fourth anniversary reflections with Shannon Richards

Can you believe it’s already been 4 years?

No, I can’t believe it’s been four years!

What routines do you follow every day?

I’m pretty consistent with my routines.  I have a nice cup of coffee and I get the kids up, we do breakfast and pack for school.  I check my email while I'm doing my hair.

Name a person or event that changed the course of your life, perhaps opening a door that led to founding Hay Runner.

Caleb (Johnson) was a big part of my influence of starting Hay Runner.

What issue(s) is Hay Runner trying to solve?

I think Hay Runner is trying to meet the market where it needs it right now. The problems of buying, selling, making or improving… they’ve always been there and they're always going to be here.  We’re just trying to make it easier to access and a better work environment for people who work with their hands.

What do you value most in your employees?

The idea or the ability to be a problem solver and to show up everyday positively and thinking about work in a proactive way instead of a reactive way.

What was your favorite project that Hay Runner has worked on?

My house probably. That was the most fun because I got to try stuff that I'm not sure I would offer to other people.  I got to do a beautiful stairwell and I got to do a beautiful tile layout and wood stove. And I did these lights that are really beautiful, made of steel and painted white with auto body paint.  I used glass block which is really pretty.  

What has been your biggest challenge these past 4 years?

I think the biggest challenge has been making sure that we don’t spend more than we make. Because when you’re growing really fast you can get over your skis.

What has Hay Runner accomplished ahead of schedule?  And are there any ideas that have faded?

We have exceeded my expectations in terms of growth, like tenfold.  I didn’t think we’d grow this quickly. Everytime I set a bar we exceeded the bar and I wasn’t being overly conservative.  But some of the packages I had thought we’d presell, like care packages.  That’s not turned into anything.  It might come down the pike, maybe we just need to get it a little further down the road.

Where is Hay Runner headed in the next:

• Week

• Year

• Decade

In the next week, we are shoring up the systems.  In the next year we are growing, we’re going to double in size.  And in the next decade we’re probably going to grow that much more. (moderator: Anywhere in particular?) I’d like to be international.

What advice would you give to someone that is just starting their own business? 

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and don’t put yourself out further than you can recover from.

What are you most proud of at Hay Runner?

The people.  The team we’ve put together.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I can't believe it’s been four years!  Went fast.