Tell us a little about yourself and your company. Give us the elevator pitch.

My name is Danielle Casey and I co-founded Locate Paradise with my best friend Danni Mitchell. Locate Paradise is an online market & lifestyle brand empowering others to discover their personal paradise. We’re a curated shop selling products both made by us, through collaboration and by Artists & Makers in our community.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career?

The biggest challenge for us was narrowing in and focusing on what it was we were truly passionate about. When we began our business partnership, we were a design studio offering branding design services which eventually transitioned into a stationery company which then transitioned into an online market & lifestyle brand. We were trying to build the plane and fly it at the same time…all while the plane was going in different directions! We got to a point where we weren’t even sure if we could continue moving forward. Thankfully we realized we had to take a back seat and decide on where we wanted our destination to be. 

What was the most braggable moment in your life?

Thankfully we’ve both been able to accomplish some pretty amazing things in our personal lives as well as our professional lives. I think the most exciting part of our lives, in reference to our business together, was when we first saw our product in a window display at West Elm. It’s been one of our favorite home furnishing stores for many years now and in the beginning we always talked about how accomplished we’d feel once we got into a big box retailer. 

What is your biggest weakness and strength?

This one is easy…and we like to thank Thinqbeta for helping us clarify it. Our biggest strength is definitely our skills and natural ability to innovate. We’re constantly thinking of new ideas…and that leads us to one weakness, our ability to execute them all. We’ve never seriously considered obtaining outside investments, so it’s been a battle trying to produce every product that we create. 

What was the greatest lesson you’ve learned from a mistake?

Don’t be afraid to take some extra time and get more eyes & minds involved! It’s smarter, and definitely more economical, to take the time in the beginning and get things right from the start. We’ve made many, many mistakes along the way that may have avoided altogether with a little double and triple-checking along with some outsider insight. Basically, don’t rush! 

What do you love most about what you do?

A part of our philosophy is to encourage our community to redefine paradise. We love it when our friends and followers share the different ways they’re discovering paradise — whether it’s by rearranging the furniture in their room, watching cat videos in bed all day or buying themselves a bouquet of flowers just because…

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

That if 90% of your time isn’t spent on marketing, then what you’re doing is just a hobby. 

How do you define happiness?

I think I began to truly understand happiness when I realized that it isn’t a constant, it comes in fleeting moments and often times you have to fight for them. I typically find these moments when I’m living in the present and taking time for myself; whether that’s doing something I love, spending time with those I love or being completely immersed in beautiful & inspiring environments. 

If you could give someone starting out in your field a piece of advice, what would it be?

Hire a good accountant…and a great lawyer! 

What’s a personal habit that contributes to your success?

Loads of hot tea, meditation, cats and some occasional exercise. We need those mental breaks to keep balance and a sense of calm in our lives.