Meeting Jillian Harris: Entrepreneurship, Boots & Vintage

A few months ago, Jillian Harris and I met for a coffee at Le Marché St. George, a quaint corner store selling artisanal products and delicious lattes in Vancouver. I knew I was going to like Jillian the moment I stepped inside the Provence-inspired shop filled with “It’s to Die for” banana bread, Salt Spring gelato and artisan cheeses. I love it when a person carefully selects a meeting place! Confession: I've never watched Jillian on The Bachelorette, and I haven’t seen an episode of Love it or List it. When we met, we didn’t chat about either. Instead, we talked about something we both know intimately: entrepreneurship. Less than 6-months apart, I started Poppy Barley and Jillian launched Charlie Ford, a beautiful online boutique of antique goods, including tabletop décor, rugs, art and jewelry. For both of us, our businesses are family affairs, me working with my sister Justine, and Jillian alongside her cousin Tori.

Given we’re both building e-commerce companies, we had such a good discussion. There is nothing better than a conversation with a smart, fellow entrepreneur. Naturally, we talked about Poppy Barley. I showed Jillian our flats and boots. She wanted a pair right away (you can read about her entire Poppy Barley experience here and see her wearing The Downtown Boot in Kaki at the top of this post).

While I may have convinced Jillian to buy a pair of Poppy Barley boots, she really opened my mind to all things vintage. I love the uniqueness of vintage goods, but detest the shopping process. The best antiques shops are scattered alongside highways all over the country. I’ll never have the time to visit them all – and even when I do arrive, I’m not really sure what I’m looking at. I question if it’s worth the price tag or if the story is true. Charlie Ford makes it possible to confidently buy a beautiful chandelier, original painting or brass candlestick holder. The goods are beautifully photographed alongside the story of the product. Spending time on Charlie Ford is the ultimate treasure hunt; and I promise you’ll find something special and unique.