Today, we are excited to introduce you to Boonie Patch Co., our first 'maker-duo' since starting this series on our blog! Boonie Patch Co. started in March of 2016 out of Toledo, OH and is owned by Greg Patrisso and Natalie Deeb. The two of them were always doodling in notebooks and sketchbooks in college and came up with the idea that they wanted to start a creative business of some sort with these drawings. In the beginning they didn't know it would end up being amazing pins and patches but after weeks of talking and research they decided this would be the best route for them to pursue (and we're SO GLAD they did)! After deciding to make patches they had two ready to sell within the first month!
A simple, but effective brainstorming session is the story behind their company name. (Natalie and Greg said they get asked this question a lot). They made a list of potential business names, and Boonie is the one that stuck. Natalie says, "we cannot even imagine a different name being attached to our products and our brand!"
As almost all of our makers have said, creating graphics in Adobe Illustrator is their favorite part in the creative process. They love making new designs come to life and posting sneak peeks for customers. Another fun aspect they have been pursuing more is collaborating with other local Toledo artists on projects. Both Greg and Natalie are still in school, working part-time, and consider Boonie Patch Co. a full-time endeavor on top of that. As most creative entrepreneurs are aware, you spend a lot more time than you'd think building your business and brand, it's pretty easy to work your way up to 40+ hours a week on top of everything else you have going on! Kudos, by the way you two!
We have loved having Boonie Patch Co.'s trendy products in our shop since the beginning of this year and we look forward to seeing what designs they'll come up with for us next! You can find their products by visiting our shop on Water Street, clicking the link below, or by stopping to say hi at one of their many upcoming shows (they're seriously EVERYWHERE)!
