This week in our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re excited to introduce you to Rossella of RossLab.
LBC: When did you start your business and what inspired you to take the leap as an entrepreneur?
Rossella: I decided to open my on-line shop in 2011 when I had no more room at home to store all my handmade ceramics. I wasn’t planning to start a real business but upon receiving some positive feedback I decided to take the leap. Since then my shop grew bigger and my creations evolved with it. It also gives me the flexibility to manage at best my time between the making process, the shipping, paperwork, and all the tasks of which, as a one-person team, I am in charge. Being an entrepreneur in the arts allow me to have full control over the creative process and take my own decisions on how I want my business to grow.
LBC: How would you describe what you create?
Rossella: Colorful and non conventional, dreamy and playful functional ceramics. I constantly work on my designs and the decorating process, because I believe colors and patterns are as important as shape and functionality. Some of my pieces take up to one hour to paint, often using four different glazes applied at different times, but every step is necessary to obtain the final result I want. Details are key to me, from testing and selecting the best raw materials, to packing with extra care every piece on its way to my customers.
LBC: Where can we find your products?
Rossella: You can find them on-line at rosslab.etsy.com and in some boutiques across the USA and Europe.
LBC: What inspires you?
Rossella: My creative process begins by surrounding myself with visual inspirations from art galleries, old films, flea markets, books, and nature. I then draw on paper how the final piece will look, and select the clay body and glazes to use. The making of the ceramic piece is the longest part of the process but also the most rewarding. I first create my piece on the potters’ wheel, then finish it when hard enough to be handled by carving, trimming, and working on details. Two separate kiln firings and the glazing between them completes the process; only after about four weeks the piece is now ready to be shipped.
LBC: Tell us about a few of the best business decisions you’ve made.
Rossella: When you open an on-line shop, it takes time for people to find you and start following your work, so I am glad I stuck to it and believed my creations had the potential to make my business grow. It was also very important for me to embrace the new media channels and use them to reach new potential customers and followers. I am not a tech person, but I understood the importance of these tools, so little by little I got used to them and I now use them to their full potential.
LBC: What’s been one of the biggest obstacles you’ve encountered during your journey as a maker and how have you managed to conquer or mitigate it?
Rossella: It is difficult to design new lines and make sure they are a success with the customers. You never know if a patter or a shape you like as a maker will be perceived the same way once it is on the market. I always work on new products and colors, but the only way I can be more relaxed about the outcome of a new piece is to like it myself in the first place. If I am proud and confident about my work, the rest will follow.
LBC: Suppose we had a time machine. If we blasted ourselves forward a few years, where would we see your company?
Rossella: I will have a bigger studio and some extra potter’s wheels, so I will be able to work on my pottery as well as offer classes to the public.
LBC: Please share one of your favorite resources: a book, a website, an app, a gadget, an event… anything that’s helped save time, money or sanity!
Rossella: Instagram saves me time when I am busy working but I still want to connect with my followers across my media channels. I can share the image I am about to post to Facebook and Twitter within the app itself, and that saves a lot of time, plus I can do it on the go and from the studio.
LBC: Tell us about a pearl of wisdom someone has shared with you. Who said it and how did it help propel you forward?
Rossella: There are so many people that inspires me in my work and life, from my husband, family, and friends, to the fellow artists and entrepreneurs I meet in person or on-line, so I would have many pearls of wisdom to share. I think one of the most important things is to embrace change and challenges, because they give us the possibility to grow and move forward, in art, business, and life.
LBC: Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Rossella: I am a night owl, but I am trying to become an early bird. It is not an easy task, but working with early morning sunlight in the studio is much better and more inspiring, so I will get there.
LBC: Red or blue, which would you pick and why?
Rossella: Definitely blue. In fact, if you look at my wardrobe you will find the majority of my clothes gravitate toward that hue. I think it is a very soothing and reassuring color, and I love how it reminds me of the sea and the sky.
What recipe is most requested from you?
Rossella: Handmade pasta, especially “Rosette”, an pasta dish from my hometown in Italy, Modena. My friends love it and I am happy when I cook it, because it reminds me of my family and my heritage.
Connect with Rossella + Rosslab all around the web:
Company Website
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Thank you, Rossella, for sharing your gorgeous pottery with us. We can’t get enough of your work!
Want to see your brand featured in our continuing “Meet the Maker Monday” series? Drop us a line: hello@luckybreakconsulting.com. Please use “MEET THE MAKER” as the subject line and be certain to include your web address. We look forward to hearing from you!
