I Got Interviewed — And Talked About All of It

I Got Interviewed — And Talked About All of It

I don't do a lot of interviews. Matter, fact, I've never done one! Not because I don't have things to say (clearly), but because there's something vulnerable about sitting down and talking through the real story. The messy parts, the financial parts, the "I am still very much figuring this out" parts.

But when Sarita of Built from Scratch reached out, something felt right about it. Her series is built specifically for small business owners and the honest stories behind how they built their brands. No fluff. No highlight reel only. Just the real thing.

So I said yes. And I'm really glad I did.

What We Talked About

We covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time, but here are some of the things I found myself being most honest about:

How Acquired Taste actually started. It wasn't a perfectly laid plan. It was a promise to myself to see something all the way through something I hadn't done with a lot of creative pursuits before. Coupled with being at a job I was deeply unhappy with, I needed an outlet. I spent months in my garage just trying things. Ordering supplies. Experimenting. Failing quietly. And eventually landing on the holders you see today.

The Urban Outfitters moment. I wish I had a dramatic story about how I pitched them perfectly. The truth? Someone found me online through a local directory and reached out. What got me there was showing up consistently, being searchable, and making sure I had a presence beyond just Instagram. SEO, backlinks, local directories; the unsexy stuff actually worked.

What nobody tells you about the financial side. This one I felt deeply. Everything I've put into this business has been self-funded. I kept my 9-to-5 while building, which I consider a real privilege because it gave me room to make decisions that weren't driven by panic. But what surprised me most? How many people are in the business of making money off of small businesses. Every time you turn around, someone has a service to sell you. Learning to filter that noise is its own skill.

Why I market the way I do. I've had people tell me to market from a scarcity standpoint. Tell people what they're missing, what problem you solve. But that's never felt right for what I make. I don't want to tell you what you need. I want to show you something you want. Needs have an expiration date. A want is a desire. And I'd rather speak to that.

What actually keeps me going. Honestly? My bills. (We laughed.) But beyond that, the fact that something I made and hand painted in my garage is sitting in someone's home. They look at it. They use it. That's real. That's the thing that makes all of it worth it.

Go Watch It

Sarita created something really special with Built from Scratch and I'm honored to be a part of it. If you've ever been curious about the story behind Acquired Taste - the early days, the pivots, the vendor markets, the whole thing; this is probably the most honest version of it I've told.

👉 Watch the full interview here — YOUTUBE

And please go show Sarita some love. She's building something worth supporting:

While You're Here

If something in this interview sparked your curiosity about what I make, here are a few places to start:

Thank you, as always, for being part of this. It means more than I can say.

— Hannah Founder, Acquired Taste

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.