We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Meredith Russell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Meredith below.

Meredith, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Craft Theory seems simple at first – it’s a crafting studio right? Well yes, but each word means so much more than that. I love plays on words and Craft signifies not just a piece of art you create, but also a persons trade or occupation. Craft Theory is a community studio that also operates as a co-working space for several other artists, creatives, and businesses. And the word Theory is because I fully believe in experimentation, both in business and in creativity.

Meredith, 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?

Honestly, I kind of fell into my business. It was never my intention to open an art studio, but as the pieces fell into place I realized that’s where I belong. I have always been pretty crafty and creative, but never really considered myself an artist. And, as I grew into my corporate career as a product manager I left art and creativity behind. In November of 2018 I took a fluid painting class with a few friends. During the class the teacher touched my art and all of our paintings cracked during the drying process. So being a millennial, I went down the YouTube rabbit hole and learned all I could. I purchased supplies and started making art every single day. After showing a few things to coworkers, one of them asked if they could buy one and that was the start of a new dream. In April 2019 I did my first in-person market and two weeks later I put in my notice at my corporate job. I sold at Farmers Markets and other venues and taught traveling paint and sip events until I opened my brick-and-mortar location in August 2021.

Our primary services at Craft Theory consist of crafting classes and parties, our art history subscription boxes, and our boutique retail offerings from artists and makers in Washington State. We help our customers celebrate life events big and small – everything from bridal and baby showers to birthday, graduation, and retirement parties. We also facilitate corporate team building events and holiday parties.

I would say that I’m most proud of the community that we’ve built. We’re an inclusive and safe space with employees, friends, and customers of all shapes and sizes. Our customers become friends and we’re creating a peaceful and inviting space for crafters all over our neighborhood. This will soon transfer to our online space with the membership programs we are creating (scheduled to launch in May!)

What sets us apart from others? I think it’s a combination of the space we hold for people which allows them to be vulnerable and experiment with creativity and that we make crafting fun!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was to not show myself. As a product manager for a corporate brand it is drilled into you not to show the humans behind the brand. This is slowly changing with the help of social profiles like Wendys – but in previous years it’s been product and brand only. In a small business where you are the sole operator it’s much more important to connect with your audience in different ways. And I think the audience doesn’t want to see “professional and clean” as much as they want to see “raw and authentic”. This was very hard for me to unlearn and I was extremely uncomfortable sharing things about myself personally at the beginning. But as I saw the results, I became a believer. I saw customers returning because they connected with me as a human. I had somebody come in my store just to give me a hug and tell me that my social media posts got her through the death of her dad. She was also a business owner and connected with my stories of the struggles I was personally facing. When I shared about my ADHD and Autism I had many customers and other business owners reach out and connect because they were going through similar things. You don’t have to share every little thing about your personal life, but I do think it’s important to show who you are as a person.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The biggest advice I have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to treat your team like humans. One of the best pieces of information I heard about hiring employees was that if they can do 70% of the work you can do, then they are an amazing employee. That really changed my mind about how I looked at employees. Because they aren’t me. They don’t have as much buy in to the business as I do. And frankly nobody ever will.

Here’s what you should do. Treat them like humans, not machines. Be friendly. Find the best way to work for your employees. Train them how they learn. Offer whatever benefits you can (these don’t have to be monetary). Some of the benefits we offer at Craft Theory include free studio time for any key-holder, half-off classes and events, ability to bring your child to work, and excess craft supplies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://craft-theory.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crafttheorylakewood
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crafttheorylakewood
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crafttheorylakewood/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@crafttheorylakewood
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/craft-theory-lakewood

Image Credits
Caitlyn Lunsford Photography