Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mike Kreus & Sheila Merriman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Mike Kreus & Sheila Merriman thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?

Remote is what we do. We don’t have a brick and mortar store so a majority of our work is done in our home. It has worked for us because we are on our own schedule and can meet deadlines at our own pace. Having the option to work remotely makes our work more accessible to a wider range of people. It also allows us to increase our productivity. The primary pitfalls which have affected us the most, are the times we have encountered a materials shortage. Other pitfalls include being isolated and working more than we should vs a 8 hour job outside the home. The non-obvious benefits are that we are our own boss. We don’t have to adhere to set hours, or to the demands of being employed under another. We also have the pleasure of traveling to meet customers face to face.

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?

We’ll start with who we each are. Mike: I’m the father of 1 adult son. 12 years ago, and jobless, I walked into a Tucson store looking for a job. I used to make horsehair hatbands and belts and told the owner I liked what he had. The owner said, “ I have a job for you, but not sure if you want it.” He took me to the back and introduced me to an old Navajo man sitting there making hard-sole moccasins. I said I’d give it a whirl, and was immediately hired. It took a few months to get good at it, and the rest is history. I was there for 11 years.

Sheila: Married 24 years to husband Kip. We have 5 children and 13 beautiful grandchildren. My background varies from working in the medical field, to being a pre-school teacher for many years, to bookkeeping and managing other businesses, to social media management. When Covid hit, my last job came to an end. One day I was in the same store that Mike worked at, because the owner needed help with his computer. After that he asked me if I wanted a job. I said yes, and from there, worked for him for nearly two years.

Our jobs came to an end at that store in August of 2022. At our ages of 56, we were unsure of what to do, so we decided to start up our own business using our own skills.. Thus, Sun Treasurz LLC was born. For over 12 years Mike had been making moccasins and with Sheila’s sales, and management experience, we decided to dive right in.

Everything started with setting up our website and hitting up social media platforms. Then we formalized an email and started searching for possible customers who might like what we had to offer. We got lucky with a small grant, and secured the moccasin making supplies and materials needed. We also started building up our inventory of Artisan made and Native American made jewelry. We have items ranging from brand new to vintage. Other items we have acquired include dream catchers, pottery, folk art, and collectible Native American themed dolls. Once we felt we had enough, we got in contact with a local Tucson vendor market called the Foothills Community Market that runs on Saturdays. We set up our first booth in September of 2022 and have been with them ever since.

Moccasin orders started coming in and Mike got very busy making them. Our moccasins are unique and people don’t always realize just how much hard work goes into them. It’s a process like no other, and sacred to many. The process from start to wearable can take up to a week for a pair of moccasins. They are patterned off the traditional designs of Native Americans of the Southwest. The soles are hand-cut and then meticulously hand-stitched to the top Suede leather or deer hide, using an inside “invisible” stitch method. The materials we use are genuine: cowhide for the soles. suede, and deer hide. From time to time we employ the Navajo mentor whom Mike worked with all those years before. There are customers who only want moccasins made by a Native American and we are more than happy to meet that accommodation.

So what sets us apart from others? We are quite mobile. With no brick and mortar store, we can travel to meet customers. The art of making moccasins in the styles we do is a dying art. Once handed down generation to generation, the trade has been lost over the years by many, so it is an honor to continue what was taught. Many of our customers are looking for custom fit moccasins. Our ability to customize our patterns and adjust them to accommodate wider feet, or do what is called a “build up” for something like bunions or medical equipment, has been extremely beneficial. We also do custom sizes based on a customers foot tracing. Our moccasins are unique in that we don’t have machinery to cut our our soles and moccasin patterns. They are all cut by hand. We want people to be happy with what me make, and the more options we can offer, the happier customers will be. Additionally, unlike most places, if something is not right, we make it right. With regards to our jewelry, some of our customers want specific pieces so we are able to search, and acquire them. This makes for happy customers in that they are not limited to just what we have on hand. It’s nice to be able to extend personalized services such as this. We also do home shopping where we go to a customers home and they can shop in the comfort of their home. This has been great for those that are homebound or have limited transportation. One last thing that sets us apart from others, we are known to personally deliver. There’s nothing like a nice 8 hour, one way drive, to make a customer happy. We love the conversations, the laughter and the smiles.

The biggest change for us was when we started participating in the Foothills Community Market. Being there has given us great exposure and an incredible boost needed to help us grow. Southern Arizona, and the four corners region is home to several Native American tribes. We have been able to provide moccasins to those who would otherwise not have them.

It has not been a smooth road, and there have been some of the struggles along the way. The beginning was rough, as it can be with the start of any business venture. Typically the first two years are the hardest. We’ve had times where supplies needed have been on back order, or we get supplies that are not good quality. Those are things that put orders on delay until we can get what we need to proceed. Competition with others in minimal since there is a high demand for what we make. Sudden Illness, and family emergencies certainly can impact timelines.

We are very proud of how far we have come in such a short time. It has not been easy, but we have successfully transitioned from working for others, to working for ourselves. Our business is a reflection of our hard work and discipline, as well as our ability to create products that make customers happy. The journey has been long and the experience has been growth producing. We are dedicated to providing the very best customer experience by providing good quality products, It’s a good feeling to get an email or a phone call from someone saying “so and so gave me your number and I need moccasins.” or “I’m looking for specific jewelry.” Providing excellent customer service is essential and helps us to stand out among the crowd. Word of mouth from happy customers also strengthens us. They love how easy it is to place an order with us, and are really happy when things are done before deadlines. This has allowed several customers to not have to travel to another state to get what they need.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Starting a business is not easy but social media has its benefits and it has been a huge plus for us. Our first step was to create an email. Then we did everything necessary to get our LLC up and running, After that, we got our website up and running, set up Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, Google, and ordered business cards.

Our website is through GoDaddy which has many great benefits, including Marketing functionality, E-commerce availability, built-in marketing features for email marketing and social media posts . This allows us to create one post and with one click send it to multiple platforms.
Facebook posting is almost a daily occurrence. We share the process of making moccasins, showcase new pieces of jewelry and other new inventory, and we also promote the local Foothills Community Market. We also use Facebook Marketplace to post ads for moccasins. These ads are great in that they draw traffic to us.
Etsy has been very beneficial in that we direct sell items, primarily moccasins.
Instagram postings are another way to expand our audience.
Google is a plus to have because we create and run ads, post photos and customers can leave reviews.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Our primary selling platform is Etsy. A big Pro is that a majority of custom orders come through there. We’ve had multiple repeat customers. These customers also refer others to us which helps drive traffic and increases sales. We are able to customize the steps in our moccasin production and keep customers informed. Communication is essential with our customers and messaging on a regular basis is easy. The only Con is that because our profit margin is small, our prices have to be higher on Etsy to adjust for the fees they charge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://suntreasurz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suntreasurzaz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunTreasurz
• Other: ETSY: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandcraftedMoccasins

Image Credits
Sun Treasurz LLC Sheila Yenchik Kip Merriman