I’m Erin Flynn, Cladwell Founder
Welcome! I’m the founder of the personal styling app called Cladwell.
Here is where I frequently write, curate, and share honest stories about what it’s like to build a business, live with intention and style.
Transparency lives here. So glad you made it.
Good Gardeners
There’s a language we’ve bought into as founders. I’ve occasionally adopted it myself. Not the acronyms or business buzzwords, though equally annoying, but the verbiage of hustle and startup culture.
Hustle for it.
Play hardball.
Win their business.
Crush them.
You just got to play the game.
As if we are either winners or losers with no in-between.
Add fuel to the fire.
My hands are tied.
Kill it.
Execute.
Take them out.
As if we’re managing a hostage situation rather than a company.
Work tirelessly.
Grow faster.
Rise and grind.
24/7
As if we’re more machines than living beings.
Words matter. The language we use to communicate defines our beliefs and shapes the environment around us.
What if we thought of our companies as gardens? What if we viewed our teammates as greenery rather than armies or machines? What if startups weren’t meant to be optimized, but cultivated?
A good gardener knows there are natural rhythms to respect that produce a plentiful harvest. There are seasons of planting, tending, and gathering. There are seasons of sharing and rest. And when something doesn’t bloom, a gardener doesn’t shame the seed, but evaluates the environment, cultivates, and begins again.
What if we thought of our businesses as gardens?
The Naturalist
You prefer items that represent nature and are comfortable to wear, like super soft linens or organic cotton fabrics. You balance class and comfort with your no-fuss looks.
“Slow living is about intention, spending more time
on things that are important and less
on things that aren’t.”
— Brooke McAlary
