336 - Riana LeJeune and Alex Cottington - If You Can Take Something Apart, You Can Learn to Put it Back Together

Riana LeJeune-Copeland is the owner and creative Mastermind of Repinned LLC. Riana was born in 1982 and was raised by an emergency medical pilot father and a historic restoration expert mother. Having grown up in historic homes, she had a deep appreciation for antiques and great craftsmanship.  Riana moved to Des Moines with her family in 1996, attending Callanan and then Graduating from Roosevelt in 2000. After high school, Riana studied Psychology with minors in Criminal justice and anthropology. During her time at Iowa State University, she volunteered at a local women's shelter and headed up the Student Officer Program at ISU PD. After graduating with her BA in Psychology she pursued a career in law enforcement. However, destiny had different plans for Riana. Injury at the age of 24 would take her in a different direction.  After leaving law enforcement she took several office jobs but it just wasn't a good fit. She longed for something more. After her daughter was born in 2011, Riana took a part-time with a company that made skydiving jumpsuits for skydivers all over the world. It was at Firefly Unlimited she worked alongside her first real-life entrepreneur/female business owner. A true inspiration. Sitting taking jumpsuits apart for alteration, something in her brain clicked and she began viewing things differently.  If you can take something apart, you can learn to put it back together. She soon decided to apply this to furniture and her side gig, something she called "Repinned" and the rest is history. When Riana couldn't find an upholstery school in Iowa, she sought out mentors worldwide to learn from. Repinned is thriving and growing under her leadership, knowledge,  skilled hands, and passion. Repinned is currently one of the select few businesses offering professional custom upholstery in central Iowa. Riana recognized the need for this skilled trade/art form and continues to innovate while revitalizing the industry. Alex is an apprentice in the Repinned workroom, and she is excited to dive into the skilled trades. She has had a lifelong obsession with vintage furniture and interior design, and she is passionate about creating things with her own two hands. A recent graduate, she is looking forward to a career in the upholstery industry and is excited to be crafting custom pieces and learning from the best! You can find Riana on Facebook and Instagram Links and Resources; Fem City NAWBO The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   National Upholstery Association