Name:
Winnie Beattie
Company:
Warm
Contact info:
181 Mott St, NYC, ph. (212) 925-1200
How many years have you been in business in NYC?
Warm boutique 5 years, Warm the label 2 years
How did you get your start and what was your initial inspiration?
warm is really a love story. Rob and I met surfing and have spent many years traveling warm, beautiful, bohemian places in search of warm waves. We have a real shared love of all things beach and surf and travel, and we were lucky enough to discover some special things on our travels, so we decided to open the store as a little side project showcasing things that were very personal to us.
What do you feel differentiates you from others in your field?
warm is extremely personal. Many of the furnishings are from our home, a good deal of the photos are of our family or we took ourselves, lots of the brands we sell are owned by our friends. There is and never will be anything corporate or mass or formulaic to what we do.
What do you feel gives you longevity in this big city with so many options?
I’d like to think that there is consistent news when people come to warm. We are always discovering new things, creating new pieces ourselves, doing exclusives with our friends, so I think as long as we can continue to offer special things that you can’t find elsewhere we have a good chance of being around for a while.
How do you positively impact your clientele?
Shopping should be fun and an escape. We are not solving world problems or curing any diseases. Even if a customer leaves empty handed we hope he/she had fun with the shop gals, enjoyed our music, and got inspired by the lovely things they saw. We also try to make our clients’ lives easier-we will send things to them, pick them up for them, bring a tailor in, play with their kids-I am a busy mom of 3, I know how valuable time is.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Being constantly inspired by the amazing things people are creating. As a buyer, I am able to help support a lot of small businesses. I also really love helping a woman find a perfect outfit for something special, or help someone find a special gift..
What is your favorite secret NYC spot?
I don’t really have any secret spots??? We just hang out in really cozy, small, special restaurants and bars where we know the owners. We are too old and tired to wait in any lines!
How do you benefit mamas?
We try to be a one stop shop. While we are primarily women’s, we do offer a well edited kids selection, really awesome books curated by Rob, beautiful homewares, so we hope busy moms feel like they can grab something for themselves, their kids, their dude and grab a gift as well. We also really love kids-my kids skateboarded through the glass door when we first opened, so no one’s kids can destroy the store more than my own-so all kids and dogs are welcome!
What is the most memorable feedback a client has given you?
We just get a lot of people saying that when they are sad or in a bad mood, they come to warm because it is a happy place that cheers them up. That for me is as good as it gets.
Pay it forward and name your top colleagues in the same field or related field:
I’m a big fan of Jane Mayle. I love what she is doing. I buy it for the store and myself! And I really love Capitol. I love how Laura buys and her attention to detail.
What is the best advice anyone's ever given you? Or what is your "mantra" / words to live by?
The harder you work the luckier you get. I love that…I am a doer. I kind of go for things and figure them out as I go.
As moms, the day can escape us, what is your best time-saving trick?
I am not a very organized person so this should not be answered by me. Our house is blissfully chaotic with two working parents and 3 spirited boys. But I love everything about the loud, wild energy. I guess I do send myself a lot of emails saying “don’t forget” in the subject…