Courtney and Keyani: We’re Committed to Our Craft

Rachael: Welcome to Formative, the show where today's leaders are interviewed by the leaders of tomorrow.

Today we're talking to Courtney Helm. Courtney has years of experience and success in the toy design industry and children's fashion. Currently, she serves as the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Drip Accessory, a pioneering endeavor dedicated to crafting innovative connected fitness terrycloth towels.

We're so very excited to learn more about Courtney's background and her current work at Drip Accessory.

Rachael: Hello and welcome. I'm Rachael Gazdik, CEO of New York Edge, and my co-host today is Keyani from I.S. 663K. Hi, Keyani. Can you tell the audience a little bit about yourself? 

Keyani: My name is Keyani. I attend School of the Future Brooklyn. I'm currently in 7th grade, I'm 13 years old. And when I grow up, I want to be a fashion designer.

Rachael: Awesome. Keyani, today we're speaking to Courtney Helm. Courtney, thank you so much for joining us today. 

Courtney: Oh, thanks for having me. 

Rachael: So Keyani, I'll hand over the mic to you. What's your first question for Courtney? 

Keyani: My first question is, can you tell me about your business and what you do? 

Courtney: Because of my background in making clothes and stuffed animals, I have this ability to make what I think with my hands. And my medium is sewing. So I have a sweat accessory company, a brand called Drip Accessory, and it is a two piece terry cloth handlebar set. It's like a towel for a spin bike. 

Rachael: How did you come up with such a niche idea for a business? 

Courtney: So, I got a Peloton bike and I was sweating so badly that I needed a towel. I had a bib that my kids use and I grabbed the bib and I laid it over the handlebars and it did not fit the whole handlebar. I'm like, I want two pieces. I want one to fit perfectly on the handlebars so I didn't have to move the towel around, and I would like one for me. And because of my background in toys, I knew that I could get it done.

So I literally finished the workout, I got off the bike, and I cut one of my bath towels and I sewed it together. And I've created the product and I've taken it from an idea to market. 

Keyani: What other job have you explored? 

Courtney: I built a career making toys, designing toys. So I started my career in toys. And then I had a children's shop for a bit. It was a little shop in Brooklyn, which I will never do again because retail is not my thing, but it was fun. And then I sold my shop. I went to Mexico and I bought my daughter a little leather bag, and it was a hand laced bag. And I was so interested in the pattern and the technique that I kind of just taught myself how to work with leather, and I wanted to get back into kids fashions.

I made little bags and accessories for kids, and I don't know if you're familiar with the site Etsy, but I had an Etsy shop and that's what I did. 

Keyani: How did you as an artist learn about business? 

Rachael: And I'm also curious to know, specifically for your spin towel business, if there were any unique lessons you learned through starting that.

Courtney: I just felt from the beginning it was a need that I was feeling for myself. So I felt that if I needed it, someone else would use it. And I've met a lot of my customers through the Peloton community. It's kind of like a weird thing. 

I just knew that I could do it. Like you build on your experience. And I knew that I knew how to make a product. I knew how to get it manufactured and you learn as you go. I didn't set out saying, oh, I'm going to make a spin towel. In fact, I made it and said, let me just throw this up on my Etsy shop. So, it just, it builds on itself. And it's hard too because…

I guess the biggest obstacle is the customer service. I have somebody that does my customer service because that's difficult. And that has been the hardest thing for me because it's like your baby, not really, but you know, it's your creation. So you want it to be the best it can be. Someone says something not so nice, it's hard. 

Keyani: Was you scared about running a business by yourself? And did you ever think about getting a stable job?

Courtney: I mean, I was thinking about this the other day. I grew up, I'm the oldest of six. My parents brought me up to always be confident, so I didn't set out, I remember being in college and a professor came in and said, oh, you could freelance. I'm like, freelance, what is freelance? And at the time I didn't see myself doing that.

When I graduated, I worked full time for companies and then I found I wanted to start a family. I'm a hustler and it was attainable for me to freelance and start a family. I mean, I just kind of dove in. 

It wasn't easy. It's scary. And I remember working check to check. And I would get a job and be up for two days doing it, but then it was done. It was a way that I could still continue to work and have a family. So, it can be scary. But I remember my mom saying, just buy one less pair of shoes.

Keyani: My second question is, when did your interest in your craft begin? 

Courtney: Well, in high school, I started to go to a program at FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology called Saturday Live. And I used to go in on Saturdays with my dad. While he went to work. I would go to FIT and I just took two classes. I think it was like a drawing class and the business of fashion. And so, that's how I knew that when I graduated high school, that I wanted to go to FIT. 

I went to FIT. And it was a two year program. My first major was Display and Exhibit, it was designing windows. And I loved that work, but I was young and I wanted my four year degree. And I had two choices and it was either toy design or furniture restoration. And I just thought it could be fun. And I took a chance. 

Rachael: Courtney, what are some of the things you learned early on from school about designing toys? 

Courtney: Oh my God, the program at FIT is, it was amazing. You learn everything. First, you draw your designs, you come up with concepts, you have to illustrate them. Like, I didn't even know… I remember, I think I had to do three designs to apply to get into the program. I didn't really even know how to draw. It's just, like, practice. My classes were, they would give us concepts, we would have to elaborate on them and design a board game. And we would have to draw it up. Then what I really excelled in and what was my niche was soft toy. We had to design our characters, the boards, and then we had to make them. And they taught us how to make them, make patterns. 

Keyani: Can you tell me about the worst idea that you have for a design?

Courtney: We had to do a game. And I, oh my god, this is gross.

But my brother, I have four brothers, and they, you know when, like, you drink orange juice? Or milk and, like, your saliva gets really thick. Like, my brothers would spit their saliva out and suck it back in. So I, I forgot how I thought. I'm like, I could do a game. And I drew up the game of four kids sitting around and the, the, it was on a, like a motorized Lazy Susan. And I don't even know how it was going to work, but my teacher was like, sit down, Courtney, that's disgusting. But really, fast forward, like several years later, there's a game called Gooey Louie, and you literally pick the nose of this guy named Louie. Anyway, so that was the worst.

Keyani: Was it hard for you to get your dream job? If so, what are some obstacles you face in pursuit of your dream job? 

Courtney: Oh, that's a good question. Graduating, you do an internship and they set you up with your job. I mean, that was like a million years ago. I'm sure things have changed. It wasn't my dream job, but I was being creative so I guess I was living my dream. And it wasn't a full time job in the beginning, but I worked hard and they hired me full time and I designed toys for the company. 

Several years later, I worked for a company called Fisher Price. They were my biggest client and I got to design fashion, but it was just for little dolls. And that was really fun because I got to design if they went to a slumber party, it was Dora and four of her friends. So I got to design, like, all the accessories and their slumber outfits, or they went to the prom, or they went camping. Even though you start a job, and it's not your dream job, you never know where your creativity can take you.

Keyani: What do you think your design says about you? What is your message? 

Courtney: Oh, they're super fun, super colorful. I love whimsical, colorful designs. A little sparkle’s good too. 

Keyani: Lastly, what advice would you give to a 13 year old who wants to be a designer? 

Courtney: I remember I had a guidance counselor in high school that was like, she looked at me like, what are we going to do with you? I remember saying to her, I'd like to put things together. 

Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something. Just do what brings you joy. But you have to be realistic and support yourself. But if you learn a trade, like if you're a dressmaker, you can make a pattern or you can make a prototype for somebody that has an idea. Like, I want a pink puppy dog. Can you make it for me? If you can make it, that's a skill. So, you can always make money and do what makes you happy. I remember someone hiring me to make a hundred pink powder puffs for a trade show. Like I did jobs like that. 

Rachael: Well, we always ask our guests one last question. And it's if you were to go back to your 13 year old self. What would you tell her? 

Courtney: Oh my god, that you're gonna have a great life. Don't worry. You're gonna have a life of creativity that you didn't think was possible. Just believe in yourself. That's what I would tell my 13 year old self. 

Rachael: That's so awesome. Well, just thank you so much for your time. And Keyani, thank you for being a great co-host. 

Keyani: You're welcome. 

Courtney: Oh, thank you, ladies. Good luck, Keyani. 

Keyani: Thank you. 

Courtney: I hope to see you on Project Runway. 

Keyani: Thank you.

CREDITS

Thanks for listening to Formative, a production of New York Edge. I’m your host, Rachael Gazdick. Our production partner for this series is CitizenRacecar. This episode was produced by Hager Eldaas, post-production by Alex Brouwer, production management by Gabriela Montequin, original music by Garrett Tiedemann. Thanks to the whole team at New York Edge for making this series possible. Never miss an episode by subscribing to the series at newyorkedge.org/formative or wherever you get your podcasts.