We recently connected with MiChelle Risby and have shared our conversation below.

MiChelle, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I launched my business, Pieces Of Us By Us, I was let go from my job due to Covid and had to self-fund the business. I spent the summer ordering samples and trying designs. Designs were ready, samples made and tested, and the manufacturer was ready and waiting for the go-ahead. Funding was needed to complete production and launch my goal of starting a business that makes puzzles of Black Art by Black Artists.

We used the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform to raise the money needed to start production. My campaign was live for 45 days, and on the last day of the Kickstarter, I was short about $1000.

At the time, I was working as a contractor for a web development company. I had become good friends with someone who started around the same time that I did. He was aware of my Kickstarter campaign and, that last day asked how it was going. I informed him we were just shy of hitting our $7000 target and would lose all of the donations if we didn’t fully fund the campaign. I spent the whole day anxiously watching the fund, and approximately 1 hour before it ended, someone donated $877, which put our campaign at 103% funded!

When I looked to see who made the final contribution to the fund, it was my coworker. I immediately called him and asked him why he would do this. We had only known each other for two months and worked remotely, so we had never met in person. His answer stunned and amazed me. He told me that he’d been listening to me for over a month about the business I was starting, why I wanted to do this, the struggles I had been going through, and how much this meant to me. I had inspired him, and he wanted to see me succeed, with nothing in return! So someone who was just a coworker, practically a stranger, donated enough money for my dream to come true.

It just goes to show you that you never know who you will meet and the impact you will make on them. His donation was the largest single contribution to my campaign. And it made a difference.

MiChelle, 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?

Pieces Of Us By Us was birthed to create puzzles from original works of art from some of the dopest, most talented artists of color worldwide.

Our collection of Black Art by Black Artists offers a platform for artists to share their vision and for collectors to discover cultural and contemporary expressions of artwork in a new way. Our goal is to bring people together through Interactive Art as Puzzles. Our mission is to generate innovative opportunities for BIPOC to showcase their talents, share their stories, ignite conversations, and expand our sense of community.

Our stories and lived experiences matter, but it’s also about who’s telling that story. The whole idea about representation is that it opens doors and gives a community who recognize themselves in those stories something they want and need. Even though we can be found in every inch of the most significant movements and innovations worldwide, our voices are not. The hope is that more voices will be heard, and more people will begin to learn to respect other lives and experiences beyond their own.

So we want to thank you for allowing us to share a Piece of Us with you, and we hope you will enjoy these creative images transformed into Beautiful, Deluxe Puzzles as much as we enjoyed creating them!

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I started researching how to create a puzzle business in April of 2020. To do so in the middle of a pandemic was crazy! Stores and websites everywhere were sold out of puzzles and board games. Because of this and COVID shut-downs, manufacturing has slowed to a crawl in the US. Most big names wouldn’t touch me because my orders weren’t big enough or told me to try back in the second quarter of 2021. I started researching overseas and probably contacted over 50 manufacturers, ordered about 25 samples, and finally found some vendors that I felt had the quality product I was looking for. Lead time for production still took over four months from final approvals to delivery here in the US. Working with overseas vendors is difficult because they work when I am sleeping and vice versa. And sometimes, a language barrier can make some things get lost in translation. Being told no so many times, it was hard to keep moving forward. But I kept going. I reached out to other small puzzle companies on Facebook and Instagram, who gave me encouragement and advice. I spoke to a gentleman at a US puzzle and gaming company who, even though he told me he could not help me this year, I shouldn’t give up because he felt I had something. It has been an insane and crazy ride, and I am just starting.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My favorite strategies for growing clientele include maintaining excellent customer support and service. All communication is answered within 48 hours by email or social media. I keep track of previous customer communication through my website and Facebook CRM tools. We even offer A Missing Piece Guarantee to provide 100% customer satisfaction.

It’s also essential to keep our website content fresh. Fresh and informative content is one of the main elements that attract new visitors and potential customers, and fresh content also helps our website be found in search engines.

We also promote our business on all social media networks. There is no easier way to grow your customer base than providing value and having your customers promote your brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.piecesofusbyus.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piecesofusbyus/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piecesofusbyus
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/piecesofusbyus
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@piecesofusbyus

Image Credits
Brianna 100pc Puzzle – Puzzle Artwork created by Wendy Marshall Dance Party 500pc Puzzle – Art by MiChelle Risby Self-Redemption 1000pc Puzzle – Art by Emmanuel Ignatius Dapper Blues 1000pc Puzzle – Art by Cbabi Bayoc Timeless 1000pc Puzzle – Art by MiChelle Risby