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

Caroline, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

Amazing question! I one day hope to see the education system better support creative or nontraditional roles through flexible curriculum and project based learning. I think we’ve been conditioned to believe that success is derived from material achievements – wealth, status, fame, and the American education system prioritizes these outcomes. While I believe a fulfilling life is relative, and involves holistic measures, I think as a society we should better prioritize “unconventional” opportunities in the classroom. I’d love to see students gain exposure to non traditional career paths through programs that are designed to encourage collaboration, industry learning, practical skills, and creative output. I mean, how different would the world be if fulfillment was prioritized over profit? Personally speaking, for the longest time I felt that I would finally “make it” once I got a corporate job out of college, and that the hours between 9-5 were reserved strictly for changing the world and thus, creating a meaningful life. (For the record, I laughed out loud reading that last sentence.) It wasn’t until my mid twenties that I began to question all of this. I almost felt guilty for pushing back the corporate America narrative that had been spoon fed to me my whole life, as if by default, I was supposed to find total satisfaction in deadlines, meetings, and keyboard strokes. Thankfully I eventually realized I needed more, as so many of us do. Without this realization, Birka would never would have been created. Although I think meaning and purpose can be found in any setting, I think we should be afforded the opportunity from an early age to really learn what purpose means to us, individually.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Birka Studios is my sweet little home goods shop that was born out of a profound appreciation for rare, eclectic vintage decor. When my husband and I were renovating our home a few years ago, I became intrigued with designing an artistic, yet functional living space. With Scandinavian roots, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from Scandinavian & minimalist design, focusing heavily on midcentury modernism. I found that sourcing true midcentury pieces in the Cleveland market required time, research, and a creative eye, but I came to appreciate the “hunt” for these rare beauties. This love for collecting vintage trinkets inspired me to start Birka. I’m proud to offer a curated collection of eclectic home goods, including hard-to-find midcentury pieces in Cleveland + beyond. Additionally, I offer private sourcing for those that have their eye on a specific piece, and also work with others to provide interior styling ideas for spaces throughout the home that may be difficult to design. Ultimately, I want others to have fun and enjoy the home styling process, and I am here to support them in that journey!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

As we all know by now, social media plays such an integral role in establishing brand image, attracting leads, and ultimately growing business. When I first started to market my brand on socials, I felt incredibly intimidated and honestly, a little overwhelmed. I definitely had to really hone in and identify my true target audience. It’s so easy to want to follow anyone and everyone when growing online, but I was most successful in converting leads when I established a consistent, identifiable brand image. With algorithms constantly changing, if you want to grow on social media, I believe it’s pivotal now more than ever to stay true to your brand image and prioritize creating original content that your audience would actually want to engage with. I believe the more original and aligned your content is with your connections, the more you will see growth on social platforms.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I like to think that I don’t have “customers.” I don’t have “clients.” But what I do have is a close knit community of incredible friends and connections who also enjoy vintage decor. I genuinely care about my connections at a human level whether or not they are ready to buy. With this mindset, I have been blessed to build loyal relationships first and foremost, and subsequently, have established repeat sales. It’s 2025, reputation is everything, sincerity matters, and we want to feel aligned to the brands we buy from, right?!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @birkastudios

Image Credits
Daniel Lozada