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A Little Bit About VARU
It all began with an adorable
handmade diaper bag given to an expectant mom at her baby shower. Kimberly
Lawson, one of the guests, heard comments about how much it had cost. She
thought to herself, “I know I can
make something just as cute and even more customized, for much less.” The
next day, voila—Kim had created the diaper tote of her dreams to rave
reviews. With a little encouragement from her family and a lots of nudges
from style-conscious moms who loved distinctive diaper totes, It’s Purse-onal!
was born.
Kim, a wedding cake designer and seasoned seamstress, didn’t
stop there. Whenever
brides would see the totes displayed at her in-home boutique, they wanted to
order them as bridesmaid gifts. That knack for coordinating fabric bases
and unique designs to customers’ whims led to another market for It’s
Purse-onal! Now all Kimberly needed was a business partner to help launch
her endeavor successfully and watch those company purse-strings. Heather
Glenn just happened to be one of Kim’s loyal customers, with the kind
of sales and marketing savvy to move It’s Purse-onal! to the next gorgeous
level.
With a vivid name change to VARU—Estonian for “boutique”—the
new brand quickly became a fashion statement in itself. Now there are
so many more ways to VARU, from cool children’s backpacks and bibs to
sophisticated signature bags. It’s clearly evident that Kim and
Heather’s
USA-made, personalizable designs are fun essentials for all ages. We
love our customers!
Kimberly Lawson • Founder/Creative Director
When Kim Lawson was a child, her favorite hobby was
dreaming in her mother’s
sewing room. She’d spend hours piecing together colorful scraps
of fabric to see what fanciful creations resulted. Years later, those
flights of imagination and her entrepreneurial spirit would be channeled into
designing high-quality totes and bags that are as much fun and affordable as
they are functional. A stay-at-home Ohio mom with 2 boys and support
from husband Ken, Kim enjoys the best of many worlds thanks to her other “baby”:
VARU. There are many more trend-setting visions in Kim’s head,
just waiting to become reality…and huge customer favorites.
Heather Glenn • Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing
As
Heather Glenn was mastering the sales and marketing smarts that made her a
success in corporate America, one tiny and amazing thing suddenly changed her
life: she became a mom. Wanting to spend her once-precious work time
with her now-precious daughters, Heather searched for a very happy medium. Kim
Lawson’s proposal of partnering for It’s Purse-onal! gave Heather
the chance to build a great company while being a terrific wife and well-accessorized
mother. Heather, who feels blessed to be part of VARU, resides in Central
Ohio with husband Bo and daughters Kennedi and Avery. Who knew that life
was designed to be this exciting!
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