Each month, we answer your questions—whether they’re about travel, business, parenting, or life in general. We truly love these conversations and are so grateful to everyone who took the time to send in a question.
Let’s get into it.
Q. Any thoughts on having your footwear and bags, etc, “Made in Canada”? A manufacturing site in Canada employing Canadians?
Back in 2012, while turning the idea for Poppy Barley into a business, we started our search for a footwear factory in Canada. We first contacted the very few Canadian footwear factories that still existed, but found the factories were mostly vertically integrated (meaning they manufactured their own brand) and were not an option for us. We went on to establish great partnerships with factories in Mexico, Spain and Portugal.
More than ten years later, in Canada, factories mostly specialize in safety/work boots and winter boots. Almost no active production lines exist for fashion shoes (heels, sandals, loafers, etc). We would likely need to retrofit or start our own factory. Producing fashion footwear in Canada would be very hard due to the lack of specialized factories, high production costs, limited local supply chains, and a shortage of skilled, specialized labour. At this stage, we love the relationships we’ve developed with our family-owned global factories and have no plans to move production to Canada.
Q. When was your “whoa, this is really taking off” moment in growing your business?
I’m giggling as I write this—because the funny thing about growing a business is that every “moment of lift” (wow, we’re a real business!) is usually followed closely by a humbling crash (cue the ego crush and a flood of self-doubt). Along the journey, there are moments that feel monumental: the first 100 orders from strangers, hiring our first employees, opening our first store, hitting our first $1 million in revenue, celebrating 10 years in business—or simply saying, “I started a company called Poppy Barley,” and hearing, “Oh, I’ve heard of you!”.
But really, it’s the quiet realization of how far-reaching our impact is—that if we ceased to exist, jobs would be lost, factories affected, customers disappointed. That weight reminds me: what we’ve built truly matters.
Q. I’m going to Portugal for my first time. Do you have any recommendations?
When we travel to Portugal for work, we stay in Porto. Most of our time is spent in factories and hotels. In Porto, the following restaurants are excellent:
Cozinha das Flores Chef Nuno Mendes uses a lot of Northern Portuguese ingredients.
Flor, also part of Nuno Mendes’ project features coffee and pastries in the morning and creative cocktails at night.
Fava Tonka Contemporary vegetarian with a creative twist in a very cool space.
Rogério do Redondo Traditional Portuguese cooking.
Apego Small restaurant led by chef Aurora Goy serving Franco-Portuguese dishes.
Mercado do Bolhão a 19th-century food market, reopened after a total renovation
If you visit Portugal, you must bring home art or local-made goods. I highly recommend the following shops for a selection of Portuguese brands from homeware to fashion: Early Made, Coração Alecrim, A Vida Portuguesa and Labels of Tomorrow.
I have no personal recommendations for hotels in Porto, when I travel for work, I go pretty budget. But this fall, I’m going back for pleasure—and I promise to share a detailed Portugal guide when I return.
Q: What kind of footwear do you recommend for doing lots of walking?
When it comes to shoes for lots of walking, it really depends on the season. European summers can be hot, and my feet tend to swell in the heat. Last year, I travelled through Paris, Slovenia, and Croatia in the Wanderlust Sandals—the thick sole and adjustable straps were an absolute dream. Our entire EverEase collection is perfect for travel: flexible, breathable, and built for long days on your feet. I always pack a pair of Modern Day Mary Janes to instantly elevate any outfit, plus my running shoes and a pair of sneakers for casual exploring.
Q. What advice would you tell your 25-year-old self?
Put yourself out there—over and over again—to find the people, experiences, and passions that truly light you up. Get uncomfortable. Go on wild dates. Sign up for things that scare you. Travel a lot. Pay close attention to what brings you joy and purpose. Let go of what you think you should like, but actually can’t stand, especially when it comes to work. Do more of what you love. And let the expectations that guide your life be entirely your own. Pursue internal alignment, not external validation.
Also: have children. At 25, I didn’t want kids. I was relieved when my now-husband felt the same. But on our flight to Italy for our wedding, I confessed... I wasn’t so sure anymore. By 34, I still didn’t have a clear answer. It wasn’t until I looked 20 or 30 years into the future that I realized: kids were part of the life I wanted. My kids, Monroe and Cedric, were the best decision I ever made.
Have more questions? Leave your questions in the comments below.