COWGIRL Empowered: Casey Bishop-Yeakey

Growing up on a cattle ranch in Napa, California, Casey Bishop-Yeakey spent her childhood branding calves, riding horses in the hills, and experiencing a life of pure freedom.  After years of being a professional tennis player and having a family, her roots brought her back to packing orders for her new business in the old barn that built her.    

American Bonfire Co. was founded in 2017. It originally started with trucker hats, but quickly transitioned into sunglasses.  Casey recalls, “Part of this was driven by my life experience of needing a pair of sunglasses that worked in my active life but were also fashionable and didn’t fall off.  Western Sunglasses fashion has not always crossed the line of being cool and functional, and I wanted to change that.”

Almost every lens that has been designed is named after family or people who inspire Casey. The design process begins with choosing the unique features that represent each individual. Once chosen, those features are fused into a specially designed lens.  Afterwards, they’re placed into an American Bonfire case with Matthew 5:16 “Let Your Light Shine” engraved into the top of each lid once opened.

For Casey, it’s about the adventure – the experience.  “The people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, all the memories made, have been because of American Bonfire Co.  I could’ve never imagined it happening in my wildest dreams.  Our friend, Mo Brings Plenty, wears our sunglasses on Yellowstone, and it has been the craziest experience seeing them on TV.”