Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Courtenay and Sarah Davis.
Hi Heidi and Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello everyone! During the past year and a half and during the unprecedented times we were all facing, we had an idea! What if we started a small business? What if we sourced quality materials and personally handcrafted beautiful affordable pieces? With our shared vision to bring whimsy and joy to our customers and our combined desire for “something more,” we decided it was time to just go for it. The first step was to create a logo.
We both knew that the logo had to be special, that it had to represent the two male figures in our lives who have forever impacted us and who were such a big part of who we are today. Who in turn, taught us the meaning of hard work, attention to detail and instilled in us a strong work ethic. The elephant to represent Heidi’s late grandfather, Peter “Boo-Boo”, and the mango for Sarah’s dad Gary, who we lost to an aggressive cancer almost two years ago. From the start, Heidi and Sarah knew they wanted mango+ele to offer an eclectic mix of goods personally handcrafted or handpicked by them. They have a desire and passion for sharing quality goods, and their goal is to provide their customers with inspiring, joyful items.
Growing up in Southern Africa, way before online shopping was a thing, cofounder Heidi Courtenay spent much of her childhood and many school holidays traveling in a VW van across the country with her grandfather Peter, who supplied most of South Africa’s top tourist destinations with their African artifacts and curios. It was during those trips while enjoying foil-wrapped cheese sandwiches and drinking Fanta Orange from the bottle, playing countless games of “I spy” and watching her grandfather speak to his customers so passionately about each item and or artist he was representing, Heidi’s love and appreciation for beautiful handcrafted items and design was born. Being an immigrant, Heidi finds herself pursuing the American dream together with Sarah Davis, who’s work ethic and passion for business was passed on from her dad. This boss babe duo plans to bootstrap their way to building a successful eCommerce brand that allows them to connect to their customers while also providing long-term value.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business during a global pandemic certainly brought with it a multitude of challenges. Not being able to go out and meet or connect with other small business owners and vendors and not being able to easily source materials and shop for supplies was sometimes overwhelming. As a new business and because we weren’t able to physically go out and meet people, we relied solely on social media to get our name out. We even sent some of our products to social media influencers in the hopes they’d like it and consider mentioning us or give us a shoutout.
In one instance, during our second month in business, we were very fortunate to have a social media influencer mention us on her platform, with pictures of our best-seller, our children’s custom wooden name puzzles. Although we were both ecstatic and honored, we quickly realized we were not equipped or prepared for a sudden surge of more than 40 handmade custom puzzle orders overnight. We ran out of wood and struggled to get more as suppliers had sold out and no shipments were coming in. We hadn’t accounted for the time each one takes to make and all the components it took to complete one puzzle from start to finish. Needless to say, we lost money during that learning curve but are so grateful for the invaluable experience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our work comes from our hearts. For Heidi, as a child growing up in Africa, and all the way up into young adulthood, going on safari with her family was one of her most treasured memories. The excitement of waking up before the sun, packing a picnic lunch and heading out to spend time exploring and searching for animals in the wild is an experience like no other. Sarah and Heidi introduced a safari-themed puzzle that quickly becomes a favorite of theirs and customers alike.
“Family is everything to us. Most of the products we make are inspired by and named after our combined family members.” Making most of our products by hand, including woodworking, is what sets us apart from the others. Also, sourcing unique and exotic wood or repurposing wood into a product is so rewarding.
We read that studies have proven that people who achieve their goals are the ones who keep learning new things and trying their hardest. So that’s what we strive for. Keep learning, keep trying.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We welcome collaborations with other businesses, makers or artists. When we were recently approached by a local small business to create a product we didn’t have, it pushed us creatively to custom produce it for her, which was very exciting for both of us. Since more local markets and pop-ups are happening, we feel honored and privileged to have attended a few as vendors. People showing support by coming out to meet us in person or to buy products from us has been so wonderful. Connecting with others, especially after not going out or being social for so long, has been one of the highlights for us. Additionally, people have shown support by following us on social media platforms, watching as we learn and grow, and liking, saving, and commenting on our pictures has been so helpful during this small business journey.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@mangoandele.com
- Website: www.mangoandele.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/mango_and_ele
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mangoandele
