When their newborn son had trouble falling asleep, Lisa Schulner-Fine and Michael Fine found himself dreaming in the middle of the night.
These sleepless hours led to an unexpected revelation: the market lacked aesthetically pleasant durable shower curtains. The couple’s pursuit of a solution has transformed into a quiet city, a lifestyle brand now generating more than $ 3 million a year.
The ruminations of Lisa night led him to an improbable business idea centered on shower curtains. She had been frustrated by the lack of elegant and lasting options on the market.
Lisa and Michael had an attentive eye for design, with Lisa working as a style director at Madewell and Michael as an independent fashion photographer. They were discouraged by the poorly made plastic bathroom accessories that they found on the retail shelves.
Their brand, Quiet citywas born from Lisa’s desire to approach bathroom accessories from a creative and durable point of view. She spent the nights and weekends meditating on the conceptions of shower curtains while balancing her full-time career and raising a young family.
Despite the initial skepticism, Michael supported his wife’s passion project, recognizing his creativity and his visionary approach.
The couple design process was meticulous and thoughtful, the choice of durable canvas material for their shower curtains with dyeing and finishing process.
The goal was to create products that age beautifully, a bit like a pair of well worn jeans.
Their unique approach to marketing distinguishes them. Instead of traditional products of products, they took their canvas shower curtains on the beach or found walls in striking colors as decorations. The brand Instagram Beginning presented these unconventional photos, referring to something new and exciting on the horizon.
Quiet Town has extended beyond the shower curtains in a lifestyle, creating functional products but aesthetically named according to their favorite cities. The couple also launched a sustainability project entitled Re: Canvas which used remains of production to create new products thanks to strategic partnerships.
Despite their commitment to sustainability, they were faced with challenges in the creation of linings for their shower curtains. They did not want to introduce more plastic in the world.
However, they found a lasting solution with the “solar shower curtain”, made from non-toxic vinyl plastic which is chlorine, pvc- and BPA. They also established a post-consumer recycling plan for these curtains.
The pandemic turned out to be a turning point for the quiet city, with a high increase in domestic products. The brand’s revenues began to grow from one month to the next from April 2020, reaching more than $ 3 million per year.
The success enabled Lisa and Michael to move from the jostling to a full -time business.
Throughout their trip, the couple learned precious lessons on entrepreneurship. They stressed the importance of having a trading partner with complementary skills and maintaining a balance between professional and private life.
In an interview EntrepreneurLisa stressed the need to be passionate about the company and to believe it fully, because it inevitably becomes an important part of its life.
The success of Quiet Town illustrates the broader trends in the business landscape today. The brand’s commitment to sustainable and aesthetically pleasant products reflects a marked change in consumer preferences. Customers are increasingly looking for brands that correspond to their values, in particular with regard to sustainability and design.
The innovative approach to the couple to market their products, such as the use of unconventional Instagram and photoshoot, underlines the evolutionary nature of the promotion of the brand in the digital age. The power of social media to reach potential customers and creating an ambitious lifestyle around a brand is more important than ever.
In addition, Lisa and Michael’s decision to transition their team into a full -time business reflects a growing trend among entrepreneurs. The pandemic has prompted many people to reassess their work-life balance and pursue the companies that fascinated them.
As the case of Quiet Town shows, these companies can become prosperous companies, contributing to the resumption of the post-pandemic economy.
Quiet Town’s journey also highlights the importance of adaptability and resilience in managing a business. Faced with the challenge of producing shower curtains without harming the environment, the couple found an innovative solution that has not only joined their sustainability values, but also improved its range of products.
Finally, their emphasis on partnership and complementary skills highlights a crucial aspect of entrepreneurship.
Having a trading partner who brings different skills to the table can help navigate in the ups and downs of managing a business. It is a reminder that entrepreneurship does not need to be a lonely journey but can be shared with others that complete and improve your own skills.
In conclusion, the story of Quiet Town serves both as inspiration and a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs who seek to transform their passion into a profitable business while remaining faithful to their values.