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Gift Body-Positive Athleisure Comfort with Embrace Earthleta Sister entrepreneurs built a feel good brand: feel good about your body, feel good with luxuriously comfy clothes and feel good about reducing your carbon footprint.
By LeAnna Faulknier
Tricia Archer is a working mom.
She puts in 40 hours per week as a full-time nurse practitioner for Cleveland Clinic Akron General in Pulmonology, before coming home to make dinner for her family.
But while she’s making dinner, Archer is also busy at work on her passion: Embrace Earthleta.
Embrace Earthleta is a local women-owned business in Akron, offering women’s active and 'athleisure' wear. Their product lines include the Wildflower Meadow, Rainforest, Storm, and Black clothing collections.
“Even if I get home from work and have to get dinner lined up for the night, I work and do everything as soon as I can," Archer said. If we have an order, I will get that together so then I can get it dropped off at the post office the next day.”
Her sister, DeAnna Neff, works full-time for Yanke Bionics. She works from home and goes into the office a couple of days per week. Neff is also a busy mom and runs Embrace Earthletica alongside her sister.
Many of the small business owners inside of Northside Marketplace are showcasing products at holiday shows and fairs around town are run by similarly busy Akronites either pursuing their passion or trying to make the world a better place.
“It is a lot of work, but we love it," Archer said. “When I’m outside my other job, I work and get down to whatever I can do."
Keeping customers top of mind, Archer and Neff work hard to ensure great service in addition to an inspiring product line.
"Today is my day off work, so I’m putting in as much as I can today," Archer said.
Tricia Archer and DeAnna Neff, owners of Embrace Earthleta. Photo courtesy of Embrace Earthleta.
Archer and Neff always wanted to start a business. They both love wearing athleisure active wear.
“We were trying to come up with a way (to combine) something we’re passionate about that will help improve the environment,” Archer said.
The sisters make clothing so that women can feel comfortable in their own skin.
“I feel like it’s hard to find something to look cute in, but our designs look cute on completely different shapes and sizes," she said.
Lots of focus has gone into making sure that everyone who wears Earthleta can go out looking and feeling their best.
“It’s something that can help you feel comfortable in going and hanging out, or meeting people at the gym,” Archer said.
Self-love and mental health are definitely at the brand's forefront, but as a Nurse Practitioner, Archer is also thinking about her customer’s physical well-being. Embrace’s mission is to build a community of inclusivity by bringing together individuals of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds of life. The ultimate theme of the business is to encourage a positive and healthy lifestyle.
The sisters are also dedicated to bettering the environment. They use and help develop materials that are eco-friendly by using recycled chemicals and materials.
In addition to the clothing being eco-friendly, the sisters also fulfill their mission through charitable giving, donating a portion of profits to non-profit organizations like Climate Change, Ocean Clean Up, and Rainforest Conservation.
Tricia Archer modeling the Biome Bra in Canopy and Terra Legging in Anaconda. Photo courtesy of Embrace Earthleta.
Earthleta's stand in the Northside Marketplace at 21 Furnace St. Photo by LeAnna Faulknier.
“Know that if you purchase from us, we’re trying to help improve the environment too," Archer said. "You’re participating in helping us do that,” she said.
When talking about the future of Earthleta, Archer noted that innovations are currently in the works over the short-term.
The brand will have a winter collection coming out that will include shorts and t-shirts for men.
Since both sisters are mothers, they are adding a maternity line including maternity leggings. Another upcoming product is a maternity nursing top, easy access for moms to nurse and can be easily stretched.
“We would like to grow into something else, but being such a small business, we haven’t yet had the opportunity,” Archer said.
The sisters attend events regularly to help build relationships within the community.
“I did an event over at Rogue Awakening and people got to come around and I got to talk with them and build a relationship with the community as well,” Archer said.
Embrace Earthleta will be attending an event on Monday, Dec. 5 at Rogue awakening. Also attending, Sip and Shop, a Christmas shop, in Fairlawn. The sisters are also looking to visit Babies and Bumps in the near future.
As for the long-term, they hope to grow to offer products and accessories other than clothes. They also hope to grow the philanthropic aspects of the business.
“At some point we’d like to put money aside for scholarships to help students with school and we’re a woman owned business, the companies that supply our clothing are women owned businesses too, which is something important to us,” she said.
Embrace Earthleta will have Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales up to 65% off and a holiday sale as well, which will run throughout the holidays. The holiday sale will start a few weeks before Christmas and extend after New Year's Day. Embrace Earthleta also offers year-round sales on original products.
Check out https://embraceearthleta.shop, to see their product lines and sales, and visit Northside Marketplace at 21 Furnace St, Akron, OH 44308 to shop in person.
Embrace Earthleta's Cross Back Buckle Bra and Legging in sunny marigold. Photo courtesy of Embrace Earthleta.
To reach content author LeAnna Faulknier, email her here.
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