We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Dean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Tart By Taylor (Tart = Taylor Art… get it?) was a pandemic born business. I was previously a personal stylist for 7+ years. Once Covid hit, clothes, outside of PJ’s and athleisure, were everyone’s last priority so I had to make a pivot… ASAP. I started making our classic pill coasters as a fun craft (and covered my mom’s laundry room with resin in the process). People kept telling me, “You have to sell these,” so finally after a few martinis, I got the courage to post them on my social media and the rest is history, as they say! I sold over 1,000 coasters before I realized I had a pretty cool thing going and that I should probably turn this into a business. We’ve since expanded into several different product lines, numerous different styles and sell in over 1,000 stores.

That being said, there wasn’t much “thought process” behind Tart By Taylor before I launched, but I honestly think it’s a big part of what makes us so successful. I don’t have the luxury of time on my side, so I make decisions quickly. Growth is what we’re going for, so I experiment constantly and am always learning as I go. I’ve taught myself how to source products, build websites, hire (and fire, ha!), file taxes, negotiate contracts, and so much more. I didn’t have a ton of resources when I first started my business, so I’ve had to wear many hats, teach myself several things and get scrappy at times so I could really bootstrap this thing from the ground up. We now have a clear vision of what we want our brand to represent and never take ourselves too seriously. Which, in turn, has built an amazing culture and community within our brand.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am most proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in just a little over two years with our small but mighty team. I have the most amazing group of females by my side that help keep this ship afloat. Each one of our team members truly takes pride in their job and are constantly coming up with innovative ideas to make each department as successful as possible.

As a leader, this business is a bunch of moving parts, in which I am responsible for balancing. All while looking cool, calm and collected, of course. I’ve learned to let go of certain aspects of the business and put my trust in others. The confidence my employees get out of a job well done and watching them excel brings me true joy. I’m a firm believer in the tide raises all boats. I am truly in awe of the business that we’ve built and am so proud that I am able to not only be an employer, but also empower such an amazing group of women.

I wish I could say every decision I made was a successful one, but that would be far from the truth. But, I’ve learned not to dwell and pivot quickly. For example, a goal of ours in 2023 is to double our DTC business. We’re exploring innovative ways to partner with influencers, budgeting for SEO marketing and will soon start shipping internationally (Canada, we’re comin’ for ya!). For our wholesale business, we’re now sourcing non-traditional retailers (like gift shops inside of museums or gourmet food stores) and participating in the New York and Vegas trade shows, two markets we’ve yet to tap.

I have to constantly remind myself to JUST SAY YES. I’ll try just about anything once and if it works, great! If it doesn’t… Thank you, next. Don’t be afraid of what is behind door number two, but also be content with what is behind door number one. Be exciting, creative and build a brand that people want to root for.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a huge foodie, so of course the trip would revolve around great restaurants. My go to restaurants in Dallas are Las Palmas and Javiers, because Texas and Mexican food… duh. I would make sure we went to Beverley’s, The Charles and Sister. Katy Trail Ice House would definitely be on the list and Al Biernat’s is my go-to for a fabulous steak. I also love Alice, and signing karaoke in the back room is a must. Lastly, Oishii for sushi and Monarch for the views.

I would start the day off with a walk on Katy Trail or around White Rock Lake. Then, head to Highland Park for the best shopping or walk around Klyde Warren Park. I love spending the day in Fort Worth – start with lunch at Lonesome Dove, then grab a margarita at the Thompson hotel while you walk around and shop. Hopefully, grab a concert at Billy Bobs that evening. And if the timing permits, we’d end the weekend cheering on DA BOYS at Cowboys Stadium!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Go ahead and pass the tissues, because my mom is going to cry when she reads this. I can say with confidence that I would be nowhere without my parents. I am 100% who I am today because of them. They both came from very humble beginnings and provided a once in a lifetime kind of life for our family. The strong foundation, love, trust and compassion they share with one another are all values I constantly try to replicate in my own relationships.

I was fortunate to grow up in a household where I was constantly pushed to be the best version of myself and accept nothing less. I was taught and engrained with confidence from a very young age and given the independence to think outside of the box. There was no idea too big or too outrageous. Spoiler alert: Tart By Taylor wasn’t my first business… It was actually TayTans. A mobile spray tan business I ran out of my sorority house, that “made ya hot, even when the sun did not.” I came up with the crazy idea and was gifted a spray tan machine that next Christmas.

My dad owned several different companies while I was growing up and being a fly to him on the wall over the years, taught me lessons no book or college course ever could (I’m still trying to talk him into writing a memoir). My dad always says, “if you do not A-S-K, you do not G-E-T”, a motto I remind myself of almost daily. As I mentioned previously, I didn’t have many resources or experience before starting Tart By Taylor and I truly do not know what I would do without my dad as my sounding board. There isn’t a single day that I don’t call him with a “hey… talk me through this really quick” kind of question.
I wake up everyday with the goal of creating a life for myself as wonderful as the life they’ve given me and to make them proud.

Website: www.shoptartbytaylor.com

Instagram: @tart_bytaylor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmdean/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoptartbytaylor

Other: www.tiktok.com/@tartbytaylor www.pinterest.com/TARTByTaylor

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