Katie Hectus and her business in Long Beach, CA: And Then
I don’t know about you, but fuzzy dresses are so cozy! The funny thing is that I’ve never been a fan of them neither I have worn them lots while growing up. I don’t recall any memory of me wearing a fuzzy item, whether it was a skirt, a pair of pants, or a dress.
On occasion for the first year anniversary of Latinx-beauty brand Ceremonia, I purchased my first fuzzy dress from And Then LB. Again, social media did its magic with the algorithms. Make it my burning desire to move out to sunny California (this explains why my devices are full of images and chronologies with West Coast material) and my passion to scout new small businesses on social media, here I am stumbling with my right thumb on And Then’s Instagram page.
Their site caught my attention, definitely some UX aspect to not take for granted. The pink and green combo soothed my eye and intrigued me to look deeper into their pieces. I happened to find my piece for the event, a long, soft, and cosy fuzzy beige dress. Of course, I wanted to know more about who’s behind the brand. This is how I got in touch with Katie Hectus, owner and CEO of And Then, in Long Beach (California).
How did you come with the idea and the desire to have your own business?
For as long as I remember I was running some kind of hustle. When I was a kid I used to have a “Hair salon” where I would “charge” my family to wash their hair in the bathtub or style it using hand me down products given to me by my aunt (honestly mostly Aqua-net products) Since then I’ve refined things a bit! I went to FIDM and got my degree in Fashion Design with the goal of having my own line. I tried my hand at design for a few years and even had a little baby line before shifting gears and getting into buying. Once I made that change the dream turned into having my own store. I suspect the dream will continue to evolve as I do but I can’t imagine working for anyone other than myself at this point.
What does "And Then" mean? Why did you choose this name for your store?
The shop actually had a different name when I first opened and after a series of events I decided to change it (without actually having a name in place). During that same time I was expanding the shop and making a lot of changes and I loved how And Then spoke to all the possibilities that the future could hold. It felt like a way to let our customers know that we would always be changing and evolving as a brand. I also love that it can speak to the second life our vintage items are getting with our customers. We’re currently about 65% vintage but I’d love to keep that number rising.
What’s the ideal background that a business owner should have?
I think there are lots of different backgrounds that can make for a successful business owner. I happen to think we put too much emphasis on breaking our backs and learning by failing. Don’t get me wrong, those things are going to happen regardless! But I am an advocate for getting a job working in a sector of the industry that you’ll need - marketing, buying, design, etc. I encourage people to let someone pay them a salary (and benefits!) to learn the thing that you want to do on their own. Take a corporate job and keep your eyes open for how your bosses and cross-functional partners run their aspects of the business because one day you’ll probably be doing all of it. I wish that I had taken the time to understand business accounting a little bit more and that I had taken the time to do more research or even take a class on the different types of funding available to small businesses.
What’s your favorite item or section at And Then?
That’s a hard one! I change the shop all of the time so it’s hard to choose one. I love our little spirit corner with candles, books, crystals and card decks. It’s so much fun and full of inspiration and encouragement. I would also say that I love our And Then logo sweatshirts. I have so much fun coming up with new colors each season and I swear I will never get over the fact that people want to buy something with the shops name on it. I could cry it fills my heart so much!
What’s something that a lot of people you think don’t know about owning a business, especially as a woman in America?
I think people don’t really understand how much of yourself you will pour into your business and how costly that can be financially and emotionally. It’s so crucial that you find other business owners with who you can walk through the experience with. I have a practice of connecting with another business owner once a week to chat and exchange ideas. Some of my most meaningful friendships have come out of those meetings.
Make sure to check Katie’s store on both Instagram and on their website. Free shipping over $50.
