In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Sarah Wrightsman sit down with Lionel Loveless of Officially Knotted Bowties. Lionel, also known as Mr. Bowtie Daily, is a self-taught seamster who takes vintage neckties and other fabric and transforms them into custom bow ties! The bow ties he creates are upcycled, sustainable, and one-of-a-kind pieces. Sometimes his bow ties are an opportunity to carry the essence of a loved one — you’ll see how when you hear the origin story of Officially Knotted Bowties. In this episode, we’ll talk about some of the coolest bow ties Lionel has made (and the coolest people he’s made bow ties for) and how Lionel found a community here in New Hampshire after growing up in Oklahoma. Check out Officially Knotted Bowties online at officiallyknottedbowties.com and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/officiallyknottedbowties, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/officiallyknottedbowties. Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Be friends with us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CreativeGutsPodcast and Instagram at www.Instagram.com/CreativeGutsPodcast. A special thank you to Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter for providing a space where Creative Guts can record! This episode is sponsored in part by the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts. Thank you to our friends in Rochester for their support of the show. If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com.
In this episode of Creative Guts, co-hosts Laura Harper Lake and Sarah Wrightsman sit down with Lionel Loveless of Officially Knotted Bowties. Lionel, also known as Mr. Bowtie Daily, is a self-taught seamster who takes vintage neckties and other fabric and transforms them into custom bow ties! The bow ties he creates are upcycled, sustainable, and one-of-a-kind pieces. Sometimes his bow ties are an opportunity to carry the essence of a loved one — you’ll see how when you hear the origin story of Officially Knotted Bowties.
In this episode, we’ll talk about some of the coolest bow ties Lionel has made (and the coolest people he’s made bow ties for) and how Lionel found a community here in New Hampshire after growing up in Oklahoma.
Check out Officially Knotted Bowties online at officiallyknottedbowties.com and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/officiallyknottedbowties, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/officiallyknottedbowties.
Listen to this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or on our website www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com. Be friends with us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CreativeGutsPodcast and Instagram at www.Instagram.com/CreativeGutsPodcast.
A special thank you to Art Up Front Street Studios and Gallery in Exeter for providing a space where Creative Guts can record! This episode is sponsored in part by the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts. Thank you to our friends in Rochester for their support of the show.
If you love listening, consider making a donation to Creative Guts! Our budget is tiny, so donations of any size make a big difference. Learn more about us and make a tax deductible donation at www.CreativeGutsPodcast.com.
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:00] LHL: I'm Laura Harper Lake.
[0:00:01] SW: And I'm Sarah Wrightsman.
[0:00:02] LHL & SW: And you're listening to Creative Guts.
[0:00:17] SW: Hey, listeners. Thank you for tuning in to Creative Guts.
[0:00:21] LHL: On today's episode, we're talking with Lionel Loveless, the self-taught seamster behind Officially Knotted Bowties. After five years in over 100 full-length interviews, we are still very pleased to feature completely out-of-the-box creativity on this show. Lionel makes upcycled, one-of-a-kind bow ties and that's a brand new one for Creative Guts. We're excited to get right into this episode of Creative Guts with Lionel Loveless.
[INTERVIEW]
[0:00:49] LHL: Lionel, thank you so much for being on the Creative Guts podcast.
[0:00:52] LL: Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
[0:00:54] SW: We are too. For our listeners' benefit, will you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Officially Knotted Bowties?
[0:01:03] LL: Okay. I am Lionel Loveless of Officially Knotted Bowties. Some of you may know me as Mr. Bowtie Daily, it refers to me wearing a bow tie every day. Officially Knotted Bowties is a fashion brand that I invented and I take old clothing upcycled into one-of-a-kind fashion. Memory of somebody's father passes away, I take a piece of his clothing and turn it into a bow tie. Which means, when they're in a boardroom, and they're feeling kind of down, need some confidence, their father is right there with them. I do that with a lot of things.
That allows me to keep – I don't know, how should I say this, the goodness in the world going. My mom was always – before she passed away, it was like big heart, big heart, give, give, give. This is my way of giving back to people.
[0:01:44] LHL: I want to wear a bow tie just because of what you just said.
[0:01:48] LL: Which you can.
[0:01:49] LHL: I can.
[0:01:49] LL: I do make bow ties for ladies, everyone, everyone.
[0:01:54] LHL: I love that. That is so warm, and welcoming, and it's so beautiful. Can we hear the story about how you began?
[0:02:00] SW: We know it's a good story.
[0:02:02] LL: So, I will say, give a shout-out to my – where I was born and raised, Miss Barrington. In order to graduate high school in Oklahoma, you have to take home economics. That's where I learned to, I guess so, my first one experience, didn't think that was going to lead to anything because I was an athlete and this, this, and that. But I did win the Home Ec Award in high school.
If you go back to Jones 1995-96, you'll see that I won that award. Didn't think I was going to use it. Fast forward until my husband and I, we were talking one day, and I love bow ties, and I'm going to see fabric. He was like, "You should maybe turn it into a bow tie." I'm like, "No, not going to do that." Well, we went to a thrift store, found a sewing machine. I think this is all kind of God’s stuff happening because we weren't really determined to find a sewing machine. But there just happened to be this high-end sewing machine that someone donated to this thrift store that came to be mine.
So, I went home, get on YouTube, and said, "How do I make a bow tie?" From that point on, I start doing it. Then, one of my friends was getting married, and he wants to pay tribute to his grandfather by wearing the grandfather suit. He obviously couldn't because he was much taller than his grandfather. I took the pants from the suit, cut them into bow ties, and they all were bow ties from the pants in the wedding, Officially Knotted Bowties. You asked where the name comes from. I'm from Oklahoma, OKB, Officially Knotted Bowties. Knotted, spelled with a K.
[0:03:29] SW: I didn't put that together before.
[0:03:32] LHL: Oh my gosh, I feel like you've overwhelmed us and it's only been two minutes. This is so beautiful.
[0:03:39] LL: It's fun. I try to live my life – I mean, I was raised this way. My mother was one of those people. She always seen the bright side of things. I'm like, "You know what? How do I pay tribute to her every day?" That's kind of what I'm doing.
[0:03:52] LHL: Yes. You're putting more joy into the world and connecting people like that's so lovely.
[0:03:56] LL: I try, and we need a lot of joy in this world.
[0:03:57] LHL: Yeah.
[0:03:58] SW: Yeah, we do.
[0:03:59] LHL: Yes, you are right. How long ago was it that you began?
[0:04:02] LL: We've been out here eight years, so I would probably say Officially Knotted Bowties, probably 11. My husband and I have been together for 12 years, so probably 11 years. Yes. It officially became a company once we moved to New Hampshire because I knew – so we have a couple of antique shops. The thing was is like, I didn't want to be in the antique shop and people are like, "That's the Black guy. They own the antique shops." Because just to be honest, there's not many people of color around here. Especially antiques, there's not many people. So, I said, "You know what? I'm going to take the race thing out of it, and I'm going to be the guy in the bow tie" and it sparked this whole thing. So that's how Mr. Bowtie Daily came about, is because I was wearing a bow tie every day, and some people didn't know my name. They were like, "It's the bow tie guy. That's the bow tie guy." Marketing, all that good stuff came in because I'm like, "You know what? Let's change the narrative just a bit. I want you guys to recognize that, yes, I am Black, but I'm not just Black." And it worked out, so far so good.
[0:05:05] LHL: Yes. It's a great conversation starter for some folks that maybe aren't sure where to start.
[0:05:11] LL: I can tell you I've had so many conversations because of the bow tie. Not all conversations are good conversations but has opened the door for conversation. Because they're like, "Who is this guy?" I mean, I was in Portsmouth going to Jimmy's concert. This reporter saw me and was like, "Who are you and why are you here?" Whole new story came out about me and this bow tie, which I loved. But if I was in Oklahoma or Texas, it wouldn't have happened.
[0:05:37] SW: Listeners, yes, Lionel is wearing a bow tie right now.
[0:05:40] LL: Are you guys surprised? If you don't see me in a bow tie, it's probably because I was at the gym, or you just caught me by surprise. And I guarantee, two hours after you saw me, I was in a bow tie.
[0:05:54] SW: You don't have a collection of gym athletic bow ties?
[0:05:57] LL: Well, now that I think about it, that's a nice little – I'm going to think about that product line.
[0:06:02] LHL: That's an untapped market.
[0:06:04] LL: Yes. Yes. I mean, I wear bow tie to hiking. We have been doing hiking lately, and MrBowtieDailyHiking, that's the hashtag that I use. To see hikers on the mountain like, "This guy's in a bow tie." I'm like, "Yes, I can wear a bow tie with anything."
[0:06:17] LHL: Keeping it classy anywhere you go.
[0:06:18] LL: Exactly. Exactly.
[0:06:20] LHL: You could do some like activewear fabric for your gym bow ties.
[0:06:26] LL: You know, I use any and everything I get my hands on. The activewear fabric is not a bad thing.
[0:06:32] SW: That could be pretty interesting.
[0:06:34] LL: I've used latex. So swimming, if you have a swim party, and you want to come out and say, "Hey, I'm doing something different." I got you.
[0:06:41] SW: I love that.
[0:06:42] LHL: That is so cool.
[0:06:43] SW: I was going to ask you about materials, because I was thinking like, I have a son. So, I need to keep something of his that maybe could be a bow tie for him someday.
[0:06:52] LL: Yes, anything that you have, I can turn it into a bow tie. Like right now, it's prom season, so I have three clients who are sending me remnants from the prom dress to turn into a bow tie for their date. Which I love doing that type of stuff because it's sentimental. These are things that people – I mean, you can go to any box store and get a bow tie. It doesn't mean anything. I'm going to give you something that's like, remember that time – you're going to be 65 years old. Remember that bow tie that I had made from this dress?
[0:07:18] SW: Yes.
[0:07:19] LL: It's classic.
[0:07:19] LHL: I love that.
[0:07:19] SW: Wow.
[0:07:21] LHL: So there is such like a preciousness about someone handing over something really special and meaningful to you. There must be some level of pressure or just honor and respect of what that is.
[0:07:32] LL: Well, there's some pressure, but this is where I feel like my mother, or my spirituality comes in because I'm not a big religious person. But I believe there's something there. How can that not be something there? When somebody gives me something, I honestly feel like my hands are being guided not to make a mistake. Perfect example, when we first moved here, I did a bow tie for a gentleman. His daughter was in Africa, brought back this kente fabric. He wanted his bow tie made from it. I was like, "I don't know if I can do that because that's a piece of fabric that I do not want to mess up." My husband, being the cheerleader he is, "Why can't you do it? Do it, do it, do it." I made this bow tie, was a pre-tied bow tie, so it was going to be something that was – the fabric was never going to move, it's going to look the same the whole time.
In the middle of the bow tie when I did the bow was a heart, and it was so unintentional, until the guy pointed it out to me. Because I mean, if you think about kente fabric, that is not really a pattern of such, it can be random. To see the heart in the middle, told me it's like, "Okay. Somebody was leading my hands in doing this."
[0:08:35] SW: That's beautiful.
[0:08:37] LL: I don't know. I feel like a lot of good things are happening to me because I'm able to put some of this stuff out into the environment. You have to.
[0:08:45] LHL: So you have this whole collection of stories, of meaningful stories from people that you've met. If you had to estimate how many bow ties you've made that have been, you know, like really had those strong connection stories. I'm sure you've made like tons more, but –
[0:09:03] LL: I would say, every single bow tie that I've made for someone has that special connection. Simply because it's one of a kind, they're not going to get it anywhere else. Unless, there's another person out there that's like doing everything I'm doing, looking through my window. But no, I mean, every connection that I make, there's a part of me that they will have for the rest of their lives. Like the Beyonce song, I'm quoting Beyonce, because I love Beyonce, "I was here, what is your legacy going to be?" My legacy, there's many bow ties out there made by Mr. Bowtie Daily, Lionel loveless.
[0:09:34] SW: I love that.
[0:09:35] LHL: These like beautiful sculptures that people integrate into their presentation of the world. You know, it's such an identifier. I mean, you spoke to that earlier, and that's really magical that you could be a part of it.
[0:09:47] LL: Sometimes I'm just like – I'm a really low-key guy, just like, "Okay, yes. That's cool." But sometimes, it hits me and I'm like, "You know what? That was pretty awesome." One of our friends that lives in Newfields, or somewhere in that area, I shouldn't be given out where he lives. Anyways –
[0:10:01] SW: His exact address is?
[0:10:02] LL: Exactly. Exactly. A lot of people know who he is because he's an amazing person here in New Hampshire. He took some of my bow ties to a professional sport, All-Star Weekend. I was able to see my products on multiple people. I have it recorded, it was on TV, and it was probably the highlights of what I've done, just to see this NBA player like – shouldn't say the NBA player. But this NBA player like, oh my gosh, he is wearing one of my pieces. To hear my family like, "Oh my gosh. You made it. Give me some money." I'm like, "That's not how it works."
[0:10:37] SW: Oh my gosh.
[0:10:38] LHL: Yes. That is pretty freaking cool.
[0:10:41] SW: That's incredible.
[0:10:41] LHL: Wow. How long does it take to make a bow tie?
[0:10:46] LL: It depends on a couple of different things. A pre-tied bow tie, if it's just regular cotton, I can probably do in 20, 25 minutes. That's me just not stopping and just going. If it's a self-tie bow tie that I have to deconstruct the necktie, which I mean, deconstruct completely down, iron it, take out the insert, mark my pattern. If it's cotton or polyester, I can probably go a little bit faster, it may take 45 minutes, maybe. Probably less than that if I'm focused. If it's silk, it's going to take me a longer time because silk is like the devil. It wants to move on you, and you have to fight with it, and you have to be patient. I like to think I'm patient, but I'm not really patient.
[0:11:34] SW: How long did that first bow tie take?
[0:11:37] LL: Oh, do we have to talk about that?
[0:11:39] SW: You did everything that you learned in Home Ec. just like come right back to you? Or, did you have to struggle a little bit to fight with the sewing machine?
[0:11:45] LL: I struggle to fight with the sewing machine because like I said, the sewing machine we purchased was an industrial sewing machine. It was something that I'm like, "What is all these buttons?" You know how you buy a new TV, and you like just turn it on, and watch TV, instead of trying to figure out everything. That's what was happening with me. It's like, I just want to sew.
[0:12:01] SW: Well, sewing machines are hard. Sewing machines are a little bit like at-home printers, they're finicky.
[0:12:06] LHL: I have never been able to figure it out. I've tried and it's just – it's like magic to me.
[0:12:10] LL: I'm going to be honest with you. My sewing machine, I probably know maybe 5% of all the things it could do. Just because I don't have the patience to read the manual, YouTube is there. Go watch a video on YouTube. But then, that didn't give you all the answers. So, maybe I'll figure it out. I don't know. Maybe we have a big snowstorm this year, and I'm like, "Okay, I have to sit and figure this out."
[0:12:33] LHL: My husband and I used to watch Project Runway. Every time we watched, we're like, "It looks like you could just make it happen real quick. You could just do it."
[0:12:41] LL: It's fabulous. I have a friend who's been on multiple seasons of Project Runway, and I've watched him work. It's amazing to watch. I mean, just like figure skating, and you're like, "Oh my gosh, that's amazing." Or you watch ballet dancers, that is the exact same way. They're just using their hands, and they're making these amazing pieces. I do feel like people that are in the art world, even like some of this amazing artwork in here. They go into a different place, they're channeling something within them that was given to them that most people don't know it's there. You know how somebody says, "You know what? It took me until I was 65 years old to figure that I can draw." Is because they ignored that up until they were 65. Then, one day, that artsy person jumped out said, "Hey, let's do this."
[0:13:25] LHL: That's like the mission of Creative Guts, is to let everyone know that you're creative.
[0:13:30] LL: Oh, in the guts. I just got it.
[0:13:36] LHL: Yes. And the guts is also like, the ability to put it out there and be vulnerable with it. So, is it vulnerable for you to do what you do?
[0:13:43] LL: Oh, it's extremely vulnerable. Just like pricing, when I come to having to price things, I doubt myself all the time. If it wasn't for my team of friends, and family, and people, I would be giving stuff away. They're like, "No, you can't do that." But it's having to be vulnerable enough to put it out there, and then be respectful of the craft that you're doing, the work you put into it, and also recognizing that you're a superstar. You have to accept it.
[0:14:11] LHL: Know your own worth. That's like really though.
[0:14:14] LL: That's one of the hardest things. I still struggle with it. I mean, there's times where I'm like, "Oh, this is horrible. This is horrible." Somebody would be like, "That's amazing." I started venturing out into women's fashion and men's fashion a little bit. It will never – I shouldn't say never because we're talking about that wholesale fourth thing. As of right now, no one will see it. But, I may turn 70, and say, "You know what? This is my collection that no one's seen." Being creative is fun. I posted a picture today on Facebook of a magnolia tree. Well, I shouldn't say a tree. A branch broke off our magnolia tree. One of our dealers, she put the branch in water and forced it to bloom, and it's just beautiful. I'm like, "Oh, Mother Nature is forcing their creativity in all of us if you just take a second and look." It blew my mind, because it was pink and white. Mother nature talks to me.
[0:15:12] SW: That's fantastic.
[0:15:13] LHL: I love that. That's so beautiful.
[0:15:15] SW: So, there must have been some weirdness when you went from, like, "I made some bow ties, they turned out pretty good. I'm sort of happy." To like, "This is a business, I am making it happen for real."
[0:15:27] LL: The struggle was there because I was like, it goes back to this self-worth. Do I put myself out there? Do I turn this into a business? You have all those questions? Is anybody going to like these bow ties? Is that good enough? I would go into the store, and see a high-end fashion bow tie, I'm like, "Oh, my stuff is not this good." Then, one day, I just said, "You know what? I am that good." I think some of it was that the upcycled fashion, taken something that somebody wants to throw away and turn it into something special. That was the part that I'm like, "I'm different from those people." They're fabulous. Don't get me wrong. I have a couple of their bow ties, but I have more of mine because it's fabulous.
[0:16:09] LHL: Yes. Do a lot of the bow ties that you wear have sentimental value, or are some of them just like really attractive, and fun patterns or designs that you're drawn to?
[0:16:19] LL: I probably have about 10 that are really special to me that I will never sell. I have probably sold at least 100 ties that I should have kept because they were that amazing. If I keep every bow tie that is amazing, I will never go anywhere.
[0:16:35] LHL: I know just what you mean as a visual artist. There are some paintings I have that are like sculptures back when I used to carve stone. Like, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe I let that go."
[0:16:46] LL: Yes. I sold a bow tie to a guy. I think he's down in Salem, I think. He came in the shop with it on, and I was like, "Mm, I shouldn't have sold that thing." He's looking at me, I'm like, "I really want to buy that back." I said, "But I'm not going to do that." He was not going to give it up.
[0:17:02] SW: Yes. Oh, wow.
[0:17:04] LL: Yes. It's all good.
[0:17:06] LHL: I wonder – you know what? We should get Mal one.
[0:17:09] SW: We should.
[0:17:11] LHL: Rose and Mal own Art Up Front Street, and at every special occasion that I've seen him at, Mal wears a bow tie, which is just so charming.
[0:17:18] LL: My type of person. I tell you, I love it.
[0:17:21] SW: I was thinking of Emmett Soldati too.
[0:17:24] LL: Emmett's my dude.
[0:17:25] SW: Does he have one of yours?
[0:17:26] LL: Yes.
[0:17:25] SW: Yes. Okay.
[0:17:27] LHL: I would Imagine, we've probably seen your work in the wild.
[0:17:30] LL: Yes. Yes. Emmett, that whole family, those are my people.
[0:17:35] LHL: Well, they're insanely cool people.
[0:17:36] LL: Gemma, she hosted the Project Upcycle event that my designer won that season. Her mom was in the show with me. So now, I'm like, they adopted me.
[0:17:47] SW: Oh, that's so cool.
[0:17:48] LL: Emmett, Gemma, Kathleen, you guys adopted me.
[0:17:53] SW: We actually, we were talking about how this is a little bit unique in terms of people we've had on the podcast. I was like, the closest is probably Jennifer Moore, JAM. So, I was going to ask you if you knew her.
[0:18:04] LL: Yes. Yes. Project Upcycle was probably one of the highlights of me being here in New Hampshire. That was awesome. I don't know if – have you guys been to that?
[0:18:15] LHL: Mm-hmm.
[0:18:15] LL: Okay. I was going to say if you haven't been –
[0:18:17] LHL: That's amazing.
[0:18:17] LL: – you are missing out. That's one of the events in New Hampshire that you must go to, because I was behind the scenes. I got to see the designers' work and it's fascinating. I'm like, "There's no way I could do this." But you know, one day. You just never know.
[0:18:32] SW: You could. You never know.
[0:18:34] LHL: I hope we see it.
[0:18:36] SW: For our listeners, I encourage you to go back to JAM's episode, and listen to it for a little refresh on Project Upcycle. Her interview is probably one of my favorites because I love her.
[0:18:45] LHL: Yes. It made me rethink about how I spend my money, what I do with my clothes, everything like that. We didn't even really discuss what you're doing in the recycling realm. That's amazing too.
[0:18:58] SW: Yes. You're saving vintage stuff from the landfill or wherever it would end up.
[0:19:01] LL: Exactly. That's the best thing. So many people call me and say, "Hey, my husband's retired. I have these neckties. I'm about to throw them away. What do I do with them?" I was like, "Bring them in to me. We'll talk about it. I'll purchase them." Nine times out of 10, people are like, "No, just take them, because I'm just going to throw them away." I'm like, "Don't throw them away." The kids these days, I call them kids, but they love vintage and retro fashion, and so, it's going to come back. Not everybody wants to wear a bow tie. Not everybody wants to wear a necktie. But there is a market, and I'm slowly changing that market in New Hampshire.
[0:19:38] SW: I can't help but notice that you make bow ties for pets too.
[0:19:42] LHL: Your website specifically mentions cats and dogs. Have you ever made a bow tie for a rabbit?
[0:19:47] LL: I have not, but I have some friends who have a rabbit. Actually, you know what, let me take that back. Let me take that back. Not a real rabbit. But, at the Collector's Eye a few years ago, there was a large paper mache rabbit. It was probably 10 feet tall. It was huge. I made a bow tie for that as advertising and I put it on there.
[0:20:13] LHL: That's a big mech.
[0:20:13] SW: I love it.
[0:20:14] LL: Yes. Some people are going to hear this and like, "Oh, I remember that scary rabbit because it just appeared on our property one day. I looked down from the house, and I was like – I looked at my husband, I was like, "Is somebody telling us something?" I was like, "Why is there a strange-looking rabbit?" I mean, when I say it's huge, it was massive. I was like, "Why is there a rabbit sitting on the fence?" He's like, "What are you talking about?" He walks out, and he's like, "Shall we call the police?" I was like, "No, we'll figure it out." But yeah, so I made a big, but not a real rabbit, but a paper mache rabbit.
[0:20:46] SW: Oh, I love that.
[0:20:47] LHL: Well, Sarah has an adorable bunny, Luna.
[0:20:50] SW: I do have a rabbit.
[0:20:51] LL: Okay. We can make it happen.
[0:20:52] SW: Maybe I'll get her a bow tie.
[0:20:54] LL: And Easter's coming, so let's pick a color and make it happen.
[0:20:56] SW: Yes. She needs to look good.
[0:20:58] LL: Exactly. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[0:21:02] LHL: Do you have materials you would want for?
[0:21:06] SW: Maybe.
[0:21:07] LHL: Yeah?
[0:21:06] SW: Yeah.
[0:21:06] LHL: I think it will be really cute, a whole photoshoot with Luna.
[0:21:10] LL: We're going to make it happen.
[0:21:13] SW: I'll send you some good photos.
[0:21:15] LL: I love it. I love it.
[0:21:17] LHL: So were you wearing bow ties in high school?
[0:21:22] LL: No.
[0:21:22] LHL: When did you fall in love? We heard the origin story, sort of, but were you ever drawn to them prior to that at all?
[0:21:30] LL: So, not really. I think, I actually started wearing my first bow tie probably – I don't even remember. How did I fall in love with the bow tie?
[0:21:41] LHL: Because I love classic movies. I watched Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart, and some of the fashion from that, it makes me feel like folks that wear fashion that I associate with that time, just so classic, and the style is so timeless.
[0:21:58] LL: Yes. That's a question I have never been asked. I've never really had to think about that. I'm trying to think. I think we were on our first trip to Boston before we were thinking about moving out here. We were going to an event. I said, "You know what? I'm going to wear a bow tie." I think that kind of sparked something because I wear the bow tie, and it was like, "Oh my gosh, that's amazing. That's amazing." And I'm like, "Oh, I can kind of pull this off." It was like, almost like the confidence was building. And you know how we were talking about it was in my gut to always kind of do it. I think the confidence built up and said, "Hey, let's make it happen."
[0:22:31] LHL: Oh, cool. I love that.
[0:22:33] LL: You're really going to make me go home and study like, "Oh, when did this happen? Try to pinpoint it." That's a good question.
[0:22:40] SW: Yes, it's one of our goals. We give people the opportunity to reflect on themselves and try to figure out how to articulate it.
[0:22:45] LL: I love it. You did it.
[0:22:45] SW: It's a good practice. I was at a leadership training today, and we were talking about personal branding. And we were writing like elevator pitches for ourselves. It's like really good practice.
[0:22:55] LHL: Ooh, that's cool.
[0:22:56] LL: I love it. Are you doing Leadership New Hampshire?
[0:22:58] SW: No. I've done Leadership New Hampshire. This one's the Rising Stars Leadership Program that Stay Work Play does.
[0:23:03] LL: Oh, okay. I know of it.
[0:23:05] LHL: Are you in LNH?
[0:23:06] LL: No, I'm doing Seacoast right now.
[0:23:09] SW: I love Leadership Seacoast. It's my favorite of all the leadership programs I've done.
[0:23:14] LL: Those are my people.
[0:23:15] SW: Oh, you have a cool class.
[0:23:14] LL: Yes, best class, 2024?
[0:23:19] SW: Obviously, I know.
[0:23:20] LL: I mean, hands down, undisputed. I put it out there. Come at me, I got you. Shout out to my 2024 class. I know what it is.
[0:23:28] SW: Are you enjoying it?
[0:23:33] LL: I am. Goodness, go back to the confidence thing, right? When they ask – he's like, "Hey, you're nominated to do this." I'm like, "Am I doing this for the right reasons? Am I going to do this because I'm going to be the only Black person in the class? Am I going to meet a quota?" But then, that was all the negative, not confident of me doing it. When we had the first class, I was still doubting myself. Get in there and was like, "You know what? I'm supposed to be here. We're going to make a difference." My classmates, we – yes, we're pretty awesome.
[0:24:08] SW: Yes. I love that.
[0:24:10] LL: Our next class is next week. I believe we're doing environmental day up to, I think York, I think.
[0:24:15] SW: Oh, cool.
[0:24:16] LL: Yes. We have bow tie at every – so people don't –
[0:24:20] SW: Obviously.
[0:24:20] LL: somebody finally figured it out. So for every single class, whatever that theme was, I had a bow tie to match that theme.
[0:24:27] LHL: Oh my God.
[0:24:29] LL: One person came up to me and was like, "Wait a minute." Because our last was education, and so I had a bow tie on, with a school bus and kids on the school bus. So, somebody noticed, and it was like, "You've been wearing a bow tie for every single theme," and I'm like, "Yes."
[0:24:47] LHL: Now I'm kind of disappointed, they aren't little microphones on you.
[0:24:50] LL: Next time. Next time.
[0:24:53] SW: Yes, a podcast-themed bow tie.
[0:24:55] LL: I'm telling you, I got you.
[0:24:57] SW: I know Aaron in your class, I know Donovan in your class. You have a great class.
[0:25:02] LL: Well, pretty awesome. The best class. Let me say it one more time, best class ever.
[0:25:08] SW: Best class ever. I know Andrea in your class. I knew, I knew a lot. Oh, I know Cara in your class. Don't call her Cara.
[0:25:18] LL: Those are all my people.
[0:25:22] LHL: I'm curious, this sort of ties in. So, you mentioned coming to New Hampshire. We love it when our guests have come to New Hampshire because we're big New Hampshire fans. We've both been associated with volunteering with Stay Work Play and their mission is to attract and retain young people to New Hampshire. Obviously, that's you, you're making change, you're being involved in leadership programs. So, I'd love to hear your thoughts about New Hampshire, and how it's doing, especially in the creative community, and maybe how it's doing, and also, what would you like to see more of, or have change?
[0:25:57] LL: I will say, the hard part about moving to New Hampshire is, I will say, the cost of living. For young people moving here, it's a big issue. Workforce, housing, affordable housing, those are not bad words. Right now, the sad thing is, in our current environment, those two words or phrases, people are like, "That's the bad thing. No, I don't want those people in my neighborhood." Well, to be honest with you, those are teachers, nurses, police officers, all those people that you need in your neighborhood, so don't look at it that way.
[0:26:32] SW: Heck, yeah, Lionel. You're preaching to the choir here.
[0:26:35] LHL: Do you know what her day job is?
[0:26:36] LL: No.
[0:26:37] SW: I work at New Hampshire Housing.
[0:26:39] LL: Oh my gosh.
[0:26:39] SW: I do community engagement education work.
[0:26:43] LL: Oh, so Andrea. Yes.
[0:26:45] SW: Yes. Yes. That's how I know Andrea.
[0:26:46] LL: Okay. Yes. Yes. Then, one of my – do you know Will Arvelo?
[0:26:50] SW: Yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
[0:26:52] LL: Okay. See, we're going in some circles.
[0:26:53] SW: We have lots of friends in common. I'm going to add you on Facebook.
[0:26:56] LL: Please, please, please.
[0:26:58] LHL: Oh, yes. You will become friends with us forever now.
[0:27:00] LL: I'd like that. But part of what we're doing, so BAPOC, Business Alliance with People of Color, New Hampshire. We're trying to highlight the many minority-owned businesses in New Hampshire. Because right now, the population of black people, or BIPOC people come to New Hampshire has ticked up just a little bit. The issue is, is when they get here, it's like, "Do I have a community? Can I find somewhere to get my hair cut? Can I do this?" We're trying to provide that.
We're trying to, I guess, encourage those people, "Hey, come to New Hampshire. It's beautiful. Yes, it gets cold, but you have the beach, you have the mountains. You can get to Boston and go anywhere in the world. It's one of those things. As far as the creative spaces go, I would love to see more places like 3S Artspace. Because that is such a magical place, it's inviting to everyone. You walk in and can't help but feel the creative juices flowing. Whether it's a dance party with DJ Skootch. I'm giving shoutouts to all my people. Or it's just – you know Courtney Daniels.
[0:28:02] SW: Yes.
[0:28:03] LL: Okay, that's another one of my people. I mean, the community things that happen – I'm just – maybe we'll do like a big thing with all these because these folks are amazing. They're pushing the change in New Hampshire. I almost wonder if, I think it would have happened, but I think COVID sped it up. I think COVID put us all in rooms, as far as Zoom calls, and said, "Hey, you should know this person." Because honestly, the majority of the people that I know now, I probably wouldn't have known him if it wasn't for COVID, pushing me into these rooms and saying, "Hey, you should meet this person."
[0:28:37] LHL: Wow. Yeah.
[0:28:37] LL: When you see him in person, it's like, "Oh my gosh, you're so awesome," and they become family. These people have become my family because I still get – my family in Oklahoma just says, "Why are you in New Hampshire? Isn't that like Canada?" I was like, "We're close. Yes, we're close, but not necessarily." When they do come to visit, they see all these people, and they're like, "Oh, you really do have some amazing folks here." I do.
[0:29:03] LHL: Yes. Kind of a found family.
[0:29:05] LL: Yes. That's the best thing. Once you get to the point where you realize in your life that friends that become family are true family. I mean, it's just like your pets, right?
[0:29:15] SW: Yes.
[0:29:16] LL: I have my dog, Heidi. She is family. I will fight you if you say something bad about my baby.
[0:29:22] SW: Oh my gosh. I'm seeing he's so happy coming up here from Oklahoma and finding community.
[0:29:29] LL: I will tell you, the first two years, I was like, "Girl, I don't know if I'm going to stay here." But, our friends Gail and Dwight, they pulled us in. So, every year, they were not going away for Easter or holiday, we're at their house, and they embrace this. When we first met them, she walks in, and she's like – I think Gail was – I don't want to say her size because I'm going to be wrong, but she's short. So, she looked at me and she was like, "What are you doing here? What are you wearing, that Oklahoma City Thunder stuff?" Because I had on a hoodie. It was a little cold. I was like, "Oh, we're from Oklahoma, blah, blah, blah." So she was like, "Well, my husband's from this place, and do you know this?" I said, "Yes, I know his name." So then, my husband comes around the corner, he's like, "I thought we were the only interracial couple in the town." From that point on, it was like, "Okay, we're friends, we're family." If you ever get to meet my husband, you'll see like, okay, that makes sense that he would say that. Because he's a lovely man, but he's also a jokester.
[0:30:32] LHL: Oh, that's so cute. Is he from this area?
[0:30:36] LL: No, he is from Oklahoma, but he went to school in Springfield, Mass. So, we thought we were going to move to the Cape. But then, at the time, I was still – Officially Knotted Bowties was not really a business business. It was something that I just did. So I thought I would still be doing the medical stuff. But that drive from the Cape into Boston is no joke, and I would age in – yes. We're like, we're not doing that. So, he came to New Hampshire on a meditation meet and stumbled upon the property in Stratham, and it just kind of happened.
[0:31:12] LHL: Wow. And New Hampshire is better for it.
[0:31:14] LL: You know, I hope so.
[0:31:15] LHL: I know so.
[0:31:17] LL: I'm trying to make an impact.
[0:31:18] LHL: Well, I feel like my cheeks hurt from smiling, just talking with you.
[0:31:21] SW: I know, me too. Me too, it hurts.
[0:31:22] LHL: You're very just engaging and joyful.
[0:31:26] LL: If any of the people that we mentioned, if you ask them when I walk into a room, I need to make sure every single person in that room is smiling, happy because I need to like, "Hey, are you okay?" You don't have to tell me, but let's smile, let's laugh, something like that. Because I tell all the time, I say, give a smile away. You never know how you're going to change somebody's life with a smile. People don't always accept the smiles, but you know what? It's good for your heart, right?
[0:31:49] SW: I love that. As long as someone's there to make you smile when you need it.
[0:31:53] LL: Exactly. Exactly.
[0:31:58] LHL: Oh man. The positivity, I know, it's just so great.
[0:32:05] SW: You don't have to tell us all your secrets. But do you have favorite places where you source materials? I assume a lot of it comes from people.
[0:32:13] LL: A lot of it comes from people. I haven't been in a while, but the handkerchief factory here in Exeter.
[0:32:18] SW: Oh, cool.
[0:32:19] LL: I haven't been in a while. But when I need something that's just different. I love to go up to the third floor – is it the third floor? And just rummage through their stuff. Like I said, there's just stuff – I have stuff everywhere. If you’d seen the amount of material –
[0:32:33] LHL: What is the storage situation with your pieces?
[0:32:36] SW: Very good question.
[0:32:37] LL: Now, you can't meet my husband, because he would be like, "Let me tell you." Because I will be honest with you, I have this process that if somebody calls and says, "Hey, I need an orange and turquoise, blah, blah, blah." I'm like, "Oh, I'm going through my inventory" and I'm like, "I think I have that." What happens is, I go to my storage where all my fabric is, and I just start tossing. There is no folding it and –
[0:33:02] LHL: That's how I get dressed in the morning.
[0:33:05] LL: I just can't. I'm just like, I'm tossing, tossing, tossing. When I find it, there can be piles of fabric everywhere. But I have that piece that I needed, and eventually, it will go back into the storage, eventually.
[0:33:17] SW: Eventually. You'll get there when you get there. Do you guys have its own room that everything's contained to?
[0:33:23] LL: Yes, I have my own. Yes, at the house, in the basement, we have my own sewing studio.
[0:33:29] SW: Yes. Well, that's my least favorite thing about sewing, is it's kind of messy. No matter what, you're going to end up with like little bits of fabric and little bits of thread everywhere. Then I feel like, I have to vacuum every single time I sew, which is like –
[0:33:38] LL: And people don't understand that, so people are, "Hey, can you do a bow tie with sequins?" I'm like, "No, no, no."
[0:33:46] SW: No, I cannot.
[0:33:47] LL: I was like, "Do you know what that involves? No."
[0:33:49] LHL: So you just mentioned sequins, do people have you like sew brooches, or buttons, or any special things onto like the center of the bow tie?
[0:33:57] LL: What I've been doing – I'm trying to think. I don't want to drop another name. But anyway, I did a bow tie for somebody that went to the New Hampshire Women's Center Awards. Is that what it's called?
[0:34:08] SW: Oh, cool.
[0:34:08] LL: For her bow tie, took a sterling silver ring, and I put it in the middle so it gives you bling. Being in the antique shops, I take all types of things. Actually, next week, I'll be releasing some interesting things, Crystal Paradise.
[0:34:24] SW: I knew it. I knew it. I was going to ask you. I was like, "No, he's not going to drop the name, so I'll just look on Instagram and see if I can figure it out."
[0:34:31] LL: All the cool kids, they kind of run in circles, and we're bringing in the happy vibes.
[0:34:36] LHL: How many people are we going to have to tag in this episode description that we mentioned?
[0:34:38] SW: I know. This is incredible.
[0:34:41] LL: The thing is, think about it. The positive energy with all those people that I've named is kind of contagious. Every single one of those people are doing something different. That's bringing exposure to New Hampshire, that's bringing people life, love, all the happiness.
[0:34:55] SW: Yes. I mean, they're all amazing people.
[0:34:58] LL: I know right? I'm lucky.
[0:34:58] SW: You know, like exclusively, amazingly people.
[0:35:01] LL: I'm so lucky. I'm so lucky.
[0:35:04] SW: Can we ask? How are you defining success for yourself? How will you know when you've been successful?
[0:35:09] LL: Good question. At the beginning of this year, I kind of took a break from posting. I don't know if you guys have seen my Instagram. I haven't posted as much. A decision was made because I felt like I was losing the happiness in sewing. Take nothing away from people who want to be Instagram famous, that has 100,000 followers. That is awesome. But I was having – I set myself up that I had to post every single day. That was becoming a burden, that was like, "I don't want to do this."
[0:35:38] LHL: Content creator.
[0:35:38] LL: Yes. I'm like, "I don't want to do that." I get happiness from sewing something for, and giving it to them, and seeing a smile on their face. Not from getting 25 likes. Thank you for the likes, don't dislike me, but I mean, it's one of those things. So, I had to take accountability for myself, because it was starting to wear on my mental health, and mental health is another thing that we have to talk about. [Courtney Daniels 0:35:59] gave me the platform to talk about that. So, when she did that, that allowed me to talk about my mental health, which inspired me to start creating more. Because once I put it out there and said, "You know what? Yes, I struggled with this." I was able to release it and start to create. So, I'm going to start posting a little bit more, but it's not going to be every day because it's just not what I'm looking for."
[0:36:23] LHL: Yes. It's not like an authentic practice unless you're in a social media marketing manager. It's just not as sustainable, and it definitely impacts your creativity.
[0:36:35] LL: Yes. I would love to make a million dollars off just bow ties. But, that's not the ultimate goal. I had someone order 150 bow ties. I'm like, "Okay, let's talk about it." All the exact same color, over, and over, and over. Don't get me wrong. I did it. I got the check, but it drained me. Because I was like, "This is not what I – this is not my creative process." You have to take care of yourself.
[0:37:03] SW: Absolutely. Absolutely.
[0:37:05] LL: That's success for me?
[0:37:07] LHL: Yes. Yes. I feel like that is such a common thread, no pun intended. With so many –
[0:37:16] LL: T-shirts.
[0:37:19] LHL: I feel like that we've heard that similar vibe from so many people. It's just so tiring to have to feed the machine of an algorithm.
[0:37:29] LL: I mean, in today's world, that's what it is basically. I mean, we have these phones. I love my phone, but it controls us. It's one of those things, so I try to put it down as much as I can, but I'm human.
[0:37:39] LHL: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. It's good you're finding a balance. It sounds like you're finding what's like the good mixture for you.
[0:37:49] LL: I'm trying. Now, the sun is shining, spring is here. It will be a lot easier.
[0:37:54] LHL: Yes, I feel that.
[0:37:56] SW: Yes, it's rapid-fire time.
[0:37:57] LHL: Who are the most influential fashion icons for you?
[0:38:01] LL: Oh, probably because of what I've do, Dapper Dan, where he takes – do you know the big brands and turn them in to just kind of fashion for the hood? Which I loved, and I'm not doing it on that scale, but I just love that.
[0:38:17] LHL: That's awesome.
[0:38:18] SW: You can ballpark if you need to. How many bow ties do you own?
[0:38:22] LL: I'm, probably – to be honest, I'm probably over the 1000 mark. That's me making lots and keeping lots.
[0:38:32] SW: Do you have a special way that you display them?
[0:38:34] LL: No. They're in a drawer. I mean, it's like, "Oh, I need this color of bow tie." I know exactly where to go, but there's no display.
[0:38:44] SW: Woah. That's amazing.
[0:38:45] LHL: I love that, though. That's so fascinating. This is going to be a real hard question. Do you have a favorite bow tie?
[0:38:51] LL: I do. This is an easy question.
[0:38:53] LHL: Oh, okay.
[0:38:54] LL: It's a pre-tied bow tie that I made. It's the color purple, and it's representation of my mother. I call it probably the most perfect bow tie that I've made, just because of the way it looks, the thickness of it. I've posted it multiple times on my Instagram. So if you go through and see a purple bow tie with a white rose, that's kind of a tribute to my mom. It's the perfect – honestly, it's probably my most perfect bow tie. All the seams, everything are perfect with it.
[0:39:23] LHL: Your hands were guided.
[0:39:24] LL: Exactly.
[0:39:25] LHL: Yeah. I love that.
[0:39:26] SW: Gosh. Goose bumps. That's amazing.
[0:39:29] LHL: Do you name your bow tie? Is that a weird thing to ask? I don't know.
[0:39:35] LL: I don't necessarily, but I will make reference to. That's it. I will make reference to different bow ties.
[0:39:42] LHL: Stunning.
[0:39:44] LL: I had to bring the temperature down. But after you've already happened, I made a bow tie with school children and things like that, because I needed to get that out of my head. I needed to put something out there.
[0:39:53] LHL: Yes, it's a way to process.
[0:39:55] LL: There's things like that that I kind of, I don't name the bow tie, but it makes me aware of what that bow tie meant to me.
[0:40:01] SW: Yes, connected to something. This is a very light question. What's your favorite color?
[0:40:07] LL: My favorite color is probably purple, connected to my mom, but I'm a really colorful person. So, I'll fluff any color suit and people are like, "What is that?"
[0:40:19] LHL: What's your favorite scent?
[0:40:21] LL: I don't have one. I have a lot of allergies, and so smell, and things like that. But I will say, the smell of like a pecan pie. Pecan, pecan, however you want to say it. My husband makes this amazing bourbon pecan pie. And when it's cooking, it's like, it's amazing.
[0:40:39] LHL: Oh, that sounds good.
[0:40:40] SW: How is the spring treating you? My allergies have been worse this year than –
[0:40:43] LHL: I've had allergies for like the first time this year.
[0:40:45] SW: Oh my gosh.
[0:40:46] LL: I'm going to knock on wood if I can because I've been really, really good lately. So, we shall see.
[0:40:53] SW: What's your favorite sound?
[0:40:55] LL: My favorite sound? Probably my favorite sound is my dog barking, Heidi.
[0:41:01] SW: What kind of dog?
[0:41:01] LL: She is a mixture of a blue healer and an Australian herder combo doll. So she's really smart, she's 16. They actually just – she did genetic testing, and they said she could live to be 29, which I'm like, as long as you're happy and healthy and can move.
[0:41:14] SW: Yes, living a good quality of life.
[0:41:16] LL: But her bark is just, it's beautiful. It can be loud and piercing, but it's like, okay, she's still here with us.
[0:41:24] LHL: Yes. Yes, exactly.
[0:41:25] SW: Does she wear a bow tie every day?
[0:41:27] LL: No, she does not. She's not one for clothing. The look she will give you is like, "What are you doing?" Now, she'll wear one every now and then, but she's not that type of girl. She's like, "No."
[0:41:42] LHL: What's your favorite texture to touch?
[0:41:44] LL: Oh, you know what? Probably, polyester when it comes to fabric, just because it's easy to work with, and I kind of get the sensation of like oh, "This is going to be amazing."
[0:41:55] LHL: Nice. Cool. That's awesome.
[0:41:57] SW: I love that. Where's the most inspiring location you've been?
[0:42:01] LL: Oh, most inspiring location. Probably – that's a hard one, but I will say because it was a challenge to get there, and a challenge to get back, we hiked Mount Jackson. I think that's a 4000 flitter, so I did my first 4000 flitter. That was a challenge. I didn't think I was going to make it up. Got there, was like, "This is beautiful." Hike down, was like, "I can't believe we made it down." That's probably the most inspiring thing because I did something I didn't think I could do.
[0:42:30] SW: Yes. I love Mount Jackson.
[0:42:32] LL: It's beautiful.
[0:42:32] SW: It's a good one. It's a little sketchy at the top.
[0:42:35] LL: I don't know if I can do it again. We have a friend, she's our hiking instructor. She's like, "We're going to do this. We're going to eventually get to Mount Washington." I'm like, "Girl, are you serious?" I'm like, "I'm glad you get confidence in me, but I don't know." I'm like, "I'm country, but not that country."
[0:42:54] SW: Mount Washington really lulled me into thinking it was easier than it was. Because if you take ammo up, the first two miles are like, legitimately pretty easy. And you're like, I feel so good, and then the rest of it is not.
[0:43:07] LL: I just, you know, "Yes, no. I'm good. I'm good." Even taking the tram or whatever up, I think I could do that. But they were like, "Oh, you should drive." "No. I love my husband, but I don't trust you enough to drive us up the mountain." Especially when they say you can look over the side.
[0:43:23] LHL: Oh, no. Not my cup of tea.
[0:43:26] LL: If you guys can see my facial expression right now, you'd see how serious I am. I love him, but you're not driving me up the mountain.
[0:43:35] LHL: What is the last new thing you've learned?
[0:43:39] LL: The last new thing that I learned? Probably this goes back to leadership. Rochester High School is amazing. I wish every child in New Hampshire could experience what those kids had the opportunity to experience. Not saying that every child in that school is taking advantage, and can take advantage of those programs they have. It's inspiring because our education system – shout out to all the teachers, you're doing something that a lot of us cannot and will not do. They have something going up there that I was inspired by. I was like, "You know, why can't every kid in New Hampshire – actually, every kid in the United States be able to do this?" Because I've always said, every child in the United States should be able to go to Washington, DC and see the monuments. I think they would wake up something in them like, "Wow, this is history. This is something that's pretty awesome." That's probably the newest thing that has me inspired, and that's why I'm talking to a lot of the kids lately. Because I'm like, "You have this opportunity here that I didn't have." If I had what they had in high school, I may be doing something different. But then, again, it's always been in my gut.
[0:44:55] SW: My Leadership Seacoast class also went to Rochester, and I had the same kind of revelation afterward.
[0:45:00] LL: Amazing, right?
[0:45:01] SW: I can't believe I didn't go there.
[0:45:03] LL: I know. Everybody is like, people have perceptions of different towns around here. It's like, "Oh, Rochester. You don't want to go to Rochester." When I drove to Rochester, I'm like, "Okay." I was looking around, and like, "I guess it's going to be okay." Get in the high school, and I was like, "What is this?" So yes, my hope is, every child in New Hampshire can benefit for something like that. I don't know if it's going to happen, but I can hope.
[0:45:30] LHL: Yes. That's wonderful.
[0:45:32] SW: This is our clincher question. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?
[0:45:38] LL: I've been asked this question before. I had a leadership class, but kind of a relationship, kind of knowing yourself class in London. If I could go back to the age of six, I would tell myself to dance and not worry about what anybody else said. Because growing up in Jones, Oklahoma, amazing town, love the town. I don't think I could be confident enough to be out. I was an athlete, and so I felt like, I wanted to dance, I wanted to do ballet. But, my parents probably couldn't afford it, but that wasn't going to stop me. I could still watch videos and things like that. So if I could go back to my six-year-old self, dance, do the ballet because it's going to make you a better athlete, it's going to enrich your life, it's going to allow you to do things that you don't think you can do. So yes, just dance.
[0:46:27] SW: Ah, amazing. You're amazing. Thank you so much.
[0:46:30] LL: Thank you.
[0:46:31] LHL: Yes. This conversation is just an absolute joy.
[0:46:33] LL: Thank you.
[0:46:34] LHL: It's been so nice to talk with you.
[0:46:35] LL: Well, thank you, guys for having me. Like I said, I'm always trying to put out positive energy and light. So hopefully, I did that today.
[0:46:44] LHL: You absolutely did.
[0:46:44] SW: You so did.
[0:46:46] LL: Thank you so much.
[0:46:46] SW: Oh my gosh.
[0:46:47] LHL: Thank you again, Lionel, for being on the show. And with that –
[0:46:51] ALL TOGETHER: Show us your Creative Guts.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[0:46:57] LHL: Thank you, Lionel Loveless, aka Mr. Bow Tie Daily for being on Creative Guts. Both of our cheeks hurt so much from smiling because that was such an endearing interview.
[0:47:12] SW: Yes. This is going to be a hard one to not gush. But also, because, we just finished interviewing him. This is one of the few things that we record immediately afterwards. And we are still like, our energy is still like way up here from talking with him.
[0:47:26] LHL: He said something about – I can't quite remember – but something about being around all these great people, especially that we were – you know, "Oh, I know, this person, and this person." “Just being lucky to meet all these people.” But I don't know that it is. I think he's a magnet, because he's putting out such good energy.
[0:47:44] SW: He does.
[0:47:44] LHL: It's coming back to him. And people who have that drive, that ingenuity, that creativity, they're drawn to him. Because this is another positive force, who is enacting change, and doing cool things.
[0:47:56] SW: Yes. I feel like New Hampshire, like you said it during the episode, like New Hampshire is so lucky to have him. I'm so glad that not only is here, but he also found community to maybe keep him here, because he's so fantastic.
[0:48:09] LHL: And he's working to improve it through leadership programs, and getting involved with high schools, and just helping make his mark to change the landscape of New Hampshire, which really needs it.
[0:48:21] SW: Yes. I was already excited for this interview because I knew we were going to be talking about upcycled fashion, which I love, and bow ties, which is just sort of charming. But it was even so much better than that. It was so good.
[0:48:33] LHL: I know. I love it when an interview just surprises us and takes us even a level higher than we anticipated.
[0:48:39] SW: Yes. I hope that we have an opportunity someday to do something with him, or like I'd be sad not to see him again.
[0:48:46] LHL: Well, we are trying, I think to diversify our programming. So maybe someday we'll do some type of fashion thing or something with that kind of material, like fabric-type activity. I don't quite know –
[0:48:59] SW: Whatever it is, it will be really awesome.
[0:49:01] LHL: Yes. Yes. I think we made a new friend, and we were exposed to a new creative story. It's like a win-win.
[0:49:08] SW: Yes. The sort of transitioning from making bow ties as a hobby, to turning it into a business. The name Officially Knotted Bowties, aka, OK Bowties, like Oklahoma. I was like, "Whoa."
[0:49:23] LHL: I know. I felt goosebumps when he was talking about all of that. It was amazing.
[0:49:26] SW: Yes. And the story of the first bow ties he made, and then finding the sewing machine at a thrift store. The whole thing is wonderful. It's all very serendipitous.
[0:49:36] LHL: I love that his favorite one represents his mom.
[0:49:39] SW: Yes, really, really sweet.
[0:49:41] LHL: I don't know. We're just gushing, but just truly what a lovely person who has taken it upon himself to make the world better in lots of different ways. So, again, thank you, Lionel. We're very, very pleased to have met you, and we can't wait to keep knowing you and seeing all the awesome stuff that you do.
[0:50:00] SW: Absolutely. I knew we were just going to gush, and that's all right.
[0:50:03] LHL: I know.
[0:50:03] SW: It's just – we're authentic. You should check out Officially Knotted Bowties. They're on the web, officiallyknottedbowties.com. And on Instagram, his handle is Officially Knotted Bowties, and same with Facebook.
[0:50:16] LHL: As always, you can find those links and more in the episode description, and on our website, creativegutspodcast.com. You will find Creative Guts on Facebook, and Instagram, and LinkedIn, where our handle is Creative Guts Podcast.
[0:50:31] SW: This episode is sponsored in part by the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts. Thank you to our friends in Rochester for their support of the show.
[0:50:36] LHL: And a tremendous thank you to Art Upfront Street Studios and Gallery for providing a space for Creative Guts, can record, and be surrounded by beautiful artwork.
[0:50:47] SW: If you love listening and want to support Creative Guts, you can make a donation, leave us a review, interact with our content on social media, purchase some merch, weigh in on our programming, whatever you're able to do. We appreciate you.
[0:50:59] LHL: Thank you so much for tuning in. We'll be back next Wednesday with another episode of Creative Guts.
[END]