We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sabrina Santiago a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sabrina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
It took a pandemic to have Me tap into an artistic temperament I didn’t know existed. It took the world shutting down to have Myself open up. That in itself was a huge risk. At that time, I, along with millions of others were anchored down, save the Nurses, Doctors and other Essential Workers that were deemed Relevant in a difficult time.
Fast forward now to 2023 and We observe the world reopened, yet with so many big name businesses falling under. And along with them millions of jobs lost. It begs the question:
How does a small business owner remain relevant in a society that is forever reshaping itself?
Do I return to the Corporate World out of necessity and attempt to “catch up” or do I continue on this journey with a level of uncertainty and risk financial challenges month over month?
It’s quite the gauntlet to be faced with. But here I am. Going through it not fully knowing what’s on the other side, just knowing what I’m coming in with.
We’re all familiar with the phrase “marching to the beat of your own drum”, but what does that idiom mean when you dissect it, and how does it apply to the person its coined to?
“To do something, act, or behave in a manner that does not conform to the standard, prevalent, or popular societal norm.”
Continuing this journey has huge risks. However, in this journey, there is no risk of failure. Failure means quitting. Failure means closing up shop, selling my equipment and climbing someone else’s ladder again.
Sabrina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Casa Cherrywood Carvings launched in September of 2020 from My one car garage in Yonkers, New York. What started as a hobby and means to pass the time during The Pandemic became a “Solopreneuership” participating in Pop Up Shows and Markets beginning in the Spring of 2021. My craft ranges from resin artwork with assorted embellishments to one of kind serving trays created from reclaimed wood from locations between Portland Oregon and as far as Ontario, Canada.
Being surrounded by fellow Makers and Artisans with similar beginnings continued to inspire Me and as a result, not only have we built great business relationships, but harbored a collective of great minds and kindred spirts that to this day continue to support each other in our achievements.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
People to this day, are still surprised when I tell them I handmake My pieces, however that’s only one phase of the elevator pitch to building a rapport:
As a Maker, You want to not just have the piece speak for itself, but also pull back the veil as to the “why” of Your thought process. You’re extending an invitation to the depths of Your Psyche when you’re showcasing your work.
I think The Key is to let observers know You appreciate them appreciating Your Work. I’ve had many people say its not in their price range or they’re just admiring My work, and I thank them for that. It costs nothing to say you admire something, their recognition is a value unto itself, and eventually, they make their way back around and say “You know what? I’ll take it”
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
Standing by Your Convictions exposes You to Risk.
To be clear, when I started Casa Cherrywood Carvings, like so many others during The Pandemic, I used the Etsy Platform.
It was user friendly, self sustaining and there was a plethora of resources and My audience was vast.
Sadly, corporate greed compelled that platform to raise the fees to Etsy Sellers after making billions between 2020 to 2022.
In April of 2022, Etsy Sellers decided to strike for a week in an act of protest. I chose to take it a step further altogether and took my domain name with Me, closed My Etsy shop and migrated to Square. I knew that by making that move, I’d lose sales. I had closed the door to an audience I would never meet face to face and would have to learn new ways to reach out to people. It was a matter of principle, and there are moments when that drum beats so loudly. This was one of those moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.casacherrywood.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casacherrywoodcarvings/