We recently connected with Adriana Castillo and have shared our conversation below.

Adriana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

As a small business we strive to establish lifetime relationships with our clients, we personally respond to our customers inquiries, and put customized and personalized effort into every project to ensure the best result. Every interaction we have is tailored according to each client’s needs and level of expertise. We work with a wide range of clients, from individuals who have no previous knowledge of laser technology or the usage of a vector software, to clients with high level of expertise. In the end our goal is to help people turn their project into reality as close as they envision it in their minds.

Moreover we focus on efficient usage of our materials, aiming to reduce our waste closer to zero. We do this by setting up our clients designed pieces on the chosen material in the best possible space efficient arrangement, after that, if there is still unused space on the material we fill it up with different shapes (circles, polygons, etc.) that we cut and donate to SCRAP, an amazing San Francisco non-profit organization.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Pagoda Arts was founded in 2010 with the idea of making laser cutting technology more accessible to small businesses & artists. We are a small local business and support the idea that the most sustainable business models use local sources for their materials and manufacturing processes. We believe quality and attention to detail are important to every project, whether huge or miniature.

My husband Alex started using laser cutters in 2000 during his career as an architectural model maker. In 2010, he decided to start his own business with the intention of continuing his career making architectural models. Around that time, laser cutting technology was becoming more accessible to a broader public and Pagoda Arts expanded its services to laser cutting and engraving all kinds of projects. Bringing my background as an industrial designer, I joined the company in 2012 and since then I’ve been teaming up with Alex in the development of the company, including production processes and human resources.

We have 30 years of experience combined in laser cutting and architectural model making applied to every project.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

For us the best strategy has been the quality of our work and building close relationships with our clients. Our current clients recommend our services to their friends and colleagues.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes, “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” by Michael E. Gerber. This book helped us be inspired again about owning a small business and organize our work practices in a more efficient way. I recommend this book to anyone that either already has a business or it thinking about starting one.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.pagodaarts.com/
• Instagram: @pagodaarts
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pagoda-arts-laser-cutting-service-san-francisco