Meet Jackie Wachter | Cofounder and Creative Director of FOUNT Leather

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

Hi Jackie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My husband and I started FOUNT nearly ten years ago when I grew tired of the straps breaking off my bags. Anytime I would go to the shoe cobbler, there would be a plethora of bags, many of them being high-end designers, waiting to be repaired. I couldn’t believe that these notable brands did not have a guarantee on their product and that for the price women were paying – these bags were not holding up.

So Phillip and I set out to design a bag with indestructible straps. Our totes feature the strongest type of stitching, saddle stitching, which can only be done by hand with two needles passing back and forth through the leather. Additionally, we created interior weight-bearing pieces on the inside of each strap to take the weight of the load off of the body of the bag.

Nearly ten years later I would say that we have accomplished our mission because our most popular style, The Bellfield Tote, which we have sold thousands, upon thousands of, has never had a single strap break. In fact, outside of each of our brick-and-mortar store locations, we hang a Bellfield Tote full of 16 bricks, for months on end to show passersby the strength. With a sign that says, “Our Bellfield Totes can easily carry 16 bricks, so it’s certainly strong enough for your laptop” – which is women’s number one question when purchasing a tote. We also have done funny videos with my husband, and FOUNT’s co-founder (Phillip Wachter) who weighs 180 pounds doing pullups from a bag hanging on a rack here at our Cleveland studio.

The definition of the word FOUNT is “An abundant source of desirable quality” and that is what we strive to be in every strand of our brand. From the products we make to the customer service and store experience we provide.

If anything ever fails you on your FOUNT products, you can send them back to our home office in Cleveland, Ohio (or drop them off at a store location) and we will repair them. We believe in making bags that are made to last.

When we design our bags, we strive to create classics that you will want to keep in your wardrobe throughout the. eras and even pass them down to future generations.

At all of our store locations, we do complimentary conditioning for our customers so they can help their bags patina to absolute perfection. We call this a “spa day for your bags.” Our full-grain leather loves to be moisturized and gets better with age. This is a service that our clientele loves! We even throw conditioning events in the store and at our downtown studio multiple times per year where we encourage customers to bring their entire collection for a “spa day.”

For us, excellent customer service and a product created from fine Italian leather and solid brass hardware is the secret sauce to creating a warm brand that our customers adore and graciously spread the word for us to their friends and family. In Cleveland, women often joke that having a FOUNT bag is like a sisterhood, or like the “jeep wave” when you see someone walk past with one you smile at each other, and give a “Hey I like your FOUNT bag!” 🙂

What should our readers know about your business?
FOUNT is a direct-to-consumer brand so we can offer our customers incredibly high-quality products, that are ethically made from fine Italian leather, and have a quality guarantee – for less than our competitors.

Our products are sold online and at our brick-and-mortar locations in
Cleveland, Ohio (East Side and West Side)
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas (Southlake), Texas
Lexington, Kentucky
and Atlanta, Georgia in early 2025.

We hope to expand the brand at the rate of two stores per year, as our customers love shopping our product line in person to get the full experience!

I am very proud of the quality of the products that we are producing as well as the community we have built. Being part of a growing small business is so exciting and fresh every day, especially when I get to work alongside my amazing husband and our dream team of go-getters!

It has been a steady 10-year climb in our business with plenty of life lessons and setbacks, like covid to name a big one. However, I love to remain optimistic and know that these “changes in terrain” are just part of any epic journey. I hold the quote by Nelson Mandela close in my heart, “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” This quote helps me remember that learning is a form of winning because it helps your future self the next time you come up against a similar situation. I have found that reaching out to our mentor, my parents, and other business owners anytime we are going to make a significant decision has helped us avoid pitfalls that we may have otherwise fallen into headfirst.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Is this referring to Denver?

We LOVVVVVVVE to visit the mountains in Vail, Beaver Creek, and Breckenridge each winter. I have never been anywhere that I feel more alive than when I’m on one of these stunning mountains enjoying one of God’s finest creations! I grew up as an East Coast skier, so the first time my husband and I made our way out to Colorado our breath was taken away by the vastness! If you haven’t tried it, do yourself a favor and get out there, and don’t worry – there is skiing or snowboarding for all levels!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, and foremost I’d like to shout out the FOUNT Studio and our Store Teams. We have an incredibly creative, driven, organized, considerate, and hospitable team. There are so many different talents on our team, and because they all pull collectively together, they make a huge impact that would be impossible without the whole group!

Additionally, our team adores our customers and they are constantly going the extra 5 miles to provide the best customer experience products, and events for them. As a team, we are always trying to put ourselves in the customer’s shoes and envision their day, his or her needs, and what kind of bag will help make their life a bit easier. We refer to our customer as the “discerning woman or man (we have mostly women’s products at this point) – The discerning customer is wise, put together, manages his/her money, appreciates quality, has attention to detail, seeks functionality, embraces quiet luxury… I want to shout out our team for always embracing these qualities in him/her – because they ARE him/her and our team possesses these wonderful attributes too!!!

Also, I have to shout out our mentor (to remain anonymous). He is incredibly wise and experienced in the industry. He believes that we can grow FOUNT beyond what I ever imagined. He has the gift of encouragement and he keeps us accountable to meet the goals that we have set in our short and long-term plans.

One last and BIG shoutout goes to my parents. They are entrepreneurs too! I grew up watching them grow a business from our garage to what it is today. Through their example, they gave me an incredible work ethic and always encouraged me to give life my best.

Website: fountleather.com

Instagram: FOUNT

Linkedin: Jackie Wachter

Facebook: FOUNT

Yelp: FOUNT

Youtube: FOUNT Leather

Image Credits
Phillip Wachter Peter Larson