CEO's You Should Know: Misty Burton - Ten Fold Collective

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
This is iheartradios CEOs. You shouldknow. I'm Gary David and today we're
joined by Misty Burton, the ownerof Tenfold Collective in Lexington. This month
May is National Small Business Month andthis is part of a series with the
Elexon Chamber of Commerce. Misty,good to see you. Hello, thank
you for having me Tenfold Collective.Give us an idea of what it is

(00:22):
your small business is all about?Of course, So Tenfold is an impact
brand, meaning that we have agenerous spirit and that we donate every month
a part of our proceeds to fighthuman trafficking. I saw that on your
website. I wanted to ask youshop with a purpose. Yeah, and
so our goal is to connect artisansand shoppers to each other in a way

(00:48):
that is authentic but drives social change. So now how did you get involved
in this? What is your background? And again this is we're talking about
fashion items, right, So wesell everything from jewelry to gift items,
home decor, some apparel. Butreally we're specific about who makes our items

(01:11):
and how they're made. So howdid you get from wherever you were to
here? So I'm a teacher bytraining. I went to Clemson University,
and I again, I grew upwanting to be an educator, and I
hold a master's degree in special atand I taught school for seven years.
I actually have twins, so whenthey were born, I left the classroom

(01:33):
for a bit. And then Icontinued to work for a publishing company just
as a contract worker for about tenyears. And I loved that work.
But I always tell the story abouttenfold. It started because I learned too
much about human trafficking. And it'sone of those social issues that I feel
like, once you know, youcan't unknow and people will be surprised at

(01:55):
how much of that happens right herein this state, for sure, in
the county that I was living.I mean, I live in Lexington County
and at the time, I wasdoing a lot of volunteer work, and
it just kept coming back to me. The issue kept being put in front
of me, and so much sothat I just couldn't ignore it anymore.
And I knew that. I knewthat I if I could find a way

(02:19):
to just start conversations with people aboutit in a non threatening way, you
know, really just over, hey, where did you get your earrings?
That people might listen and they have. You know, you have already answered
a bunch of questions I was goingto ask, Okay, great things like
what makes you your company and yourleadership unique from others in the field.
And that's certainly a big one rightthere. Yeah, and I wish we

(02:43):
had more folks who would do whatyou do again, shopping with a purpose.
And I do think that every businesscan add that element. I don't
think you have to start that way. I think that you have to find
whatever breaks your heart and then insome way use your business for good.
It doesn't have to be, youknow, the cornerstone of your business like

(03:04):
it is for Tenfold. But everybodycan find something to have a generous posture.
So that's what drives you. Butwhen it comes to actually doing business,
what's what's your philosophy? You're asmall business, right, but no
doubt you there are the people thatwork with you, part of your team,
and what's your philosophy when it comesto to leading a small business.

(03:27):
When I was first starting Tenfold,You know, again, we compete nowadays
with Amazon and Sheen and all ofthese other companies that people just want it
fast, quick, cheap, right, That's what we are up against every
day, and Amazon being one ofthose. However, a Jeff Bezos quote
is one of my absolute favorites.Really yeah, and he says we're stubborn

(03:50):
on vision, but we're flexible inthe details. And he says that people
who are right most of the timeare people who change their minds, and
that to me embodies what I hopeTinfold is because we want to be clear
on what our vision is, thatwe want to connect makers and small women
owned businesses to shoppers, but howwe get there and the ways in which

(04:15):
we do it, even with Temfold, it's changed over time. You know,
I started this business with one productthat I made and now we have
upwards of sixty five brand partners iswhat we call them, Wow, and
you know we're having global impact.Is there anything in your daily as you
go about doing business? What's what? What do you look to for inspiration?

(04:38):
Aside again from your mission and yourpurposes we talked about, but when
it comes to actually running a smallbusiness, what's helpful to you in learning
and growing? And are the thingsthat you look at the things you follow.
I do follow a lot of businessesthat are like minded, and I
found a lot of strength and justcommunity there. Yeah, you know friends

(05:00):
who own businesses like Tenfold in otherparts of the country and so we compare
notes, we share what we're youknow, what conferences we're going to and
the things that are impacting us.Brene Brown has had a big impact on
me. She's an author who wrotea book called Darren Greatly And I would
say, not to sound cheesy,but I think Darren Greatly probably changed my

(05:21):
life truly because it's just such aprofound book. Yeah, for leadership,
take that first step, keep takingsteps. Then she wrote another book called
Dare to Lead, and I justI think she is. She's really influenced
who I am as a person anda business owner. Speaking of Misty Burton
from a Tenfold collective, I shouldsay the owner of that boutique over in

(05:44):
Lexington as a part of our CEOs, you should know Spotlight this month the
National Small Business Month and sponsored bythe Lexingdon Chamber of Commerce. Misty,
for folks listening right now are thinking, you know, I would one day
like to, you know, putup my sogn and start my own small
business. What advice would you giveto that person? Well, I think
it goes back to what I said, you know, being stubborn on your

(06:06):
vision and flexible in details, knowthat your business is going to change every
time. You know. Another thingthat I really focus on with Temfold is
your brand is what people say aboutyou when you're not in the room.
Right. But that's true of everythingin our whole life, right. And
I want the customer experience to beone that people walk away knowing more about

(06:30):
an issue or feeling a certain way. You know, we really focus on
customer experience just when they're in ourpresence or when they're online, so that
are we telling our story? Well, so that would be for me,
you know. I just think thatthat's so important that our brand has a
strong reputation and a good name.Absolutely. Now, obviously between owning and

(06:55):
operating a small business and in yourmission when it comes to human trafficking and
using awareness of that anything else outside, does that leave you time? And
having twins does that leave you timefor anything else? So there are other
things that you enjoy doing that sometimesyou just got to step back and do
something for you. Sure, sowe my husband and I love to travel.
We try to, you know,travel a few times a year,

(07:17):
just the two of us. Butwhen we're not working, we're usually chasing
around our three boys. So Ihave twins that are seventeen, no,
eighteen now excuse me, seniors inhigh school. They're baseball players, so
we can be found often on thebaseball field. Been there, done watching.
We just want to be a partof what they're doing. And then
we have another son who is twelve, and we just find great joy in

(07:39):
doing what they do. So yeah, and that the truth, right sure,
Misty Burton, is so nice tomeet you. Thank you for having
me Tenfold Collective in Lexington. Andagain this is as the website says,
shopping with a purpose. This hasbeen iheartradios CEOs. You should know