Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Skoch.
Hi Anne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Anne Cate was born my sophomore year of college when I went to design some pillows for my dorm room. I always loved to keep a bit of home with me while I was away at college. Excited to move into my dorm and decorate my new home away from home, I designed and created decorative pillows with three city skylines (New York City, Cleveland, and Chicago) that were meaningful to me, not knowing the potential of this product. After many compliments and requests for the pillows, I tested them out in the same youthful Etsy store that I had had since I was thirteen. Three months later, a national retailer contacted me, expressing interest in wholesaling the pillows. This moment was an incredible step in fathoming my dream of being an entrepreneur. I came to the realization that these skyline products are unique and meaningful, and that this idea could be a foundation for my future. I spent the next six months rebranding my childish Etsy store to reflect me, and to encompass the new product I had created. My Etsy store that I had since I was 13 was transformed into “Anne Cate,” a Made-in-America accessories boutique specializing in simplistic products. When brainstorming new names for my business, a friend suggested Anne Cate, stemming from my full name, Anne Catherine Skoch. I fell in love with this idea. It was classic, elegant, simple – and a part of me. Since founding Anne Cate and releasing our first line of skyline silhouette products, I have not looked back. We have been in business for nearly four years, most of which has been as a side hustle while I finished college. I have since graduated and opened our own manufacturing studio space.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With growth came many new challenges: hiring and managing employees older than me, managing an ever-changing cash flow in order to fund large purchase orders, showcasing at my first wholesale trade show after months of planning a booth, and forgetting to pack a drill required to build the booth, and investing in marketing efforts that did not convert. The list could go on, but each step backward was followed by multiple steps forward. I began to focus on learning from my mistakes, viewing every opportunity, success or failure, as a lesson to grow my business. At the end of this year, I made a “waste list,” a list of all the things I invested in that did not convert. My “waste list” is hanging up in my office as a reminder of the mistakes I made, the lessons I learned, and the challenges I overcame.
As you know, we’re big fans of Anne Cate. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Anne Cate is a Made in America accessories brand and manufacturer specializing in skyline silhouette purses and other simple accessories. Founded in 2016, the Anne Cate skyline collection, which now features over 100 hand-designed skylines, animates your adventures of cities around the world.
We proudly sew every Anne Cate product ourselves at our manufacturing studio in Cleveland, Ohio. Quality and community are most important to us, which is why each product is created using locally and domestically sourced, high-quality materials.
At Anne Cate, we strive to craft simple and affordable accessories of high quality and value that hold meaning for each customer.
To our customers, our products are more than just a purse or a pillow; they tell a story that is unique to each person. Whether it is a place we visit, a place we leave, or a place we come home to, your story is captured with an Anne Cate.
Finding a meaningful gift for the person who has everything has never been easier – It’s an Anne Cate!
Anne Cate is proud to be Made in America, woman-owned, and WBENC certified.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
As a young designer and entrepreneur myself, I always love to encourage young designers to work hard and pursue their ventures young! Create your own success! Hard work tied with creative passion goes a long way.
Contact Info:
- Email: anne@annecate.com
- Website: www.annecate.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/annecate
- Facebook: facebook.com/annecate
