We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.
Emily, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Embarking on this entrepreneurial adventure, I established four guiding principles for curating the products I offer. First, I sought items of exceptional beauty, which is effortless when working with the organic artistry of olive wood and centuries-old ceramic designs. Second, I aimed to provide items that are not only beautiful but also practical, meeting the everyday needs of their users.
Equally important was ensuring that my products positively impacted Tunisia. We cultivate personal relationships with our artisans, ensuring that we support individuals fairly rather than enriching large corporations. Lastly, I wanted our pieces to tell a story, inviting our customers to feel part of something greater and sparking a curiosity about Tunisia’s rich culture and heritage.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Thirteen years ago, I moved to Tunisia, North Africa, to help start an English school and discovered a profound love for Tunisian olive wood. From the outset, I dreamed of sharing these exquisite pieces in the United States. However, I faced discouragement from those around me who cited several challenges: wood shops reluctant to work with a woman, the complexities of exporting wood to the U.S., and the difficulty of finding a shop that could maintain consistent, high quality.
Consequently, I put the dream on hold, and life went on for 11 years. After moving back to the United States, I assumed the dream was lost. But this past summer, during a visit to friends and family in Tunisia, the dream was rekindled. At a café in the industrial zone of Tunis, the capital, Zytoun Market was born (“zytoun” is the Arabic word for olive). A friend agreed to partner with us, managing all the Tunisian paperwork on the ground.
In just three days, we found a wood shop crafting beautiful, high-quality olive wood pieces. I also reconnected with a contact in the foutah (Turkish towel) business and quickly established an agreement. We filled our suitcases with Tunisian treasures and returned to Arizona, where our first event at The Festival of Nations received an enthusiastic reception. People loved our products and our story.
Since then, we have been selling weekly at Pinnacle Peak Farmers Market, gradually expanding our offerings to include handmade Tunisian jewelry and my own Tunisian-inspired designs, such as tote bags and greeting cards.
Our passion is to ignite a love for Tunisia among Americans, fostering a deep connection to its culture and inspiring active engagement. We aim to encourage visits to Tunisia, contributions to its growth and prosperity, and robust support for Tunisian artisans.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I first explored the idea of selling Tunisian olive wood in the United States, I faced discouragement from those around me who cited several challenges: wood shops reluctant to work with a woman, the complexities of exporting wood to the U.S., and the difficulty of finding a shop that could maintain consistent, high quality.
When we decided that the business was something we could pursue, we visited several wood shops, we did face some of these issues. They would see a foreign woman walking through the door and they didn’t me seriously. However, we kept knocking on doors and perusing leads. We finally got the contact information for our wood shop and they were out of town, but were planning on being back in the next few days. Just a few days before we returned to the United States we were able to meet up with the shop owner and had an instant connection. He understood our vision and was excited to partner with us to make our dreams come true.
How’d you meet your business partner?
When I moved to Tunisia, I moved in with a Tunisian roommate. Just a few months later we hosted a Christmas party and there were nearly 30 people dancing on our tiny balcony. Right at the center of the dancing was a guy whose face was just glowing. I came to find out that he was my roommate’s brother and six year later we got married. My husband is my biggest cheerleader, he pushes me out of my comfort zone to try things that might feel scary, but have been great steps forward in our business.
The year we got married, my husband and I both took jobs at the British International School of Tunis. I was a teacher and he was the IT manager. He got to work closely with the Business Manager who has a great passion for starting business and advancing side hustles to full time projects. And he is really good at navigating the Tunisian government systems that can sometimes feel daunting. He and my husband became close friends, fishing and playing cards together regularly. It was a casual visit at the coffee shop with him that reignited the dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Linktr.ee/zytounmarket
- Instagram: @ZytounMarket
- Facebook: Zytoun Market
