We should probably tell you how Culture Sock came about. It’s a good story, but most likely not what you expect.
When Elaine Olshanetsky first drafted the concept for Culture Sock little did she know that the idea would evolve from creating fun, unique, novelty socks into a satisfying experience about finding inspiration and talent in her own community.
It is not particularly daunting for Elaine to take on new professional challenges. Prior to Culture Sock, Elaine owned a café, produced and managed theater and dance companies, which, surprisingly, led to business development in the tech sector. But still, creating an exciting and viable business required specific deliverables that Elaine knew she could not complete on her own.
Once Elaine fine-tuned the concept she went to work on securing designers and a manufacturer. While she waited for her first shipment to arrive, Elaine began her search for the best candidates to complete all of the fundamentals needed for a sound business. But finding top talent turned out to be anything but typical.
Standing in the middle of her child’s school yard, Elaine gestures to a group of parents watching their kids play before the morning bell rings.
“It makes sense that our aesthetics align,” she says, “We all chose to live in San Francisco and this particular school.”
The school is an alternative, arts based public school in the City. It’s also the place where she ended up recruiting the experts needed—a graphic and brand designer, web site guru, business consultant, photographer, and marketing manager—to get Culture Sock up and running.
The collective value that these talented parents brought to Culture Sock is nothing short of remarkable. “We already had these relationships before starting any work,” she says. “There were not many iterations, not in writing, not in design or photography. Aesthetically, culturally we were all on the same page, so everything got completed fast and seamlessly.”
The premise of Culture Sock is to tell a story. Three socks, two feet. You, the user, get to decide which two to wear each day. Turns out the story of Culture Sock and the community that helped bring the business to life is just as telling.
When Elaine Olshanetsky first drafted the concept for Culture Sock little did she know that the idea would evolve from creating fun, unique, novelty socks into a satisfying experience about finding inspiration and talent in her own community.
It is not particularly daunting for Elaine to take on new professional challenges. Prior to Culture Sock, Elaine owned a café, produced and managed theater and dance companies, which, surprisingly, led to business development in the tech sector. But still, creating an exciting and viable business required specific deliverables that Elaine knew she could not complete on her own.
Once Elaine fine-tuned the concept she went to work on securing designers and a manufacturer. While she waited for her first shipment to arrive, Elaine began her search for the best candidates to complete all of the fundamentals needed for a sound business. But finding top talent turned out to be anything but typical.
Standing in the middle of her child’s school yard, Elaine gestures to a group of parents watching their kids play before the morning bell rings.
“It makes sense that our aesthetics align,” she says, “We all chose to live in San Francisco and this particular school.”
The school is an alternative, arts based public school in the City. It’s also the place where she ended up recruiting the experts needed—a graphic and brand designer, web site guru, business consultant, photographer, and marketing manager—to get Culture Sock up and running.
The collective value that these talented parents brought to Culture Sock is nothing short of remarkable. “We already had these relationships before starting any work,” she says. “There were not many iterations, not in writing, not in design or photography. Aesthetically, culturally we were all on the same page, so everything got completed fast and seamlessly.”
The premise of Culture Sock is to tell a story. Three socks, two feet. You, the user, get to decide which two to wear each day. Turns out the story of Culture Sock and the community that helped bring the business to life is just as telling.
