She Builds: doNorth LLC
Today is a big day. A kind of surreal day. One that we’ve been working actively toward for about six months, but in reality, passively gearing up for our whole lives. Today is our official launch day for doNorth.
Up to this point, doNorth has primarily been a brand. Today we’re introducing you to the entire business. Starting May 1, doNorth will be a three-fold concept:
- Brand,
- Retailer
- Marketing consulting firm.
Despite the expanded concept, we promise to keep our mission and purpose the same: To celebrate and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors and tip our hat to the “up north” way of life and the people who live it.
Let’s back up a bit and tell you how doNorth came to be:
It was an unseasonably warm day last October and we decided to head west to kayak Nemahbin Lake outside of Pewaukee. Charlotte was coming down from a crazy summer in the Northwoods helping her family in their first year of bar/restaurant/resort ownership and Mara was on cloud nine from a recent trip to Munich for Oktoberfest. Both were feeling a little restless and wondering how they could live a life that lead them to enjoy these beautiful days whenever possible.
Charlotte, in a fit of nerves, decided to tell Mara about an idea she was brewing. The details were vague, but something about building a community of nature-lovers and explorers. Charlotte had been carrying a little notebook around for the previous several months jotting down business ideas, merchandise inspiration and little nuggets of nothing that would hopefully turn into something. That little, green notebook would eventually become the inspiration for what doNorth is today.
Much to Charlotte’s relief on that sunny October day, Mara was enthusiastic about this very high level concept and immediately started throwing out her own ideas about business, social media, and community-building. It didn’t take them long to recognize the different but complimentary skills they’d both be bringing to the table, and thus, a partnership was born.
By the next week, the founding members of doNorth had had their first meeting, by the end of October, the doNorth Instagram account was in full swing, and by the end of January, doNorth became an LLC. And here we are, on May 1, putting into reality the dreams and ideas we’ve been building ever since.
We’ve given you the basic structure, but here are some additional details about each leg of the doNorth business:
1. Brand. We both have such a strong affinity for the outdoors and, in our explorations, we have bonded with a huge community of people who share that. Mara tackles the wilderness and Charlotte lives for lakes and those personal attachments are the beating heart of doNorth and what we try to convey through our social channels every day. (@donorthbrand)
2. Retailer. doNorth is a brand that we want to wear proudly (and comfortably). When we think doNorth, we think cozy sweatshirts, novelty t-shirts, and nostalgic memorabilia. So...we're gonna create those things. The retail side of the business is slowly growing and will be ever-changing, but we've got a few basics ready for purchase. And because we think everyone deserves the opportunity to get outside and explore, a percentage of our sales will be donated to a charity that focuses on providing nature education and exploration for underserved communities.
3. Consulting firm. Mara and Charlotte both work marketing in their day jobs. Charlotte also works marketing for her up north family business and, through that, was introduced to an entire demographic of small business who could benefit from marketing support. From social media to merchandising to event promotion and beyond, doNorth can provide those services. We have a full list of our services on the website, so if you or someone you know is in the market for what we do, let us know!
It's crazy to think how we got here and how quickly (in the grand scheme of things) this very general idea developed. For Charlotte, doNorth is like coming home. For Mara, it's a perfect storm of passion and skill. And we couldn’t be more grateful for the community we’ve found and have, really, always been a part of.
We won't show up in your inbox, unless you want us to, so if that's the case, scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe to our email list. We’ll send regular newsletters, occasional emails about special information or events, and you’ll be the first to know about new merchandise or services being added to our arsenal.
If you haven’t already, follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@donorthbrand). We can't wait to see where doNorth goes from here and we hope you'll come along for the ride!
Yours in adventure,
C&M
