Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Whitlow.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My family says I have control issues. 
. I will admit – I have five children that I cannot always control – but I CAN control how a dresser looks when I paint it – and painting is very therapeutic…and less expensive than counseling. 
. So about ten years ago, I started painting and selling furniture. Sanding and priming were my least favorite parts of this process so I began using a product that did not require those steps. My husband Tom – who we have decided is a direct descendant of Ebeneezer Scrooge (he’s UBER frugal) – found a receipt from a purchase of those products. He decided he could create something a little more affordable. He owned a chemical company for a while and after about two years, he came up with a paint formula unlike anything else on the market. No sanding – no priming – no waxing – no odor – fast drying – pretty wonderful. I started using it to paint and sell furniture and had lots of questions about how I got things done so quickly. No one believed me when I said “because I’m fabulous”. Haha… so we started sharing the paint with friends. After a while, it occurred to Tom that we could market and sell the paint. Ten years later, we have approximately 250 stores in 35 states that carry our paint line.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been an incredibly fun journey – but not necessarily stress-free. Some of our challenges? I paint nonstop – I love it! So when we launched our paint line “shelf life” never occurred to me. Doesn’t everyone open a quart of paint and keep painting till it’s gone? Apparently not. We are a family-owned business and that is an incredible blessing that comes with its own set of challenges. Super uncomfortable at home when you fire one of your kids. we’ve had to learn how to pack and ship – how to create a smooth ordering system – how to market thru social media- how to photograph our products professionally – it’s been a wild ride but we’re growing daily.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rethunk Junk by Laura story. Tell us more about the business.
Rethunk Junk by Laura manufactures and sells a paint line that requires no sanding or priming – and no waxing. It is easy to use – even for a beginner painter. Using our product line allows you to create a beautiful home (furniture – cabinets – home decor) far less expensively than purchasing new. I love helping people unlock the creative gene we all have inside us – and I love offering a product that allows people to use the “furniture from grandma” that they used to hate. Our customer service is amazing = we are driven to make sure you create a project you love. We are in the unique position of manufacturing our own product line, so we can change with the styles – offer our retailers custom products and lots of support. We have a weekly Facebook live video (Thursdays at 3ish) where we teach others how to use our product line. We are extremely proud of the feeling of family we have fostered. We seriously laugh with our customers and share family news – they share with us – it’s much more to us than just selling paint.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We are excited about the fact that we manufacture….this is very unusual in our industry -almost all other companies purchase from a manufacturing plant and then they label that product. Manufacturing allows us to change as the industry does. We can change colors- change finishes – change packaging – add products. We have made our original formula more durable and this allowed us to go with the flow when distressing furniture became less popular. One shift we are seeing is people embracing a “green” way of life – we fit right into this since our product allows customers to reuse (Rethunk) furniture they currently own. We are also seeing a trend towards a finish that has a higher sheen to it – and again – we can do this since we manufacture.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rethunkjunkbylaura.com
- Phone: 770-366-1852
- Email: laura@rethunkjunkbylaura.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rethunkjunkbylaura
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
