On embracing my small business owner era

Image by Kristen Loken

Having followed Design Mom for years, I’ve always been interested in Alt Summit, the annual conference that she hosts each year for creative entrepreneurs and influencers. It wasn’t till this year, however, that I realized that I could attend because I’m 1. a small business owner (aka. entrepreneur) and 2. I’m a creative. And so I signed up to attend a multi-day event where I know absolutely no one (eeks!).

My Reasons for Attending Alt Summit

• Gather inspiration on how to grow the business
  I don’t have a business background, and I never had aspirations to become an entrepreneur, so I’ve been learning as I go. I hoped to learn and glean from experience of others. Elements2 Design is going steady, but it needs growth to survive.

• Surround myself with my kind of people — colorful, creative, self-driven, women — even if it’s just for a few days.
  Working from home is a great setup for a mom with littles, but it sure can be lonely. Most days, the only face time I get is with my immediate family. The idea of meeting people who promise to be nice sounded appealing, even for a staunch introvert, like me.

• Get Shadow Magnets into more hands
  Elements2 has had a lot of luck finding our people through Facebook ads (hello, Facebook friends!), but the demographic is narrow and specific. By participating the Gifting Party at Alt Summit, I hoped to introduce Shadow Magnets to a demographic that might even help to spread the word.

Me, at the Elements2 Design Gifting Show table. It was so insightful speaking with people interacting with Shadow Magnets for the first time. Not surprisingly, Artist was super popular amongst creatives. Many moms picked up Soccer and Basketball for their sons.

Was it worth it?

I’m going to need more time to process the three action-packed days, but the short answer is, “Yes.” I may not go every year, but I could definitely see value in going again. My biggest takeaway from the summit — I need to figure out for myself why Elements2 Design should continue to exist.

Image by Raegan Waite. Keynote talk with Austin Channing Brown. It was impossible to attend every session, but they were all gems.

What is my vision for Elements2 Design?

Elements2 Design started off as a side hustle for a creative man who enjoyed making delightful things. Shadow Magnets, Blind Date, and Re•pose all started life as unrelated projects. As a designer, I worked with Rami to turn Elements2 Design into a cohesive brand with the mission to create modern art pieces that inspire play. During its early days, Elements2 products predominantly graced the shelves of museum shops like MOMA, The Smithsonian, and Frist. The brand voice was decidedly understated and always polished.

I’ve mostly kept with Rami’s vision since his passing, but attending the Alt Summit is making me question whether that is the right path going forward. Most people now find our products either from our website or at independently owned shops. I love color, and as a human being that’s perpetually pulled in multiple directions, I am definitely not polished. Elements2 Design is my brand. What do I want to do with it?

Because this business was freely given, giving will always be an essential part of its being. I like the idea of Elements2 being a means to channel funds to nonprofit organizations who work hard to improve our shared world. That’s why we remain committed to our Giving Pledge even though every small business needs all its capital to exist. This is not to say that I would pass on a lucrative buy-out offer should that opportunity ever arise. Chasing increasing profits, however, will not be the core reason for Elements2 Design’s existence. That much I am certain of.

I also like making stuff. Always have. Always will. I became a designer so that I could make a living making stuff. I want to get back to that. The last two years have been a crash course in business ownership — bookkeeping, tax law, business law, licenses, trademark applications, account management, etc. etc. Boring, but necessary, stuff. I’ve got a running list future Shadow Magnet characters. By golly, i want to make stuff. People want to see new stuff.

But it’s not always that simple. That’s the reality of business ownership. Two years ago (!), we tried to place an order for two new Shadow Magnet characters but quickly hit a dead end on account of grossly insufficient funds. We’re one of the fortunate ones to have survived COVID without taking on debt, but business certainly isn’t the same. And so we pivot. There’s an idea in the works for a new product that could address the desire for new characters while requiring less upfront investment to produce. And no, we may never see Blobfish as a Shadow Magnet, but that’s okay.

Images of Re•pose, captured during the Alt Summit. The Saguaro, the location of the event, was quite photogenic.

Give & make stuff.

It’s a simple vision. I like it. Follow along as this small business owner journeys to grow Elements2 Design while staying true to our vision. Will it work? I don’t know. But at least we’ll learn and have some fun along the way.

(On that note, if you’re an educator or a nonprofit, hit us up. We love working together to bring delight and play into as many hands as possible.)