Meet Landry Brown | Owner + Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Landry Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Landry, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
There’s not just one factor but a combination of them. The first factor to Border & Brown’s success has been knowing our audience. I do my best to get to know my audience and I do my research. It helps a lot that I grew up in Arizona, so some insider knowledge has been ingrained in me since birth. But I love to reach out to different communities and ask them what makes their place so special to them. Is there an image that represents their neighborhood, a phrase, or a landmark? I really try to tailor each design to the community I’m creating for. In turn, people in the community see how personalized our goods are and feel that their special place is being acknowledged. The second factor to our success has been support. I’m lucky to have many smart people in my life I can rely on for answers when I feel I’m out of my depth. If you don’t know the answer to something, ask someone who does. I use every resource I have when it comes to developing my business and I think it’s important to remember there’s no harm in asking. The third, and possibly the most important factor has been just doing it. The most essential thing you can do to be successful is just start. Things won’t be perfect for awhile and that’s okay. I’m still fine-tuning things and probably will always be thinking of ways to perfect my business. Just take the chance and dive in. My favorite quote when I was starting out was by Arthur Ashe, he said, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” And I’ve been living by that ever since.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I come from a family of creative souls. My dad and sister are local architects (and are responsible for the gorgeous tempe skyline among other beautiful buildings in Arizona) and my mom is an interior designer. My dad paints the most beautiful landscapes, my mom has impeccable style, my sister can sketch anything and everything, and my brother has a passion for music. Having a creative outlet was always encouraged in us as children and while I was never as talented as my sister at freehand, I was always able to take elements and turn them into something beautiful. It took me awhile to find what I really wanted to do in life because I had to create it for myself. I started out after college in Public Relations, then moved to Elementary Education. I was a Reading Specialist and teacher. Although education is a forever passion of mine, when the pandemic hit, I found myself in a position to be able to pivot career paths & realize other dreams. Border & Brown became an outlet where I could connect with the community from the safety of my home base. There’ve been some challenges along the way, but nothing some good hard work and determination couldn’t fix. One important lesson I’ve learned is that in business you really only have control over yourself, so you must be impeccable with your word and always do your best. Don’t take anything personally, and don’t make assumptions. I try to live by those four agreements inside and outside of work. One thing I’d love for people to know about my brand is that it’s woman-owned and all of our products are printed locally through a woman-owned (and over 75% woman employed) printing company in Phoenix. When I decided to open up shop this November my non-negotiables were: 1) Everything needs to be printed locally. And 2) Collaborate with other woman-owned local businesses as much as possible. I’ve been able to meet and collaborate with so many amazing Arizona women that I wouldn’t have gotten to know if not for my business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Monday: We would start off in my hood and hit all the obligatory Arcadia spots. We’d walk to get passionfruit caramel lattes at Provision then head over to breakfast at The Henry. Next, we’d hike Camelback then have lunch at La Grande Orange. After that we would walk around Exeter and look at all the beautiful houses. For dinner we would bike to Postino’s for some wine and bruschetta.

Tuesday: On Tuesday we would finish up visiting my favorite Arcadia Spots. We’d do lunch at Matt’s Big Breakfast, then head over to do some shopping at 44th St. & Camelback. I’d take them to my favorite shop, Urbana, and show off all the Border & Brown items you can find there. For lunch, we’d head to Wally’s for a giant pretzel and wedge salad. After that, we’d go to the Village and take a yoga or pilates class. For dinner. we’d get dressed up and go to Steak 44. We’d end the night sitting in the train car at Grand Central sipping on fancy drinks.

Wednesday: On Wednesday we’d grab some almond croissants and lattes from Essence Bakery then walk around the Biltmore Circle and look at more fancy houses. For lunch we’d have to hit up the best sandwich shop in the area- Duck & Decanter, for some tuna sandwiches and BLT’s. After that, we’d have to drive by my old stomping grounds at Xavier, and then take the Bridle Path down to my other favorite boutique, Frances, where I’d show them more Border & Brown goodies to shop! We’d then head downtown for some rooftop drinks and sunset views of the city at From the Rooftop at the Cambria hotel. Then we’d go for pizza at Cibo. After that, we’d stop by the Churchill for some drinks and local shopping.

Thursday: On Thursday we’d grab some coffee and donuts to go at Bosa and head to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the best of what the desert can offer. After that, we’d do a spa day at the Sanctuary and take in the views for lunch while snacking on their delicious miso salmon bento boxes. We’d get ready for the night there and head up for dirty martini’s on their patio to watch the sunset. For dinner, we’d go to El Chorro and make sure we bring home lots of sticky buns for the next morning.

Friday: On Friday we would head up to Flagstaff for the weekend but we’d make some stops along the way. First, we’d have to stop at Rock Springs cafe and get a fresh peach pie for the weekend. Then, we’d grab some lunch at Paige Spring Cellars and eat down by the creek. After, we’d buy wine at DA Ranch to bring to the cabin with us. We’d do a little walk around Griffith Springs Park and then grill some hotdogs and burgers at home and sit around the fire-pit and roast s’mores.

Saturday: On Saturday we’d stop at the Galaxy Diner for breakfast then venture into downtown Flagstaff and checkout all the fun shops. We’d head to Charly’s Pub at the Weatherford Hotel for Navajo Tacos. Then we’d go to Mother Road Brewing Company for some local beers and grab some slices of some of the best pizza ever Pizzicletta next door.

Sunday: On Sunday we’d drive back home and end the day in Old Town. We’d walk around the shops and stop in for drinks at our favorite bars. We’d head to Toca Madera for fun drinks and live music then we’d go to Francine’s for some yummy french cuisine. Finally, we’d end the night at Sugar Bowl for dessert.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate my shoutout to my family & girlfriends! Success doesn’t mean anything unless you have people to share it with and my husband, siblings, parents, and the boss ladies in my life have been encouraging me from day one. They are the best hype men/marketers/editors and focus groups a gal could ask for.

Website: borderandbrown.com

Instagram: @borderandbrown

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Borderandbrown

Image Credits
Lauren Schumacher