Today we’d like to introduce you to Garrett Lash.
Hi Garrett, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Kankakee, Illinois, and raised in the Western Suburb of Chicago called Hinsdale. I was brought up in a black middle-class Christian home and fortunate to have both parents in the house. My father was a Pipe Fitter for General Motors-Locomotive Division, and my mom was a grade school teacher. So My parents instilled the principles of faith, love, hard work, and discipline in me from the beginning.
My father was constantly thinking and strategizing on how to put our family in the best position possible. In hindsight, I can see that he was always five years ahead in his thinking than we were, which, interestingly enough, is the same thing I do for my family now. After high school, I went on to Ball State University to play football and get my degree in engineering. Due to the rigor of the engineering curriculum football fell by the way side, so that I could focus on my classes.
The summer after my freshman year, with my partial football scholarship gone my parents informed that they would not be able to pay my college tuition. So I joined the Army National Guard, for a commitment of 8 years I was able to pay for my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Northern Illinois University. After graduation, over the past 27 plus years, I worked at a few companies (General Motors, Lucent Technologies, Allstate Insurance and Bank of America) and was able to attain my Master’s Degree in Computer Science from DePaul University.
For the majority of that time, I worked in the Information Technology field closing out as a Sr. Vice President, Global Contact Center Product Management. I’m currently the Chief Executive Officer for PuffCuff LLC, Myden Smalls eCommerce Fulfillment and P.A.N Product Partners. With over 25 years of senior leadership experience in the Technology Industry, I garnered my expertise in Organizational Leadership, Financial Planning, and Operations Management. Since taking on these roles in 2017, in a full time capacity the company has seen 65% growth YOY.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
A few struggles I’ve had along the way are:
1. Having to join the military after my freshman year of college to pay for my undergrad degree. This period of time forced me to see what type of person and man I was. And how tough, smart and resourceful I am. Even though I didn’t fully understand why this was happening to me at the time, it was truly the best thing that could of happened. It was a pivotal moment in my life that took me from being a boy to becoming a man.
2. The passing of my father in October 2009. I lost the most influential man in my life.
3. The passing of my wife’s grandmother in December of 2011. At the tender age of 98, she allowed me to witness how to be the person God called you to be. And because of her I am intentional of my calling in life, which is to show love to all you come in contact with. To the best of your ability.
4. Being laid off from my last corporate job, prior to taking on the role of CEO at PuffCuff, Myden-Smalls and PAN Product. This need push gave me the confidence to step out on faith and go the path God had laid out in front of me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
PuffCuff, invented and born out of a necessity to style our founder’s beautiful natural hair. We champion self-love and self-acceptance by providing painless damage-free styling tools & accessories specifically designed for those with thick, curly, or textured hair. We are the ONE-STOP-SHOP for all tools needed to style & care for curly, textured hair. I am most excited about what’s to come for our small but mighty company. I believe our crowning accomplishment is to employ 11 individuals and positively impact them and their families. PuffCuff offers easy-to-use simple hair clamps that create stylish up-dos, buns and ponytail styles for naturally curly hair without causing headaches or hair damage. You find our products through our website (www.thepuffcuff.com), Amazon.com, Wal-Mart.com and Sally Beauty (stores and on-line).
Myden-Smalls eComm Fulfillment Solutions (www.mydensmalls.com) is a boutique 3PL birthed out of personal experience, dedicated to giving micro-enterprises and small businesses the attention they deserve so they can focus on growing their business. By focusing on up-and-coming brands and serving only a limited number of clients at one time, we dedicate ourselves to giving small businesses the level of service typically reserved for large corporations. We mind small businesses and handle the big stuff so that our customers can focus on growing their business ventures. Small businesses face a unique challenge after reaching certain growth milestones, and often find themselves stretched thin between fulfilling orders for a growing customer base and scaling their business behind the scenes. Whether you’re in need of storage solutions or order fulfillment, we are dedicated to seeing small businesses grow.
How do you define success?
Being in the position to make a positive impact on the lives of the folk who dedicate their time and talents to pour into you, your family and business.
Also, creating generational wealth and educating my sons on what it means to being a strong confident Christian black man, husband and father.
Contact Info:
- Email: garrett@thepuffcuff.com | garrett@mydensmalls.com
- Website: https://thepuffcuff.com/ | https://www.mydensmalls.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepuffcuff/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePuffCuff
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePuffCuff
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/puffcuffhairclamp
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/thepuffcuff/
Image Credits:
Eugene Salas
Priscila Benson
