We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Suzy Ray. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Suzy below.
Alright, Suzy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?
Prior to COVID I was a maker selling wooden home décor and wall art almost exclusively direct to the consumer through small shops (on consignment) and craft markets. In late February 2020 I joined together with a friend who owned her own business making candles, and we applied for the Batavia Boardwalk Shops program. This is a program offered by the Batavia MainStreet organization to help jumpstart new businesses and bring more retail shops to the Historic Downtown district of Batavia, Illinois.
Jenni, owner of Illuminate Space, and myself formed Light & Pine Collective. This is our brick-and-mortar location where we sell our handmade goods, along with handmade products from other local woman-owned businesses. We started this store concept expressly for the Boardwalk Shop program. We thought we would give it a try for the season to see what came of it. Originally it was a seven-month commitment, with the hope that after the season finished, shops would find local existing retail spaces to move into and make a more long-term investment in Downtown Batavia.
About a week after we received our acceptance into the Boardwalk Shop program, the COVID shutdown started. Despite all the ensuing challenges of the next few months, the shops were able to open in June of 2020. Obviously, there were many obstacles and course changes throughout the next few months, but there were aspects to the “pandemic-life” that actually gave our little shop the time it needed to get off the ground. Both Jenni and I have families with young children and the slower pace of 2020 gave us extra time to focus on our business. There were no baseball games, no birthday parties, and my husband was now exclusively working from home. Also, the open-air style layout of the boardwalk and size of the shops actually aligned well with the social distancing requirements of the time. Those factors definitely contributed to the success of the shops that season because many people felt safe coming out and shopping there.
Suzy, 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?
Real Happy Space offers wooden wall and tabletop décor, custom signs, and personalized gifts. I co-own a shop in Batavia, Illinois where customers can purchase some ready-made décor pieces, however, I truly enjoy creating pieces for clients that are completely custom and are built to perfectly fit their space.
In the last two years I have expanded my business to serve other small-business owners by providing custom logo signs, and other furniture and installations for their shops and storefronts. I also work with balloon artists and party planners creating wood backdrops, custom signs, and wood decorations.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
When I first started making and selling at markets, I always tried to show kindness to the other vendors. We would commiserate during slow times, and help each other pack up in a rainstorm. I bought products from other handmade artisans and followed their journeys on social media. Some of those same vendors where my first small-business clients
As Real Happy Space started to shift to working more with small business and other store owners, I found approaching projects with a pure desire to help and support them was the best way to spread good will and foster a positive reputation. I truly want these fellow businesses to succeed, so I give them my very best. I offer cost-effective solutions, and quality products. They appreciate that I know where they are coming from, what it’s like to be in their shoes.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Real Happy Space was originally a blog I started to share upcycling and decorating projects I was doing in my home. I had two very young children at the time and was working from home as a part-time magazine designer. I studied journalism in college and worked for 10 years as an art director for a gardening magazine. The creative projects I took on for my home filled a desire to work with my hands, and step away from the computer screen.
Through these projects I learned more and more about woodworking and building. This led to starting an Etsy shop, which led to markets, which led to selling on consignment in a local shop. Along the way, I honed my skills and slowly built up my workshop of tools. For the first five years my business was a side hustle. It wasn’t until the fall of 2020, a few months after opening Light & Pine Collective, that I left my part-time job at the time and jumped in with both feet.
Contact Info:
- Website: realhappyspace.com
- Instagram: @realhappyspace
- Facebook: @realhappyspace
- Other: Light & Pine Collective, www.lightandpinecollective.com, @lightandpinecollective
Image Credits
April Duda Photography