Hazelmade’s merchandise are all designed by Susan from her studio in Kent, Ohio. The gadgets are proudly Midwest constituted of USA sourced supplies. Utilizing vivid colours and floral designs, Susan places trendy twists on traditional themes, making her merchandise a beautiful addition to any residence.
Hazelmade merchandise are presently out there in over 400 shops throughout the US and United Kingdom. When you’re desirous about shopping for Hazelmade merchandise wholesale, take a look at their Handshake profile.
This dialog has been edited and condensed for readability.
Handshake: I’d love to listen to about Hazelmade and why you determined to start out a enterprise.
Susan: So Hazelmade is about to show eight years previous subsequent yr, and it began as a transition. My background is in graphic design. After I graduated from school; I labored for some businesses, totally different design corporations, and publishing firms, and the kind. After which, I began my very own design firm, creating logos and branding, largely for design shoppers. I did that for about eight years, after which I wished to create one thing that was my very own, so I began creating illustrations on the facet. I’m virtually solely self-taught with illustrations, however clearly, an in depth design background helped. I constructed Hazelmade slowly with all my very own money and time and laborious work, and about three years in the past, Hazelmade grew to become my full-time job.
Hazelmade was about creating an area the place I used to be comfy expressing myself creatively, creating work that I used to be desirous about, and simply creating gadgets which are in your residence and about connecting with different individuals.
Photographer: Caleb Dane Younger
Handshake: What did Hazelmade appear to be to start with?
Susan: It began with the greeting playing cards. I didn’t have some huge cash, so I began simply drawing black and white outlines. I’d scan them and print them on playing cards with my very own little printer in my workplace, after which I hand-colored them.
After I began, I had by no means heard of wholesale. I didn’t perceive the place this was going. I by no means made a marketing strategy. I did every thing fallacious [laughs]. However a girl noticed the playing cards – she owned a store – she stated, “Come by, and I want to place a wholesale order.” I actually didn’t know what that meant, so I confirmed up with a field of those hand-colored, unpackaged playing cards, and she or he was like, “This isn’t the way you do that.” She gave me some ideas, and I went residence and acquired it collectively, and she or he positioned my first wholesale order and it grew from there.
Handshake: What does Hazelmade’s choices appear to be now?
Susan: So simply final yr, I began creating these design collections that function related design motifs and colours. That’s been a brand new pivot level for Hazelmade; it’s been actually common.
So far as the particular merchandise, tea towels are my primary greatest promoting product, adopted by my little notice units that are small enclosure sized flat playing cards. After which I additionally do notepads, pocket notebooks, tote baggage, zip pouches, artwork prints, after which greeting playing cards as single and field units.
Photographer: Caleb Dane Younger
Handshake: So after that first wholesale deal that you just type of stumbled into, did you determine to do extra wholesale, or was it extra sluggish and progressive than that?
Susan: It was actually sluggish. The primary 5 years of Hazelmade, I did wholesale the great old school means. I’d go on the web; I’d discover shops by way of Googling, I’d look by way of their web site to see if my work was a very good match for his or her store, handwrite a notice, and ship a catalog out. The return was actually small as a result of these shops get a lot info, and a number of their connections are present in these commerce exhibits like NY NOW.
Trying on the numbers, I’m simply impressed that I saved going. Every thing was so time-consuming, and it felt so out of attain, and I simply felt like I didn’t know, however I simply saved working laborious, and I discovered. Lastly, in yr 5, I had established possibly 80 shops that I had constructed all by myself, which is totally unimaginable, contemplating how I used to be doing it. After which I went to the Nationwide Stationery Present after which that simply fully launched me, it modified in a single day. I’ve come a great distance. I’m in, I believe, 400 shops nationwide and within the UK now.
What I believe’s been fascinating about this pandemic is it’s pressured us to sort of rethink. I like going to NY NOW, I adore it. [With the pandemic] everybody needed to sort of pivot – even Shopify popping out with Handshake, even these exhibits have gone digital. It’s simply been sort of good to strive new approaches.
Photographer: Caleb Dane Younger
Handshake: And what’s the cut up now with wholesale versus direct-to-consumer?
Susan:My wholesale might be 70 % and the remaining is direct-to-consumer by way of my web site.
Handshake: What are a number of the challenges that you just’ve discovered with wholesale that you just actually don’t have if you promote on to prospects?
Susan: I don’t have a correct approach to take wholesale orders straight on-line, I’m able to make that funding, however then I noticed Handshake is popping out with a procuring cart, so I’m sort of holding my breath on that. [Ed note: we’re happy to report that checkout is now available on Handshake!]
Simply discovering that on-line platform the place wholesale patrons will be separate, their pricing will be separate, the place they’ll log in, and I can monitor their gross sales and monitoring their stock. I get pleasure from connecting with patrons and creating relationships, and that’s what’s good about one thing like Shopify is you’re simply within the background. It’s Hazelmade all upfront, and also you’re simply offering that platform. So simply getting access to [something like] that, that’s reasonably priced has been actually the largest subject, nevertheless it feels like possibly that can be solved quickly with the procuring cart.
Photographer: Caleb Dane Younger
Handshake: The place do you get all your inspiration in your concepts?
Susan: Actually, that comes from being outdoors and touring and being outdoors of my studio and positively disconnecting from digital. So I take a number of walks, I at all times have. Extra so now that that’s the one factor left in life with the pandemic.
I’m at all times taking photos of crops, flowers, textures, even city textures, like in structure and issues like that. My one buddy, she’s a printmaker, she says that it’s best to discover what you’re noticing, and I believe that’s actually the place the inspiration comes from. Like, the best way that the tile is laid on the ground, or the best way that the leaves look, or simply no matter it is perhaps. I at all times take into consideration that.
Handshake: In the entire years that you just’ve had Hazelmade, do you may have any proudest moments? As small or as massive as they is perhaps.
Susan: I like that you just requested the query that means, as a result of I’ve at all times believed from the start that each accomplishment, each success ought to at all times be celebrated. You can’t wait till that massive factor is achieved, since you’ll lose steam, you received’t make it.
I believe I’m most proud that I’ve made it this far. I’m pleased with this enterprise that I’ve constructed. And I like getting the prospect to say that out loud, I don’t assume we are saying that sufficient about ourselves.
And I suppose possibly one of many greater issues can be that I’m actually pleased with with the ability to go to New York to exhibit. I saved and I labored, and I acquired myself to New York Metropolis and I shared my work, in order that was a giant deal.
Photographer: Caleb Dane Younger
Handshake: Is there anything you wished to share about Hazelmade or wholesale, that you just really feel individuals ought to know.
Susan: I suppose, possibly two issues. One is that I’m actually proud that my complete line is Midwest-made and USA-made. All of our sourcing is, each time doable, with USA-made supplies, after which it’s all handcrafted, largely right here within the Midwest, however positively within the US. In order that’s a very vital level to me and to my wholesale patrons as properly.
After which, I don’t actually know the context of this, however I’ve at all times cherished constructing the relationships. I believe that’s been essentially the most enjoyable half for me. So attending to know the outlets, which is why I like [trade shows like NY NOW], you meet the individuals, you realize their face, and then you definitely electronic mail with them, and it continues to develop. I’ve at all times cherished that relationship-building, however I believe with the platform that you just guys are creating, I’m actually excited that it’ll give me a degree to only enhance that relationship that I construct straight with my prospects, as a result of it’s important, so I’m enthusiastic about that.
It’s not my objective to get in as many shops as doable, it’s my objective to foster these actually good relationships.
Hazelmade merchandise can be found for wholesale buy from $150. Discover all the vary of obtainable wholesale merchandise on Hazelmade’s profile web page.
Photographs with because of Caleb Dane Younger.
