Artisans Who Wholesale hosted by Stefa Normantas

Stefa Normantas
  • 4.6 (7)
  • BUSINESS

Whether you’re a seasoned wholesale artisan or a startup maker who retails and wants to learn how to wholesale, the Artisans Who Wholesale podcast will help. Stefa Normantas, show producer of New England Made shows, interviews artisans, makers and experts to provide practical advice. She digs deep to find the tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can use to save you time and help you earn more. Why? Because she’s passionate about seeing small businesses thrive, grow and provide their owners with the life of their dreams.

  1. 03/04/2020

    Growing A Business With Molly Thompson, Pretty Flours

    Episode 025 – Molly Thompson, Pretty Flours Growing A Business With Molly Thompson, Pretty Flours Do you truly believe in your creative work? If you need a boost, listen to Molly Thompson of Pretty Flours. After decades in other careers, Molly stumbled onto printmaking. It took several years before she took the plunge and quit her day job. Listen in to her smart story on how she made it happen. A little about Molly Molly Thompson is an artist with a studio in Portland where she creates textiles and stationery goods using her own hand carved blocks to print on fabric and paper. Known as Pretty Flours (spelled F L O U R S because many of her products are printed on flour sack cotton), Molly began wholesaling in 2014. To learn more about Molly and Pretty Flours, you can visit www.prettyflours.com. Thoughts from Molly ●       I'm most proud that I have been able to grow my passion, a passion for something I really love to do into a business. I developed a product that is both pleasing to me to produce, functional to the consumer and decorative. ●       I wish that somebody had said, even though you think you're only ever going to be selling for fun at craft fairs, you might want to turn this into a business someday…and wholesale it and really think about your pricing from that standpoint. ●       We should all be doing what we really love to do, what really makes us happy. Recommended Resources The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin SCORE Quotable ●       “Really know your worth and believe in yourself and believe in the worth of your product. It's a handmade product and don’t compromise on what you feel you deserve.” ●       “Find inspiration and find support. There are lots of people out there who want to support you in what you're doing and go out and find them.”

    40 min

  2. 08/20/2019

    Stefa's Summer Bucket List Challenge

    Episode 024 – Summer Bucket List Challenge Summer is not done yet! At the time of this recording, summer is coming to a fast close. But wait, there’s still a little more summer to be savored! This special mini episode (short!) shares a fun way our team makes sure we don’t miss the most important parts of summer. And a little competition helps spice it up! Take our Summer Bucket List challenge. Download our summer bucket list challenge here.

    4 min

  3. 08/09/2019

    Are Wholesale Giftware Shows For You? Gregg Shapiro, New England Made Shows

    Episode 023 – Gregg Shapiro, New England Made Shows Are Wholesale Giftware Trade Shows For You? If you’ve ever wondered how to determine if a gift show is for you, listen in. With more than 25 years of experience, Gregg Shapiro shares his expertise in the needed mindset and preparation for success in wholesale giftware shows. A little about Gregg Gregg Shapiro is Vice President of Sales & Business Development for Green Tree Event Consultants, producers of the New England Made Shows. For over 25 years he’s developed a keen knowledge of business-to-business media across myriad platforms. An alum of Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, prior to joining Green Tree he has worked in media sales and marketing for the International Health and Racquet Club Association (IHRSA), United Publications and Diversified Communications. To reach Gregg, you can email him at gregg@nemadeshows.com or call him at 207.517.6816. Thoughts from Gregg You need to be absolutely certain that the products that you are considering offering to wholesale are turning an appropriate profit to your business and can be made and can be scaled. I always get a little bit concerned when somebody says most of their products are one-of-a kind/made-to-order because that doesn’t typically align well with mass production and wholesale. You need to create a booth environment that really talks about the merchandising of your product and how it’s going to be best displayed for selling. Quotable “Wholesale has to be a multi-year enterprise.” “A show environment allows you over the course of a two, and in the case of our spring show, a three day period to get in front of a very qualified audience.”

    35 min

  4. 07/18/2019

    How To Survive The Dread of Networking with Ellen Feldman Ornato, The Bolder Company

    Episode 22– Ellen Feldman Ornato, The Bolder Company How To Survive The Dread of Networking and Actually, (Maybe!?) Enjoy It! Is there anything more uncomfortable than a networking event? For most of us walking into a roomful of strangers, it strikes dread in our hearts and makes us hide in the bathroom stall or dive into the punch bowl. However, you’ve got to increase your network to grow your business. In this episode, Ellen Feldman Ornato gives us tips and new strategies for making networking and public speaking a skill you can master. Pull up a chair and take notes…there’s gems in this one. A little about Ellen Feldman Ornato Ellen Feldman Ornato is a serial entrepreneur from a family of entrepreneurs! Her formal education is in city planning & economic development but she grew up in a “retail family” and has owned businesses in addition to full time jobs since 1990. Ellen launched The Bolder Company with her friend, Jenny Drescher, in 2014 and the two have been on a growth trajectory since then! Their business focuses on increasing connection and performance at the heart of workplaces. To learn more about Ellen and The Bolder Company, you can visit www.theboldercompany.com. Thoughts from Ellen Let’s abolish the name ‘networking’ and call it ‘meeting people.’ Lower your expectations, say ‘how can I meet these people this evening and have a nice conversation.’ Meetings that happen in the morning tend to be more substantive than evening receptions. Make small notes on the back of business cards right after the event so you don’t forget who they are. Recommended Resources Small Business Association SCORE Connecticut: The Entrepreneurial Center & Women’s Business Center Quotable “Nobody can represent you and what you do better than you.” “Try improv!” “Remember where you came from.”

    43 min

  5. 07/11/2019

    Do’s and Don’t From A Seasoned Buyer and Artist, Lisa Mossel Vietze, Archipelago

    Episode 21 – Lisa Mossel Vietze, Archipelago Do’s and Don’t From A Seasoned Buyer and Artist What does a retail buyer look for? How do you handle exclusivity? How do you even get in the door?! Lisa not only has exceptional retail expertise, but also understands the mindset of an artist. She shares do’s and don’ts of approaching retailers – valuable advice for anyone looking to connect with a specialty retailer. Listen in now! A little about Lisa Mossel Vietze Lisa has been Director of Archipelago for 11 years. She combines her experiences of working in retail and non-profit environments as Archipelago is not only a retail space [store, gallery and online] but a program of the Island Institute as well. She’s also a fine art photographer and have been making images for 30 years, with photography exhibits around New England and collected throughout the U.S.   Her website is www.LisaMosselVietze.com To learn more about Lisa and Archipelago, you can visit www.thearchipelago.net Thoughts from Lisa It takes different skills to do art and make art and be creative than it does to run a business. I love helping artists uncover their voice as well as guide people through the process of being an artist. I think one of the most exciting things is seeing someone who is truly being themselves and sharing that vision with the world. Make sure you let your buyer know what’s new in your line. Recommended Resources Maine.gov/business Art Business Institute CERF+ – the artist’s safety net Imaginarium by Claire Rosen Quotable “One of the really important things for an artisan is to know if they want to be a business.” “Narrow your focus when you transition from doing craft fairs—focus on the best products that can reach your customers.” “Good retailers really want you to succeed and have a partnership in doing that.” “I hope that everyone who is running an arts business maintains a piece of themselves and their creative process for that real fun piece that keeps them engaged and inspired and doing what their vision is in the world.” “Trust your intuition, trust your own process and be your best self and engaged and see where that leads you.”

    42 min

  6. 06/09/2019

    Building a Business In Knots with Matt Beaudoin, Mystic Knotwork

    Episode 020 Why do Martha Stewart, American Craft Week, and Yankee Magazine all find Matt Beaudoin’s work irresistible? Does his success come from the love of the work or the fear of failure? Listen in to hear how Matt has taken his grandfather’s lessons to build an anchor business for his community. A little about Matt and Mystic Knotwork Matt started nautical knottying from his earliest memory.  His grandfather Alton Beaudoin encouraged him to learn fancy knotwork since he was 7 years old. He’s been active in the knot tying hobby for 41 years and left his IT job in 2009 to pursue this full time.  Mystic Knotwork now serves over 400 shops around the country and has two workshops open to the public in Downtown Mystic, CT. “My grandfather won the first Mystic Outdoor Art Festival in 1957, which is what we use to mark the start of our business.  Our first ‘modern’ award was the 2014 Heritage artisan award at Martha Stewart American Made.  2015, American Craft Week named us their Artisan Extraodinaire.  2016, we were named SCORE’s Small Business Champion, 2017, Business Insider named our work the #1 Souvenir for Connecticut, 2018, we won the Governor’s Award for CT Tourism as well as the Small Business of the Year by the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.  This year, Yankee Magazine recognized us as their Editor’s Choice for Connecticut Made work.” To learn more about Matt and his company, visit MysticKnotwork.com. Thoughts from Matt Price your wholesale first, then mark up to your retail. That way if somebody buys wholesale, you’ll feel the celebration when somebody buys retail. We are challenged by politicians that don’t understand artisan or manufacturing businesses built on trades skills and not automation. I’m most proud to be an ambassador for the state of Connecticut. Recommended Resources Asana – project workflow Small Business Association SCORE E-Myth by Michael Gerber Quotable “Be ready for a ride and be ready to be a student of the game.” “Hire people you can trust and help foster that trust in people. “It takes time to get traction and go.” “Don’t let opportunities slip by, but don’t also expect returns you can see.”

    38 min

  7. 05/31/2019

    How Does Genetic Sequencing Get You To Glassworks? Find Out With Holly Kenny, Elsie Kaye Glassworks

    Episode 019 The road to wholesale does not usually start with genetic sequencing, but Holly Kenny of Elsie Kaye Glassworks has made her own path with a torch in hand. Listen in as she shares how she continues to evolve her business to support both her creative expression and the market she serves. A little about Holly Holly Kenny has been creating unique artisan jewelry, giftware and kitchenware using a torch and glass rods since 2008.  She owns Elsie Kaye Glassworks, an artisan studio and gift shop that features the work of New England artisans. To learn more about Holly and Elsie Kaye Glassworks, you can visit https://elsiekaye.com/. Thoughts from Holly I’m most proud of developing an artist community here in my town, and my area because right around me there’s not whole lot of that… that’s been pretty amazing. Go after what you want. I was afraid it wouldn’t work, but just don’t be afraid to try it and see how it goes. Recommended Resources Lewis Howes School of Greatness podcast Profiting by Design: A Jewelry Maker’s Guide to Business Success by Marlene Richie Quotable “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and make sure that you surround yourself with really good people to help you do the things that you can’t do it.” “Focus on what you’re good at and not compromising the quality of the work that you do to grow bigger, but just focusing on what you do–do it well.”

    28 min

  8. 05/24/2019

    From Craft to Artists and More - A Conversation with the Maine Crafts Association

    From Craft to Artists and More – A Conversation with the Maine Crafts Association Episode 018  The Maine Crafts Association works to support craft artists with marketing and educational opportunities. While craft doesn’t always successfully crossover into wholesale, Sadie Bliss, Director, knows the best practices of the most successful craft artists and shares them with us in this episode! A little about Sadie Sadie grew up in New Hampshire where her mother was a professional craft artist making a living from her ceramic work. While in graduate school receiving a degree in Arts Administration Sadie worked for the Society of Arts and Crafts, managing Craft Boston. She moved to Maine in 2008 and began working for the Maine Crafts Association at the Center for Maine Craft and in 2012 moved into the director role. The Maine Crafts Association offers educational, marketing and retail opportunities to members, including professional development focused on wholesale. To learn more about Sadie and the Maine Crafts Association,  you can visit https://mainecrafts.org/ or email her at sadie@mainecrafts.org. Thoughts from Sadie I think what people really need is to have some income from craft shows, some income from open studios, some income from wholesale, some income from maybe a consignment arrangement so that as each one of those different sources ebbs and flows, the other ones can carry you. The mistake is when people make decisions a little bit too quickly about what’s working and not working and limit their income. If you start imagining things and how you would want them to be and how growth could look, sometimes things will start falling in place. Recommended Resources Indie Retail Academy Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts Maine Crafts Association Quotable “I love it when people quit their jobs and then move over and just do this craft business they’ve been building. It’s a really wonderful and scary and a brave step.” “The most successful craft artists have honed in on their best income streams and they also continue to take risks and to grow.” “Successful artists are finding the balance of sticking to their vision and their style and spending their time making the things that they want to make while making small adjustments that meet the demands of the market.”

    29 min
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4.6
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Whether you’re a seasoned wholesale artisan or a startup maker who retails and wants to learn how to wholesale, the Artisans Who Wholesale podcast will help. Stefa Normantas, show producer of New England Made shows, interviews artisans, makers and experts to provide practical advice. She digs deep to find the tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can use to save you time and help you earn more. Why? Because she’s passionate about seeing small businesses thrive, grow and provide their owners with the life of their dreams.

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