EP #70 - Every Purchase Makes a Difference: Breaking Up with Amazon and The Preppy Mess Story

Carrie Shea founded The Preppy Mess with a simple yet powerful idea—your everyday purchases can drive meaningful change. During COVID-19, she realized that navigating a busy life as a mother of two didn’t mean sacrificing ethical consumerism. Her Instagram-based shop curates sustainable alternatives to toxic household products, making conscious shopping both accessible and realistic. Acknowledging the convenience of major retailers like Amazon, Carrie encourages small steps toward sustainability, celebrating progress over perfection.

Her mission is deeply personal. When her first daughter survived a life-threatening condition against all odds, Carrie's priorities shifted, shaping both her parenting and business philosophy. She believes kindness should be the foundation of change, inspiring others to take intentional steps toward ethical shopping. Whether swapping out a single product or embracing a more sustainable lifestyle, her approach is about making a difference without unrealistic expectations. Follow @thepreppymess on Instagram to explore brands that align with your values while keeping life practical.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, YvonneGodfrey.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Today, we have the privilege tohave Keri Shea in our virtual
studio, and she is the owner ofthe Preppy Mess.
I am looking forward tolearning more about the Preppy
Mess, and I'm sure you are aswell.
So at this time, keri, how areyou doing today?

Speaker 3 (00:29):
I am doing quite well .
Thank you for asking.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Wonderful, wonderful.
So, keri, can you please tellour listeners about your company
?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
It's a little challenging to explain it just
because I don't think there's alot of preppy messes out there,
but I decided at one point as awoman mom, human, wife,
everything else that I needed togive people access to good

(01:02):
companies with a little bit moreconvenience.
And I discovered this justbecause I have been at a loss to
find a real path to support allthe different things that are
happening in my world, and Irealized that, as a shopper, I
have a huge impact.

(01:23):
Right, our dollar counts, sothe preppy mess is.
It's based on social media, somy primary spot for the preppy
mess is Instagram.
I have a shop on there thatallows people to access what I
would refer to as ethical brands.
So I'm what I'm trying to do isprovide them with convenient

(01:44):
access to more consciousshopping.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh okay, conscious shopping is excellent.
How did you get into thisbusiness, keri Well?

Speaker 3 (01:54):
the struggle was really right.
I'm going through COVID, I'mwatching all the things that are
happening in my world.
I'm feeling like I should be atprotests with signs and saying
you know where are we headedwith all of this and um, but at
the same time, I'm.
I do have two young kids, I dohave three dogs, I do have a
husband who routinely might needsome assistance.

(02:15):
So, um, I was trying to figureout for myself how do I find my
voice, and that's when I reallydiscovered my power as a buyer
for our family.
We spend a lot of money everymonth on all these little items
that have become part of ourroutine, and I was bringing a
lot of brands into my householdthat I was trusting and I, after

(02:38):
doing a little bit of research,quite quickly figured out that
the brand loyalty there was notreciprocal, and I was bringing
all these toxins into my homeand I was also becoming very
aware that they were not takingany steps to preventing the
plastic and everything else fromentering our earth.

(03:00):
So that's really where it wasborn.
The Preppy Mess was born from mystruggle with that, and I
decided that I was going toreally start paying attention to
where our dollar went and, asyou can imagine, I was very
passionate about this.
I started sharing it with all ofmy girlfriends and encouraging
them and basically probablyguilting them and shaming them

(03:21):
about their water bottle use,and they told me that I needed
to find another avenue, anotherway to do this beyond them, and
that's when the Preppy Mask wasreally born.
It originally started out as amom project, right Like a hobby
that I love doing, and it'sgrown from there.
I get feedback all the timeabout how I am helping people

(03:42):
and I just want to keep doing it.
I want to keep researching andkeep finding those companies
that maybe aren't on our radar.
Right Like, thankfully, the,the eco-friendly, sustainable
marketplace is blowing up.
Thrifting is blowing up, butthere's a lot of small
entrepreneurs out there that areusing their ingenuity to
introduce products into thiseconomy that really warrant some

(04:06):
closer looks, so I like to tryto find those and bring them to
the forefront.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Beautiful.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
We tend to trust the big brands because we're
familiar with the name and theyshould be doing more, but
oftentimes they cut cornerswould really be focusing on

(04:36):
sustainability, but what I'vefigured out is that I'm actually
focusing more on convenience,because it becomes a culture of
convenience.
We want everything immediatelyright there for us.
So Amazon comes up prettyregularly in these discussions
and I always say I'm not ananti-Amazoner, I'm an Amazon
realist.
So I realize that it has aplace in the marketplace and I
realize that it has a place inour lives, but I don't think

(04:57):
that we need to rely on it asheavily as we do.
I think we've become Amazonaddicted and I'm trying to help
those that are interested inbreaking Beautiful.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
It starts with someone to get the message out.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
I'm just trying to do my part.
I, I, uh, I really enjoy it andI do it for my own family, so I
hope that it helps to empowerothers Well said Well said.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
So what are some myths or misconceptions that you
have experienced along the way?

Speaker 3 (05:37):
conceptions.
Well, I think number one and Ithink it's the biggest one that
stops people from evenattempting like sustainable
living or anything like that, isthis idea that we have to do
everything perfectly right, thatit has to be all or nothing.
And I'm named my company isnamed the Puppy Mess for a
reason, and that's because I amimperfect.
You know, I am trying tocelebrate myself in that that

(06:00):
title right, that that takingbaby steps towards these goals
is the goal.
It really striving forperfection is unrealistic.
I joke all the time that I findperfection exhausting and I
really hope that that translatesto people on the other end that
I am trying to find options forthem that ultimately, can bring

(06:23):
them a little bit of joy inthese transitions.
It's not an all or nothingoption.
Maybe you change out your dishsoap, Maybe you find a way to
not rely on Ziploc bags as much.
Maybe you figure out that yourathletic brand is full of
plastics and is rubbing upagainst your skin and you want

(06:44):
to make that simple change tojust more of a plant-based
option.
I truly believe that any stepis the right step and I hope
that people can maybe givethemselves a little bit of room
to not try to be as perfect, Onestep at a time.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
You can't do it all at one time.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
Although we try, it's absurd.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
That's yeah, that's life, though that's typical.
So, outside of work, carrie,what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Ah, that is a good question.
Well, I do have two kids, threedogs and a husband.
I have a phenomenal network ofwomen around me, so I'm lucky
that that provides plenty ofstimuli.
We are a family that skis, wegosh.
We do a lot of things justsports, athletics, quality time

(07:38):
with my friends.
I'm very much into audiobookslately, so that's been my
favorite thing, but I've beenhearing a lot that I have to
listen to more podcasts,apparently, so that's on my list
as well.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Awesome, awesome, okay, so let's change gears.
Carrie, can you describe onehardship or one of life's
challenge that you rose aboveand can now say because of it,
you're better and stronger thanyou were before?

Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah.
So this issue, I guess, orsituation, arose when I was
pregnant with our first child.
She was diagnosed in utero witha life-threatening condition
and was given a very smallchance of survival, and we at
the time I worked at BostonChildren's Hospital, so it was

(08:30):
very much kismet that I was ableto reach out to the right
doctors in that moment.
It was a very empowering momentfor me, but she ended up being
delivered.
She was the first child atBoston Children's Hospital to
survive with this condition andshe spent three months in the
hospital in the NICU, has twovery rare conditions that we

(08:52):
still live with every day withher medication.
I really should say she liveswith every day.
We live to support her.
But I think what that did for meis and it's much like any
traumatic situation that we gothrough it helps you
reprioritize right.
It helps you see how much wecomplicate our own lives and for

(09:15):
me that has changed my outlookas a parent, as a human.
I now try to grasp onto that,those moments, not as a negative
but as a positive.
I try to use them to remind meand guide me that you know life
is very precious and valuableand I just want to be out there

(09:39):
being a good part of it.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
So yes, it's amazing the things that come across
different people's plate thatthey're able to handle, and
unless you tell others whatyou're going through, people
would look at you and envy youor wish that they can emulate
you, be like you, whatever thecase may be.
But you know they don't knowwhat you're going through.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
They really don't and and we I'm trying to help my
children understand that as wellthat we have, you know, our own
struggles within our household.
But everybody has their hurdles.
They come at a different pointin their lives but you're almost
assured that you're going torun into these hurdles and it's,
I mean, our big motto.

(10:24):
I feel like the constant mom,but I'm always like just start
with kindness, like just startthere, and hopefully they're
listening.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Kindness goes a long way, we can hope.
My mama used to tell mekindness will take you all over
the world Anyhow, carrie.
How can so please tell ourlisteners one thing they should
remember about the preppy mess?

Speaker 3 (10:54):
That I'm here, that I exist.
I'm right here in your backyardthat I'm here, that I exist.
I'm right here in your backyard.
I am always looking forfeedback from anybody that's
following me, but I just want toreally be a resource for people
.
But maybe before you go toAmazon, you give my shop a look
and see if you can't find abrand that's worth reconsidering

(11:15):
or considering Sounds great andat the same time, you're
shopping local, you'resupporting local.
I am shopping local.
I definitely try to find ahappy balance between national,
actually international, eveninternational, national and
local, Just so my audience doeshave that convenience factor so.
But I am a huge advocate oflocal.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
So how can our listeners learn more about the
preppy mess?

Speaker 3 (11:41):
You just need to follow me at the preppy mess on
Instagram.

Speaker 2 (11:46):
I'm right, there Sounds great.
Well, carrie, I reallyappreciate you being on the show
with us today.
We wish you and your businessall the best moving forward.
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (11:59):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
I really appreciate it.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPNorthshorecom.
That's GNPNorthshorecom, orcall 857-703-9406.