The Bethany Lowe Designs Team asked Bethany a few questions about what inspired her to start her business 40 years ago, what advise she has for others who want to start a business, and why her art is so important to her...
What were your first designs when you started your business?
Bethany: "My first creations focused on vintage inspired designs. I had been collecting antique holiday decorations for many years but was finding it difficult to be able to afford them. Unable to find good reproductions, I decided to create them myself. Paper mache buckets, candy containers, and tin lanterns were some of my earliest vintage designs. At this time I also began making wool appliquéd pillows, table runners, and ornaments in holiday themes. We used hand-dyed wool and stitched these pillows completely by hand. Our paper mache was made the old fashioned way layering paper on paper with a mixture of glue, unlike the “poly mache” pieces being produced which were actually resin combined with paper. Anything we made was either my original design or was inspired by an original collectible. I didn’t know enough about creating a business to be afraid. I just did it."
What pieces of advice or wisdom would you share with people who are faced with the challenge of starting a small business? If you could sit down with an aspiring entrepreneur and offer your firsthand knowledge, what would it be?
Bethany:
1. "Don’t be afraid to fail. You will make mistakes. You must have the resolve to get back up and try again. Hopefully, a little wiser from your mistake."
2."Know that the hours will be long and the work challenging. Even after thirty years of running my business, I was often the one who turned off the lights after everyone else had gone home. Now thankfully, I have a much younger team who turns the lights out for me "
3. "Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I have had many great friends who mentored me along the way. Be willing to take and share advice with others."
4. "Once you are at the ‘hiring others stage’ of your business, choose people who know more about their job than you do. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. A very wise business woman once told me, 'In order to grow you have to let go'."
5. "And finally, remain humble and acknowledge the help you received along the way. Success comes in waves."
What is something people may not know about you?
Bethany: "I do not use a computer."
What is something you are proud of? What has your business offered to your life?
Bethany: "I am proud to say that my husband, Curt, has been on this artistic journey with me since the very beginning. Traveling around the country and in other parts of the world has enabled us to meet many talented and fascinating people- many who have become treasured friends. It has also broadened our understanding of the world we live in and the different cultures within it."
What do you hope to say with your company? Is there a certain feeling or sentiment you want to share with your collectors?
Bethany: "My company bi-line is ‘build a tradition…’. I believe that sharing the holidays with family and friends should be an important and memorable time for everyone. Sadly, special family time is being lost in today’s fast paced world. Through my artwork I hope to help create those memories for today’s families—like the moments I remember as a child, and continue to build with my children and grandchildren."
What does being an artist mean to you?
Bethany: "My life would be colorless without my art."