Sister, Sister with Devon and Sydney Carlson

excited to have you guys. We um. When we were thinking of guests, like you were the first on the list. We just absolutely like, I think you guys are amazing and we've we look up to you in so many different ways. UM. So yeah, we just wanted to, like want you guys to introduce yourselves. You can whoever can start first, just kind of what you do, what you're up to. How how have things been for you, yeah, said go. Well, I'm Sydney Carlson, UM, co founder wild

Flower Cases with my sister. Um. It's almost been ten years now having our company as family sisters. It's you probably know, insane, but the best thing ever too. That's amazing. Yeah, I'm Devin Lee Carlson Sydney's older sister and also the co founder of Wildflower Cases. I like can't believe that

we've been doing this for ten years. It's truly insane, like like mind boggling the fact that we are, that we started this company when we were Sydney was fourteen and we're sixteen, and we've been doing it for so long. How how did that start? I mean, Maddie and I have known about it for so long case we're both girls, always always, But how how did that start? I mean, being so young, how did you guys just think like, oh,

let's start a company together. It kind of happened on accident. Actually, it was never really a plan for this to like become a thing. But our mom is like super super creative, and we were in high school and she was making member the like jean shorts with like studs on them and like fabric on them, and she was making those for us, and um, I really needed a new phone case, but I like there was none that I loved or like wanted, and she was like, I'm just gonna make

one somehow. Thought of it herself didn't exist at that time. It was like the iPhone four had just come out like it was like and it was literally like it was just did not exist at all, and yeah, that's amazing. She got like fabric from a store and like put it inside a case and then got the studs she was using for shorts and like put it on top and like walked him up and gave it to us for Easter and we were like, what in the world

is this? Like we're obsessed with it and took it to school and all of our friends were like, we want one. Where can we get one? Everyone's like I wanted it at school and we would get like stopped in the mall walking around and like where to get that? Like no one had like cute like some cases weren't in accessory at all. Yeah, not at all. And now

they've become such a thing. Like your brand is so well known and I feel like you always know even from just seeing like the black front part of I know it's a Wildflower always well, and you can like match them to your outfits. Like I feel like that's really cool, and where did you get the name Wildflower? Well?

So we like we went to dinner one night and it was the first night that my mom had kept some on her and we I we were waiting in line for the bathroom and Miley Cyrus ended up walking out of bathroom stall and I was like the biggest Handa Montana fan in the world and just like twelve when it was like peek Hannah Montana and I was like, didn't care about anyone else besides Hannah Montana and Miley,

and I was like, holy, what is going on? And she we ended up taking a picture together and she complimented the phone case and she was was like, Oh, where did you get it? And we were like, oh, our mom made it for us, and she's like, is your mom here? It's like whatever, And then we ended up having a conversation with Miley and our parents and she had told us like, you guys should start a company. No one's making cases like this, and uh. She ended up later in the night like tweeting a picture of

the phone cases and tagged me in her tweet. And so then I started getting all these responses like how do I buy this? How do I buy this? And our dad as a graphic designer, like his job prior to this was in graphic design, and so uh. On the ride home, we literally made up the name wild

flower and made up a website. We had no inventory, we had nothing, and I just we just started replying to people like wildflower cases dot com, we flour cases dot com, and we were getting orders and we had like like it took like six weeks to get one case because we literally would have to like completely handmake like the process to make a case took like days because it would have to dry and then would have to do like we bent in all these studz to make sure that it would stay in a certain way.

Like it took so long, and um, so we just started replying to people and it was pretty pretty wild and like I we all meet. I my dad had a full time job, my mom had a part time job. I also had a part time job. I was working at a go karting place. I was on dance team. It was like my senior year, and Sydney was on dance team too, So we like literally had no time to do this, and so our schedule just got like like we we would go to school and then we

would go to dance and then we would work. And then on the days that I had to work, I would like stay up and do customer services at nighttime. And it was just like like we for years, we're just like dependent on this. And so once I ended up quitting my job like probably a month later, and then a couple of months later my mom quit her job, and then a year later my dad. It wasn't a year said, it was like like almost a year my dad quit his job. And that was like very intense.

We were like okay, guys, like we were putting our all into this, and it was like, wait, like I didn't. I didn't. I only went to a semester of college, and like I thought that I was going to be a professional dancer or something or like doing dance and

then this kind of happened. It's such a real like circle moment to just like keeping it in the family and working so hard to now seeing it be so successful and everyone I know has a wildflower case and it's just like you guys are so inspiring and how it really like shows how much work you put into it. And also I feel like, well, I mean, my eight year old self is literally dying because if Miley Sires told me to do something, I wouldn't present do it, So I guess that was a really good sign. Also,

I'm I'm really interested. Literally the biggest sign for the universe thousand set. I'm so interested because like, how wait, first of all, how like what's your age gap like to a half? Yeah, we're like almost three years. It's like two years and nine months or something, got it. Okay, so that's kind of we're twenty months apart, so it's

like we're a little closer. But yeah, but we're kind of interested just because obviously it's incredible working with your sister, and it's so nice to have like a built in kind of like best friend with you all the time, but also just kind of trying to like find your own identity because you know, just like being compared to one another all the time, or like the dynamic between the older and younger sister, Like how was that for you? And like navigating that and kind of really trying to

find your own selves. I feel like more recently, we've I guess the past like a few years, we've gotten like really close where we like we actually hang out, yeah, like all the time. I feel like in high school it was definitely like separate, even though we were like working in starting this business together, I was like we had different interests and we were like trying to figure ourselves out still, and you know that kind of it

was very different for us. But after like high school and we both started to figure ourselves out and like do our things. And now we're like both so solid in our own like identities and personalities that we can be together and be separate and do like two different things or do the same thing, and it like still makes sense for both of us. But it definitely, yeah,

and to figure out. Yeah, I definitely think like when we were growing up, it was like we were like because we were best friends with sisters, so like us four when all the sisters would hang out, and I think that that was like, that's an interesting dynamic, Like it was. It was, but it was so much fun because like me and the other older sister would hang out and then the two younger sisters would hang out, and than us four would all do like stuff together

growing up. But then when we were in high school, I think Sidney and I just can't we're like sisters, like, but we weren't like really friends, but it was like we've already we only fought over closed. There was like never a serious argument that we ever had, Like we never like if it was all we thought about was

closed it was never really anything more than that. And then in the past few years, me and Sydney will like hang out now, and we'll always like we got lunch together the other day, and our friends are always like the sisters are hanging out. But like I it's just no, like no one gets to me more than Sydney. Like we can just look at each other and like we'll say the same things at the same time, and we'll just always be like blood, like we are related,

but no one makes me laugh harder. It's like this having a sister is like the most special thing. And I think that it also helps you understand like women in general, and like how to like uh, I don't know, be friends with girls and how girls brains were all

that stuff. But I think me and Sidney appreciate each other's like differences, like we never try to change each other or make each other uh, Like I never tried to force Sydney in an outfit that like I know that she would never wear you, like will roast each other, like we make fun of everything each other does, like very humble, like I in the best way. I'm like I will be feeling myself and my sister will be like, what the hell are you wearing? Totally it's never like change,

You're so embarrassing, do not wear this next name. I'm like, She's like, we throw shade, and then we don't move on with our days. We feel like it's just a walls down like friendship sisterhood just like accept each other for who they are because you just know them way too well. I think it definitely gets weird when you start hanging out with each other and actually having fun.

I think that was when we were like, oh, we're actually friends now, Like this is it's so weird and like it's also I don't know about you guys, but like the dynamic of like obviously I started driving first, and I would have to take her everywhere. But then when she started driving out, she was like, do you want me to pick you up? Like I can take you? And I was like, oh my god, this is like

the weirdest dynamic ever. But now I'm like, oh, I'm going to use this to my advantage because I had to do everything for her, and now I'm going to make her drive me around and take me where I need to go. Right, And I love it so much.

But like also, and I'm sure devon for you too, being like the old you're the older sister, right, Yeah, Yeah, it's definitely like I feel such a sense of like I felt like I always needed to protect her to the best of my abilities, but she is definitely the stronger, more opinionated, Like she's so amazing when it comes to that stuff, and I and I felt her almost protecting me more in a lot of situations, which is so interesting.

Do you feel the exact same thing. Yeah, I mean, I like, I definitely feel more sensitive, but I also like my baby Sydney. I like, if Sydney texts me like help, I'll literally drop everything and like go and make sure she's okay. Like I'm always like I don't know how she has this power over me, but she does. But then at the same time, I'll be like she'll constantly if I get like one mean comment or something like, Sydney will be like, literally, who cares? Like why are

you at? Get over it? Like she's like definitely stronger than me and will like talk me out of a lot of like I don't know, she I like, I feel like it's such a good balance, but I definitely like I if she comes over and it's like I need, I will cook her an entire dinner, pick out her outfit and blow dry her hair, lay out all of the makeup. Like I there's nothing I love more than

taking care of Sydney. Like she it's like having your own little like not dull that sounds terrible, but like essentially like like I love I've come over and like I want to do your hair, makeup, dress you up. She doesn't constantly like that's that's what we do. She comes over. She also helps me like pack put outfits together. She as much as I want to do it myself, she you know, begs me and she's like, oh you know. I Sidney always is like can you can you come

over and do my hair before? Like Devin, I literally don't know what to do. My hair looks so bad today, Like I'm curiously like I'm not going to go if my hair looks like this. Yeah, do you do you ever do like the situation where it's like okay, well I'll do all of this for you, but you have to give me a ten minute back in the hush or like something. When you're growing up, it's like Okay, then you let me borrow this shirt. Yeah, I do

this for you can borrow this. And it's like or it's like I've never worn it and I let you borrow it. I haven't even closed a picture in it. I think. I think the funniest thing is when you come over and you're like, please let me wear something from your closet, like I just need something to go out, and I'm like, Okay, pick whatever you want, I'll let you wear it. Picks out one shirt and I'm like,

that's my favorite shirt. She picked something out, like you know, Sydney came over to my house yesterday and I folded the sweatsuit that I borrowed and she was like, is this mine? And I was like, yeah, I were last night at your house and she goes, that was mine. You didn't even ask, and I was like, we're four and twenty seven and we're still having arguments about not

asking to borrow clothes. That's the growing up there, like serious fights or like we've been friends with other sisters too that are like we getting like serious screaming fights at each other, like pulling hair and I'm like, Dunn and I have never like even like we get in arguments and fights, and then an hour later we're like, do you want to exactly that's how we not even an hour we'll literally be screaming at each other about how annoying the other is or how we're like just

like shut up, like stop, and then two seconds later she's like, did you want anything from Starbucks? And I'm like, oh, yeah, can you give me that? Like, there is no there is never a grudge that is held between a sister. I think I don't know. I think most of the time we forgot. Like I think a lot of the time we like try to hold a grudge and we would we talk to each other for like a few days and then we're like, wait, what were we even

talking about, which I think is good. But also like with a sister now, I mean now we live on our own and stuff, but like when we lived together with a friend, you can if you get in a fight, you take time. But with us, we still have to see each other every day, so it's like, oh, well, we kind of have to just make it right because

we're still going to be in the same house. Right. Also, I mean forced to figure it out and hell, and like grow confront the problem, otherwise it's just going to be like also, like this is kind of off topic,

but back to like kind of the work dynamic. Do you guys ever feel like, or have you ever felt in the past, like a sense of like having to like not one up each other, but a sense of like competition behind it, just because it's like, oh, we're even though we're a family dynamic and we're working together, like kind of getting compared. Did you feel any of that, because we definitely did unintentionally, like we didn't try to

be that way towards each other. It's just like from the backlash of other people, it kind of forced us into that, right. I mean, I feel like Sidney and I have always been interested in such different things and it's never been like like competition. I think people will naturally compare us to each other, But I don't think sid me wants to do some of that that I like love doing, and I don't care to do a

lot of this that she wants to do. So I think for us mentally, like I don't feel I mean, Sydney, you can say how you feel about it, but I think people put naturally just will compare each other. But I don't feel like we ever like felt pressure or competition between now like being more grown, and like we both definitely like the same job and we have like a lot of the same interest in the things we do, but the way we do them is like very different.

Like we'll both go to like a fashion week, like interests there are like totally different, and like what we wear is like totally different. So it's like we are doing a lot of the same things, but we're both like very specific and how and like what we do.

So it's never really like competing for the same thing, which is nice because I think we're yeah, and we like work together with Wildflower, and I think we both know that like whatever we do benefits both of us, like each other and our family, and so it's just more of like making sure that we always support each other.

And like if Sydney is passionate about doing something like she would like used to have a photo account called white Wine kind of Sweets, she made a whole book and all that stuff, and it was like so exciting for her and doing all that, and it's like I would never do anything like that, and I would never like, I don't know, it's just this like supporting her and doing that. It's like it's it's a return. It's all gonna like just help each other, and like it's seeing

someone that you love succeed. And I don't think that. I don't know. I just people will naturally always compare you, and but I feel like if you're cool with just being in your lane and doing your thing and confident enough in yourself, then it doesn't matter. I mean, you guys are just like such an inspiration to us because I feel like we have kind of a similar dynamic and we've really found ourselves in our own way, and

you guys have been a great blueprint for that. I feel like, and I don't know, I just we really appreciate you guys as entrepreneurs and how you started your family brand and just everything that you've accomplished just so incredible. And we followed you guys for so long and we're just really I know we're younger, but we're really proud of you guys. We are, and we use you as fashion all the time. Yeah, you guys are definitely proud of you guys have blossomed into such beautiful young women

a leisure watching you grow up. Thank you, Thank you so much. Yeah, we were so excited that you guys agreed to do this because we're just like, oh my gosh, we we didn't want any other sisters, were like, we have to have you guys all the time we're on our we like send each other you guys into photos because we're like, oh my god, they look so good. Always, always, always do. We're obsessed with you guys. Thank you so

much always, thank you guys for coming out. Oh my gosh, this has been so fun, this is so this is so great. So you guys are so good too, and we should all like do a dinner yes, oh my gosh, yes, not a weird zoom where we're like post on the bed or just like like nice talking. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, let's let's do it. Yeah, I'd love to thank you. Do we get it like a proper was that like a proper enough outro Okay? Yeah, you guys are so

I am obsessed with you guys. Oh my god, I don't even um wait, did you guys say it was a fine outro Okay, right, okay, well we'll figure that out. Yeah, thank you guys for having Thank you stay bine. This is this is my dog. He's high. Boots, You're perfect. He is perfect. He's so cute. Oh my god, is so freaking cute. Look at this beautiful white spot he has covering neck. We love him. He's perfect. I want to eat Boots. Well, thank you guys so much. Yes,

you guys, you guys have to eat the dogs. I'm yeah, it's happening, and I'll bring Mark. Thank you. Yes, Oh my god, you guys laughs. Really she's ugly. Cute dogs, the best guy, best kind of dogs for sure. Oh okay, okay, Well, thank you guys. Bye, guys, Happy Merry Christmas, have a good Holidays. Happy Christmas, you guys, talk to you later. By, we just want to thank Devin and Sydney so much for coming on this week's episode of Take twenty. We had such a blast and I hope you guys enjoyed it. By,

thanks so much for taking twenty with us. If you had fun, please give us my stars. You can follow us on Instagram at Take twenty podcast, email us at Take twenty at I heart radio dot com, or you can call us at eight four four or Take twenty. See you next time.