Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Colette Cartier, Co-Founder of Cartier Studios, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Cartier Studios is a family art + design business offering a beautiful selection of functional and aesthetic art pieces full of personality and telling a meaningful story. We create and sell small batch pottery, leather goods, paintings, photography, prints, graphic design, and sculptural objects. Each piece is one of a kind, handmade by us.

Our customers are, like us, those people who appreciate the value of slow design and quality over quantity and are moving away from the excess and wastefulness of mass production. We share a desire to connect with like-minded individuals who see value in the presence of art in our everyday lives. Our customers include anyone looking for beautiful pieces to stock their own homes or those looking for a one-of-a-kind gift idea.

Tell us about yourself

Cartier Studios is operated by me and my sister, Melisent Cartier, based out of Calgary, Alberta. I earned a design degree from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. I divide my time between freelance graphic design services and making small batch pottery. Melisent has an undergraduate degree in Architecture from McGill University and a Master of Architecture from the University of British Columbia. She finds joy in expressing herself through writing, photography, and watercolour painting.

We are also supported in this venture by our youngest sister and parents, who are all amazing artists and contribute their work to the Cartier Studios shop. Our parents encouraged creativity in us all from a young age, which has been an integral part of our lives growing up. The early form of Cartier Studios began as a Christmas tradition in our family, we would draw names for gifts, and the single parameter was that the gift must be handmade. The result was a series of highly personalized, incredibly unique ideas, and it was so much fun to see what everyone came up with and worked so hard on for the past year. It got to the point where friends and family also got excited to see and hear about what everyone made that year, asking us why we didn't sell our creations. That got us to thinking, why not?! It feels like Cartier Studios was a lifetime in the making, and we finally just jumped in full time.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our business is still very young, so there is a lot yet to accomplish, but for Melisent and I, just having the courage to leave our big corporate jobs and fully commit to our passion is a significant personal accomplishment thus far. We did our first big market as a new vendor this spring, which was a huge success. We made many new connections in our community and got a consignment deal with a local shop here in Calgary, which was a dream come true – we LOVE Field Study Shop. Seeing our work on display at such a beautiful shop is a bit surreal. It is so gratifying to see people react to and get excited about our work. As artists who put our hearts out on display for people to see/critique, that is truly the best compliment.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

As an art and design business, it is hard to balance the actual work involved in making our products with the work involved in marketing/promoting/selling aspects. We now wear a lot of hats! We are the artists, the art directors, product photographers, the social media team, the marketing + business development team, the accountants, and event coordinators… the list goes on. Making sure that the business side of things doesn't completely overtake the artwork's creation is challenging! It has taken some time to find a balance, and I think it will always be that way to some extent. Our challenge will be to grow the business while also holding true to our goals to slow down, live a flexible lifestyle, and maintain the joy in the process of creating.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. If you are passionate about something, then just go for it! Even if you start on the side as a personal project and build up to bigger things, don't wait. Life is short, and doing what you love every day is what makes this life worth living!
  2. Persistence is key. Just keep going at it, even when things feel discouraging. It can be easy to get bogged down in perceived setbacks, but I keep reminding myself that a flopped Instagram reel or a slow traffic week on the website just doesn't matter! Everything comes with time if you stick with it.
  3. Make sure you track everything well! Keep up with the accounting, and don't let it slide to the back burner. I am lucky enough to have an accountant for a partner who excels in that department. I was so incredibly grateful for his amazing spreadsheets once tax season rolled around!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Currently, the Cartier Studios shop is online, but we do connect with the community in person at local art markets + events in Calgary. As we continue to grow, it would be a dream to open up a brick+mortar studio/shop eventually, and that is something we will strive for, a goal to work towards. So please go check out our shop online!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.cartierstudios.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CartierStudios
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartier_studios/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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