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

Hi Derek, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
Lead by example. The lessons you teach your children resonate more soundly when they see you practicing what you preach. This applies to everything…..healthy eating habits, exercise, work ethic, respect, friendships, learning, etc. etc.

What should our readers know about your business?
We design jewelry that is meant to inspire and ground us. It is designed to be dressed up or dressed down, whether that’s a morning yoga class, a hike with friends or drinks with the girls. It’s unique, just like us. It’s meant to be gifted and shared. Our favorite stories from customers describe a girls weekend where three of our bracelets are gifted amongst friends, all the same style and color. As the friends leave each other and get back to their daily routine, they can look down at their wrist and remember, with a smile, all the good times that were shared, the laughter, the stories.

In my experience, brands that operate with an Ethos or company ‘pillars’ have the best chance of succeeding. These Ethos should guide our design process, our merchandising, our messaging and our company culture. So, as Chrissy and I sat down to decide how to define these guiding principles we just started throwing words out that had meaning to us…..hundreds of them, on giant white pieces of paper (we still have them 😊). Then we started slowly crossing out the ones that didn’t completely resonate with us. Eventually, we were left with a group of words that were important to us and our brand. We were able to fit all of those words into three buckets: CREATE. CONNECT. EXPLORE. The name Leela in Sanskrit is loosely defined as ‘play’ and being ‘playful’. We believe the way to bring play into our lives or keep play in our lives is through our Ethos. Always be CREATING…exploring a new part of yourself, sharing! CONNECTIONS are so important (now so more than ever!), family, friends, helping others! And finally, EXPLORING…nature soothes the soul, go get out and experience it! If we can design, communicate and hold ourselves accountable to these three Ethos, everything else will fall into place.

The road to success will always be bumpy. It hasn’t been easy to get here and I’m confident, it won’t be easy to get to where we want to go; however, if you absolutely believe in what you do and why you are doing it, it’s worth the effort!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was born and raised in Boulder and have lived most of my life here. I love this place. My wife and I tried to leave a decade ago, but the pull was too strong. These mountains mean so much to me, so any itinerary would include a healthy dose of exploration. It would have to include: sunrise hike in RMNP (winter or summer) most likely up to Lake Haiyaha, afternoon hike up Sanitas in Boulder, a weekend in Beaver Creek ….in winter, epic skiing with no lines and warm cookies or bright green hikes in Summer or unbelievable leaf peeping in Fall, or simply taking a picnic and sitting by our amazing creeks.

Entertainment would have to include: a trip to Red Rocks to see a show, a Broncos game!, a stroll around Wash Park, a night at Jazz Aspen.

Food would have to include: breakfast at Snooze, lunch at Chautauqua or the Dushanbe Tea House, dinner on Larimer Square or Union Station. Beers in RHINO, desert at Bonnie Brae Ice Cream!

This place is filled with friendly, active, interesting people. Strike up a conversation everywhere you go.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife, business partner and friend, Chrissy Matson and my two incredible boys, Connor and Liam Matson.

Website: www.leelainspired.com

Instagram: @leelainspired

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leela-inspired

Facebook: @leelainspired

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.