Meet Savannah Strehlow and Elena Shaw of Cricket + Ruby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah Strehlow and Elena Shaw.

Savannah and Elena, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Elena & I met through my husband, Jeff. They worked together at Yelp for many years, and the first time we met, we were both wearing an Australian brand that isn’t very well-known in Arizona, and that was the start of a very fashionable friendship.

We toyed with the idea of starting a women’s brand and had made a few steps towards launching it when Elena got pregnant with her first daughter. Before her baby shower, we realized the majority of clothes that were available for babes weren’t really our vibe. We started down an Instagram rabbit hole, searching for baby brands that were more similar to outfits we would wear ourselves, and that’s when Cricket + Ruby was born. (The name Cricket + Ruby comes from baby names we’d wanted for our future little girls that our husband’s had vetoed.)

We started as an online boutique, drop-shipping at first until we had enough capital to buy our first round of wholesale inventory. After a few pop-ups around the Valley, the response from the community had been overwhelming. We decided to open a full-time brick & mortar space, and that’s how we landed in our little shop in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. We love sourcing unique, bohemian styles for babes & their mamas.

Our matching mommy + me styles set us apart from most baby boutiques. We are currently working on producing our own line which will be available later this year.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always ups & downs to starting your own business, but Elena & I are both pretty positive people and try to only focus on the good. When we first started Cricket + Ruby, we both had full-time jobs. When we had our first brick & mortar pop-up, I worked seven days a week for four months. Not one day off. I wouldn’t say that was easy, but it was so incredibly rewarding.

Now we’re on the brink of hiring our first employee, and we’re profitable (which is a big win, as most entrepreneurs know). I think the biggest struggle for both of us was taking the leap to quit our corporate positions to do this full time. It was terrifying. But once we did, doors opened for us in ways we could never have imagined.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Cricket + Ruby – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We carry a hand-selected collection of goods for mamas, babes, & their homes. We search the globe to bring our customers unique, bohemian-inspired treasures that are made by local artisans, independent designers, and even some hustlin’ mamas.

We set out to bring the Phoenix market items you’d find on a cobbled street market in Marrakesh, a tiny path in the gardens of Ubud, Coastal Beach Towns of California, or snow-piled suburbs of Denver. Every product is sourced responsibly and curated with care.

Any predictions for the industry over the next few years?
I think people who say that brick & mortar retail is a dying industry haven’t had a real conversation with their consumers. Every mama who walks into our shop tells us how much they love having a place to go with their babe in the middle of the day.

Our customers love shopping online, yes, but they love the community we’ve created in the shop too. The fashion industry is so fun because it’s constantly changing, and we love just going with the flow.

Pricing:

• $15-$300

Contact Info:

• Address: 7150 E 5th Ave Suite 105 Scottsdale, AZ 85251
• Website: www.cricketandruby.com
• Phone: 6029896055
• Email: hello@cricketandruby.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cricketandruby
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cricketandruby/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/cricketandruby/

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.