Waypoint Goods Founder Caitlin Blythe

Caitlin Blythe knew there was something better on the other side of the office door. An architect by training, she’d spent most of her young adult years in a traditional corporate environment, always knowing she’d rather be outside, traveling, cycling, and adventuring. For a study-abroad trip to chilly Scandinavia in 2015, where she’d get to indulge her love for bicycling through different cities, she sewed her own travel scarf. Featuring a pocket for holding a handful of essentials, it would allow her skip the bag and go hands-free.

The scarf logged as many miles as Caitlin did on that trip, and proved so useful that it became her constant companion even afterward. So in early 2017, she set about translating her idea to a scalable e-commerce business. Through Waypoint Goods, she provides the same convenience, style, and safety to travelers who would rather focus on their experience than on whether their bag is secure while they’re walking crowded streets or relaxing at a busy cafe. (Or if they’ve accidentally left it behind at said busy café or restaurant or theater or museum. . . . Not that I would know anything about this.)

In between trips and business, she took some time to talk about how she founded Waypoint, the inspiration behind its design-minded collections, and the rewards of being her own boss.

Robin Catalano: What motivated you to start Waypoint Goods and create the Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf?

Caitlin Blythe: I desperately wanted to find an alternative lifestyle to the standard 8:00 to 5:00. I love to be outside and adventuring. I knew sitting at a desk all day and living for two weeks a year of vacation would never fulfill my soul.

I am passionate about traveling and exploring and wanted to create a woman’s company around that idea that I would be able to run while traveling myself. I knew e-commerce was the way to go. I was lucky enough to have an incredible mentor who helped show me the ropes and walk me through the early stages, including getting going on Amazon.

RC: Describe your “a-ha” moment where you thought, “I can make a business out of this.”

CB: I won a traveling architecture scholarship in 2015 and headed off to Scandinavia to study the effect of bicycles on urban infrastructure. Knowing that I would not be able to carry a bag and bicycle through the city, I set about sewing a scarf with a pocket in it to stash my phone, passport, and bike lock keys while riding, and keeping the Nordic chill at bay. It was more of a convenience and style factor than a safety precaution.

After three weeks in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, the scarf had become my constant companion. It was only in early 2017 when I started Waypoint Goods that I actually considered the travel scarf as a viable product for e-commerce.

Waypoint Goods’ Denver scarf design detail

Waypoint Goods’ Denver scarf

RC: How did you choose the name Waypoint?

CB: I knew I was creating a travel accessories company and had a few names in mind. I tested a few out and got peoples’ reactions and first impressions. I settled on Waypoint Goods because I loved the idea of life as a journey with a series of waypoints and destinations that inspire wonder and delight in the beautiful world around us.

RC: What was your background before this? Was Waypoint an industry shift for you, and if so, how did you work through any doubts/fears about leaping into a new industry?

CB: I am a classically trained and licensed architect. Creating Waypoint Goods was definitely an industry shift for me, but I am constantly surprised by how much of my skills cross over. The practical requirements of creating a product that solves a problem while being aesthetically pleasing is the age-old quest for all architects and designers. Designing surface and textile patterns is actually quite similar to creating three-dimensional space and the graphic design of organizing ideas.

Everything comes down to storytelling. Of course, things like accounting, inventory management, and social media marketing are new and scary, but I try to balance my week with one or two tasks that are fun and easy and one or two that are challenging and difficult so I don’t get overwhelmed.

RC: Tell us about the different types of products you offer. What makes them different from other travel clothing?

CB: I created the Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf to bring a fashion-forward solution to travel safety. With the large hidden zipper pocket, you are able to keep your passport, phone, wallet, hotel key, or other valuables safe and secure in an unexpected location for easy access. You are able to travel hands-free without constantly worrying about a purse or bag and can focus on your experience.

With a standard midweight scarf for most occasions, we are also developing a lightweight version for warm destinations and a heavyweight for cooler climates.

The function of the Travel Scarf is what makes it essential, but the unique travel-themed patterns are what make them unique. The City Series has patterns for Denver, Paris, and Oslo. The National Parks Series currently has Yellowstone National Park, with others to follow, and with the purchase of each scarf, 1 percent of sales goes back to the National Park Foundation! The Art Series currently has a Watercolor World Map pattern and will soon feature a capsule collection for a local Denver artist. We are thrilled to see the Stadium Series launch this fall with your favorite team colors. Stay tuned for all of the releases!

RC: How do you choose the materials and colors/patterns?

CB: In the beginning, I tested tons of different fabric types, fabric weights, dimensions, and pocket sizes for the scarves. Then I had new samples made and tested them again. After a few more rounds of samples, I finally found the scarf dimensions, fabric weight, and pocket size that were perfect. The knit polyester fabric is durable enough for the demands of travel, wrinkle free, and buttery soft with a luxurious drape.

The solid colors are inspired by natural elements and the seasonality of colors, all while making sure to flatter various skin tones and coloration.

The City Series patterns are inspired by my favorite travel destinations. I strongly believe each city has an essence, which is why the patterns are city inspired, not country or regions. (This is probably the architect in me.) I photograph the unique and unusual moments of a place to understand its essence, voice, and character. I translate my experience into a textile pattern highlighting that city.

Other series, like the National Parks Series are causes that I believe in and am passionate about. I work with artists who inspire me and whose work I resonate with for the Art Series.

I created the Stadium Series to enjoy being a fan, competition and bring a lifestyle application to the Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf.

Waypoint Goods’ Oslo scarf design detail

Waypoint Goods’ Oslo scarf

RC: What were the most challenging parts of getting your business off the ground?

CB: The biggest hurdle was always time. While working full-time and trying to get a business going, it was hard to prioritize the time to devote to building a business while still spending time with family and friends and doing what I love. After the creative drain of working all day, it’s difficult to cultivate creativity to work on your own projects. I ended up shifting my day to get up early and work on Waypoint in the mornings, when my creativity was at its best and I was distraction-free. This allowed me to go to work during the day and then spend time relaxing with friends and family in the evenings.

RC: What has changed most about the business—or you as a businessperson—since you founded it?

CB: The design aspects of the business were always my favorite, and I put off the hard stuff like accounting and marketing. Now I am finding joy in some of the mundane tasks of business and exploring a whole new side of myself that I never knew existed.

RC: What do you think are your biggest accomplishments in business?

CB: The biggest accomplishment for me was to be able to leave my job as an architect at the end of April 2018 to pursue Waypoint as a full time endeavor.

RC: What has surprised you the most about running Waypoint, or about people’s reaction to your mission?

CB: People are constantly surprised to know that I wanted to leave a stable, highly-regarded corporate job to change industries and start something new.

I am constantly surprised by how much there is to learn and how much I enjoy learning different aspects of the business, every step of the way.

RC: How many hours do you typically work in a week? Is there any particular task that you love…any that you could do without?

CB: My favorite part about running my own business is that every week is different. We travel a lot, and some weeks are photoshoots and editing photos, some weeks are receiving and checking in inventory, and some weeks are relax, recharge and adventure weeks.

Waypoint Goods’ Yellowstone scarf

RC: What type of marketing do you do to get the word out about the Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf? Have you found the return on investment to be worth it?

CB: We do a lot of traditional marketing techniques, including social media and e-mail newsletters, but our favorite is working with micro influencers! I meet wonderful travel influencers who love the product and have a small to midsize audience, and work with them to do product reviews and giveaways. This allows us to tap into their audience and home in on a very specific demographic. It creates personal relationships with women all over the world and truly creates a community.

RC: Have you found it beneficial to join any professional networking groups?

CB: I absolutely enjoyed being part of the Women in Travel Summit! The women I met there, including you, are so wonderful, talented, and driven. I love finding ways to work together and collaborate on projects.

RC: Did you ever have a moment where you thought “This is too hard” or “I’m done with this”? How did you work through it?

CB: Honestly, no. Even though I have tough days, setbacks, and hurdles to overcome, I am so happy to have created a lifestyle and a business that I love. I get to work from anywhere in the world, travel, be outdoors, spend time with family and friends, and never need to worry about having enough vacation time or get “time-off approvals.” Sure, some days are hard, but the corporate life was never for me and I have never looked back.

RC: What’s the key to staying relevant as consumer tastes and purchasing philosophies change?

CB: I am my own customer, so I get to watch my own tastes change and evolve with the market and produce new and on trend colors and patterns. Following my own purchasing habits and following brands I admire lets me respond to industry changes and constantly adapt.

RC: How do you creatively recharge?

CB: I absolutely crave the outdoors. After being cooped up in an architecture office for my young adulthood, I seek sunshine and nature to revive and recharge my creativity. I am a passionate cyclist and snowboarder and am at home in the mountains. Sometimes I seek solitude and time to think. Other times I need to get pushed out of my introverted box and be surrounded by people and new places to find energy and inspiration.

RC: What’s the worst (or least useful) piece of business advice you’ve ever been given, and what’s the best?

CB: I don’t think I can pinpoint the worst advice I have been given, but the best is easy: “Don’t settle for ordinary. Follow your dreams and do what you love.” My parents have always inspired me to work hard and be passionate about what I am doing, and you can’t help but be successful.

Follow Caitlin and Waypoint Goods—and the adventures of the Waypoint Goods Travel Scarf—on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.