WINTON + WAITS

Impact Makers

Cause-driven lifestyle brand that does so much more than procure meaningful products.

By Myriam Gonzalez Photos by Leslie Stickland

“Share the good, be the happy, change the world.”

That is the mission behind Winton and Waits, a local woman-owned and women-run boutique nestled in Fort Worth’s SoMa District. Founder and owner Jenna Lee has created a “causedriven lifestyle brand.” And it all started with a bead.

While volunteering with a nonprofit group overseas in 2014, her creative spark ignited when she came across a group of women who were making hand-beaded jewelry to sell in the U.S. Seeing the hardship these women faced and taking note of how they were able to take a simple bead and turn it into something beautiful inspired her. “Conceptually, that was kind of filling my soul at the time,” Jenna says.

Fast-forward four years, and she has a storefront filled with products that tell a story, products that weave the lives of artisans and consumers, and that are created and selected to go beyond their “shelf life.” As she thought about the direction her life had taken and the impact she sought to make, Jenna surrounded herself with a team of women equally as passionate and ready to fortify her vision.

“I’ve been really lucky to develop partnerships along the way that have been supportive and helpful. I feel like we’re a small and mighty team but doing these really big, impactful things,” Jenna says. Part of her team consists of women like retail lead Camille Dickson, who says working there is a collaborative environment that “feels like family.” Or as Jenna says, “a really sweet partnership that gave us the basis for this lifestyle of feeling connected to another person.”

“Beautiful things can happen in our lives, even if our lives are not what we expected.”

- OWNER JENNA LEE

At Winton and Waits, shoppers will find everything from its house-made bath products to candles and hand-beaded jewelry they can make during one of its “Make and Take Classes.” Once a month, patrons can purchase a $40 – $60 ticket online and select from one of its classes, such as Make Your Own Bead Bar, Sugar Scrub Bar or Earring Bar.

Although the lifestyle brand has expanded to offer home interior design services and hotel bookings at its new Winton and Waits Style Studio, a resort-style rental property, it all circles back to one thing — the product. “We want the impact and the story behind our product to connect with the consumer so that all of our stores are intertwined,” Jenna says. “Beautiful things can happen in our lives, even if our lives are not what we expected.”