Danielle Green is the owner of Danielle G. Events & Design, an Ontario based wedding and event planning business specializing in intimate events. She’s also the boutique owner of Artisanal Design Co in Kitchener. October 17th 2019 marked the one year anniversary of Artisanal’s opening. I chatted with Danielle about the challenges of the first year, her inspirations, her favourite products in store, the realities of being a Black business owner, and more.
1. How did your event/wedding planning background lead you to opening your retail store?
I'm connected with Jamie from Cocabella Cake Studio and I was at that point in my business where I thought that there had to be something else. The wedding season has high seasons and low seasons and the low seasons are REALLY low. I went to go visit Jamie and she said had a place to show me. It was just two doors down from her and she said, "I think you should really have this store here." I had some money saved up from before, but at first I thought, "What would I do in here?" At the same time, having that wedding industry background I was thinking maybe this would be a good place for me to meet potential clients and maybe do something with that artsy side of me that I never really got to turn into a career. So, I started a shop. It's totally different from doing weddings but it ended up being a really good transition for me.
2. Has it been scary making the transition from working a 9-5 to pursuing your dream full time?
I went to school to be a paralegal and I did not like it. I don't enjoy suing people for a living. After that I ended up doing a lot of temp jobs and I was at that point where I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. I started applying to ALL the jobs. I don't even remember applying to the job I eventually got, which was in property management. It turned out I was living in one of the buildings that this company owned. I worked in commercial and residential property management for years. I really liked it until I worked at one place where I had a boss that was completely miserable. I knew I had to make some kind of change because I would be sitting at my desk doing everything except what I was supposed to be doing. I would have a second window open and I'd be replying to clients or working on my Pinterest boards. One day the boss pushed my buttons. She really pushed it to the limit. I had that moment when I asked myself if I really needed this job. I knew I had a mortgage to pay and I had a whole bunch of other bills, but I told myself that I had my wedding planning business and I would figure things out, sink or swim. I got up and literally walked out of my job. No notice, no nothing. It was the best decision I ever made. Mind you, I did sit in the parking lot for a while and think "Oh my God".
So I didn't take the usual route of transitioning from 9-5 to being a full time entrepreneur. I just dove in and had to start kicking and figuring things out. I took a chance. It was scary. Horrifying. Especially when you're used to having that consistent paycheque. If you have your own business everything is on you. If you have a great month, congratulations! If you decide to take some time off and watch Netflix, that's time you could be spending on your business making money. It's all 100% on you, not on your boss. You can't blame anyone else but yourself. I had to become disciplined. It was eye opening and I questioned my decisions multiple times, but it was worth it.
3. How do you balance the events part of your business with the new retail part of your business?
Honestly, I've had to scale down and narrow how many event clients I take on per year. Having a store is time consuming and there are so many things you have to take care of. I have to be the marketer, the administrator, the accountant, the purchaser, the merchandiser, and all this extra stuff. I take on a few weddings per year and normally they are for clients that are paying me a good amount of money. It has to be worth it for me. I try to have my meetings during times are normally slow, or I'll have them after work. It's a hard balance and I've not quite mastered it. Having my friends and family come in and watch the shop for me while I'm doing that has been really helpfully for me. I pay them with love.
4. Describe a typical day for you.
I wake up early in the morning and head to the shop. I take a look at the shop and note what needs to be done. Do I need to price some items? Do I need to reply to my artisans? I open up and then people come through. I can have someone who is looking for an outfit, an artisan that wants to restock items, or I'll have new people messaging me on Instagram. I'm constantly doing Instagram stories, getting my marketing going and letting people know I'm open and what's new in the shop. There's really no such thing as a typical day. Some days it's really busy, other days it's really quiet and I have to focus on other avenues of my business.
5. Who or what inspires you?
My inspiration doesn't necessarily come from other people's businesses because I find that my admiration and inspiration can turn into envy and comparison, and that's not healthy.
One of my inspirations is definitely my mother. She somehow manages to balance being a nurse and helping people and giving so much of herself. She keeps me going. Even when she's had a long day she'll come into the shop with me and work. She's taught me to never give up, and that sometimes you won't be the best at balancing things. We have a Christian background and we trust that God will take care of everything for us. My father is also one of my inspirations. He's a carpenter and he makes luxury kitchens. He's been doing that since he was 12 years old. He had to stop going to school and go to work to support his mom and his sisters. He has turned that into an amazing career. If he can take a jagged, splintery piece of raw wood and turn it into something that is just gorgeous, then I can create something with my shop.
I can turn this shop that's in a weird spot into something that makes me people say, "Wow, this is in Kitchener?" It's a shame that sometimes when people come into my store they suggest that I should have the store in downtown Kitchener or in another city (like Toronto) because Kitchener will not appreciate it. Ok, who is going to pay my Toronto rent? I think Kitchener deserves to have a place like this. I'm inspired to raise the bar and do something that is true to me and that speaks to that small population of people that are eclectic and fun and don't believe in following the status quo.
6. One of the main things people always comment on about you is your positive energy. How do you maintain that?
You know what, I think it's all about having a spirit of gratefulness. Even when it feels like you're sinking and drowning in worry, doubt and fear, you have to just breathe. I think I'm alive, I'm healthy, I have great friends and family. If I have one customer come in and buy something and that's the only sale for the day, that's better than where I was last year where sometimes I wouldn't make anything the whole week. I've just learned to be grateful for what I have and to give thanks for whatever I can. Being negative has never helped me. I want to be someone that gives hope to someone, encourages them. I want to be the person that I need when I'm in that dark place.
Photo Credit: Alicia Wynter
7. You carry a lot of unique products. How do you find your vendors?
I do a lot of Instagram creeping. Sometimes they find me. I tend to work with vendors that have a like spirit. They tend to be positive, quirky people. I've had some artisans start in here who were customers first. I also ask my artisans for recommendations of whom they think should be in the shop.
8. Why is supporting local artisans important to you?
I believe that the best quality things come from right here at home. I know there are beautiful things from other countries, and yes in the bigger box stores a lot of our stuff comes from overseas. I'm not putting that down, but what I am saying is that we have a lot of talented individuals in KW and in Canada and I believe that they deserve to have an opportunity to shine. I want to expose the public to what local products actually are. I think it's important to support local, to help people be able to have a career out of what they do and pay their rent. A lot of people make amazing products but unfortunately they also have to have another job to support themself. What if my business was able to help people make a full time income? That would be amazing. That's what I'm trying to do here. I'm trying to bridge the gap. I don't want local to just be a "thing", I want it to be the norm. We need to work together and help each other.
9. What is one of your favourite products in the store right now?
I'm in love with Honey House Thrift. Her jewelry really pops. It matches anything you're wearing and takes your look to the next level. I've purchased many of her products for myself. (Danielle was wearing a pair of Honey House Thrift earrings during our interview, and I purchased a pair for myself on my last visit to the store. I can confirm that the jewelry does indeed, pop). Her product is great, her vibe is great. I feel that she's bringing something new and fresh.
Honey House Thrift. Photo credits: Kit Stone
10. What's next for Artisanal?
I would like to expand our clothing section. We have a lot of clothes that are upcycled and preloved and that is doing really well. It's bringing in a lot of people who wouldn't typically buy upcycled clothes. They love it. They love the price points and the quality and when they are in here, they buy other things as well. I like that it's a positive influence and that it's keeping clothes out of the landfill. I'm planning on having some night markets here and workshops. We've renovated the space downstairs so we can accommodate workshops. We do offer rental space for workshops. We have hourly and daily rates. If an artisan is looking for a space to work out of we do have that option as well. I'm just going to continue growing.
Anything else you’d like to discuss that we haven’t yet?
I think the City of Kitchener needs to do a better job of supporting small businesses and those who work in arts and culture. A lot of people here lack support. I think Kitchener could be a lot more booming if we had support from the City. We need affordable rent and better funding opportunities. This store was built with money out of my own pocket. No loans. I've used all that money and now that I could use support, my only option for funding is to go to the small business centre and take a bunch of classes that I don't have time to take in the hopes of getting $5000.
It's even harder being a Black woman in business. When I went to open my business bank account I was rudely told that they could only give me a loan for $2000 or some low amount. I hadn't even asked about a loan. I was just there to open an account. I've had customers walk in and ask if I was the owner and when I replied that I was they walked right out. There's a lack of support for Black owned businesses. I've had Black women who want to start businesses come in here and ask me for advice. It's important to me that women of colour, especially Black women see that someone who looks like them is doing what they want to do.
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Story by Glodeane Brown