GoodWork Wild Rags to Almost Riches

Dana Herr is a fifth generation rancher, who lives on her ranch south of Pincher Creek, AB. She is an absolute go-getter whose company, Rancherr Boots, recently skyrocketed to success. It wasn’t an overnight, easy triumph however. Herr has also been busy raising her three young girls and assisting with the family’s Black Angus operation throughout the entire process. This is how Herr got her start and the elements that led up to the fastest growing Canadian boot company in the country.

By JENN WEBSTER

Dana Herr has the entrepreneurial spirit in her veins. She got her true start, crafting wild rags when she was aged 18. Commercial scarves that were available to ranch folks were never large enough to keep ranchers warm enough when the Canadian temperatures really dipped low.

“We couldn’t find big enough ones for the guys on the ranch – so many of the store scarves are like, a tiny square and don’t really do anything for warmth when calving in -20 degrees Celsius weather. So I started making the meter-square ones and bigger,” she tells.

Herr then started giving the wild rags to friends for birthdays. She finally created her own Facebook page, entitled Herr Wild Rags, approximately eight years ago. That lead to an Instagram page in 2020, which also started her website. Herr is known for her out-of-the-box and unique wild rag prints – for instance, her own personal “go-to” is a fried egg rag motif with a mint background. She also designs custom scarves too, crafting them with individual ranch brands, pics or other ideas.

The same year, Herr additionally began with a cowhide moccasin collaboration with Posh Panda – a local maker from Lethbridge, AB.

“She creates the most amazing mocs!” exclaims Herr. “I had a few pairs from her that I loved and and BEGGED her for three years to make me some in cowhide, as I knew I could sell them (or at the very least, I wanted some for myself.)

“So now my moccasin with her has its own space on her website and every pair is branded Posh Panda x Herr Wild Rags to signify the collab of ours. This is also why my website was started – between my wild rag orders and the Mocs, I couldn’t keep up anymore with people messaging me their addresses and e-transferring me!” she chuckles.

From there, Herr transitioned into carrying a few items on her website that she used and loved. Many of the products were things that couldn’t be found easily in her area and were unique finds, or handmade from friends. These included branded denim jeans, waxed cotton ropes, crotchet “calving cow” stuffed animals, handmade soaps, etc.

“That grew the site and really started to establish my ‘brand,’” she says.

The year 2020 was a pinnacle time for Herr, on many levels. Through what she describes as a “wild series of events,” Herr stumbled across a company in Mexico. A few preliminary conversations took place and the young mother took home some hide and leather samples.

“Long story short, I fell in love. I took a pre-order from a shady guy… it then took four months to get my customers their boots I promised. And then I had a big meeting with the guy I first contacted and we decided I had too many great ideas for designs to stop, so we branched off to making our own boots. With our own employees and space and I started my own brand, ‘Rancherr Boots.’”

Herr had to order a minimum of 1,000 boxes of boots to initiate the company.

“I thought about it for five minutes and said, ‘Okay let’s go!’ and we haven’t looked back since,” she exclaims.

Originally, Herr had two ideas. The first was what evolved into the Cowhide Lechera; a Blundstone-style boot, with a crepe sole and full cowhide outer finish. (Incidentally, Herr is the first person to create this style of footwear in full cowhide.) The second concept was a bubblegumpink pair of suede cowboy boots.

“I had been dreaming of pink boots for years. Good, working, raw suede boots that would just give that little ‘pop of colour’ when worn,” she tells.

Whether they were paired with dark-wash, flare jeans and a blazer, or Wranglers and manure in the branding pen, Herr envisioned that her pink boot concept would add the perfect amount of femininity to a working cowgirl’s day. Or for the lady who wants to pair them with jeans and go to the city, or to the cabaret at a rodeo.

“Those were one of the first designs I made. And I’m still as obsessed with them today, as I was in my dreams,” Herr says. “I have so many ideas for boots. Honestly, I can’t say which ones I have designed would even be my favourite at this point…”

In the past three months, Herr’s brand has grown exponentially. Yet, it’s not without a lot work and sacrifice.

“It’s literally been blood (stapling and folding boots boxes); sweat (stacking boots, rolling boxes of 100+ pairs of boots into the back of my car, in town after getting them from the salon I have them UPSed them to…); and tears (dealing with the yucky customer service stuff, hard business decisions, not knowing how I’m going to pay for the next order…” she admits.

With all the success and excitement, a lot of hard days have also come into the picture – especially as the younger entrepreneur tries to negotiate her way through a relatively, new venture. One thing is clear however, Herr’s customers are genuinely sold on the legitimacy of her products. They love how trendy, stylish and perfect her footwear are built for life on the ranch. In her few short years of business, she has received hundreds of messages from happy customers who have told her they never take them off their feet. The Lecharas, especially, are her clientele’s first choice at the door – for dressing up, or doing chores.

“And that’s what I love about them so much - they are literally for everything!”

Additionally, the beauty of the hairon-hide Lecharas is, if the boots get dirty, clients can simply hose them off, let them dry and return them for regular wear without worrying about any damage they may have incurred in the cleaning process. This is a concept many ranch wives can get behind.

“I was a dental assistant before this, and a ranch wife – I still am,” she smiles. “So when I say my brand means the world to me, I really mean it. I have given it my all since I started. To figure this out on my own, especially with no background in marketing – I truly believe in what I’m creating.” WHR