Lorrie Dixson Griggs of Drifter Merch: How Channeling Hard Work And Relentless Drive Can Build A Thriving Fashion And Lifestyle Brand

Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?

In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Lorrie Dixson Griggs.

20 years ago Lorrie Dixson Griggs started Eskimo Advertising, a boutique marketing, public relations and social media agency. After finding much success in that industry, she entered the fashion field with Drifter Merch on the side as a fun project. Her graphic apparel and accessories company was started to create goods inspired by music and later expanded to include offering custom promotional projects for Fortune 500 companies, schools, bands and events.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

I grew up in Winston-Salem, NC where I went to Summit School and Salem Academy. I learned about being an entrepreneur early on as my father, both of my grandfathers and great grandfather were businessmen. My dad’s family ran one of the oldest wholesale hardware and appliance distributorships while my maternal grandfather founded Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

Both of my businesses were started on a whim followed by lots of hard work and determination. I started my career at CNN in news production after graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in TV and film. The pay was not great and the hours were just as bad but it was a great opportunity to work for the world’s 24 hour news leader at the time. I remained there for 15 years working in the live news control room watching the largest stories unfold while being a part of the teams which won Peabody, Emmy and DuPont awards for our coverage. During that time, I was on call and mostly working weekends so I started freelancing for an advertising agency on the side. After a while I realized that didn’t like the way that company was run. I had already made the connections necessary to start my own firm where I could make all of the decisions myself. Thus, Eskimo Advertising and my entrepreneurial journey had begun. Fourteen years later, my husband and I started Drifter Merch where we sell shirts and hats inspired by our favorite bands to the fans. Later promotional apparel and accessories were always requested so it was an easy fit to add custom logo merch as we had many friends and clients who needed the services.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

This may not be the most interesting story but one that I thought was pretty cool. One of the first bands that I loved seeing in college was the Allman Brothers. Last year, I had the opportunity to sell our merch at an Allman Betts show that featured three of the original Allman Brothers’ sons. I had the pleasure of meeting them before the show and give them some of our tees that were inspired by their father’s top hits. They couldn’t have been nicer and loved what we had created.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

With 20 years’ experience in the hospitality and lifestyle industries, branding is my business. As a boutique advertising, public relations and social media agency owner, I know that investing in your brand through marketing of promotional apparel and accessories is always a smart move for any business, band, school or event to gain exposure. Add in exceptional customer service with attention to detail and our customers always are always satisfied.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?

I don’t necessarily have a life lesson quote that I live by but definitely can provide words of wisdom. When life gets hard and you are struggling to move forward, it is important to be strong, push through and just keep going the best that you can. At the end of 2019, my husband and business partner passed away unexpectedly. It rocked my world. We had a two year old and two businesses at the time. I went back to work the week following the funeral. I planned a now annual memorial festival in his honor three months later which was also one week before the pandemic started. Staying busy by working hard was the only thing that helped distract me from the pain of my extraordinary loss. I continued to focus on all of the things we had planned to do and while the pain never goes away, I find peace in knowing that he would be proud of all that I have done since he died.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?

I think the trends are continuing to be on the casual side. Once the pandemic started and people weren’t going out as much, comfortable clothes became the norm. I think this will continue in the future, which is actually great for my brand!

Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?

Part of being a good person is giving back. We participate in nonprofit events all of the time, whether paying to be vendor, donating products for auctions or printing merch for fundraisers at discounted prices.

Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Creativity: If you are not always bringing creative, new ideas to the table, then your fashion brand can get stale.
2. Drive: You have to have the initiative to attain your goals and never give up no matter how many roadblocks that may cross your path.
3. Hustle: Customers don’t just appear. You have to get out there and show your designs, market your brand and sell yourself and your designs to your target demographic.
4. Teamwork: You can’t do everything yourself. Align yourself with strategic partners who excel in other areas.
5. Patience: Success may not happen overnight but if you work hard and learn from your mistakes, you can always be successful.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Drifter Merch: www.driftermerch.com and @driftermerch on the social networks

Eskimo Advertising: www.eskimoadvertising.com @eskimoadvertising on the social networks

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.