TOTE-TASTIC
DD BIRD HANDBAGS ARE DESIGNED WITH STYLE AND FUNCTION IN MIND
Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Daren Short
The energetic force behind DD Bird, a company that produces stylish yet functional travel totes, is a mother-daughter team. Donna Sweat and Amanda Mansard love being partners, bring their individual talents and strengths to the business, and seek to empower women by enabling them to feel more organized and confident. After several years of dreaming about working together and many months of planning, the Carmel and Westfield-based enterprise was launched in May of 2020. Both women had established careers before deciding to start their own business. Sweat graduated from Indiana State University before earning a master of business administration degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. For 15 years she was a hospital administrator and hospital CEO. Mansard graduated from Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in science, technology and society, and received a master’s degree from with Indiana University in 2019. While marketing, working as the executive director of Indiana technology and Women in Need Foundation, she developed building websites. My strengths are custom websites and marketing strategies developing wholesale sales channels, for local female-owned businesses. manufacturing and importing materials.” “The corporate world has its challenges,” Sweat says. “As a hospital CEO, I was on call all the time. I was sensing that I needed to do something else and Amanda was feeling that way as well. I knew we could mesh our talents together. Amanda has experience
Mansard says she felt the partnership would work well even in the early stages of the business. “I knew I wanted to work with mom after we drew the first round of sketches until 3 MAY 2021
Donna Sweat and Amanda Mansard
a.m.,” Mansard says. “I felt working with her every day would be a dream come true. We have an unconditional love and respect for each other. It’s wonderful to have a business partner that you trust. Because we have an age difference between us, we have different perspectives and can appeal to a larger demographic.” DD Bird tote bags have a sunny, southern vibe with plenty of padded pockets for sunglasses, collapsible umbrellas, phones, water bottles and more. Each is lined with color-coordinated gingham, and also includes some unexpected security features. “When I was traveling, I had times when I put my bag under an airplane seat and things in it would roll down the plane,” Sweat says. “We put a lot of thought into
