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I recently got the chance to sit down and talk with Lindsay Phillips, designer and inventor of SwitchFlops, when she came to visit our Pine Valley Rustic Hutch. Her energy and friendliness were infectious and so much fun to be around. Take a look at what she had to say! You may also want to watch the video version of this interview.
 Rustic Hutch: Hello, how are you doing today?
Lindsay Phillips: Good! Thank you for having me.
RH: Definitely, we are glad you're here in our store today.
LP: I'm glad to be here!
RH: Can you tell us a little about SwitchFlops?
LP: Absolutely. So SwitchFlops are the first interchangeable flipflop, and it is a very simple concept. Literally take your strap off and put your new strap on, so simple! And in seconds you have a whole new look!
RH: So simple! I love it!
LP: So traveling, wherever you're going you can always match your outfit. When you go to work or go watch your kids' games and match their colors. It's a very fun concept.
RH: And that's so cute! So how did you come up with this idea?
LP: It was a high school art project. I had created a ceramic flipflop and my parents displayed it in their house and literally every single woman that walked by the shoes loved them, so I decided to actually make them! I went to the store; I bought some cheap flipflops, glue, and some fun buttons. I started gluing the buttons to the flipflops and realized the buttons wouldn't stay on, they kept falling off! And I was thinking, "Okay, how can I keep these buttons on?" Velcro. And that's how it was started, all from a high school art project!
RH: Wow! And it's grown so much! So you got started on this while you were still in high school. From that original idea, going through all the manufacturing and marketing, what's been the biggest challenge?
LP: I would probably have to say, once I had the idea, waiting for the patent took four years to get. It took a long time to get a patent. Then from there, the manufacturing... that was the hardest challenge looking back. It's very hard to get going when you don't know what you're doing and it took many years to research and figure out what I wanted to do and what I had to do to get started. So that was my most challenging hurdle along the way.
RH: I'm sure you have learned a lot.
LP: I have learned a lot!
RH: So starting out with the flipflops and then expanding to the ballet flats and espadrilles, describe the growth that your company has had and what you plan for the future.
LP: Sure, well we started out with our original SwitchFlop and we've really reinvented the company. Now we're Lindsay Phillips. And it's really the Lindsay Phillips lifestyle. We not only sell SwitchFlops, but now we have our new snap system which is another great way of changing your look in seconds. Once again the same concept. So it's grown from our SwitchFlops to our ballet flats to our Jordi flop and accessories. We have scarves, we have bags. I really envision growing into a big accessory brand. It's all about having fun, great colors, and great accessories! I like to use the words versatility and value because that's what we really stand for.
RH: So since you have so many different designs... straps, snaps, shoes... where does the inspiration for your designs come from?
LP: Oh my gosh, everywhere! I'm constantly traveling, constantly looking at new colors, new designs. I actually love going to stores and talking to customers because when you get ideas from a customer, you're actually seeing what sells, so my customers email me all the time. They have ideas and I listen to them. So honestly my inspiration comes from all over the place, from going to trend meetings to listening to my customer to traveling overseas and seeing that blues are going to be important, you know, it just really kind of all comes together in my collections.
RH: So what are your personal favorites?
  LP: Well, I'm a big fan of the Jordi. Recently I've been wearing my yellow Jordi with the starfish snap. It's my personal favorite. I'm originally from Florida, so I have that beach-girl connection going on, so that's what I usually wear.
RH: So where is your favorite place to go in your shoes?
LP: Oh my gosh, everywhere! I'm always wearing my product! There's not a place I don't wear them to! But, you know, when I'm at the beach obviously the flipflops, and then when I'm in New York I love wearing the ballet flats. I personally have been wearing the espadrilles a lot because it's perfect for getting dressed up, going out to dinner, sundresses as well. In the summertime we tend to wear sundresses in Florida because it's so hot, so putting on my espadrilles gives me a little added height too! I wear the shoes everywhere, it's part of my job!
RH: I heard that you have been awarded the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award recently. What was it like winning that?
LP: You know, I can't really explain it. It was an amazing night, I didn't think I was going to win it, so when they called my name I was just... in awe. I was shaking, I was very nervous! I was filled with joy, and the best part about it was when I gave my speech. My mom started crying and so did my CEO Jeff Davidson, so that was the most exciting part about getting the award--seeing everyone else's reaction. And obviously I thanked my team for helping me get to where I am today; I really passed that over to my entire LP team.
RH: That's great. What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs?
LP: You know, I always say, "If it were easy, everyone would be doing it." And that's a very true statement. If you really believe in your idea and believe in what you?re doing, make it happen and just don't take no for an answer. You know, people thought that I was crazy, having this idea. I mean come on, it's a high school art project! Why would you want to listen to your sixteen-year-old? So I just think that you have to believe in yourself and you know, you're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days, and it is not easy, but if you stick with it and you're persistent, good things will come.
RH: Thank you for stopping by today!
LP: Oh my gosh, glad to be here at the Rustic Hutch! Thanks for having me!
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