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

Stephanie, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

It’s hard to believe I make a living from pursuing my passion but I’m doing it! I started my business as a side hustle back in 2016 (formerly known as The Fussy Goose) and I slowly built notoriety and community by applying to any pop up, event and show in my area at the time. Through networking, and while still working full-time at an office job, I moved into my first (small) retail and workspace off main street Hyannis, MA. The pandemic hit shortly after opening that space to the public, and within that same year I moved with my husband to Northern Virginia where we live now. During the chaos of the pandemic and moving, I decided to take the leap into running my candle business full time and trying that out for a few years. Here we are into my 3rd year and it’s been bumpy and rocky but I’ve only now started to feel like I’ve found my footing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up being the ‘artist in class’, it was something I was always good at and when it came time to decide on colleges, I went with an Art degree and graduated as an Illustration Major in 2014. After numerous jobs that had nothing to do with my degree, I finally landed on my first graphic design job creating packaging for toys and art kits (literally a dream, right?). I had a few different design jobs but I had a lot of drive to do something for myself and wanted a way to get more involved with local artists and makers. I started The Fussy Goose in 2016 which eventually became a candle and skincare business, and I applied to local markets and pop-ups to get as much exposure as I could. I love the community I built with that first business, and although I’m miles away, I feel those connections whenever I visit home.

I put a lot of my focus on wholesaling with shops and built a rapport with small business owners around the country, my list of shops continues to grow each year and I’m so grateful for them and the folks who purchase my goods. Fast forward to March 2023, I rebranded my business to Sal do Mar Studio, a woman-owned, Azorean-American run art and candle studio inspired by the best parts of the East Coast. I’m using my Illustration degree again and creating more artwork, which you can find on my website at thesaldomar.com. Selling my own artwork has been a daunting goal for a long time, but I feel like my candles were a gateway into creating a name for myself and now I feel like I have total freedom to create whatever I want.

With all that said, this has been a very challenging road to take, especially going full-time during the pandemic, but I would take the days of tears and hardships over working in an office any day.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My business rebranding this year was a huge pivot into finding my niche. You’ll often times hear owners say their businesses are like their baby, so when I first started almost 8 years ago as the Fussy Goose, it was difficult to come to terms that I didn’t personally feel connected to that business anymore. The rebrand was necessary to keep my passion alive. I had to look within and figure out what I truly cared about and for all of 2022, I kept telling myself I wished my business focused around ‘home’ on the East Coast, that I could bring in more inspiration from my favorite places and share that vision with others. One day I realized I had the answer to my problem all along and started planning. I’m so happy I did, I feel more connected to my business and life than ever before!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Our communities can better help local makers, artists and small businesses just by showing up. That means visiting a local pop-up, buying a few gifts from local-supporting shops, sharing your purchases on socials, writing highly-rated reviews on a maker’s website, telling your family and friends about an artist you like.

Businesses and creatives thrive by word of mouth because family and friends trust your word and experience vs. an AD they might see on TV or online trying to convince them to buy something.

Show up, shop local, and share good experiences!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesaldomar.com/
• Instagram: @thesaldomar

Image Credits
Sal do Mar Studio