We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tina Stoy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tina , appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
My story of risk is a continuous one, one in which I have chosen to invest in myself and the business over and over again. There have been numerous points in Akasha Leather’s journey where I had a choice to make. Either continue working at the same level or uplevel. I continue to choose to uplevel.
In order to do so I have needed to purchase better tools and better quality leather. Initially both cost more money than I was taking in at the time. But what do they always say when it comes to business? It takes money to make money.
If cultivating a thriving business was something I was serious about, I needed to reinvest in the business. Which sounds easy until you’re staring at the computer screen about to click buy on a piece of equipment that cost thousands. Eeek!!
I had been wanting to purchase an industrial sewing machine for months, but kept putting it off because it was the single biggest item I’d ever purchased and it made me nervous. Looking back, that purchase was a pivotal moment for Akasha Leather. It provided a new spectrum of opportunity when it came to making larger items in volume as well as opened up a window to a whole new realm of products and thus new revenue streams.
Since then when it comes to purchasing an expensive tool or piece of equipment I am more confident in clicking ‘BUY’. Investing in the ability to level up the quality or type of products Akasha Leather offers is worth it!
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?
My name is Tina and I am the owner of Akasha Leather, a growing business in Salt Lake City, UT. I have been working with leather since 2018, and am constantly expanding my skills and knowledge around the craft. Your readers may find it surprising that I never set out to create a business, but began out of a curiosity for cultivating a new creative outlet. What began as a passion project became a business and has sparked something in me I never knew existed.
The ability to design and make beautiful leather goods.
What I love about working with leather is the craft is so diverse and there is a lifetime of learning to be had!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
In this day and age we can easily get sucked into the digital realm, focusing on social media outlets and online promotion. And though there is something to be said about the power of these outlets, what I’ve found really effective is getting in front of potential customers. Applying for in person events such as farmers markets, art festivals, pop-up shops, etc. Getting in front of people gives you the ability to get your work in their hands so they may see for themselves the quality of work you do. This is also an opportunity for them to meet the maker, creating a connection that stays with the items long after they are purchased.
Now I won’t glamorize it, these events are a LOT of work! It’s a huge investment of time and resources in the hope that people will buy what you’ve made, but it’s also exposure to a whole new audience.
Backing this up with a strong online presence via website and / or social media will keep people engaged in following along and supporting your growth as a small business. I have QR codes for both transactions as well as social media at every event for this reason. Brand recognition is one step in creating trust with potential customers. The more you get in front of people the better!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Owning a business is a ton of work, anyone will tell you that! Each sector of business is different, but the groundwork is the same. As an entrepreneur you have to be resilient, be willing to put in the time, effort, hours, and resources to make things happen. Everyone sees the glamorous side of the business via social media, the edited photos and captions. They see the final products being intentionally displayed at events. But what they don’t see is the number of hours that go into making the products, photos, captions and displays happen.
As a one woman show I literally have to do it all, designing, prototyping and making, sourcing tools and materials, applying for shows, marketing the business, being active on social media via crafting social media posts and connecting with others. Build and upkeep a website, create photo and product content, plus email communication. Create a display to merchandise for shows, drive to events, set up and merchandise the space, meet and sell at the event, tear down the display, drive home, reorganize products and take inventory for the next event. Next day, do it all over again (kidding, but not kidding).
I’ve had to say ‘no’ to a lot of personal events because of my commitments to Akasha Leather, and am of the mind to work hard and play hard. When it’s time to work I’m wholly committed to doing what has to be done and that means working odd hours, long days and back to back (to back) events.
Know the seasonality of your business and schedule in time to break for mental and creative health. We can be resilient in working crazy hours to grow a business, but we also need to take breaks to avoid burnout.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @akashaleather
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
The first photo that I am in please give photo credits to Nikki Smith of Pull Photography.