consumes everything of you. So what do you do to kind of
[16:01] SPEAKER_01: step back and maybe I don't know, try to find that work like balance that everybody talks about
[16:09] SPEAKER_00: these days? So I've always been fit and healthy and I really emphasize kind of my physical fitness as
[16:19] SPEAKER_00: well, my physical fitness and my, you know, mental health are directly correlated. So if one
[16:25] SPEAKER_00: tends to slip the other well, so I really kind of focus on just exercising every day, whether it be,
[16:31] SPEAKER_00: you know, kind of vigorous exercise five days a week and then maybe doing a little bit of yoga
[16:35] SPEAKER_00: or something, you know, lighter on weekends and just really kind of keeping in mind what I love to
[16:41] SPEAKER_00: do. So in the summer, my favorite place to be is on the water. So I'll go out on my paddleboard,
[16:46] SPEAKER_00: all float and just kind of, you know, you bring a book or a magazine and kind of step back from it
[16:52] SPEAKER_00: that way and in the winter, as I mentioned, I like to ski and snowboard and cross-fantry ski and
[16:58] SPEAKER_00: I play hockey and, you know, just really kind of not only connecting with others and kind of
[17:04] SPEAKER_00: maintaining those social relationships, but also just kind of finding that space to connect
[17:08] SPEAKER_01: mentally. Now, do you find, you know, that especially like for your children, but also for
[17:16] SPEAKER_01: for others, you can be an ex, you can like you personally can be an example, an example of,
[17:24] SPEAKER_01: you know, you know, from where you came to where you are today. Is that something that you think
[17:31] SPEAKER_00: about? Oh, absolutely. And that's why I had mentioned before about kind of finding that
[17:36] SPEAKER_00: intention and your life purpose and mine is really, I really want to be able to empower and inspire
[17:43] SPEAKER_00: women and girls. And like in all honesty, God gave me two girls for a reason. Like I have two
[17:47] SPEAKER_00: daughters and I want to be the best role model that I can for them. And just really anyone that
[17:54] SPEAKER_00: is kind of on the same path. And that's where, you know, in terms of the business, we've tied
[18:00] SPEAKER_00: my upbringing and my story into the brand story. Like we, that's why we say we're for those who have
[18:06] SPEAKER_00: you know kind of who have earned luxury, who have worked through those trials and tribulations
[18:09] SPEAKER_00: really persevere because I have come from nothing. So, you know, I love to empower and inspire from
[18:18] SPEAKER_01: a few different angles, but absolutely. So when it's all said and done and you're done with
[18:24] SPEAKER_01: business and you want to retire, are you going to find a farm somewhere to just? You know what,
[18:31] SPEAKER_00: I'm probably going to find a place on the water. My, I love being especially like in the, you know,
[18:38] SPEAKER_00: sea interior lakes like the Okinawa again in the shoe shop. I love being out there. So in a perfect
[18:43] SPEAKER_00: world, I'm sitting on a waterfront property and sipping my wine on the dog and you know,
[18:48] SPEAKER_00: spending my mornings floating on the paddle board, my afternoons on the boat. And yeah,
[18:53] SPEAKER_01: I've got the visual. There you go. That's perfect. Well, thanks very much, Curly, for joining us today.
[19:01] SPEAKER_01: Okay. Been a pleasure. All right. That was Curly Gramlick, who is a founder and CEO of
[19:07] SPEAKER_01: Upper District. I'm Mario Toniguchi, managing editor of Canada's podcast today on Edmonton's
[19:13] SPEAKER_01: podcast. Thanks for joining us today.