When the concept of Pinnovate began, we knew we were on to something special. What the last 16 months have shown us, we could never have expected. Being Canada’s first DIY studio did not come without its challenges, the learning curve was, and still is, enormous. On top of that, being first time business owners is a whole other ball game! The truth of the matter is that you never know what to expect; creating business partnerships for us has been key to us both personally and professionally. Having other business minds around us to bounce ideas off of, lean on, and ask for advice have helped us throughout our journey.
Funny story, on my first meeting with Connor, 1/2 of the owner duo at Local Laundry, we sat in a half built studio in 2017 (which is now Pinnovate). I made sure to be dressed for success; he came in a blazer, we hit it off immediately and talked about what inspires us. Chatted about our ideas, our differing but relatable concepts; the need to support local businesses, and our crazy big immigrant familys. The Irish and the Indian immigrant upbringing is filled with many parallels, big family feasts, church, and never forget Kumon!!! As we sat across from each other gripped in laughter and deep conversation, I saw a small shadow passing by our studio window. It was an old woman going for a walk… it was my 4ft 11’ East Indian mother unexpectedly peering into the studio. My heart sank as I realized where this meeting was about to go! As all parents, she was ecstatic that I was opening a business and even more excited to meet other young business people. She moved aside the DO NOT ENTER sign at the door, and was introduced to Connor. Being the gentleman he is, he tried to explain what he did for a living and what his company “was” creating business with a charitable impact. She asked him the regular mom questions: why he keeps putting “this YYC” thing on his clothes and if “people actually buy this stuff?”. Most importantly she wanted to know if she should buy these clothes, or if the ladies at temple would like it. She left, and after some heavy laughter, the Pinnovate and Local Laundry bond was solidified.
Now as we roll into 2019, the Lally family is headed on an amazing adventure, a trip of a lifetime back to India with our family and both sets of Grandparents. Our friends at Local Laundry, wanted to join us through our instagram takeover so keep your eyes peeled on February 10th as we do just that.
Our pinnovate slogan is “Create something amazing”. It means so much more than creating a craft. It means creating a movement, creating a team, creating something impactful; creating family memories and this case, creating a friendship. Head over to Pinnovate and Local Laundry’s instagram story as we TAKE OVER their feed on February 10th as we share some clips from our once in a lifetime journey.