Welcome back to LaunchVT’s monthly content series where we shine the spotlight on past participants, coaches, and community partners from the LaunchVT family. This month, we heard from Ashley Farland, the founder of DandyLion — a lifestyle store focused on “original design, exceptional quality, and sustainability.” DandyLion has its own line of pillows and wooden serveware, while also featuring the work of other talented makers and artisans. Read on to hear what’s next for Ashley’s startup and what role the accelerator played in its growth. Veteran LaunchVT Coach, Dave Schmidt, also weighed in about his coaching experience and working with DandyLion.
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ve been a professional chef for 15 years, the last five years of which I served as a private chef, flying back and forth every week between Vermont and New York City. That got old. I wanted to live in Vermont full time, and since private cheffing is not really an option here, I knew I needed to create a new path. So I turned back to my first love — textiles.
In 2021, I decided to create a lifestyle store, where I would create a large percentage of the products I sold, understand the craft behind the products, and honor the ethos of sustainability, reuse, and superb quality.
However, I’d never sewn before 2020! Minor detail. So I started taking private sewing lessons, learning precision and repetition. Since then, I’ve worked as a professional sewist at both Queen City Dry Goods and Fourbital Factory, manufacturing everything from shoes to clothing. I learned new tricks every day.
These experiences gave me the skills to begin making DandyLion pillows. I found sources for deadstock men’s suiting fabric and other premium-quality remnants, which allowed me to use fabric that otherwise would have been sent to landfills or stored in warehouses for years.
What year did you participate in LaunchVT and HOW do you think your business will change as a result of the accelerator?
I’m a 2023 cohort alum. LaunchVT came at exactly the right time for my business. The syllabus touched on everything from ESG compliance and finances to high-level vision pitches to investors.
What’s the most important thing you learned from LaunchVT?
Vermont has a huge number of resources to tap into. I was able to collaborate with many of these talented people and work closely with some of them today. LaunchVT also gave focus to the overarching vision for DandyLion. It helped me clarify the unique attributes of my business and prepared me for finding an investor to scale this company to the next level.
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to launch or has recently launched their own start up?
First, understand your story. What makes you or your product unique to the market? Also understand that building a business from scratch is a slow burn, but worth the effort. Network with your community as much as possible and reach out to the state. Here in Vermont, we have an amazing network of talented individuals that truly care and will help guide you along the way. The Vermont Small Business Development Center is also an incredible organization and free of charge. Finally, if possible, try to get yourself positioned to be part of the cohort at LaunchVT. It was a gamechanger for me.
Please give an update of where your business is now and what’s next.
Since Launch VT, DandyLion has expanded its online webstore and opened a brick-and-mortar store for designers and homeowners to visit and experience the brand. Most recently, we secured an outside investor from a VC firm in San Antonio, Texas. Yeehaw! Stay tuned.
“…Building a business from scratch is a slow burn, but worth the effort.”
AND WHAT DID COACH Dave Schmidt HAVE TO SAY ABOUT Dandylion’S TIME IN THE LAUNCHVT ACCELERATOR?
I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to coach one of the LaunchVT cohorts. It takes an amazing amount of energy to turn an idea into a company and that is exactly what Ashley Farland has done with Dandylion. Like many founders, she has a blazing passion for what she is doing that is contagious and it’s always rewarding to help them build the toolset they’ll need to be successful. The LaunchVT program provides access to experts in multiple fields that is just priceless for these young companies that help eliminate many of the challenges that they’ll face.