Poppy Barley Weekly 17

It has been one busy week! The team has been jet-setting all over the place, from Edmonton to Calgary to Vancouver. Fall is officially here and that means a flurry of activity for us. First of all though, we would like to give a shout-out to an amazing company here at Startup Edmonton called SAM. A social media search, management and storytelling tool, SAM has given us the ability to integrate our customer-shared photos into our website. We are so excited to show the amazing customers we have behind us, supporting our mantra to rethink every step of the footwear industry. Thank you SAM for sharing your brilliance over the water cooler, and thank you to our lovely customers for sharing your experience with Poppy Barley (use #poppybarley #pbfanbook to appear on our product pages!). Here's what happened:

• Late last week Justine and I enjoyed a day at etown fest. Beyond being an inspiring two days listening to the rarely-seen-performing-together duo Chantal Kreviazuk and husband Rain Maida, and 4 x Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser, we had the pleasure of meeting (and measuring) Estelle Metayer, speaker, trend-spotter and founder of Competia. Spoken word poet, Shane Koyczan, was unbelievable—if you have the opportunity to see him perform, do it. Nice work etown!
• Kelsey Nixon was spotted on the Rachael Ray Show wearing her Blue Jean Baby Classic Ankle Booties (now $50 off!).
• We announced The Founders Assembly happening on October 4th—an exciting collaboration with BLOOM to bring 30 female entrepreneurs together for vision building, goal-setting and a yoga workshop. There are 5 spots available: apply here.
• Co-founder, Justine, appeared on the Capital Ideas panel this week to talk running a business with a loved one. Meanwhile, Kendall (co-founder and the loved one), headed to the University of Alberta to give a guest lecture for Entrepreneurship 101. The sisters also had a spot on 630 Ched (listen from 19:00 minutes), telling the Poppy Barley story to Mark Schollz and J'Lyn Nye (who already has the Feminine Slipper in Ruby Red).
• Community Manager, Caroline, headed to the NordstromYYC opening gala, spotting the lovely Lori Andrews in our Limited Edition Gotham Grey Highline Boots.
• We're hiring! Poppy Barley is in need of a part-time Retail Sales Associate—a talented, smart individual who is passionate about customer service. Apply here.
• The Limited Edition Midnight Confetti Feminine Slipper was seen in action on Holly from In the Fun Lane.
• And finally, half the team is on a Vancouver adventure!
  • First stop: The Western Living Design Awards. Named the "Designers to Watch" in the fashion category, Kendall, Justine and Caroline slid into their Poppy Barley footwear last night and celebrated the accomplishment alongside some amazingly talented designers, creatives and entrepreneurs.
  • Second stop: Popup Shop @ Noul. That's right Vancouver, we are in town all weekend, and ready to show you samples, get you measured and feed you treats. Join us Saturday or Sunday from 11am to 7pm on Granville and Robson. You can secure a measuring appointment or wander in to explore. The Poppy Barley team can't wait to meet you!

What we're reading:

• 6 funny movies you should watch on Netflix this weekend
• Michael Gordon's Next Act—Bumble and Bumble founder Michael Gordon wants to shake up the industry once again with a new salon, a savvy digital content strategy and a product line called Purely Perfect.
• The Instagram Generation
• Runners Take the Place of Models During Fashion Week