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

Brandi, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Expectations vs Reality! As my business was growing, so was my ambition. I had been teaching classes, and my students were needing supplies. Stained Glass supplies are not easy to find. So, I decided to go all in for it and open a brick-and-mortar-Stained Glass Studio to teach, create, and sell supplies. I signed a lease that was 3 times my current rent and moved into a 1,500 square foot space in a town near my home. We had painted, ordered our inventory and was ready to open. I had never sold goods before, so I had to learn how to make a barcode, how to set up inventory, pricing and all the sales tax and so forth. Not everything I tried worked, it took a lot of trial and error. That was not anything I had considered and what would happen next would have me standing in a territory I had no idea how to manage. I was set to have my grand opening and ……… COVID, Shut Down. My landlord simply reminded me rent is due on the 1st, so I had a serious issue to resolve. To quit was not an option, I had already returned to my original job part time to help pay my daughter to work and train with me. I know I could not do all this alone. We learned and tried lots of things. Facebook was our friend, and we used Facebook to advertise for “Covid Circle” Private group classes. My artist friends were worried, our booth events that we sell from were all canceled. A few of us artists formed a group and we started supporting each other by doing Facebook LIVE events. I remember at the time I didn’t have a computer or Wi-Fi at my house, I had built my website and done everything with my phone and ordered a tablet to do my payment processing for the store. We all supported each other and learned as we went. Our town allowed small businesses to be open as long as we provided covid safe practices. So, we changed our teaching studio design to allow for personal space workstations. Our studio is now a model studio for other glass teaching studios. We posted supplies online and people could schedule pick up or personal shopping time in studio. We were supporting other artists by selling art through our store front. We charged 20% commission, it helped them, it helped us, and we all learned to overcome and survive covid. What I had in my mind of opening a business and how the 1st year would be was almost a fantasy compared to what we endured during that time. I though many times, people have no idea I’m just surviving month to month, I feel like a fake, a fraud, that I’m faking it till i make it. I had not acknowledged myself as a successful business owner. Being able to try things and accept changes is important. It takes everything I have learned from every job I have ever had. Waitressing taught me customer service; you give bad service you do not get paid. Service Merchandise taught me about barcodes and taking payments. Escrow Accounting taught me how to data entry my accounting. Substitute teaching and Paraprofessional taught me to teach and skill multiple levels, ages, and handicaps. There were more, but I feel it has all helped. Owning my own business is nothing how I had imagined it in my rose-colored glasses at the beginning. It has been a lot of learning about myself and being adaptable to my environment. Constant learning, balancing and being humble.

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

I am a 3rd generation-stained glass artist. I grew up watching my mom and grandmother work with stained glass, and they would do small booths. I started working with glass myself over 25 years ago. I would ask my mom for help, after her and my grandmother had past, it was a little harder because I didn’t have anyone to ask for glass help, and it was a reminder that they were both gone. I self-taught from that point and made an effort to teach others so they would not get discouraged or feel alone as I had at many times. When I had decided to quit my job and be a full-time business owner and artist I knew I needed to supplement my income and teaching was the answer. I love teaching and watching people smile when they see their work. I am able to offer a full experience into the world of stained glass, I can teach, answer questions, offer ongoing support and teaching to help build skills ; as they grow so do I.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Buy Local! Support your artists and small businesses! we say it all day. My competition is Big Franchises and Amazon. I as a small business cannot compete with their pricing, some items I get at wholesale price is their selling price! So rather than get frustrated and throw my hands in the air, I had to focus on what separates me from them. If you buy a product from Walmart, you cannot go to the store and ask how to use it. If you buy from amazon you’re more likely to get a fake brand and no instructions, my marketing focuses on that! a person can come into my store, and I can tell them everything about it and how to use it. If they take a class, they are using the same exact tools I sell. Society can help by sharing their positive experiences. Usually, a person only thinks to do a google review if something is bad, encourage people to share the good too! Capture those compliments and share.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal or mission is to let others know that if you want something in life, the only thing in your way is you. You have to try and know that you do not know everything and that’s ok, you will learn, you will have some great ideas and bad ideas. Due to statistics, I was not expected to be a future business owner. I had divorced parents; I had a difficult childhood and moved constantly with a mother who suffered from mental illness and drug addiction. I then moved to different homes and visited my mother in prison. I had my 1st child at 15 and was on my own. I went to street school and ended up getting my GED. I would go on to have 5 kids and be a single mom most of their lives with little support physically or financially. I’ve been married and divorced. Neither of my parents went to college. All the odds were against me, but I knew I wanted a better life. I wanted my kids to know they can do and be whatever they put their minds to. I want others to know they deserve better than what is sometimes handed to them, those hard times will teach you to be strong and overcome.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://agitsi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agitsi_stainedglass/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Agitsi/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-hines-lee-55935ab8/
• Twitter: https://www.tiktok.com/@agitsi_stained_glass
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/agitsi-stained-glass-tulsa-3
• Other: https://agitsi.simdif.com/contact.htmlhttps://www.tulsapeople.com/city-desk/work-of-heart-cherokee-artist-brandi-hines-lee-owns-agitsi-stained-glass/article_0491bab4-33e0-11ef-b40d-9f663b98eef6.html

Image Credits

Kendra’s Keepsake photos in photo with my holding a sugar skull