Penny-Lee Brown is the brainchild behind Cancel Vulture, a brand that creates quirky greeting cards that swear and the home of the mystery 90’s T. Here at House of Coco we love shopping, especially when there’s an element of surprise, we’re obsessed with supporting small businesses and we love a girl boss that isn’t afraid to try new things. So, it’s no surprise that Penny ticks all of our boxes.
We spent some time with her to find out more…
Tell us about the journey that lead you to launching the Cancel Vulture shop…
I’ve always been a prolific starter of businesses, like, if you think it’s a good idea- start it! I’ve been a Zumba teacher, made fashion harnesses, sold make-up, hand puppets… when I was about 13 I made and sold scrunchies at school, and then graduated to fake IDs at about 15 (I had to stop when I got caught!).
By 2019 I think I’d lost a bit of the magic for it. I’ve always had a successful full-time career so anything I did was on the side and not really priority.
However, I’ve always known that I’ve got a business in me, I just didn’t know what it would be.
And then it hit me… well, Covid-19 hit the world. So, I started off designing greetings cards that use swear words instead of crappy, fluffy wording, you know, the kind of thing you’d ACTUALLY say to a friend… but I was open to different products like prints too.
My boyfriend told me about this mystery football shirts product… absolute genius! Especially when you could get a team you hate or one you’ve never heard of. I racked my brain for absolutely months on how I could do something similar but that would be more me.
Then one day I thought of it, Mystery 90s TV or Movie T! By the next day it was on the Cancel Vulture Etsy shop.
What item has been your best seller so far?
It’s the Mystery 90s T! Let’s be honest, we love the 90s and there were SO many good movies and TV shows that came out making the 90s one of the best decades!
You’re mystery t-shirt offer is so intriguing, can you tell us more about this?
Thank you! That’s the idea… intrigue. It’s £18 including delivery and all you do is tell us what colour you want (white, grey, or black) and the size. Within a week you have a magical little package to open with your 90s TV or Movie print on the tee!
So far we’ve sent out tees including Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Zig and Zag (remember them?!), Ren & Stimpy, Saved By The Bell, The Craft… there’s more on the Instagram page. But no-one will get the same one! So they’re all unique too.
The feedback has been unreal! People love the surprise element of it. Seriously, I love the people that have bought them because their reactions have just been priceless.
What’s the process behind adding new items to your shop?
With the cards It all depends on what’s happening out there. Recently a friend of mine went through something and I used that experience to make a card that I thought might help her. It’s seasonal too but I’ll look out for viral content and use it in the cards.
As for the Mystery Ts… I’ve realized that there’s some unbelievable TV and Movie content from the 2000s too so when the mood feels right, I’ll launch that on there as well as the 90s T.
Who’s involved in the brand and what roles do they play?
It’s all me. I’m a bit of a control freak, but also my full-time role is marketing creative so thankfully I have that experience to use.
So I’m founder, designer, maker, marketer, and finance.
How do you want people to feel when wearing your designs?
Like the coolest person in the world. I want them to feel like everyone notices their T and has a moment of jealousy that they don’t have it. Like you know when you can tell someone is side eyeing your outfit? I want them to feel that. I want them to feel famous.
What sets you apart from other independent brands?
Every card I make is from the bottom of my heart. Every Mystery 90s T is a moment between me and the buyer that I can only liken to a deep high five!
Looking back since launching the brand, is there anything you would do differently?
I’d put more time into marketing it from the start. However, as we all know 2020 was weird. I had just moved house, was trying to make sure I did everything I could to stand out as a model employee whilst working from home, and just looking after myself, so I’m cool with it.
How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?
100%. Mostly on feed and stories but I have used a couple of micro-influencers. I’ve had varying experiences with that but if they’re good to you it does work.
Instagram is just such a fun platform to engage with, we’ll see, I’d say I’m still early days so I’ve got a long way to go.
What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?
I’d take “Just do it” but someone got there before me. So, I’ll go with “Just start it”. Seems really obvious but it works for me with anything from launching a product to writing a script. If you just start the thing you’re putting off, you’ve already gone SO far.
What’s next for the business?
Let’s see how far I can take Mystery 90s Ts (I think the card side will just tick over) and then I’ll be launching a Mystery 00s T!
I only want to launch the Mystery 00s T so I can send someone a Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie The Simple Life tee!
What does self–care mean to you?
It means everything. Space and time to myself. I offer myself self-care in the form of meditation, walks, baths or showers with super scented stuff, and making a little spa for myself.
Follow Penny and Cancel Vulture for more…
They could either follow Cancel Vulture on Instagram at @cancelvultureshop or check out the Etsy store atwww.etsy.com/shop/cancelvulture.
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