From Check Your Vibe to Funky Flannel Co.: Reviving a Creative Small Business
- Erin MeHarg
- Jul 11
- 6 min read
Funky Flannel Co. may look like a brand-new small business, but its story actually began several years ago with a different name, a mother-daughter partnership, and a lot of creative ideas.
My daughter and I originally started the business as Check Your Vibe. That was when I first began up-cycling flannel shirts and giving old tooled Western belts a new purpose. We enjoyed creating together, experimenting with different products, and building something that reflected both of our personalities.
Then life changed, as it tends to do.
My daughter graduated from high school and wanted to begin branching out on her own. Around the same time, our family moved to the Fort Worth area, and I began working in marketing. Between work, the move, and everyday responsibilities, Check Your Vibe slowly took a back seat.
The creative spark never completely disappeared, though.
Bringing the Brand Back to Life
Fast-forward to 2026. I was ready to bring the business back, but I also knew it needed to feel like mine.
Instead of simply reopening Check Your Vibe, I put on my marketing hat and began looking at the brand with fresh eyes. I considered what I wanted to create, who I wanted the business to reach, and what kind of personality I wanted it to have.
That process led to the birth of Funky Flannel Co.
The new name felt more connected to the products, the style, and the direction I wanted to take the business. It was playful, memorable, and flexible enough to grow alongside my ideas.
Rebranding the business also gave me the opportunity to practice what I often encourage other small-business owners to do: step back, look honestly at what is working, and make changes when the brand no longer reflects where you are going.
Finding the Funky Flannel Personality
I grew up in a small East Texas town, so country living and Western-inspired style have always felt natural to me.
I have always loved a good flannel shirt, worn denim, tooled leather, bandanas, and pieces that look like they already have a story to tell. Those became the foundation of Funky Flannel Co.
The brand combines Western, outdoorsy, vintage, and slightly funky influences. I did not want everything to look too polished or mass-produced. The charm comes from creating pieces with personality.
Many of the items begin with something I find at a thrift shop, garage sale, estate sale, or antique mall. I genuinely enjoy searching through racks, boxes, and forgotten corners for something that can be transformed and made useful again.
There is a special kind of joy in seeing potential in an overlooked item and giving it a second act and some fringe.
Creating and Photographing the Products for Funky Flannel Co.
I have always been a creative person. I sew, paint, draw, and use tools such as my Cricut to bring different ideas to life. Funky Flannel Co. gives me a place where all those creative interests can meet.
Sometimes I begin with a clear plan/sketch for a product. Other times, I find an interesting shirt, belt, patch, charm, or piece of fabric and let the item guide the idea.
Each piece is different, which is one of the things I enjoy most about running a handmade and up-cycled business.
Once a product is finished, the next challenge is showing it off.
I am not a formally trained photographer, but I have been taking pictures for most of my life. I enjoy setting a scene, arranging the products, and thinking about how someone might wear or use an item.
Product photography is more than snapping a quick picture. The setting, lighting, background, styling, and small details all help customers understand the personality of the product.
That process has also reminded me how much work small-business owners complete behind the scenes. The customer sees the finished shirt, bandana, or cuff bracelet. They may not see the hours spent finding materials, creating the piece, photographing it, editing pictures, writing the listing, and promoting it.
Building a Better Etsy Shop
I first opened my Etsy shop around four years ago.
At the time, I had no idea how Etsy worked. I dug in and figured out enough to get started, but I was also finishing college and could not devote the time needed to fully develop the shop or perfect the listings.
When I decided to rebrand as Funky Flannel Co., I knew the Etsy shop needed attention too.
I cleaned up older listings, reorganized the shop, refreshed the branding, improved product photos, and began learning more about Etsy search optimization. I have been working on better titles, descriptions, tags, categories, product variations, and collection ideas.
Etsy is its own little ecosystem, and I am still learning new tricks and tips.
That is one lesson I think every business owner eventually learns: launching something does not mean the learning stops. Platforms change, customer habits change, and sometimes the best approach is to test an idea, study the results, and make adjustments.
The Art of Preparing for Pop-Up Events
Funky Flannel Co. is not my first rodeo with vendor events. Long before Check Your Vibe, I started Wildflowers Boutique in 2011. Over the years, I have participated in many pop-ups, markets, and selling events. Preparing for them is hard work, but after doing so many, I have developed a system that almost feels like an art form.
Almost.
Events will always find a way to throw in a surprise.
At a recent event, we began setting up and the wind suddenly picked up. Products started blowing around, and the display needed immediate adjustments. Thankfully, I had come prepared with canopy weights and bungee cords.
That experience was another reminder that successful events are not only about having attractive products. You also need organization, signage, pricing, displays, backup supplies, weather plans, payment options, and the ability to solve problems quickly.
Marketing happens in those moments too.
The way a booth looks, the way customers are greeted, the ease of finding prices, the packaging, and the overall shopping experience all influence how people remember a business.
Marketing My Own Business Honestly
To be completely honest, I am still learning how to market my handmade business.
In the past, I probably did not market my own projects to their full potential. It can be surprisingly difficult to promote your own work, even when you help other businesses with marketing.
Client work often comes with deadlines, expectations, and a clearly defined goal. Your own business can easily become the project you promise to work on “when you have time.” That is something I am actively changing.
I have big plans for Funky Flannel Co., including new product collections, stronger Etsy listings, more consistent social media content, email marketing, vendor events, and better storytelling around the brand.
I am allowing myself to experiment, learn, and build it one step at a time. Feel free to to follow along on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to see what I create next.
Seeing Small-Business Marketing From Both Sides
Owning a product-based business has helped shape how I approach my work through EDM Creative.
I understand the outside marketing perspective. I can look at branding, messaging, content, customer experience, websites, social media, and promotional strategy.
But I also understand the inside perspective.
I know what it feels like to make the product, photograph it, price it, upload it, promote it, pack it, haul it to an event, and hope someone connects with it. I understand that small-business owners are often handling ten different roles before lunch.
That is also why I believe so strongly that marketing is about more than social media.
As I discussed in my blog, Marketing Is More Than Social Media, marketing also includes branding, merchandising, customer service, packaging, events, operations, websites, email communication, and the overall experience someone has with your business.
Social media may introduce someone to your brand, but everything else helps determine whether they remember it, trust it, and eventually make a purchase.
Funky Flannel Co. gives me the opportunity to test ideas in my own business, learn from the results, and better understand the entrepreneurs I serve through EDM Creative.
It is part creative outlet, part small-business laboratory, and part reminder that sometimes an old idea does not need to be abandoned.
Sometimes it simply needs a new name, a clearer direction, and another chance to shine.
If you are building, reviving, or rethinking your own small business, you do not have to figure out every part of your marketing alone. Through EDM Creative, I help small-business owners take an honest look at their branding, website, social media, and overall customer experience so they can move forward with more clarity and confidence.
Ready to see where your marketing stands? Learn more about the Blue Plate Special: Foundational Marketing Audit and discover the next best steps for your business.
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