Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ian Koller, Artist, and Creator of Ookaloos: Kooky Bird Creations, located in Belleville, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Ookaloos: Kooky Bird Creations. My customers are collectors of whimsical things, including children, moms, dads, grandparents, and people like musicians, biochemists, and nurse practitioners. It could be Aunt Edna, Mr. Stephanopolous, or Harriet from up the street. Anyone, really.
Tell us about yourself
I've been creative all my life. I've drawn, painted, sculpted, built, sewed, acted, improvised, written, and dabbled in everything between. I'm dramatic, funny, clever, and sincere. I love to walk and have alone time, just as much as I love performing on stage or visiting with a friend. That said, I've never considered myself much of a business type. I'm more imaginative than anything. Still, I've experimented with a few business iterations on Etsy.
I did graphic design for a while. I didn't study graphic design, but I love a good visual aesthetic. Polymer clay has always been my fallback art medium. I love that I can sculpt and build something from nothing. Then, in 2011, I stumbled upon something pretty successful: Wicked Witch Bookmarks.
From the classic 1939 MGM film "The Wizard of Oz," I sculpted little black-and-white striped stockings with sparkly ruby slippers, just like the poor Wicked Witch of the East was wearing before Dorothy's house smashed into her. These polymer clay legs were then attached to a laminated piece of cardstock to create a sculptural bookmark. With the marker closed in a book, the legs would stick out, just as they did in the movie. People loved these bookmarks. From my Etsy site, I sold them all across the world.
While sales were great, the work was no longer fulfilling. I didn't use molds or machinery, so not only did it take a long while to fill orders, but creating these things was exhausting and monotonous. Same clay colors. Same process. Over and over. It quickly became a chore. I had to take vacation time from my regular day job to keep up with the demand. I realized I needed a change.
Ookaloos was a product of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything was shut down, and I suddenly had more time on my hands. I began to doodle on paper. I liked to draw eyes. I wanted to make characters with large eyes. Naturally, my focus shifted to owls. They're known for having large eyes. Before I knew it, these two-dimensional characters grew into three-dimensional Ookaloos ("Ooks").
I had never done a vendor show in my life, but as COVID restrictions lifted, more and more in-person craft shows and vendor events were coming back into the world. I decided to start applying to various shows in the St. Louis Metro area. Before long, I was showcasing my Ooks at weekly farmer's markets, art shows, and annual festivals.
Customers would ask if I had other characters than "just birds." Each time I had a request for this or that animal, I'd make a note of it and then try my hand at creating it later. Soon, the Ookaloo brand grew to include everything from cats and dogs to raccoons and hippos. Any creature that is not a bird will have a tiny bird as an accessory. A bird with snorkel accessories and underwater creatures, like my Ook-topus.
I love the variety of my creations. Since I don't use molds, each one is made with whatever is in my head at the moment. They're all totally unique and one of a kind. Even if I tried, I couldn't make an exact replica. And I feel that just adds an extra layer of special to each piece.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Getting recognized locally by the St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper and our NBC affiliate station, KSDK.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being a one-man show. I'm the artist but also the marketer, the public face, and the business person behind Ookaloos. I'd rather lean into just making art. Since everything is one of a kind, keeping up with the demands of adding listings online has proven challenging.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Let ideas come organically.
- Be true to yourself and your brand's identity.
- Be persistently consistent.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.ookaloos.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ookaloos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ookaloos/
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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