Support your local businesses

DECORAH — As of Saturday, February 1, Storied Folk & Co. is open and ready for business as one of the latest new tenants in downtown Decorah. Owner Linley Cavin is opening her first brick-and-mortar location after a decade of pop-up markets and online sales. Storied Folk & Co. is a brand built around inspirational and uplifting messages, driven by a mission to support individuals battling infertility. Their product line focuses on their best-selling graphic apparel for women and children, accessories and paper goods. It's their greatest hope to inspire you, bring you joy, and remind you that there's magic to be found in each day. DecorahNews.com connected with Cavin to get to know her and to speak on her journey so far with Storied Folk & Co. DN: What inspired you to start this business? LC: I grew up around a family-owned business. My grandpa Bruess started Art's Milling Service in Protivin, Iowa, and my dad and aunt have now been running the business for the last 30 years. I've always been inspired by and have had such respect for small business owners. It can be an extremely challenging career, but also so rewarding. When I saw an opportunity to take my freelance graphic design work and product business full-time, I decided to go for it. It has been a wild ride over the last 10 years. and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter of owning a brick-and-mortar has in store for me. DN: What is your background, and how did you develop your skill set? LC: My background is in marketing and graphic design. I studied advertising at Iowa State University and then began working at marketing firms post-graduation in 2011. I have always done freelance graphic design work, and after a lot of encouragement from family and friends, I decided to open an Etsy shop focused on paper goods in 2014. In 2017, my side gig had grown to a place where I felt confident leaving my corporate job to take my business full-time. The business continued to evolve from there, and I expanded my paper goods line into a full product line, including graphic apparel for women and kids, hats and mugs. DN: What has been the biggest challenge that you were able to solve? How did you do it? LC: Sourcing unique products has always been the biggest challenge my business faces. It takes a lot of research and developing strong relationships with manufacturers to be able to continually put unique, quality goods into my product line. DN: What are the one or two things within your business that you need to improve upon over the next 12 months? LC: More consistent marketing (I know, quite ironic coming from a person with my background in marketing). There's also going to be a huge learning curve for me with the new storefront. It's going to be a new chapter of this business for me, and I know it will be filled with many challenges, but I am so excited to continue to learn and grow right alongside this business. DN: Tell us how you market your business to grow sales. LC: Social media, email marketing, in-person events, e-commerce sales and wholesaling to other retailers across the country. DN: What interesting fact about your business don't most people know? LC: I donate a portion of my retail sales back to non-profits in the infertility space every year. Every single sale helps me give back to a cause that is very close to my heart. DN: What is your favorite book? LC: I love to read and it's really hard for me to pick just one. Kristin Hannah is one of my all-time favorite authors and two of my favorites of hers are "The Nightingale" and "The Great Alone." My two favorite books of 2024 were "Lady Tan's Circle of Women" by Lisa See and "All the Colors of the Dark" by Chris Whitaker. DN: Of all the places to which you've traveled, what has been your favorite and why? LC: I really love to travel. My kids have slowed my traveling excursions a bit over the last few years, but I would say my favorite two places to date are Maui, Hawaii, and Banff, Alberta, Canada. DN: What civic causes do you belong to? LC: I am a board member for the Hopeful Mama Foundation. The foundation is centered around supporting women battling infertility through financial grants, educational opportunities and support groups. DN: What inspires you to get out of bed every morning? LC: My greatest motivators are my two kids—Holden and Andi. I want to show them that you truly can be anything you want to be. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and in my line of work—creativity, but every dream is possible. I also am so fortunate that I love what I do. I love getting to design inspirational and uplifting products, I love getting to work with amazing partners to make those products come to life and I love getting the chance to see how it impacts people who shop with me. Visit Storied Folk & Co at 309 E. Water Street or online at www.storiedfolk.com Editor's note: Business Spotlight is produced by the newsroom of DecorahNews.com and is not a paid advertisement. The goal is to recognize area businesses by telling their stories. It is challenging to be an entrepreneur, regardless of the type or age of the business. DecorahNews.com recognizes the huge role that businesses play in our rural communities. If you own a business in Decorah or Winneshiek county and would like to be considered for an upcoming Business Spotlight, tell us about your business here.

Support your local businesses

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Storied Folk & Co.