Q. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
A. Artisan Galaxy is a brand that aims to stand out. We offer designs that are difficult to produce and unique. Our designs remind the wearer of their most basic and mysterious composition – the atom.
All items are handmade in the USA by artisans. Currently there is a single office in Los Angeles, California.
Q. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
A. My background is mechanical engineering – i have experience in a variety of industries. Being a lifelong artist of sorts, I accidentally designed the basis of the famed Orbit earring design. This was a large metal hanging ornament that someone jokingly suggested could be an earring! I just laughed and dismissed the idea. Several months later I began to redesign the ornament for a more compact earring version.
Q. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
A. At first I made a set just for the experience of producing art. Later I talked to several jewelry stores and inquired about selling thru them. There were a number of minor design and branding changes at this stage. This experience with stores led me to conceiving of building an enterprise out of this idea. In short, this brand evolved more or less out of suggestions from people i interacted with while promoting the product.
Q. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
A. 1. Do something that stands out. There is no point in being a generic competitor.
2. Do something that you enjoy. If your personality and skills for the work description, you will feel energized by your occupation every day.
3. Do something that raises the bar or challenges the standard in the field you’re in. If the market and competition is less than inspiring then consumers will look to you first.
Q. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
A. Passion. Creativity. A desire to engage with people.
Q. How many hours do you work a day on average?
A. 10 hours, although there are trends that bring this down a bit at times.
Q. To what do you most attribute your success?
A. Having a variety of skill and plenty of passion. It also helped meeting or knowing the right kind of people to help me tok the next level.
Q. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
A. Website, SEO, social media, and word of mouth. At this time SEO seems to have brought the most attention.
Q. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
A. This firm started with small scale sales of product. It grew from there.
Q. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
A. While Artisan Galaxy is a very young brand, I hope to currently be on the path of long term success. I’m planning to give a great answer to this in 10 years!
Q. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
A. I hope to be seen as a someone who offered products and services that are very much appreciated. At the same time running a business that allowed people to feel in their element as opposed to maintaining a job.
Q. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
A. The Tesla brand is really amazing. The products mostly pave the way in their respective field and are nothing short of trans-formative in our society.
Q. How important have good employees been to your success?
A. Good employees are the building blocks of a successful company. The best leader will only go so far without good help.
Q. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
A. Sometimes too long! The million dollar question is often, “how much is this worth and how much am I willing to lose until I see a return”.
Q. What motivates you?
A. Typically I draw enthusiasm from clients and fans
Q. How did you decide on the location for your business?
A. Los Angeles is a very viable place to start an art or fashion related enterprise.
