The Hand Me Up mission is simple.
“We curate capsule clothes for kids.
We work together to keep your kids’ closets full while reducing textile waste through upcycling,
recycling, and community-charitable donations.”
The work they do to uphold this mission, while not as simple, is something they are passionate about.
Meet the Founders of Hand Me Up
Nicole Boynton, co-founder Hand Me Up
Nicole is a passionate heart. When she loves something, it is with all she has. This shows through her work on Hand Me Up, and the way she lives her day-to-day life. Her heart beats for ethical, sustainable fashion and offering encouragement to moms. Okay, let’s be real, it really beats for her two beautiful little girls and her high school sweetheart hubby. Nicole is an autoimmune warrior. She is fighting the good fight of a rare autoimmune disease called Wegener’s. Nicole is a fiercely loyal friend and an avid researcher. Oh, she also can put espresso away better than any tired mom.
Kara Livingston, co-founder Hand Me Up
Kara is an extrovert with the will to conquer just about anything, even the fast fashion industry. Kara met the love of her life in the middle of finding out she had a disease that was taking her vision. She is now married to that love, and is still fighting to keep her eyesight. She is a mom to two kids, a boy and a girl. She had a career in corporate America, and believed in her heart that there had to be a way to have a career and be in the carpool line every single day. That is where her passion for Hand Me Up lies – to find a way to use the power of motherhood, while also being a present mother herself.
How Hand Me Up Does What They Do
Taken directly from their website,
“We promise to always be transparent with what we are doing with the clothes you send us.
We promise to use every item to the best our of ability. Even if it means working to get out stains.
We promise to send you the highest quality clothes we receive from our hand me down bags.
We promise to always look for new and innovative ways to upcycle and recycle clothes.
We promise to treat all the clothes we receive just like they were our own. “
THE BAG
THE BAG is a collection of capsule-style clothing based on size, climate, and gender. Pre-loved items are styled and assembled personally by our team of moms, and are available for purchase anytime!
Bags are carefully prepared with 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 1 bonus item. The duo often share examples on their Instagram of items that are being sent out to their customers.
They offer a short 5-question quiz to identify the right styles for your kiddos and then pair pieces that wear well together. They are genuine in their intention to make dressing your kiddos easy for you and easy on the earth.
HAND ME DOWN
This part of the business is the backbone that holds the entire thing up. By using on of their pre-paid shipping labels they accept gently-used clothing items that are then used to fill BAG orders.
Items that don’t quite meet the standard and criteria for THE BAG are not wasted by any means. This is where the company gets even cooler than it already is. Are you ready?
RePLAY
Nicole and Kara partner with local artisans to repurpose textiles they receive that have reached the end of their life as childs’ clothing wear.
CHARITABLE DONATIONS
In extension to their curated offerings, the company has set up partnerships with several local organizations. This allows them to further the reach of their mission by allowing teen moms to provide comfortable clothes for their kids to play in.
Hand Me Up Hires Abundant Collab Co.
Prior to their company launch, Kara and Nicole reached out and set up a time for some marketing strategy and brainstorming to tighten up their message logistics.
It was during this time that I had the opportunity to fall in love with the vision and intent of this new company. We reviewed wording, elevator pitch, item names, product descriptions, and a brief overview of ideal website layouts to help their message convert. They had put in a lot of legwork of their own before reaching out and because of this we made tremendous progress in just a few hours time together.
It has been a privilege watching this company launch and use their platform to serve parents and guardians through convenient clothing. But to see them using their platform to create a comfortable space to educate on the facts surrounding fast-fashion, ethical work environments, and landfill waste is something I’m personally moved by.
I hope you’ll consider making a purchase from Hand Me Up the next time your kiddos grow out of their favorite clothes overnight.
Hear About Their Experience with Katie
“The marketing message we created was simple and to the point. Exactly what we were looking for.
Messaging is hard enough to write, but then displaying it together correctly [on the website] is even harder. Katie was super helpful at making both make sense together.
We had specific content goals to achieve. We did that and solved other problems as the arose.
Katie is professional, equipped and supportive. She wants you to succeed and she has the skills to help you do so.”
Kara & Nicole, thank you for the opportunity to be part of the Hand Me Up mission by supporting your marketing efforts.
Hi there, I’m Katie Taylor! A website designer, business strategist, and creative analyst! I help service-based businesses take their websites from drab to fab with purpose, beautiful design, and strategy so they can stand out online with a better brand, easily book dream clients, and spend more time enjoying life. I also work 1:1 with businesses to create better marketing outcomes.
If you don’t feel this great about your marketing message, might you set up a call with me to discuss how we can work together so that you do? You can also email me directly at katie@abundantcollabco.com.