Rising Stars: Meet Lori Ford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Ford. She shares her story with us below:

Lori grew up in the South Bay of Los Angeles but left in 1992 to pursue her dreams. First earning an Art History degree at the University of Kansas, then onto Hollywood where she worked as a costume designer. In 2001 she moved to New York City for a career in fashion, and soon after met her husband Will. They had a daughter Lily in 2006, and Lori began to feel the pull of the South Bay. She always dreamed of having a shop inside an old home, with the home set up as you would live in it, couch full of beautiful pillows in the living room, dining table stocked with linens, cookbooks and serving pieces, etc. In the spring of 2008, the perfect spot became available, a 110 year old bungalow Lori had always admired in downtown Hermosa Beach, so the family jumped at the chance to take it over. Will’s background in the restaurant business became the catalyst for the cafe, and Gum Tree Shop & Cafe opened in November 2008.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m not sure that you could say the growth of any small business takes a smooth road! We have had plenty of bumps, i.e., learning experiences, along the way, but our determination and drive to make this family business work has kept us going. We make a great team, with Will handling the financials and the cafe and me handling the marketing and the shops, we have each used our strengths and expertise to make the business a success.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Gum Tree is a lifestyle shop and cafe, and we strive to give our customers a great experience from start to finish. We specialize in curating the best home decor and gifts, and we want our customers in our shops and on our website to enjoy the treasure hunt as they shop with us. I source products from all over the world, as well as right here in our own backyard. I buy things I love, and the unifying theme of every product in the shop is always great quality, functionality, and classic California style. Cookbooks are inspiring, with delicious recipes and fantastic photos, jewelry is classic and wearable, all of the products in our kid’s section are picked to combine to create the perfect gift. We merchandise our shops by color, and our site has a new feature as well where you can shop any category by color. We hope that shopping with us makes people happy, and we love to help our customers find the perfect gift for their loved ones.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think our success comes from a combination of determination, partnership, and originality. We are not afraid to work hard, and we certainly have over the years. We are flexible, we have undergone pivot after pivot, and we’re still here. I love to constantly source new products, keeping the shops and website fresh. It’s a fine line between stocking long-time favorites and bringing in new lines. We always want our customers to find something new and exciting, but also to be able to trust our quality and know that they can find items in our unique Gum Tree style.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@gumtreela.com
• Website: www.gumtreela.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gumtree_la/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gumtreela

Image Credits:
Lauren Pressey Photography