Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Vaughn.
Holly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My husband and I saw enamel pins becoming popular, but we didn’t see any pins we wanted to buy ourselves. Being big sci-fi fans we started with a Blade Runner pin. When that was successful we branched out to other niche things we are interested in and that included all things vintage Las Vegas! So far, I have created over 50 designs, many of which focus on vintage neon signs and buildings from Vegas’s history.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have been very lucky in that we have been able to find our market of people who also love Las Vegas and vintage neon signage. We are currently expanding by selling wholesale to a lot of local shops in Las Vegas and hopefully Los Angeles soon too!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My favorite part of making these pins is finding something about Vegas that was iconic to people who grew up there or have visited a lot, and then turning that landmark or sign into a little keepsake that they can have forever. Vegas is famous for knocking down old things and reinventing itself, so a lot of this places are gone now. One of my favorite examples of this is the “Crazy Girls” ad campaign that happened in the 90’s. There were billboards and taxi signs that famously featured a row of women’s scantily clad butts, advertising the Crazy Girls show on the strip. I turned that image into a pin, and it gets a great laugh out of everyone who sees it and recognizes it.
What were you like growing up?
I come from a family of artists, I’ve always painted and done creative things so this was a natural progression for me. I’ve also always been interested in starting my own business and being my own boss. Growing up, I remember the anxiety I got when I realized that people went to work and stayed in one place for 8 hours of the day. I was always so afraid of that for myself. Being a self-employed freelance artist you actually end up working a lot longer than 8 hours a day, but it’s something I really enjoy and have loved to watch it grow. It’s pretty incredible and has given me so much confidence.
Pricing:
- $10-$12 per pin
Contact Info:
- Website: battleborn.shop
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @battlebornpins
Image Credit:
Wade Vandervort
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
