Women Who Move Buffalo - Carrie Rinehart

“HERE’S TO STRONG WOMEN. MAY WE KNOW THEM.

MAY WE RAISE THEM. MAY WE BE THEM.”

On a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago I met up with Carrie Rinehart, founder & director of Buffalo Boss Babes and owner of Rusterior. I met Carrie at the first Buffalo Boss Babes Speaker Series event - Growth last April at Buffalo Distilling Company and have since followed her and all the amazingly cool things she has been and continues to do in WNY. Carrie embodies a positive, can-do attitude, is an inspiration to me (and many more!) and is a kick ass business owner, mother, wife and friend (and did I mention she also has full-time job).

Since attending that first Boss Babes event last April it has truly left an impact on my life. It may be crazy to think attending one networking event can make all the difference, but for me it has. Like many of the women who have attended & spoke at the Boss Babes events, we all struggle with similar worries, ambitions, etc. Being able to have a networking group to turn to, to ask for help, to get advice or feedback, to vent to one another about bumps in the road, or to celebrate achievements, makes all the difference in the world because it reminds us that we aren’t alone. It helps us continue to keep going & pushing towards the goals we set for ourselves vs. giving up & throwing in the towel. We are all hard on ourselves, especially because we all want to succeed & play a role in making a positive influence in our community, but we need to remind ourselves that its OK to take breaks, to go at your own speed & to keep doing you & not worry about the “outside noise.” Its thanks to Carrie creating this blog & providing encouragement & inspiration to us that we have this strong network of women learning about one another & helping each other as we move toward the course we have set out for ourselves.

For those that may not know a lot about Rusterior and Buffalo Boss Babes, let me tell ya a little bit about both. Rusterior is a Goods and Wearable’s shop located in Fredonia, NY (you can find Carrie’s storefront inside Fredonia Farmhouse Finds) you can also shop online. Carrie hand prints cool clothes and goods to have in your everyday lives, so make sure you check her site out! Buffalo Boss Babes is a woman run blog and social media feed that features awesome women in and around Buffalo. The mission of Buffalo Boss Babes is to inspire and empower the creative woman who help build the resurgence in Buffalo.

Below is my Q&A with Carrie about both Rusterior & Buffalo Boss Babes (BBB).

HOW DID RUSTERIOR HAPPEN?

I KNEW I ALWAYS WANTED TO OPEN A BUSINESS SO I STARTED (7 YEARS AGO) BY CREATING ALL DIFFERENT THINGS - SCARVES, ACCESSORIES, THE SEWN BUFFALO ON A SHIRT & IT HAS EVOLVED INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM YOU SELL?

THE BUFFALO HATS . THEY ARE A UNIVERSAL PIECE THAT EVERYONE LIKES AND THEY DON’T NEED A SIZE.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR CUSTOMERS FAVORITE PIECE(S) & WHAT PIECE(S) DO YOU LIKE TO MAKE?

THE BUFFALO HATS & SWEATSHIRTS ARE FAVORITE CUSTOMER PIECES. MAKING T-SHIRTS IS SOMETHING I ENJOY DOING THE MOST- SCREEN PRINTING IS A FAVORITE OF MINE.

WHAT ARE SOME GOALS/CHANGES HAPPENING IN 2019? WHAT WILL BE EVOLVING WITH RUSTERIOR AS WE MOVE FORWARD?

A LOT OF CHANGES ARE HAPPENING AT RUSTERIOR. WE ARE MOVING IN THE READY TO SHIP DIRECTION SO CUSTOMERS HAVE A QUICKER SHIP TIME (5-7 DAYS). CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO ORDER CUSTOM SCREEN PRINTS STILL BUT MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL PRINTING HAPPENS AGAIN.

*NOTE TO YOUR SELF - CARRIE HAS A BUNCH OF ITEMS UP ON HER SHOP LIKE THESE GOODIES:

SO MAKE SURE TO SNAG YOURS BEFORE THEY’RE GONE.

WHY DID YOU START BUFFALO BOSS BABES?

I WAS LOOKING TO NETWORK MORE AND THE NETWORKING EVENTS I WERE ATTENDING WERE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I WANTED TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT BUSINESS. I ATTENDED A ROC GIRL GANG EVENT AND LOVED THE VIBE AND THOUGHT BUFFALO NEEDED THIS AND THAT IS WHAT INSPIRED ME TO CREATE BUFFALO BOSS BABES, WHICH STARTED AS A BLOG AND THEN GREW INTO EVENTS THAT BOSS BABES WANTED TO ME TO START.

WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF BUFFALO BOSS BABES? & WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF IT?

BBB IS A TRUE COMMUNITY, IT’S RAW & IT’S REAL. IT’S A GROUP OF WOMEN COMING TOGETHER TO INSPIRE ONE ANOTHER, LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER & SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM RUSTERIOR?

YOU’LL NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST STRANGER ONLINE SALE. IT’S A “HOLY COW” MOMENT.

HOW FAR IS YOUR FURTHEST CUSTOMER? & DO YOU COLLABORATE WITH OTHER BOUTIQUES OUTSIDE OF WNY?

MY FURTHEST CUSTOMER WAS IN AUSTRALIA AND I COLLABORATE WITH BOUTIQUES IN IDAHO AND OHIO. FOR ME COLLABORATING FOR RUSTERIOR IS ABOUT ALWAYS REACHING OUT AND FINDING EACH OTHER VIA SOCIAL MEDIA (INSTAGRAM).

WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT IN 2019 FOR BUFFALO BOSS BABES?

BBB WILL HAVE MORE EVENTS, COLLABORATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS. THERE WILL ALSO BE ONE BIG EVENT HAPPENING THIS YEAR SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS!

BEST THING YOU LOVE ABOUT BUFFALO?

THE PEOPLE! YOU CAN’T GO ANYWHERE AND FIND GENUINE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN BE FRIENDS WITH. BUFFALO’S VIBE IS MORE RELAXED AND CHILL.

FAVORITE QUOTE?

“FEAR KILLS MORE DREAMS THAN FAILURE EVER WILL”

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE THROWING IN THE TOWEL OR TIRED WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING?

MY SUPPORT SYSTEM. YOU’RE ALLOWED TO TAKE BREAKS AND SHUT DOWN, THE WORLD WILL CONTINUE TO GO ON & THAT’S OK.

FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLET? FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM?

INSTAGRAM IS MY FAVORITE OUTLET, ALWAYS ON IT. FACEBOOK FOR THE BUSINESS TRAFFIC . SOCIAL MEDIA WHETHER YOU LOVE IT OR HATE IT, IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER.

**Photo Credit shout outs go to: Seek Axiom, Lovern Photography, Alexis Mohr Photography