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V O L . X X V I N O. X I X A U G U S T 1 0 , 2 0 2 0 24 In April, Flett and L.L.Bean announced a partnership on custom- made totes sold exclusively in Bean's stores and on its website. "When we visited Erin in her studio last year, we fell in love with her passion, talent, approach and integrity," the iconic Freeport retailer said on Facebook when it announced the partnership. In June, Flett won the "Greenlight Maine" $100,000 grand prize in a field of 25 contestants. Her collaborations "are a big part of what makes a brand work," judge Corky Ellis, founder of Kepware Technologies, said in the series finale. "I have to give her a lot of credit for putting the foun- dation in place for that." Flett says collaborations, both big and small, have been her business education. "I feel like a lot of the shops my products are sold in have been my men- tors," she says. Retailers have guided her on price, what colors are popular, and more. "e key to success is listening to the customer." Manufacturing too, Flett says, "isn't something you go to school to learn." Much of what she's learned, has been out of necessity and through collaborations Natasha Durham, owner of Rough & Tumble Design, has played a large role in that education. e two have known each other for years. "She gets it, and we can feed off each other," Flett says. Durham, who calls Flett her "comrade, confidante and inspira- tion," says Flett also has that extra something. "Erin is driven in a way that vindi- cates my own drive when it feels crazy and over the top," Durham says. "She has grace under pressure, and never wavers from the challenge of succeed- ing, while rewarding and honoring all the ones that hold you up." Flett started out at the University of Kansas as a journalism major, but a chance meeting with a graphic designer led her to graphic design. She didn't realize textile design existed until she came across it after college. Mentoring goes both ways, and she wants to encourage Maine's high school and college students to look at the field, including the trades end of it. She hires several interns a year and is looking for other ways to make young people aware of the options in graphic design, includ- ing trades like stitching. She employs 18 people, about half of whom are stitchers, and good ones are hard to find. "ere are so many people in Maine making things," she says. "If you know how to sew, there are a lot of options." She also has a bigger message. While it's important to listen to advice, young people should follow their heart. "ere are a lot of voices out there," she says. Many with the message that something can't be done. She's heard them herself. "At the end of the day, I only listen to myself," she says. "I won't take no for an answer, and if it's no, I'll find someone who says yes." Maureen Milliken, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at mmilliken @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY In her own words Did you have a mentor or role model? Natasha Durham of Rough & Tumble and also every customer I have. What advice would you give to your younger self? Listen to your intuition — that's been my driving force. There are so many voices out there, but at the end of the day, listen to yourself, because that's who matters. What are you reading this summer? I listen to a lot of podcasts, like NPR's "How I Built This." I like know- ing how people created something, and I spent a lot of time writing in my journal. But I'm obsessed with my work, so I don't read a lot. Who would play you in a movie about your life? I wouldn't even know! I don't watch a lot of movies. Erin Flett and her dog Louie work in her upstairs office at her store in Gorham.

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