Meet Julia Greenwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Greenwood. 

Julia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been very tactile and restless with my hands. When I was a child, I was always building and making something so of course, when I discovered leatherwork it made sense. I started working with leather in October 2011 a couple weeks after my dad had suddenly died. Someone suggested channeling my grief into creativity so one afternoon I pulled out a 10-year-old box of leather and made myself a basic purse with kitchen scissors and a cutting board. I lived in a tiny village at the time and when I was seen wearing it out people started asking me to make them a purse. I quickly realized people loved my designs and were willing to pay me money for them. 10 years later and I have never grown tired of working with leather, coming up with new designs, and seeing other people love them. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a rollercoaster the past 10 years. Being entirely self-taught there were a lot of trials by error, a lot of mistakes not just with the designs but especially with learning the business end of things – bookkeeping, taxes, marketing. I changed the business name a couple of times. I hired a bookkeeper once who had to redo a year of mistakes, I made in Quickbooks. I ran my business out of an RV for a few months while traveling across the country. I even closed my business for a couple years after my son was born because I truly couldn’t figure out how to juggle my time (and energy). I’m glad it’s been a rocky road because, without all those bumps, I don’t think I’d appreciate how far I’ve come. I am hoping, however, that most of those bumps are out of the way now that I’ve (finally) learned how to ask for help when I need it. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
There’s little I love more than coming up with a new design and planning its execution. With leatherwork, it’s impossible to get bored. There are endless possibilities. I specialize in purses and totes but also offer wallets, belts, and some dog accessories. Sustainability and caring for our planet are very important to me so I’ve worked very hard to be a steward to my community, economy, and environment. The leather I use I hand select from a local supplier who sources from Brazil and Italy where the cows are raised without barbed wire and the tanneries are generations old and using more traditional and often less harmful processes. I give back a portion of monthly sales to local non-profits. And I have invested in equipment that now allows me to make my bags faster thus allowing me to price them fairly making them more accessible to all budgets. I’d love to be known for my designs but it’s even more important for me to be known as a company that has strong values. Sometimes this makes my business grow slower than others, and I’m okay with that. I’d rather be known for being good than known for being big. 

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
It’s been a long journey and I think the most I’ve learned is to believe in myself. To be proud of how far I’ve come, what I’ve accomplished from a recovered drug addict, a grieving daughter, to marrying someone I barely knew who was abusive to me, to having a child with him then becoming a single mother having to start over, to meeting someone who loves us both and supports all I do, and growing this business throughout it all. Last year I quit a full-time job I hated to jump into this leather business with both feet. It was the beginning of the pandemic and I had never worked this business full time. Now it’s over a year later and I’m in stores across the country, just bought a house, I’m almost debt-free, and I’m engaged. Leatherwork is woven through my entire life. I was 25 and now I’m 35 and when I look back on this journey, I can’t picture leatherwork without also picturing everything in my life. I’m proud of who I am. I’ve made it to today. 

Contact Info:

• Email: julia@milestonebagco.com
• Website: www.milestonebagco.com
• Instagram: @milestonebagco
• Facebook: facebook.com/milestonebagco

Image Credits
Alexandrea Lassiter
Julia Greenwood