Today we’d like to introduce you to Porsha Hendrix.
Hi Porsha, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I found out I was pregnant with my son, Porter Lee, I started sewing all kinds of baby essentials: cloth diapers, burp rags, bibs, you name it! Somewhere along the way, I found myself using the burp rags for EVERYTHING around the house. 😂 I loved how useful and washable they were, but I wanted something that felt a little more appropriate to keep on my kitchen counter. That’s when the idea for reusable paper towels was born!
When I first told my partner about the idea, he definitely thought I was a little crazy. But I made a set anyway and years later, we were still using those original towels! Seeing firsthand how something so simple could replace countless rolls of disposable paper towels made me realize I might actually be onto something.
Friends and family started asking me to make sets for them, which eventually gave me the courage to take my products to my first market. After that first event, I opened an Etsy shop, and little by little, Porter Lee’s Reusables started growing into a real business.
Then 2020 happened and things got WILD. During the toilet paper shortage, our reusable toilet paper, which we call Tush Towels, unexpectedly went viral after being featured by local media. Suddenly, we were making and shipping thousands of products, and what had started as a little side business at my sewing machine became something much, much bigger.
Eventually, I made the leap to leave the corporate career I had been in for more than seven years and go all-in on Porter Lee’s. It was definitely scary, but it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!!
Today, we’ve grown far beyond that first set of reusable paper towels. We offer a whole collection of fun, approachable alternatives to everyday single-use products, sell online, travel to markets and events, and have had our products carried by over 700+ retailers across the country. One of my favorite parts has been showing people that sustainable living doesn’t have to feel intimidating, expensive, or boring, it can be colorful, practical, and something that actually makes your everyday life a little more fun!
It still feels pretty surreal sometimes to look at where Porter Lee’s Reusables is today and think that the whole thing started because I was pregnant, sewing burp rags, and thought, “Wait… why can’t I use these instead of paper towels?” 😂 I’ve learned so much along the way, and I’m incredibly excited to see where we go next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not! I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned about owning a small business is that there really is no straight line from point A to point B. There have been so many pivots, growing pains, mistakes, and moments of figuring things out as I go.
One of my biggest challenges has actually been learning how to grow at the right pace. Porter Lee’s Reusables grew very quickly, especially after we went viral in 2020. It was incredibly exciting, but suddenly I had to figure out production, inventory, shipping, hiring, wholesale, bookkeeping, marketing, and all of these things I had never done before. There’s no handbook that magically appears when your business takes off! 😂
As we’ve grown, keeping up with demand while still maintaining the quality and personality of our products has been a constant balancing act. We’re a small business, so things like a fabric being discontinued, a supplier delay, or an unexpected rush of orders can have a much bigger ripple effect than people might realize.
There’s also the financial side of entrepreneurship. Running a product-based business requires a lot of money upfront. You’re often purchasing inventory and materials months before you ever see a return on that investment. Add in employees, events, shipping, equipment, and all the other expenses that come with growth, and there have definitely been moments where I’ve had to take a risk and just trust that I could figure it out.
And then there’s the personal side. Learning how to be a business owner, a boss, a creative, a salesperson, and a mom all at the same time has probably been one of my biggest challenges. When you own a small business, it can be really difficult to turn your brain off because there is always something you could be doing.
But I also think those challenges are a huge part of why I’m so proud of what we’ve built. Every stage of the business has taught me something new. I’ve gotten much more comfortable with pivoting, asking for help, taking chances, and accepting that sometimes you’re going to learn the lesson after you make the mistake. 😂
It absolutely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I wouldn’t trade the journey. Some of the hardest moments have ultimately led to the biggest growth, both for Porter Lee’s Reusables and for me personally.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Porter Lee’s Reusables, we create fun, practical, reusable alternatives to everyday single-use products. Our reusable paper towels are really what started it all and are still one of the products we’re best known for, but we’ve grown to offer a whole collection of reusable household goods, from washable sponges and mop covers to face rounds, dryer balls, kitchen towels, and more.
One thing that has always been really important to me is making sustainability feel approachable. I never wanted Porter Lee’s to be a brand that made people feel guilty about the waste they create or like they had to completely overhaul their lives to make a difference. I’m a big believer that small changes add up! If you can replace one disposable product you use every day with something reusable that you actually enjoy using, that’s a win.
I think that’s also a huge part of what sets us apart. Our products are functional, but they’re also FUN. We use bright colors, quirky prints, and designs that people actually want to have sitting out in their homes. Sustainability does not have to mean everything is beige! 😂 I love when someone comes into our booth because they spotted a print they love and then leaves excited about replacing something disposable in their home.
I’m incredibly proud of how much Porter Lee’s has grown from something I started at my sewing machine into a brand that has reached customers all over the country. Seeing our products on store shelves is still one of those pinch-me moments. I don’t think that will ever get old.
But what I’m probably most proud of is knowing that we’ve built a business around a really simple idea that has a lasting impact. Every reusable paper towel, sponge, or other reusable product that gets used over and over again means fewer disposable products being thrown away. Multiply that by thousands of customers over the years, and those little everyday swaps can become something pretty significant.
At the end of the day, I want Porter Lee’s Reusables to show people that making more sustainable choices can be easy, affordable, colorful, and maybe even a little bit addictive once you get started! 😂
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is honestly one that makes so much sense looking at what I do today! 😂 My parents owned an antique shop when I was growing up, and we would travel around doing antique and trade shows. I was always right there with them, but of course I wanted to have my own little business too.
I would hand-make pony bead creations, especially those little beaded lizards, along with all kinds of other animals, and sell them at my parents’ booth. I’d save up the money I made and then immediately spend it on Beanie Babies because, as a kid, that was pretty much the one exciting “kid thing” I could always find at an antique store. 😂
I have such fond memories of making things, setting them out for people to shop, earning my own money, and then wandering around the shows looking for the next Beanie Baby to add to my collection. Looking back now, it’s pretty funny that I basically grew up doing markets and selling handmade goods, and somehow found my way right back to it as an adult.
Very much a 90s baby origin story. 😂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.porterlees.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/porterlees/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/porter.lees/
