We recently connected with Anthony Oliver and have shared our conversation below.

Anthony, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Crossroads Craftworks is the culmination of a lifetime of inspirations. But, most directly, it is the result of my desire to find a place, a community, where I felt like I belonged, once I emerged out of the pandemic. By nature, I’m not a social person. But after that period of intense isolation, I eventually went looking for a place to be around folks. I wanted a third space – that communal space that’s neither home nor work, where folks gather and share thoughts and stories and experiences. There are already plenty of bars and churches for people who find their social circles there. But, in a very Goldilocks fashion, none of the existing communities felt quite right for me. So I decided to center the space around creativity and curiosity, in hopes of attracting like-minded folks and building a community around those principles.
I borrowed from some of my favorite places: the gentleness and love of music from the Willow Tree coffee house and music venue, the Acoustic Coffeehouse bohemian hangout, the Hideaway punk bar with art-school roots, the Inventor Center community classroom, the Philosopher’s House liberal arts tea house, and so many more. Crossroads Craftworks is in a small town, so it needs to be many things to many people. And that quirky, eclectic vibe seems to be appealing, as more folks find their place with us.

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

I came into the business of running a Community Arts Center by way of a career in Information Technology. Which is to say, I have very little experience in the area. But I have close friends who make their livings as independent artists, and I defer to their expertise. In fact, I have found that to be worthwhile in both Information Technology and in entrepreneurship: be humble enough to listen to the subject matter experts.

Beyond that, my business philosophy is to only involve myself in win/win situations. I refuse to climb ahead by bringing others down. I find it to be a valuable constraint, as it requires creative solutions. And I love finding creative solutions where everybody wins!

Putting that philosophy into practice with a Community Arts Center means getting as much money to artists with as little taken out for overhead and administration as possible. I love this challenge! It provides a clarity of purpose, as improvements in efficiency and processes are immediately impactful to our artists. Basically: I get to nerd out on ways to get my artists paid! And that has a direct impact on our local community, as every independent artists is essentially a small business owner. So we’re generating significant impact to the local economy. And we’re doing this while providing a positive outlet for creativity in the community as well. Win/Win!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Crossroads Craftworks has been pivot after pivot. But I went into the endeavor knowing that the concept wasn’t fully formed. The intention was for the community to help define the space. We’ve had some stumbles. Soon after our ribbon cutting, I learned that, despite being an event venue where performances are held, we would not be able to apply for a beer license without requesting changes to the city ordinance. That meant finding different sources of operational revenue, which is an ongoing struggle. But we’re creative folks and we’re trying new things all the time. Sometimes constraints inspire superior solutions.

Another hurdle arrived in the form of hurricane Helene. We were set to host a Fall Arts Festival, along with the Elizabethton Arts and Culture Alliance, as a means to promote the Arts in our area. The hurricane destroyed infrastructure downtown to the point that hosting any sort of event was impossible and unsafe. So we stepped back, circled the wagons, and found ways to promote the Arts while supporting the folks in our community who had lost so much. Our region had already stepped up in so many ways: providing shelter, food, clothing, and other material needs. Our community of artists still wanted to help.

1. Emotional Support. Ashlee, of Made on Elk pottery studio, created a community collage on one of the buildings on our campus. It has been filled with signs and drawings from children in our town showing their love for their friends and neighbors.
2. Material Support. We hosted an art supply swap ‘n share. Creatives tend to have extra supplies and unfinished projects around anyways. So we got folks together to offer what they had, so other folks could take anything they needed. It was such a success that we plan to host similar events quarterly!

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

Technically, we’re not business partners. Our arrangement isn’t typical. As I mentioned, we’ve been coming up with creative solutions in order to keep operating. But let me tell you about Ashlee.

Ashlee Springer operates Made on Elk pottery studio. When I met her, Made on Elk had its own space downtown. She was one of many downtown business owners who welcomed me and helped me get started when I began renting the space where Crossroads Craftworks exists. She helped me connect with local artists and other business owners, and connected me with organizations that align with our goals.

And then we were both encouraged to take a small business workshop together, called CO.STARTERS, offered by the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce. The class was great for helping me focus on the practicalities of running a business. It was also great for networking with other local entrepreneurs. Aside from that, there were three significant consequences of this class:

1. Ashlee and I realized we were operating businesses similar enough that it made sense to collaborate.
2. We met an engineer named Andrea who was working on tiny home solutions.
3. Ashlee won the CO.STARTERS pitch competition.

As we continued to discuss possibilities for collaboration after the class, Ashlee proposed that we adopt the tiny home concept and apply it to art studios. It made sense to eliminate duplicate expenses and share resources. She would maintain an independent space for storage and personal use – her own tiny studio. And we would share the larger workshop space in Crossroads Craftworks. We function as separate small businesses, but collaborate to create events and build our community.

You could ask anyone who saw the space prior to Ashlee’s arrival and influence and I’m sure they’d agree: she has made a world of difference not only in the aesthetics of the space, but to the organization as well. She has experience both in managing studios and in theatre production, so she’s a natural at managing and building out creative spaces. And with less worry about operations and infrastructure, she’s able to focus on her core business of growing her membership and providing exceptional experiences. Win/Win!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://crossroadscraftworks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossroadscraftworks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRCraftworks/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CrossroadsCraftworks
• Other: https://www.twitch.tv/crossroadscraftworks