Hidden Gems: Meet Rena Krouse of Green Bee Tea Towels

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rena Krouse.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2013, I started my maker journey by selling vintage home goods and accessories. While I enjoyed finding and selling vintage, I really wanted to find a more creative outlet for myself and began screen-printing my first designs in 2015. I drew inspiration from vintage, botanical and natural images, and because I already had a large following on Instagram and a dedicated client base, my first line of cotton Pyrex-inspired tea towels performed very well. I put everything I had into those flour sack towels and decided to name my company Green Bee Tea Towels both because of my love for green and my admiration for the hardworking honeybee.

I completed SBDC ScaleUP! program in 2019 and I’m lucky to say my business has truly taken off since then, appreciated by the Kansas City maker community and with customers in all 50 states. These days (with the exception of Covid), I travel all over the country to craft fairs and wholesale markets, selling my tea towels, as well as stickers and sale towels.

I am proud of the little business I have created that isn’t so little now. My team of six talented women worker bees and I are hard at work creating products that are beautiful and fun but also functional and durable.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Running and especially scaling a business is never smooth. My first huge hurdle was getting out of my own way and letting others do everyday tasks. After assembling a good team, I’m able to focus more on implementing efficient processes.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Green Bee Tea Towels?
We are known for our beautiful, durable, cheeky clean towels. Customers enjoy our sassy sayings, as well as our botanical towels, seasonal and holiday towels, animal towels and special occasion towels. And this spring, we launched our new line of stickers.

I’m proud of having a product that customers love, but I’m most proud of the amazing team I’ve assembled. These women are immeasurably talented and dedicated to this work. Knowing that your business is in good hands while on the road is incredibly reassuring.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Pivot and do it quick. While Covid was an exceptional situation, the ability to pivot quickly is invaluable.

Pricing:

• $6 Seconds
• $12.75 Tea Towels Free Shipping

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.greenbeeteatowels.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenbeeteatowels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Greenbeeteatowels
• Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMew4wgK7/

Image Credits
Kim Hawley Creative