Wanted & Wild Co.

Basic Information

Business Name: Wanted & Wild Co.
Website: www.wantedwildco.com
Established: 2020

Questions answered by: Sierra, owner 

Social Media

About Them

Can you please fully explain your business or product line?

Wanted & Wild Co. offers a variety of vintage and handmade products including decor, furniture, and apparel, as well as handmade candles & accessories through collaborations with other small businesses.

With the Winnipeg local maker community continuing to grow, what is the most important thing you’d like potential customers of your company to know?

I think something a lot of people don’t realize is word-of-mouth and sharing local business with your circles means EVERYTHING. I’ve made more sales/gained more followers from word-of-mouth than any kind of promotion, paid ads, or social media posts.

Winnipeg has an amazing small business community and I’m so proud to be a part of it. I choose to keep my dollars local to support other local businesses and I highly recommend you do the same! It’s a great community to be a part of and I promise you will feel so valued if you choose to support us!

What inspired you to start your business?

I started Wanted & Wild when I was working in health care and was craving a creative outlet. At the same time, I had also suffered the devastating loss of my best friend to an accidental overdose. I took a step back from health care, threw myself into this business, and have never looked back. 

I’ve also been thrifting and buying secondhand my entire life. My first apartment was 100% thrifted & hand-me-downs; it’s something I’ve always loved and shared with my family & friends. Now, my home is my canvas. I take such pride in how much work I’ve put into curating it into a place my partner and I love. Almost everything is vintage and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is why I now offer interior styling and personal shopping services to help you love your home, too!

Furthermore, I’m an avid environmentalist and am proud to use my platform & voice to teach others about the importance of protecting our planet. An easy way to do this is to shop secondhand! There are so many other reasons to buy vintage, I couldn’t list them all, but here’s a taste:

– Your home will be full of unique & valuable pieces, instead of basic box store decor that everyone else has. 

– Vintage decor and furniture only increase with value over time…the number of these items in circulation is constantly going down.

– Buying vintage helps the planet by supporting a circular economy and not buying & ultimately disposing of “fast decor”.

– Buying vintage through a local shop or reseller boosts your local economy!

What was the biggest struggle you’ve had to overcome?

Honestly, just starting. Deciding to register my business and do this full-time was a huge leap of faith. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come with this business in the last two years and I’m very excited to continue to grow.

What has been your biggest success as a maker?

From the very start,  it was important to me to be as eco-friendly as possible and keep my footprint low. I continue to only use recycled and secondhand packaging, promotional materials, and shipping supplies. Bubble wrap, bags, and business cards are all recycled/sourced secondhand. I’m really proud of this fact and, although it takes a lot more work and effort, it’s 100% worth it.

I’ve also taught myself the art of candle making. I now offer soy candles in small batches, made in vintage reusable vessels, topped with dried flowers & crystals. The candle market is huge but I think what sets these apart are the vessels themselves! They can be reused in multiple ways once the candle is done (or refilled); I only source vessels that actually look good enough to sit in with your decor!

Do you have any advice that you would pass on to someone hoping to start up their own business or product line?

Don’t focus on your follower count, a perfectly curated feed, or the algorithm. Provide quality products, take quality photos, and form relationships with your clients. Do something you’re passionate about and don’t doubt your craft! 

Please share any upcoming events as well as the best place(s) for people to purchase your product!

You can shop Wanted & Wild Co. 24/7 on my website! You can additionally shop a selection of our vintage decor at Epoca Haus, a midcentury modern furniture store at 1318 Main Street, open Saturdays and Sundays!