A Letter From CEO Brooke English
In a world where everyone is striving for connection, Goodly wants to be the solution. We believe in the power of making people feel seen and heard for who they are, and we want that to show in our joyful products.
You see, at Goodly, we do things differently.
We curate unique and engaging gift boxes that are colorful, funny, and intentional. They’re filled with useful products that people genuinely get excited about and want to use.
After 15 years in retail and e-commerce as The Sock Drawer, we rebranded earlier this year - expanding our product selection, creating our own gift box assortments, taking creative leaps, and selling to both retail consumers and businesses alike.
We started as a little 800 square foot sock store in my hometown of San Luis Obispo back in 2007. In 2012, I launched my own website where I sold the socks directly from the walls of my shop and walked them over to the post office to send them on their way. With a relentless commitment to the human connections I experienced in the shop, I carried that energy into a digital format - continually curating a unique, fun, and colorful experience to inspire joy through our special collection of socks.
Over the years, I committed to building an incredible team that I am so proud to work alongside. Together we have pushed the limits of our creative team work through our photography, product curation, writing, and marketing efforts over the years to become the leader in our space. Our sales grew year over year and our busiest time of year in the holidays started to become all-consuming.
We were at the top of our industry and yet, I knew a drastic change was in order.
At Goodly, we are an exceptional team of whole-hearted humans who show up to work each day ready to take on new challenges, collaborate with each other, and do great work. We are also a team of loving parents, caring partners, involved neighbors, reliable friends, and lovers of pets. Our commitment to showing up and doing great work and while also taking care of the important people in our life doesn’t start or stop when we walk through the Goodly doors. I truly value that our team is committed in a lot of areas in their lives, myself included. We’re all balancing so much.
As a mom of two boys, I made the bold decision to retire The Sock Drawer and launch Goodly so I can better preserve my time and energy year round, especially through the holiday season. I owe this to myself and to my children who are watching my every move. This intention is also meant for my entire team and their families as well. With the launch of Goodly and broadening our offering into the corporate space allows us to lean into year round gift giving opportunities, which in turn provides more breathing room through the holiday season so we can be fully engaged with our families, friends, and communities where valuable connections and memories are made.
I’m doing it differently with Goodly, too. For the first time in 15 years, I am inviting my entire team to take Black Friday off. It’s one of the biggest days of the holiday retail season and I’m encouraging us all to spend the day leaning into our individual ways that bring us joy and feel connected to those we care about.
I know I’m not alone and many of you are also busy juggling the beautiful, challenging, and regular moments life throws our way. Finding a balance that works for each one of us is not an easy feat. Throughout it all, creating connection with others plays a valuable role. I am honored to have you on our journey, and us on yours.
May this holiday season bring you love, light, and the opportunity to connect. Know the Goodly team is here for you when you need us.