In Praise of the Small and Intentional

On choosing niche over mass, handmade over hurried, and intentional over easy.

This time of year always reminds me why small businesses matter so much. They shape our neighborhoods, anchor our communities, and infuse our favorite places with personality and care. Leland Francis began as a simple solution to a gap in my makeup kit. An idea nurtured slowly, intentionally, and independently. To this day, we make everything in small batches, pour over every detail, and feel every order, email, kind note, and bit of constructive criticism.

So here’s your gentle reminder to shop small this holiday season. Choose the boutiques, the bakeries, the mom-and-pop hardware shops, the makers, the vintage dealers, the candle pourers, the creators. Behind every independent business is someone wearing every hat imaginable, pouring their full heart into their work. Small businesses feel every economic shift more acutely. Rising costs, ingredients, shipping, rent, taxes, the ever-present list of unexpected expenses. And yet, we show up because we believe in what we make and the people we make it for.

In every city I’ve visited this year, the number of empty storefronts has been sobering. Community support keeps doors open, creativity alive, and spaces filled with warmth and energy instead of silence.

This holds true for the brands you love, too. Pick up a fragrance from an independent niche maker rather than the one stocked in every major department store. Resist the urge to add to your Amazon cart. Visit a local shop or buy directly from the maker’s website. Every small action and every single purchase matters to the people behind each product.

So this season, give your love to the small businesses near you. Buy the gift card. Pick up the vase. Choose the handmade. Tell a friend. Share the discovery. These choices ripple outward in ways you might not imagine.

And to all the independent boutiques across the country that carry Leland Francis, thank you. You help keep small business culture alive.

Wherever you are, I hope you find a moment to pause. Breathe in the cold air. Light a candle. Wrap your hands around a cup of something comforting. Savor something decadent. Watch a movie that makes you feel soft. Tell someone you love them. Support the people who make your community feel like home.

That is what small business is about. Finding warmth, presence, and connection in the everyday.

xx,
Dillon