We were lucky to catch up with Nathan / Ali Mott / Gawronski recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nathan / Ali, thanks for joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
(Ali) In my younger years I worked for Vans shoes, and I learned a lot of valuable things about business and marketing there. The company was really great at keeping employees at all levels up to date on trainings that covered anything from how to interact and connect with customers, to identifying features versus benefits of the product, to emergency protocol. I didn’t realize it until I started the endeavor of selling my own products, that they taught me one of the most valuable lessons that any company selling a product or service can learn. And that is to take the attention off of the product or service you’re providing, and put it onto the customer- make THEM the main character. I remember going through scenarios at Vans over and over and over again of “what’s the most important part to highlight here- the waterproof lining or the fact that they can bring these shoes to their conference in Seattle next week (which you just learned about by asking what their weekend plans were) and not have to worry about comfortable, wet feet.” Through this mode of thinking, I’ve not only understood on a deeper level why it is I’m providing these products to my customers, but also I’ve learned how to make better, lasting connections with people by taking the time to get to know them first. To me, this isn’t just a lesson in business but a lesson in humanity.
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?
1888 design is a duo of nomadic artists that share a loving partnership in both life and business. They travel North America together in their renovated 1988 Chevy campervan and have a secondary studio space tucked away in the green mountains of Vermont. As they wander the world in search of treasures to utilize in their art, they also collect a great amount of inspiration and new perspectives that are reflected in their creative endeavors.
Nathan primarily grew up in central Vermont, with the rest of New England serving as his home throughout different points of his formative years. Spending most of his childhood exploring and creating with the natural beauty of the woods, Nathan has always been enthralled by the magic materials of the earth- stone, bone, fossils, wood… This can be seen clearly throughout his artwork and the types of environments he’s drawn towards while searching for his next bit of treasure. Being the truly multi-faceted man that he is, Nathan has pursued the arts of stone sculpture, singing and songwriting, creating menus for cafes, storytelling- always leading a highly expressive and creative life. Jewelry design followed him shortly after putting music down in a professional sense, which allowed him to take his passions for historical items as well as fossil/mineral hunting and turn them into a viable art business, which he would later call 1888 Design.
Out in the suburbs of Chicago, everyone in Ali’s life had been calling her “the artist” since she was old enough to hold a paint brush. Throughout her life she has challenged herself to take on new artistic mediums including collaging, painting, drawing, ceramics, stained glass, etc. After deciding to leave school, Ali ditched the idea of finding a traditional career to instead embark on a journey of finding herself. She wound up in Los Angeles CA where she prioritized travel and the further development of her art. Interestingly, Ali found jewelry making when the importance of taking care of our planet became overwhelmingly prevalent to her. Ali started upcycling found objects into jewelry as a means of carrying sustainability into her creative world.
Upon meeting one another in southern California, it was no surprise that Ali and Nathan would have an immediate artistic connection through their shared medium. This very soon (like over the course of 6 weeks soon) blossomed into a passionate romance and a fully immersed partnership. They moved in together into a tiny 100 sqft apartment in Manhattan Beach and started mapping out travel plans, quitting their jobs, and joining forces on a well-intentioned jewelry business together.
The two artists are now tearing down conventional business methodologies and paving a new path for creative entrepreneurs by weaving travel and locational freedom into the fabric of their business. Through their fully functional off-grid vehicle, Ali and Nathan have created the ability to hunt down their materials, set up a mobile metal smithing studio and pop up shop, and send out online orders from all corners of the country while enjoying life on the road in the moments spent in between. They strive to not only inspire others through the beauty and uniqueness in their craft, but also to inspire others to follow their wildest dreams and innovate new ways to live life on their own terms.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
In our particular craft, we’re always seeking out the most interesting, unique, and outlandish materials to use in our jewelry. We always loved this idea for the idea of providing incredibly unique pieces that no one else will have, but what we didn’t know would happen was our customers finding really personal connections to those specific items. It completely takes the spotlight off of the jewelry itself and puts it on the wearer- their story, their memories, their journey. We have so many examples of this- a woman bought an antique penny necklace because of her mother’s quirk of hiding pennies around her house for loved ones to find, another customer bought a Milwaukee key and Colorado emblem talisman necklace that just so happened to be the past two places he had lived before recently moving, another customer got a Harley Davidson pin necklace and expressed that it was going to help give her the confidence she needed in becoming the manager at a bike shop which is predominantly a man’s world… Being able to give someone something that’s not only just pretty to look at, but something that will help them out during a challenging time, to help them remember the quirks of their loved ones, and to open up space and conversation for them to be able to share their own story, THAT is true art to us and it’s an honor to be able to give people that.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The book Contagious by Jonah Berger is a wonderful way to better understand consumer behavior and marketing psychology. There’s loads of real world examples of businesses we all know and how different core principles of marketing (that seem miraculously simple) helped bring these companies from zero to infinity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.1888design.com
- Instagram: @1888design