Today we’d like to introduce you to Amie Phillips

Amie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Boriya is a berry that grows in northwestern India’s harsh, desert climate. Originally when I started out, I was working with women from Rajasthan and they reminded me of the succulence of this fruit – thriving regardless of the desert climate and lack of opportunity. The “berry knot” is also my favorite macrame knot and one I widely use.

I started Boriya & Co soon after becoming a mother… six months after Imogen was born (Dec 2015), recovering from a broken foot, I sat in my mother in law’s Florida living room scheming up ways to earn an income while staying home with Imogen. I had already tried selling vintage baby clothing online, sewing wool baby clothes to sell on Etsy and babysitting. My heart’s desire was to continue my work with the community in India. But after four years of running a non-profit income generation project for Rajasthani women in India, I was no longer in a place to live overseas. I connected with an amazing Denver 501c3 called Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute that provided me a 12-week business ownership crash-course and a microloan to get Boriya off the ground. For the first year, Boriya & Co was a platform for the artwork of the Jogibasti community. Over time, it made more sense for them to sell their wares directly to the tourist population in India and I connected them with a Swedish NGO… we started out making Rajasthani textile leather bags and embroidered jewelry and now it’s evolved into me just doing my art. I still am very much connected to India and the people I’ve worked with there but as I am limited with my ability to travel right now, it makes the most sense to just keep it simple.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the biggest challenges is running a small business while raising a little one. Really, I had no idea what I was doing when starting out doing either one. Books helped a lot and so did the incredible folks over at Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute. RMMFI provided me with a crash course on business management as well as the vital skill-sets to start and run a startup. They also awarded me a microloan to get my business off the ground.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Boriya & Co creates custom textile art for businesses and individuals. Wall hangings, plant hangers and wedding arches are some of our staples. You can find our pieces at several places in the Denver area such as Green Lady’s gardens, Meadowsweet, Rosehouse, and The Denver Botanic Gardens. I also teach 4-5 macrame workshops per month.

Creating 46 original macrame wall hangings (one above each bed) for The Surf Hotel in Buena Vista (in the span of four months) is definitely the most daunting and exciting thing I’ve done with Boriya. I really went all out with that project-putting my heart into it, working from sun up to sun down with only a few menial tasks thrown in.

What was you like growing up?
I was pretty shy growing up but also brace and adventurous. I loved trying new things.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.boriyaandco.com
• Email: amie@boriyanadco.com

Image Credit:
Brit Tucker

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