Built on Comfort | The Journey of Sandi Hendry

Welcome to this exciting episode of the Rise and Grind podcast, where host Thurl Bailey interviews the inspiring Sandi Hendry, founder of Minky Couture Blankets. Sandi is a visionary entrepreneur who has built one of the fastest-growing blanket companies in the country, known for its luxurious, high-quality products that provide comfort and warmth.

In this episode, Sandi shares her journey of turning a simple idea into a thriving business. Discover the challenges she faced along the way, from establishing her brand to navigating the intricate world of manufacturing and retail. Sandi discusses her commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction, which have been key to her success and resonance with millions of customers.

Join us as we explore Sandi's insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and the importance of never losing sight of your passion. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or simply someone looking for motivation, this conversation is filled with valuable lessons and inspiration. 

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to catch all our future episodes. We’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment and let us know what you enjoyed most from Sandi's story! 

Thank you for listening to this episode of Rise and Grind! If you enjoyed Thurl Bailey's inspiring basketball journey and insights, be sure to subscribe to the podcast for more powerful stories and motivational conversations. 

Help us spread the word by leaving a review and sharing this episode with friends and fellow basketball enthusiasts. Connect with us on social media to join the conversation and stay updated on future episodes. 

Remember, your journey might have its challenges, but with grit and determination, you can rise above and achieve your dreams. Keep grinding, and we'll see you next time!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

So I made one blanket, took it to her, and she immediately fell in love with it. It is beautiful. But the next part, phase two, is when I would visit her every night, different patients would be wrapped in her blanket. And every night it was somebody different. And I thought, oh my goodness, this probably isn't very, very sanitary to just be passing your blanket around in a hospital. So I went home and I made 50 blankets. And I took those back to the hospital a month later and passed them out to all the patients.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

How they push through the days that test them, and how they turn drive into purpose. Thanks for joining us today. You know those things that make a house a home? Well, today's guest builds that feeling one cozy layer at a time. I am so honored to have Sandy Hendry, the founder and creative force behind Minky Couture Blankets. Sandy started with a simple idea premium comfort that blends beautiful design with everyday warmth. From bootstrapping a product to building a brand that customers trust and love. She's navigated the challenges of manufacturing, scaling, and keeping quality close to the heart of the business. We'll talk about the moments that tested her result, the choices that kept the company moving forward, and how she turned a passion for comfort into a thriving brand. Sandy, welcome to Rise and Grind.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Thank you, Therol. That was an amazing, surreal, sweet introduction. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Well, it's awesome to have you here. And um, of course, we always like to start with the origin. And you and I have we've had some conversations before uh about how you got started, but I want the public to know uh about what prompted this idea that started this wonderful company.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Well, thanks. Um yes, it was originally began in 2009. Um I had my oldest, well, she was older, she was my middle daughter, and she was sick um for a long period of time in the hospital. So I as a mother wanted, you know, to be there 24-7, but as a mom with two other children and lots going on, I was teaching school. Um, I turned to her one day and I said, What can I what can I do for you? I can't I can't be here 24-7, so how can I help you as a mom? And she looked at me, I remember just the look in her eye, and she said, Mom, you know, I just love blankets. I just love blankets. If you would make me a cute, cozy, um, large blanket that I could just wrap up in while you're not here and just feel that comfort. And so as I was leaving, she said, Remember, Mom, I said, cute. It's got to be, you know, not uh just one that you throw in your bed or that you sleep in. And so I went on a quest looking for fun, beautiful fabric that would be cozy but yet beautiful and give her some comfort. Well, after searching for a few weeks, I found this minky fabric that had just come in the market. And that minky fabric, I thought, wow, they're making baby blankets out of this. Why don't I chart start and um make a big blanket for her, not thinking business-wise, just a big cozy blanket to wrap her up in. So I made one blanket, took it to her, and she immediately fell in love with it. It's beautiful, she has it to this day, it's well worn at 16 years old. Um, but the next part, phase two, is when I would visit her every night, different patients would be wrapped in her blanket. And every night it was somebody different. And I thought, oh my goodness, this probably isn't very, very sanitary to just be passing your blanket around in a hospital. So I went home and I made 50 blankets, and I took those back to the hospital a month later and passed them out to all the patients. And it literally within weeks, I started getting phone calls and saying, Are you the blanket lady? Are you the lady that made those cozy blankets? And I said, Yes, I am. And I I really truly at that point still didn't think, oh, this is a great business venture idea. But I thought it's a way to give comfort to people, and it there really is a connection with um feeling peaceful, feeling comfortable, feeling something soft and cozy that you can wrap around you.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Let me ask you this. You said you went home and you made, were you into sewing? Were you did you have a patch in front of you?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

I'm glad you caught that because when I said that, I thought, hmm. I have I have my other daughter's um sister-in-law actually is the one that made the first blanket. I I slightly sew, but I probably should say I had them made. So she made the first 50 for me. I purchased the fabric and we made up the sizes and you know the designs, but she actually did the sewing.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

So yes, I can't take credit for that, and I don't want to because the reason I asked was the reason I asked was I wanted to know if you if you had already had this passion for for creating things, for sewing things.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

I have a real passion for yeah, creating a beautiful environment, but like it's in my head, and the actual doing of it, I I I have help, lots of help.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

That's really a great thing to know at this point because I know that a lot of our listeners are wanting to create something. They have that creativity in their minds, and sometimes they need to bring it out, but a lot of times they think that they have to do it alone.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

And yeah. That's exact that's a great point because my dad always taught me to surround myself with people that um do things better than I do and learn from them and not be afraid to give other people credit for things. And I just remember him. Of course, when I was young, I thought, what does that mean, dad? I don't have a clue, you know, to surround myself with people that can do stuff better than me. But it has truly come to fruition time and time again because I see what I want, but I I know I can't do it. And people need to realize you can't do everything at the magnitude that you want to do it. You have to ask for help and you have to figure out, you know, who how can I get this done if I can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

So continuing on with that, what was that moment, that first moment that you knew that this product needed to exist?

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Well, it's funny because it was right before Christmas, maybe, maybe October, Novemberish, and people were still calling me saying, Are you the lady that makes the blankets? And so I started making them for people, and then I would meet them, I'd carry them around in my car and then meet them in different locations to give them the blanket for anyway. We'd do an exchange. They'd pay me and I'd give them a blanket. It didn't look really great. You know, in the park. That's the grind. And one of my husband's clients saw me doing this exchange in the parking lot at Smith's Food King and called my husband and said, I don't know what your wife's doing, but she it doesn't look safe. And so he called me, he said, Okay, no more of this meeting people at eight o'clock at night and exchanging blankets. So we had some empty retail space, and I thought, I'm just gonna try it. I thought people really need and want, and I think there's a need in society to have something cozy, warm, and they feel like maybe because they have a hand in ordering it and creating it, that they made it. So I put I I pre-made about a hundred and put them in this retail space and thought, oh, it's right before Christmas, I'll see how it goes. And I put them in the space, and literally in two days, they were gone, just by word of mouth.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

And then the next few mornings or weeks before Christmas, I'd go to work and there'd be a line at the door, and I wouldn't even have any blankets in this in this office. It was really just a uh mortgage office, and there'd be a line outside, and then waiting for my seamstress, who was sewing all of them, to drop 10 or 20 off, and then people would buy them, and then I'd close and go home. It was kind of like a bakery. But before long, I I enlisted about five seamstresses and ordered 500 yards of fabric and then 1,500 yards of fabric. Then I mean now I'm ordering millions of yards of fabric. So it just really started very, very slow, very organic. And it just I just had this dawning moment at the beginning. You know, this could help people, and this could be a great business to do, you know, after my first career, which was I taught school for 30 years and I just retired. So I thought, oh, I need another career.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

So we talked about, you know, people having these ideas and you having this creative idea, and but there's always the first step, right? There's always with us a lot of times somebody that needs to convince us or talk us into it. Did you have that something or someone who convinced you to take that first step? Because starting a business obviously is not easy.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

No, it is not, it is not easy. And I tell my kids that want to start bus businesses, if it was easy, it's gonna be hard for maybe a year, two years, five years. If it was easy, everybody would do it. But I think uh so many people, so many people have great, great ideas, but they don't put them into action. And like you said, who encourages you to put that from a thought to a deed or an action to make it happen? And then when you get knocked down a few times, you keep on going. Your support system is huge, but yet it only takes one person to say you can do this. And I would have to say, it was my husband said, kept saying, I support you, you can do it. Let's just do it the right way and safely, and you know, if we're gonna do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Well you talked about um getting knocked down, and I call that some of the pit moments, right? When you have this idea, something kind of spawns it and you get going, but the path isn't easy. Can you remember early on some of your pit moments or tough moments that you had to work through?

SPEAKER_01 12:14

Yes, definitely there were several pit moments. I remember after a few years, I started with local seamstresses and patterned fabrics that we would just I would order through in LA. And then my local seamstresses, people would pick the front and they'd pick the back color, and then they'd choose the color of ruffle. And it was mostly the printed fabrics uh that we still have today, because I think that sets me apart. And I hired the local seamstresses, which in and of itself is a story, it's changed lives with my seamstresses. But my accountant kept saying, Well, are you gonna keep doing this? And uh the minky fabric was very costly, and even though I was buying it at wholesale prices, I just you can't really charge people astronomical money for for these blankets. I mean, they're already, you know, uh uh more than people usually spend on a blanket, but they're hand sewn and I was paying my seamstresses. Anyway, I went to an accountant or uh I went to a univers two universities, and I won't name them, but both I went to talk to business experts and get advice from both of these um universities. And I made the appointment, sat down their office, and it was about year four, and this is no lie. One was a lady, one was a man, they both told me to quit.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Really?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

And I said, yes, and I said, Oh my gosh, how could I quit? And my heart and soul's in this, and I know I can make it work. And so I oh, I was so deflated, and I had one in the morning, one in the afternoon, so it was both the same day. So I went back home and I just thought, I don't know if I can keep doing this. I they both said, you know, I think they looked at it as how can a blanket be so life-changing? Yeah, and that's my message to people too, because it can be the simplest item or product that you use every day, like water. Water was never bottled when I was young, and now it's bottled, and they took water and made it fabulous. But um I thought, no, after talking to my husband, he said, No, you gotta keep going. I just see too many people that call you that need this and that are finding real comfort and and love giving them his gifts and love wrapping up in them. So we're gonna keep going for another until we can't do it anymore. So that was a real pivotal moment when I was encouraged when I probably might have said, Oh, maybe this is dumb. You know, maybe this isn't gonna be a great idea. And then go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

I can imagine after you went to two people who were maybe considered experts in their field on advice telling you, no, this no, you need to create something else or move on.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

This isn't going to Yeah, it was a little it was devastating. It was a punch in the gut. And I but I thought I I'm gonna keep going. So after I made that decision, things just kept falling into place, and with lots of prayer and lots of you know, just drive and ambition and passion, I thought, I I know I can make this work. There's a little voice in my head just saying, keep going, keep going, you can do this. And I've had other things I had thought about, you know, years 20, 30 years ago, and that voice sometimes fades off like, uh, yeah, maybe you should stop. But this just kept saying, You can do it. And then my daughter, who wanted to resource some fabric that she had done some research on in my behalf, she said, Mom, let me let me go to Korea, let me go to Vietnam, let me go to some of these fabric trade shows to see if we can add another, another part, another element, another product to Minky Couture that might push you up to that next level so I don't feel like I have to quit. So that is where we found the fabric or she found it, her husband, her and her husband, the one that stretches that's the hugs. And so that fabric was she brought back the sample and she said, What about putting this in a blanket? I mean, it was like 10 inches by 10 inches. It wasn't a blanket. And she said, I think this would be a cool blanket. So I ordered some fabric and we made these stretchy blankets, and then they were so popular from the very beginning. I I literally had to have them come pre-made. That was my first resourcing that I did that I had blankets come in that um because the quantity I we just couldn't keep up with it. And they don't make that fabric here. So um some of it is made in the US and some of it now's resource, but it that really was a pivotal point when I it became in such demand and so big of quantities in the thousands, hundred thousands, now millions, that it just changed the whole pattern of the company.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Well, you you just touched on a lot of what I know listeners want to hear about your balance and product quality, the financial realities of a startup, the trade-offs that maybe you had to accept. We're gonna come back and just a minute and talk about maybe feedback and how that helped you. Criticism or praise. Every successful company goes goes through those things that help you you learn. But I'm also very interested, I'm sure the listeners are, in the growth period and the hiring and how you were able to maneuver that. So we shall be right back on Rise and Grind with Sandy Hendry of Mickey Couture. Stick with us. Hey guys, time out. You know, you give your best to your work, your family, and your responsibilities. But to keep showing up strong, you've got to stay dialed in. At Game Day Men's Health, the nation's leading men's clinic, they help you get back in the game with a custom game plan built around your labs, your goals, and your performance. Testosterone, peptides, real optimization. Come in today for a free testosterone test and consult. Tell them Big T sent you, and you get 50% off your first year membership. Gamedaymenshealth.com. Victory starts within. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Rise and Grind. I'm your host, Thurl Bailey, and we've been talking to Sandy Hendry, the creative founder of Mickey Couture Blankets. And if I'm not mistaken, that slogan that you use quite often is blanket the world, am I right?

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Mm-hmm. Yes, I love blanket the world. I'm not done yet.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

I know, that is so powerful. But I want to continue our conversation and and pivot to the growth of the company because I know you had to make some really critical decisions in that during that time because your growth was accelerating. Talk to us a little bit about that period of growth and hiring and you know, obviously trying to to keep up with supply and demand, but also maybe some feedback that you got from people that that helped you move forward.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Mm-hmm. Yes, there were some pivotal, more pivotal moments that came after we resourced some some fabric that was very very helpful to the company. But one a couple of things. When I had the seamstresses sewing locally, we would cut the fabric and bin it for them, and they'd come and pick up a bin and take it home and sew like you know, a couple hundred blankets a week so that they could sew in-house. Many of them had young families, they couldn't afford daycare, and so they would sew and earn an income without leaving the home, which I felt was very helpful for the community to encourage moms to use their talents, which so often they don't where would they use a sewing talent besides helping, you know, sewing their for themselves? But and then it came a point where the new band was getting more, and we had several SKUs or selections, and we were running out of room. And as I was looking one Saturday for a space to move into a uh a bigger minky guitar, I knocked on the door of the old Navy that used to be in Leighton by Target, and there was some guy walking around, and I knocked on the window and said, you know, is this available? So we walked through it. It's huge space, 17,000 square feet. And I thought, gosh, I'm going from 1700 to 17,000. Big moment. I thought this is a lot of blanket storage and blanket space in here. But I needed to see for myself if Having a retail location that was built out with hundreds of selections and employees that were there to, you know, help you and find exactly what you wanted could could be successful because I was getting chirping in my ear, don't do brick and mortar, don't do brick and mortar. Online is everything. And this was, I mean, we were shopping online, but it wasn't as big as it is now. So I went ahead and did the brick and mortar. I really go with my gut a lot, a lot of time, even though I'm getting this advice. I thought, oh, I I really want to try brick and mortar. So we did, and within, I would say, two months, our our yearly numbers tripled. I mean, it was like it felt like I just added legitimacy to my minky guitar. So that was a real aha moment, and I was very, very grateful and thankful that I made that choice. And then I kept my home seamstresses, and then I started um uh receiving things from offshore, which I tried to diversify in several different countries because I never wanted if if something happened with one country and I couldn't get it, I didn't want that to be the end of the the end of my company. So, and I still do that today. I diversify and I try to make sure that I well I do 100% make sure all my factories are clean and well run and legit that they're not doing anything illegal. Yes. And then also as I was growing, I was hiring people. And I found, I mean, we have so many wonderful people just to in just in our communities, in our schools, in our businesses, in our in our circle of friends. And so I would say the first 50 people I hired were all friends and family, which can be tricky sometimes. But I would say they've been just as brilliant as any anybody with five degrees. I mean, and a lot of them have degrees, but a lot of them were stay-at-home moms because I believe if you can run a family, and if you can run your household and and keep all that intact, you can help me run this company because you have ideas, you're organized, and and that's proven to be so true. They're just many of them, I'd say 50 of them are with me today that started 16 years ago. So, and then again, I come back to there's things I know as I've grown, or I haven't known as I've grown, that I've had to hire people, obviously from the outside that know much more than I do such about warehouse. I I knew nothing about warehousing and fulfillment, and I've learned so much now about you were here at our warehouses and see how big we've grown. So that's a long answer for Oh, that's that's a great answer.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

And you actually covered somewhat of what I wanted to get into next. And this question is kind of twofold because success doesn't come without sacrifice, right? And sometimes you have to sacrifice things when you are putting your heart and soul into something that you really believe in. So part of that part one of that question is Did you personally have to sacrifice things to keep the business moving? And and how did you reconcile that with your long-term purpose? And the other part of that is advice for founders who were juggling family and work.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

Mm-hmm. Both excellent questions. I can remember at the beginning, well, and like I said, I had taught school for 30 years, sixth grade and fifth grade, and I was just coming out of retirement or coming into retirement and coming right out of it. I wasn't there maybe a month, but I can remember balancing the financial because I wanted to take it slow enough that I wasn't gonna get myself in trouble at my age. That would be like I can see people biting off more than they can chew to start a business because you, I mean, you have to have capital to have a business. And I was lucky enough, I took it so slow that I've been self-funded up till probably two years ago. And now I have a little help just because we're ordering. I mean, I remember driving on the freeway. My daughter called me and said, Mom, pull over because I gotta tell you how much your first fabric invoice is. And I said, Okay, I was right in front of Lagoon. I said, Oh, I'll I'll pull over here because she said, You're gonna die. Oh no, what has she done? And she said, Okay, I bought this fabric and I got a great deal. And I said, Okay, just tell me how much. And she said, fifteen thousand dollars. And I had just been paying hundreds to make blankets, and I said, Oh my gosh, how am I gonna go home and say, I just spent fifteen thousand dollars just on fabric? So that was the aha moment with with that type of purchasing, and and now I look back because literally, of course, I mean, my warehouses hold three million blankets, so I'm in, you know, much more than fifteen thousand dollars. But but that that money part, you have to kind of work it out in your head. I know some people can go get uh a loan for some capital for business ideas. So many people and banks will will, you know, help you out, and then sometimes you can do it by yourself if you just do it baby steps. It and it's hard, it's daunting. There are times when you go, Whoa, this money's gonna this. I mean, you think, gosh, could this ruin my whole life of what this endeavor I'm doing?

SPEAKER_00 28:22

And then you have to literally voice talking.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Yes, it's that other voice going, you can do it, you can do it, or hold back. But you gotta be smart about it. And I think work together with with a partner. It doesn't, you know, someone you trust, someone you love, someone that has vision, passion for what you're doing. Because I know p entrepreneurs come up to me all the time and they have an idea, but they can't really convince anybody to like be on their team and help them out with collaborating and ideas and and moving forward. And at that point, I say you just need to find one person to run it off that believes as strongly as you believe. But if you can't find anybody, maybe pivot a little bit to a different idea.

SPEAKER_00 29:08

Oh, that's great. Um so as we wind down here, we've already taught our listeners a lot, and from your story and and from your journey, from where you started and where you had those pit moments, the difficult times, and the people you've relied on to continue that that dream of yours. And maybe one or two sentences. What kept you showing up when everything told you to stop?

SPEAKER_01 29:42

And the part I love most now, and the part that gets me up in the morning, and I can't wait to get to work, and this is truly the truth, is giving back. It's afforded me a product and a path to help society. We give with the heart of minky a hundred thousand mini minkeys to NICUs, not just in Utah, but in every state in the United States, we give these mini blankets to. And whenever there is something that I feel very strongly that we need to send a hundred blankets to this area that was devastated by a flood, by a hurricane, by a shooting, you know, I want to be there to give that comfort. And I feel like I am blessed enough that I have this sorry product. I want more that I can yeah, that I can help other people. And I get letter after letter and emails and texts of like sometimes we'll get five a day when there's been something happening for a week, and we'll get just a lot of sweet emails of I couldn't have made it through without this blanket. And it was my only possession after the flood. It was the only thing I had to hold on to. And so that part of being able to give back, I never dreamed in a million years that I'd be able to do that and have anything that people would even want or need. But I think people, if they just follow their dreams and their passion, and that it sounds trite, but it will lead you somewhere. And I think with somebody helping be by your side, directing you, helping you surround yourself with people and ideas. I collaborate a lot. I don't ever say it was all me because it I could never say that. It was people around me, my family, my my ladies that have supported me for 16 years, my warehouse, my pro my fulfillment, my seamstresses, my social media, everyone has this passion, this dream, and and and they're just have my back, which you kind of need because there's some times when you know people want to you know, not support you.

SPEAKER_00 32:02

Yep. Yes, yeah, you're exactly right. And it's I think it's quite amazing your answer about giving back and your philanthropy and all of this, because all in all, that's how you started.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

Correct. How it started with the first blanket for my daughter and the and those patients. And I I don't know, it it is truly I can't even put into words, it's heartwarming. It's I I can't express how that will if you have some mission behind even your big idea of of your business and what you're gonna do, but if you have something that you want to do in the back of your head to maybe help others or give back or or take care of someone that's in you know in need, what you know, whatever your dream is, I think it always is good to combine the two, giving back and going forward for yourself.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Outstanding. Um now I need to maybe get a little more personal. What's your best place, Sandy, to relax and recharge?

SPEAKER_01 33:13

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

Wrapped up in a blanket, wherever it is.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Every time I take a new blanket home once in a while, and I'll go, oh my gosh, this is the best one I have. And it's just always changing. I really, really just love my my safe place, my happy place is just being having my fire on, wrapped up in my blanket with a good movie, and maybe some of my kids around me or grandkids just hanging out. We travel a lot as I have um now eight kids. My husband had five, and I had my three girls. He had boys and I had girls. We've been married 30 years, so we all feel like one family. We're very blended and we really love each other, but we travel a lot together and 26 grandkids. So there's 44 of us that travel, and that that's like a field trip at school. So I'm very well equipped. I've had a lot of practice. But yeah, so that's kind of my happy place is being with them and and feeling that family love. And I just feel just feel ultimately blessed, blessed to be here today, blessed to share whatever knowledge I have, which is you know, pretty, just basic, organic, raw, me, you know.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Well, we love that you, Sandy. Thank you so much. Um, and I know that you will continue to blanket the world. I know you have blanketed my home.

SPEAKER_01 34:51

Oh, I hope so. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 34:52

Well, you have. You have my wife and and my kids. We're empty nesters, but my kids always come back and and they leave their favorite blankets at our house. So thank you so much for joining me on Rise and Grind, and for those listeners out there who will take your advice and and who will follow their passions even during the difficult times. So you've been so gracious and so helpful. Thank you so much, Sandy.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

Well, thank you. It's been an honor and a privilege, and I I was grateful to be here today, so thank you, Tara.

SPEAKER_00 35:32

Thank you, listeners, for joining us for this episode of Rise and Grind. And we will see you and talk to you soon.