Ep. 51 - Janzen Tew with Denim + Velvet Marketing & Design
Janzen Tew may be known for her Rodeo Vogue fashion page but she’s lived a multi-faceted, career driven life. The face and owner of Denim + Velvet Marketing, Janzen walks us through how she met her team roping professional cowboy husband (Cody Tew), her initial thought of being a dentist, and how everything changed the moment she picked up a camera!
Falling in love with photography, she worked for some of the biggest names in western retail and, taking those skills, she wanted to give boutiques the opportunity for next level marketing and product photography. Her team of amazing women provide just that as they book shoots, weddings, product shoots, lifestyle photography, marketing, websites, logos, designs and more!
Stay tuned for an education and inspiring podcast with none other than Janzen herself!
Growing Up
“My parents were cutting horse trainers and I also worked for Bill Freeman, the first cutting horse trainer to win the triple crown from the time I was twelve to eighteen,” says Janzen who says that that was the greatest blessing. Learning social communication aspects of eye contacts, sincerity and genuine, hand shakes, and gaining great relationships from networking.
Always be you.
Try your hardest to give the best results for whatever they are seeking from you.
Dive into every platform you can to knowledge and educate yourself.
Finding Love
Working in Tesky’s marketing department with her good friend Katie, she suggested that Janzen should go on a date with her older brother Kody who was working in the oil fields of North Dakota. While Janzen had grown up as the daughter of two horse trainers, was familiar with the rodeo world from her college friends' involvement with their college rodeo team. After a couple years of dating, they are now happily married and going on four and a half years.
Western Marketing Spheres
“I didn’t think that I was going to go to college,” says Janzen who homeschooled through high school as she spent all of her time showing cutting horses. Graduating a year early, she was working with Cowboy Milita, handling their rodeo athletes in PRCA, PBR and Collegiate rodeo.
“I really thought that I would just stay there,” admits Janzen but, after being sat down by the owner, he told her that she would be wasting her life if she didn’t go to college and chase her dreams. A friend had just completed a ten-week course to be a dental assistant so she decided to do the same during this crossroad and she loved it!
Applying two weeks before school started, Janzen was accepted and started with a pre-med background heading towards dental hygiene and then transferred to Tyler to continue pursuing that but then she stopped all of it.
Taking photos for side money to pay for school she fell in love with photography and she stopped school and never looked back. With absolutely no degrees, she jokes that she’s learned everything the wrong way, and that it opened a ton of doors for her!
Photography
Starting on the portrait side of things, she loved shooting family’s, engagements and weddings. A job opened up at NRS for product photography and she got the job! Learning from Sean, their current photographer, Janzen was a sponge and learned everything that she could about shooting product and photo shoot organizations. Meeting wholesale reps, learning about the retail side, and continuing to grow their online presence as social media really began to pick up circa 2013. Social media, specifically Instagram, was starting to get established so Janzen was able to get more hands on opportunities until she was offered a position she couldn’t refuse at Tesky’s.
At Tesky’s, they allowed Janzen to take over all of the clothing and marketing for their stores. It was in that moment that she realized that’s what she loved, there was nothing else that she wanted to do!
Product Photography
Janzen found that there was a similar and consistent “old school” style of product photography and marketing companies. After success with her fashion blog, Rodeo Vogue that we talk more about later in this blog, Janzen wanted to provide a fresher look. Those original customers were collaborations with Rodeo Vogue and now she runs the whole business through Denim + Velvet Marketing.
Rodeo Vogue
Rodeo Vogue came about as Janzen was one of the first group of ladies in the Bleacher Babe squad. A fun time in her life, Janzen has always been a wallflower so the concept caught her by surprise.
“I have had a love for clothes my whole life! My mom would get mad at me as a kid because I would change clothes five times a day and then tell her they were dirty when I took them off,” says Janzen. “I have always seen the world a little bit different and I think a majority of people do which is the beauty of fashion because, just because I don’t like something, doesn’t mean that I am right or wrong.”
With her creative brain turning on fashion, Janzen was limited with what she could do with all of the extra content outside of her Bleacher Babe requirements. Trying to decide on a name, she had a paper FILLED with random notes, and it hit her - Vogue style was her fashion but she was in the rodeo world so why not Rodeo Vogue?
Denim + Velvet Marketing & Design
How it Began
“When I first started doing influencer work for different companies, they would need photos… and they didn’t understand branding,” explains Janzen about the multi-faceted and long process that branding required for these businesses. It caused these owners to avoid opportunities in branding that was overall lacking in the industry.
There were some companies that were doing this concept prior but it was more antiquated. Janzen’s goal was to bring a fresh look to boutique marketing and be able to price themselves on a competitive scale that businesses could afford. Cost up front is a major deterrent for boutiques because you never know when the industry is going to change in a moment's notice so they have to lower overhead.
Providing quality logo design (hand drawn and digital), graphic design, web design, photography, styling, videography, and really anything that you need marketing. THey call themselves a “one-stop marketing shop.” Customers have even had Janzen decorate showrooms - there’s no job she’s not too proud to do. Customers are family and she’ll do anything for them.
“One thing that sets us apart from other businesses is that, while we may be small, we will do anything that we can for those businesses.”
Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
“Both. I think some people are born with the desire to work. I am a worker, I love it - no matter if I have a four-hour day and can accomplish everything super fast or if I need a twenty-one hour day, those happen,” says Janzen. “I have definitely seen people that are made into it when their passion was sparked.”
“You’re born to work or you love to work for yourself, I think that’s where the crossover happens,” says Janzen.
As an entrepreneur, Janzen has learned that visual learning is the number one way to retain customers. Utilizing two presentations for showcasing their services to potential customers includes a pdf breakdown with a FAQ plus a video.
“I kind of feel them out to read to see which way they lean,” says Janzen about booking leads. For us to be able to show them everything that we do and how it works is truly the only way. If it’s not something that we personally do ourselves for Denim + Velvet, then I don’t offer it to them.
The Team
“I would get zero things accomplished without them,” says Janzen with a laugh about her Denim + Velvet Team. “I would do anything for them and spoil them to get them to stay for forever.”
Online Photography Courses
“I think a lot of people get scared when they get a camera,” says Janzen as she’s noticed that a lot of photography enthusiasts will purchase a camera and then become frustrated when they don’t get the results they were expecting. After teaching a couple different courses in person in the summer of 2019, she decided to move those courses online to be applicable to many others.
“I get sad when I think of my friends that are mom’s at home that have little kids that aren’t using their camera to take photos of their kids,” says Janzen. “I also want them to understand not only how to take photos but also understand details for boutique owners, brand owners, using studio lighting, and items that the everyday person may not need.”
Depending on where you are at with the stage that you are working with your camera, you can pick these courses up and run with them. Janzen has been thinking about these courses for a couple of years and have spent the time making it perfect.
“I’m not a teacher. I typically run through things relatively fast … so it was great for me to [make these courses] to slow things down, walk through everything step by step, and tell why I do what I do with my camera,” says Janzen. “Filming a class is way different than filming a behind the scenes or a wedding.”
NFR Fashion Show
Approached by RIDE-TV to utilize the Roper Stage for a WNFR fashion show in 2017, Janzen put together a show in just a small amount of time with little to no resources. With managers organizing clothes, models getting hair and make up, and so many other moving parts, they showcase 350 outfits walking in a 45 minutes time frame. It’s a ton of people on stage and a lot of planning.
“We do our best to have a very good group of girls that want to support each other and pump you up in an outfit that maybe is out of your comfort zone.”
“When I choose girls to walk in the fashion show, that’s my number one thing: I want them to be genuine and compassionate,” says Janzen because many of the girls have never walked in a fashion show before.
If you are interested in being in the show, stay tuned to the Rodeo Vogue and Denim + Velvet Social Media channels via the buttons below.
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Echoes from the Saddle; Great Whites, Great Cattle & Great Cowboys episode hosted by Katie Surritt and Katie Schrock, explores the fascinating history of Hawaiian cowboy culture, known as Paniolo. In this episode, the hosts delve into the unique blend of Hawaiian and Western influences that shaped the Paniolo way of life.
The hosts begin by acknowledging the challenges in researching Hawaiian history, emphasizing the reliance on oral traditions due to the lack of recorded history by the natives. They highlight the conflicting dates and historical uncertainties, underscoring their efforts to present the most accurate information.
The historical narrative starts in 1793 when Hawaii received its first cattle from Captain James Vancouver, a gift that marked the beginning of the Paniolo legacy. King Kamehameha I, the greatest King in Hawaiian culture, played a crucial role in the introduction of cattle to the islands. The cattle, initially considered imperialistic tools, soon multiplied, leading to chaos and havoc as they destroyed the islands.
Native Hawaiians faced many challenges in managing the wild and aggressive cattle. The introduction of rock walls proved ineffective, and the "Great Cattle Menace" era ensued. The cattle, similar to those used in California for sport against grizzlies, posed a serious threat to human lives and property.
The narrative shifts to King Kamehameha III, who recognized the need to control the cattle population. The hosts detail the innovative methods employed by Hawaiians, such as trap pits and bullock hunting, to manage the aggressive cattle. However, the cattle were not initially utilized for consumption; instead, efforts were made to reduce their population.
The turning point comes when King Kamehameha III invites vaqueros, the original cowboys, from California to teach Hawaiians their methods. The vaqueros introduce new techniques, including roping and cattle management, shifting the focus from lethal actions to utilizing cattle as a resource. The hosts spotlight John Palmer Parker, a key figure in ranching, who played a pivotal role in assimilating into Hawaiian culture and promoting cattle as a valuable asset.
The hosts emphasize the significance of the Paniolo in Hawaiian history, asserting that it's impossible to separate Hawaiian history from cowboy culture. The Parker Ranch, established by John Palmer Parker, becomes a symbol of the successful adaptation of cowboy culture in Hawaii. They also touch upon the transformation of Paniolo horses, bred specifically for their unique roles in herding cattle and assisting in the shipping process.
In conclusion, the Mahlo Paniolo podcast provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of Hawaiian cowboy culture, highlighting its origins, challenges, and enduring impact on the islands. The hosts celebrate the Paniolo as a vital part of Hawaiian history, showcasing their resilience and ability to adapt while preserving their cultural identity.