Meet Lynn and Jeff Mills of Flying High in Logan Square

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynn and Jeff Mills.

Jeff & Lynn are College sweeties that traveled the world in search of something more than the corporate gloom and doom. They studied Japanese Buddhist Chanting Tequniques, Taught English as a Second Language in Viet Nam and Rode wild horses in China, Drank Bhang Lassies in India and were married in Nepal. All Told, they covered 13 countries and spent 2 1/2 years backpacking, learning, and meeting all sorts of interesting people and places. They returned in 1996 and their bags were full of trinkets and they had sent back boxes and boxes of cool and unique things from every stop. They started their company Foot Path Trading / Flying High in Lynn’s parent’s garage and never looked back. They sold their merchandise anyway they could. Vending and selling Retail and whole selling to Stores in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan they soon were able to purchase their Building at 2900 W. Armitage Ave. and eventually built their Wholesale division to 600 stores across the United States. They are proud to say that they have shipped out over 25,000 orders and sold well over a million purses, dresses, and pieces of Jewelry. Of Course things change and now, they are happy to tend their store and meet all the people coming to Logan Square.

Has it been a smooth road?
No Way!! Running a small business is one thing after another. We lost 30,000 dollars of merchandise when our building flooded, we were sent a line of clothing that was Not the color scheme we picked, Cotton shortage in India drove prices sky high and of course the US recession. All these things were able to be fixed or rectified but the Earthquake in Nepal really hurt because not only our friends were hurt but also many of our purse manufacturers we forced to close

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Flying High story. Tell us more about the business.
We are known for our Cloth and Hemp purses and Hats. People love our dresses from India and Thailand. And we have an excellent assortment of Sterling Silver Jewelry. We care and go the extra mile to make sure our customers have a unique item that is affordable. We have survived on word of mouth primarily and have done very little advertising. We are a hardworking husband and wife team that does the work of 6 people and it shows

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Online is the way retail and wholesale is going but…. people want a good story told to them, they want to touch and feel and now more than ever they want to Shop Local.

Pricing:

• Items from $1 – $60

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flyinghighonline.com
• Phone: 773-276-9237
• Email: footpathtrading@gmail.com
• Facebook: @flyinghighonline

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