Meet Carrie Briley, Yard Love Owner & Founder
Celebrating 9 Years!
Take us back to the beginning. Where did the idea for Yard Love come from, and what made you decide to turn it into a business?
I originally started Yard Love as a solo business for myself. I loved the idea of being able to celebrate the people I cared about in a fun and memorable way. I quickly realized I wasn’t the only one who wanted that celebratory feeling and business opportunity. My family and friends who lived in other states wanted the same opportunity to celebrate their friends and family in their own communities.
That’s when we realized Yard Love could be more than just a local business. We decided to offer it as an affiliate opportunity, giving others the chance to start their own Yard Love business in their community. One of the things that made our model unique from the handful of other yard greeting companies in the industry at the time was that our affiliates would keep 100% of their profits while paying just a $400 annual fee per territory.
What started as something I created for myself quickly turned into an opportunity to help other people build something of their own—and that has become one of my favorite parts of the Yard Love story.
What do you remember about Yard Love’s very first setup? Who or what was it for?
The very first Yard Love setup was for my daughter Morgan’s 12th birthday on September 15, 2017. Honestly, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing!
I printed the letters and a few graphics at a local print shop and paid WAY too much money to have them made. To make matters worse, they printed everything incorrectly, and the corrugated flutes weren’t lined up correctly for the stakes to go through the bottom of the letters.
On a tight deadline, I had to buy more corrugated plastic and literally cut and super glue it to the back of every single sign so I could actually get the stakes through them and into the ground. No such thing as an easy set up package in those days! Such a headache!
I learned so much through trial and error in those early days. Everything was improvised as there was no known process. We were creating it on the fly!
My family has supported me through every wild hair idea and every crazy set up we stopped for while going about our wonderfully busy life!
Looking back, it’s pretty funny to think about now, but at the time, I was definitely wondering what I had gotten myself into. Little did I know that messy first setup would be the beginning of a nine-year journey.
When you think back over the last nine years, what Yard Love moment or milestone stands out the most?
It’s hard to choose just one because there have been so many milestones along the way. One of the biggest things that stands out to me is watching Yard Love grow from a small local business into a brand with affiliates and customers in communities across the country.
Seeing other people take the Yard Love concept and make it their own has been incredibly rewarding. It’s one thing to build a business yourself, but it’s another to watch something you created create opportunities for other people, too.
Beyond our amazing affiliates, I honor every member who has ever served on our corporate team as they make Yard Love who we are today. Dusty has walked this journey with me from nearly the very beginning (8+ years!) Jeremy for 7! and Nikki with 6 years as an affiliate and 2 as our Affiliate Director. Team work truly makes the dream work!
What has surprised you most about what Yard Love has become?
I have always believed in our product, our process and our team and had no doubt we could grow into something that would span from coast to coast. When you’re growing, you just keep welcoming the new and it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. When I stop and reflect, however, I’m surprised just how big we have become. What started with a handful of signs with only enough letters to spell “Morgan” and a whole lot of figuring things out as I went has grown into a brand, a community and an opportunity for people all over the country. Yard Love has changed a lot over the years, but the heart of it has stayed the same—celebrating people and making them feel special.
Nine years in, what are you most excited about for the future of Yard Love?
While I never fancied myself as a runner, I discovered a joy and passion for running some fifteen years ago. Turns out I was determined enough to get faster and ultimately qualified for the Boston Marathon. The grit required to run that distance (and the grueling training required) has also been the manner by which I’ve approached running this business. While things can seem like a sprint day-to-day, these nine years have proved that this effort is a marathon. I’m excited to run the next many miles with you and know we will continue to grow and evolve to remain a leader in the yard greeting industry even as we hold true to what has made Yard Love special in the first place. Believe it or not, we’ve had international inquiries from Canada, Mexico and even Africa. I’m excited for that first international affiliate to take the leap and help us take these celebrations to the ends of the earth. I would also love to host a Yard Love Affiliate Conference some day to celebrate in person what it means to be part of the YL Family and see one another face to face after all these years of zoom calls and emails.
Nine years has taught me that there is always another idea around the corner. I’m excited to see where the next chapter takes us and to keep building something that people are proud to be a part of. I still love what I do and I love doing it with you! I’m incredibly grateful for every customer, affiliate, team member and family who has been part of the Yard Love story. Nine years is an incredible milestone, and I can’t wait to see what the next nine bring.