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As a former attorney and entrepreneur, Joey Breles is used to a busy, on-the-go lifestyle. When a car accident left her with double concussion and brain damage, she was forced to slow down.
“My doctors told me, ‘You have to slow down to work two hours a day,'” Breles said. “That’s scary.”
After struggling to find a way to pause while healing, Broles decided to re-enter the business world – this time to help people find what they need to relax.
“When I was trying to quit, I was telling people about my story and they all said it made me feel less stressed. And I thought, ‘OK, we need to start talking about this,'” she said.
So, earlier this year, she founded Hustle & Ground, which makes themed gift boxes using local and regional products to help people unwind.
There’s “The Unwind Box” with loose leaf tea, a mug, a goat’s milk lotion foot stick, a bath bomb and a bag of pretzels. The “holiday box” includes coffee, a bag of popcorn, a bag of pretzels, peanut butter bombs, and a bag of pistachios.
Broles said she is always thinking of ways to create new boxes.
“The themes are about finding what you want to do to pause,” she said. “I definitely want it to be intentional. I want people who are receiving it to actually use it and stop.
Hustle & Ground shipped the first box in May and it grew a lot in the following months.
Savannah Hawley-Bates
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KCUR 89.3
On a cold December day at the city market, Broles sells boxes from her corner stall – a heater hidden behind her desk. Brailles constantly found ways to interact with other bodies.
As customers rush to finish buying gifts, Broles gives them a chance to pause at the booth and find a way to help themselves and those close to them.
Participating in vendor markets like Strawberry Swing’s Holiday Swing at City Market is huge for Hustle and Ground, she said. She didn’t plan to be at the market all four weekends, but as she continued to sell boxes and talk to new customers, Briels couldn’t give back.
“We had two customers come over the weekend, and she bought two boxes for people on the list,” Briels said. “She came back on the third day of the weekend and said, ‘I sent them all, and everyone was so happy.’ This means a lot to me because I care about her and her list.
“Now to get that feedback is amazing,” she said.
Events like the market help Broles to increase her visibility website, Facebook And Instagram. It also helps her connect with other local businesses.
She collaborates with businesses like Map Coffee and PopCulture Gourmet Popcorn on many of the products that make Hustle and Ground boxes. Broles currently partners with 10 brands, and says that every new item she adds to a box is sold to someone in the area.
“If we’re not supporting our local businesses, we’re working at malls and big box stores,” Briles said. “I love that we have local support. I know the businesses I work with, I know what it means to be able to partner with them. I know their families. When you order a box from me, it’s important to know that I have to go and order more products from my suppliers. That’s huge.”
Briles emphasizes the importance of having fun outside of the holiday season. She said the boxes are perfect for birthdays, teacher gifts or just a random gift for someone who wants to take some time for themselves. She also plans to make a Valentine’s Day box.
And as Hustle & Ground grows, Broles continues to heed the message at the heart of her business.
“I had to stop for a night after that car accident,” Briles said. “You have to pause and figure out what you want to do and go on that journey to find it.”
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