Driftwood Turns Lucky Number Seven: Updates on the Driftwood Happenings with Carrie Gebb
It’s Carrie’s world and we're all just living in it. If you know her, you love her. She is the boss lady who brings play into the work world (you know what we are talking about…we know you have seen the reels). She works hard and it shows through the Driftwood reputation that has flourished over the years, bringing some more sparkle to the beautiful town of Makawao.
It's time to celebrate Driftwood's Birthday!
Driftwood will be turning lucky number seven at the end of the month and this lifestyle boutique is soon to have a new sister in town. The Home by Driftwood opening is coming soon, and Ariel (Carrie’s husband) works day and night (literally) to bring this new storefront to life.
Here’s a little refresh because it has been a minute. Get to know the faces behind Driftwood.
Carrie opened Driftwood seven years ago while being owner and esthetician at Paragon salon for two decades. Her need for a creative outlet and the reality of work-related injury culminated to inspire Driftwood.
"I had an incredible thriving business at Paragon, loved my work, the clients and co-workers, but I was experiencing pain and numbness in my arm from years of repetitive work and creatively I was dying inside - the reality was I had to find something to allow my body to heal and my soul to thrive while making a living and also having the flexibility to be with my kids."
"We love doing building projects together! It's exciting and tremendously fulfilling. We have learned over the years to trust each other implicitly and have fun with it. It can be stressful as well so being flexible and keeping the big picture in mind is helpful."
How has your vision of Driftwood changed from opening day to now / how have you changed and adapted the store through the years?
Driftwood has certainly blossomed beyond my wildest dreams. It's still everything I ever wanted it to be and has become so much more. Our little company has basically taken on a life of its own and I have this fabulous team of ladies to keep all the parts moving and growing.
I learned quite quickly when I opened Driftwood not to become overly attached to an idea or product, some work others don't and that's ok. It's imperative to acknowledge when something isn't successful and move on. It's equally important to honor those things that work incredibly well even if you personally don't love them. Obviously, we had to make significant changes with Covid, but our clients were amazingly supportive! Accepting that everyone was working from home, not traveling, or going out I shifted from higher-end items and brought on more of our affordable basics lines and it worked! Like myself, our clients were stressed but still wanted to feel normal. I got my ass up every day and like always, made my bed, took a shower, put on cute clothes and worked from home. If the world was ending, I was going down in style! Thankfully, things are getting back to normal, and we are so, so happy to see everyone's smiling face.
Where did your dream of opening a home store begin?
I have always admired architecture and design. I used to drive my mother crazy as a child constantly arranging, painting, and decorating my room. My husband has been in the business for over 25 years, so we've had many shared years of traveling, designing, and building together plus we make an excellent team. It's something we've talked about for years. We just had to be brave enough to pull the trigger.
What was it like closing Paragon, one of your passions, to begin a new one?
Bittersweet for sure and scary as f*ck. 21 years is a long time to do something. But I had come to terms with being human, and except that I can't do it all and moreover I shouldn't. The Driftwood brand has become the thing I want to put all my energy into and when I finally accepted that I felt unexpectedly relieved.
Is there anything else you are looking forward to in these next few years?
I can hardly contain my excitement for Home by Driftwood! Its potential makes me crazed with ideas and energy. I'm also thrilled to see how Driftwood will grow. We are working double time behind the scenes to elevate our brand and look forward to seeing where it takes us. I have so much I would like to see come to fruition the only obstacles are time and money. Does anyone out there want to be my fairy godmother and grant me more of both?
Thanks for reading and staying up to date with the monthly Driftwood updates. Who knows what else the future will bring. Stay tuned to the journey, it’s a wild ride, but it sure is a fun one.
And don't forget to come join us for champagne to celebrate the last seven years and shop the Birthday sale!
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