Meet Courtney McLachlan | Co-founder of Protea Lane

We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney McLachlan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I’m going to be honest here. It’s hard for us to be balanced these days. We are entrepreneurs, our husbands are entrepreneurs, and we are mamas to four kids under the age of 5 between the both of us. It is not easy! Our balance has changed over time mainly due to the age of our kids and what product we are launching at the time. Sometimes things are slow paced and sometimes we stay up until 1 am trying to fold the 5 loads of wrinkled laundry and communicate to our manufacturer.

We have to be intentional about making sure our lives our balanced. We work hard, play hard, and ultimately love to create which is why each day looks different for us. We can always improve our balance in our homes, there is not a “perfect” way we have found, but it sure is important to strive for one.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We are sister in laws who married “the brothers.” We both were teachers turned stay at home mamas. We needed a creative outlet for ourselves. The 3 am feedings and being covered in toddler snot, just wasn’t cutting it. This is where Protea Lane was born.

When we set out to design The Traveler, we knew that there were many bags already available in the market. But there was one important fact that we became aware of – none of them satisfied the list of needs that came about as we began discussing what would make up the perfect bag.

We needed a bag that was versatile, both in how it could be packed as well as worn.

We needed a bag that would hold its own against the mess of daily life.

We needed a bag that would make our travels easier and more convenient, instead of adding to our stress.

We needed a bag that would be comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time.

We needed a bag that would be high end, but wouldn’t break the bank.

We needed a bag that was fashion conscious, and didn’t utilize outdated designs, materials, or finishes.

We needed a bag that was sustainably sourced, and didn’t leave us feeling guilty about our impact on the environment.

*We needed The Traveler.* And boy, we are so proud of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are big fans of girls night and try to make it happen as much as we can. We love to hit up Linger, Postinos, Root Down, and Little Man’s Ice cream. We are fans of the lake life and love to wake surf up at Carter Lake. We also enjoy camping with the family up in Granby and making all the mountain memories with our little families. Our kids are close and we are all besties so we do everything together.

Food trucks, coffee, and cookies hit a chord in our souls.

We buy Pablos coffee beans by the gallon. We see a food truck, we stop. Oh there is a Crumbl just up the road, we stop.

Brittany is a professional photographer, so we’d make some fun stops at Walden ponds, Standley lake, Chautauqua park, or Wash park for some epic family/friends photos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our husbands! Mark and Matthew McLachlan. Without their support (and help with childcare occasionally) we would not be able to make this company work. They are the creators of Antsy Labs and invented the original Fidget Cube.

They inspire us daily, we are proud wives!

Website: www.protealane.com

Instagram: instagram.com/protealane/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/protealane/

Image Credits
By Brittany McLachlan Photography and Caressa Rogers Photography