November’s A chat with Ashton Harrison, founder, president/CEO, Shades of Light

CS: How did that first catalog mailing go?
AH: It was probably our least successful mailing, because we really didn’t know what we were doing. And at that point, that’s when I called my friend Philip Klaus — I was his ski instructor when I was younger, and I taught his kids to ski — so I knew him. I called him and said, “I know you have a catalog. Can you help me?” Philip had owned the company, Children’s Wear Digest, then he had sold it to The Right Start, then he bought it back. He’s an incredible success. Now his son runs the company.