Parachute’s Founder, Ariel Kaye, Shares 3 Secrets That Have Led to Her Success

First thing’s first: Let’s dive into your career.

What was the driving force behind founding Parachute?

My story is a familiar founder story. I was spending a lot of time shopping for home products and helping friends decorate their apartments in NYC. But I couldn’t find a single brand that was high quality or affordable, and the in-store shopping experience was just awful. I also realized when chatting with my friends that no one could tell me what brand of sheets they were sleeping on, only what store they purchased from. And that was often met with an ugh of some sort. Like many others, I had a quintessential “aha” moment. I recognized a true business opportunity— there was a serious void in the market and I saw this as an opportunity to merge my interest in home, design, and creating customer-centric brand experiences. In 2014, I launched Parachute as an online-only company focused on creating the most cozy and comfortable high-quality sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases.

I launched with two fabrics and three colors—and I had no idea what I was doing.

You’ve led Parachute from the ground up with grace and style. But, of course, we know it’s not as easy as it looks from the glossy photos. What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?

I started working on Parachute in January 2013 and spent a year building the business on my own. We launched in January 2014 and I was taking investor meetings, packing boxes, answering the phone, responding to emails, packing more boxes—all at once. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept.

A few weeks after Parachute launched, I made my first hire, someone who was willing to take on the risk of launching a new business with me and wear many hats. Looking back, I realized I waited too long to hire and that there are plenty of people who want to be involved in the early stages of building a business. It’s an invaluable experience.

I would encourage others to not be afraid to build their team and find other people to work alongside.

One of the biggest lessons is to know your strengths but to also be hyperaware of your weaknesses. It’s okay to ask for help. The faster you do so the faster you can make high-impact changes. Hiring brilliant people that you trust, who can lead, take ownership, and really help you build is the absolute best thing for all. I have an amazing executive team who think strategically and passionately about how we build this brand. Surround yourself with positive can-do people who believe in the vision and can help you get there.

Covid has been a massive challenge for so many founders. What’s your key takeaway from this time?

I think it’s going to take a lot of time before we really process just how much this moment has impacted our lives, both personally and professionally. It’s been such a tremendous shift working remotely since March 2020. The decisions we’ve had to make, especially during the early days of COVID, were scary. There was no time for liberation, just decisive action.

Ultimately, as a business, we’ve been fortunate. Spending so much time at home has led to many customers investing in their spaces to refresh and make them more comfortable and cozy. Stores shut down for many months, so we also saw an acceleration in e-commerce shopping. As a digitally native brand, that set us up for success. I am grateful that we’re able to be nimble and make quick decisions.

Let’s get into your morning routine,

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up when my kids wake up, which is usually between 5:30 and 6:30 am It’s full-on mama time until around 8 am when our nanny arrives and I leave to take our older one to preschool. From there, I’m home and quickly transition into work mode. No two days are the same, which I absolutely love. But it’s a lot of Zoom calls, and I’m definitely feeling the Zoom fatigue as of late.

I try to sneak in a workout either during my lunch break or toward the end of the day. I used to swear by a morning workout but my kids had other plans. At the end of the day, I’m so exhausted that I tend to go to bed by 10 or 10:30 pm

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

On a good day, I’ll quickly make my bed. It’s proven to make you happier and gives a sense of accomplishment. More importantly though, it makes getting between the sheets at night feel so much better.

What does your morning, pre-work routine look like? What rituals set you up for success?

We cook breakfast together as a family and often go on a morning walk.

Describe your morning beauty routine from start to finish.