Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alaina Mahoney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alaina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Probably once or twice a week I think about what it would be like to have a regular job, where my responsibilities don’t carry over into my personal life, and where my paycheck is not based on the performance of my business. A couple of times I’ve done a talk at MassArt (where I got my BFA), and both times I’ve relayed to the students that if they think they’re going to start a business and have time for art making as a result, that they should think again. Making artwork and running my business is still my goal, but there’s a reason the goal is ongoing and not checked off yet! I see other business owners who have found the balance that I’m looking for, so I know it’s possible. However, I find that when I’ve hired team members in order to take business operations off of my plate, I have to work more in order to generate the revenue to support their position. Maybe it’s that my micro business (we’re currently a team of four) is a difficult size for the type of arrangement I’m looking for. That said, I don’t have the disposition to work for others in a structured way. I have had full time jobs in the past, and they take their toll on my mental health. I’ve heard the joke “how’s working 80 hours so you don’t have to work 40?” and although that’s less true now than it used to be, I’d still for some reason rather have the illusion of freedom than the oppression of full-time employment.

Alaina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I come from a family of artists. My parents and brother are all artists, and one of my core beliefs is that art-making is a necessary, important, and relevant part of life. I got my start with metalworking at art school, where, while I got my degree in painting, I also took foundry, blacksmithing and welding classes. After school, I entered the trade of ornamental metalwork and historical restoration working for a shop in Massachusetts. I then moved to Providence, Rhode Island and founded A.M. Design and Fabrication, LLC as a one-person outfit in 2015. I started out making table bases for local woodworkers in order to pay the bills, during which I slowly built a reputation for producing items with meticulous craftsmanship. I hired assistants and transitioned back into architectural detail work and historical restoration/reproduction, which is where we have found our niche. Our shop now contains workspaces and machinery for blacksmithing, fabrication, finishing, patinas, woodwork, and design work. We start with steel, wrought iron, cast iron, brass, bronze, aluminum and stainless steel and create high end custom work, historical reproduction work and artwork. Additionally, we restore historic pieces using period-appropriate techniques when the budget allows. Regardless of monetary constraints, we approach restoration projects with integrity, always intending to preserve existing material and use appropriate joinery techniques that are in-keeping with the original era and design. I am proud to employ other artistic individuals, and I believe our diverse backgrounds, interest in problem-solving and attention to detail set us apart from other ornamental metal shops. I am also proud to employ workers from underrepresented groups, as I know from experience that metalwork and the construction industry in general can be an unwelcome place for those entering the industry.

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

The most significant move that I ever made as a business owner was to start a relationship with a business advisor. My BA is Lina Echeverry-Hart of LEAD advisory https://www.leadadvisory.me/. Small businesses can find a BA through the Small Business Development Center in their state. I started A.M. Design as an artist and metalworker, not someone with a business background or any business education. I believe that if I recognized that business was not my area of expertise sooner, I could have prevented some costly mistakes early on and moved towards my goals much sooner.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I used to think that working hard was the most important trait I could have. This perception was reinforced everywhere– starting in school, continuing through early employment and into the early days of owning a business. Unfortunately, hard work got me through some poor business decisions, and instead of making improvements, I doubled-down on the idea that I could force my way through any bind I got myself into. Enter one particular job I took that was too large for too little money, where I had agreed to build two staircases and over 200 ft. of guardrail with integral handrails. I worked 100 hour weeks, encouraging my employees to work well into overtime, because it got to the point where we just needed the job to be finished so that we could move on to better-paying work. That year, I personally made very poor income while simultaneously working myself down to the stump. A year later, I had taken on a job building tiny railings for toddlers for the Boston Children’s Museum. After one worker quit I found myself largely on my own, and when during fabrication I ended up with a metal shard in my eye (yes, I was wearing proper PPE), I had to have the shard removed and return to work that same day in order to make a finishing deadline. Just to continue the trend of inappropriate hours, I installed that job the day after Christmas with the help of my brother Greg. Those two examples unfortunately weren’t the only burnout jobs I got us involved with, and it took several more years to put in place proper boundaries where I no longer work crazy hours or overnighters without proper compensation. I know now that isn’t sustainable, and my belief is firmly in place that our labor is worth a predetermined dollar amount, and that if I’m not charging for every hour we’re working I’m personally subsidizing our customer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amdesignfab.com
• Instagram: @amdesignfab
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMDesignFab
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a.m.-design-and-fabrication-llc

Image Credits

Rue Sakayama (Image of me)

Gregory Mahoney (Charlestown Fence)
Alaina Mahoney (all other images)