Printed Mint #Girlboss Interview Series

Tell us about yourself, your brand (business name, products you sell & services you provide, and the market you serve), and your email address

My name is Lauren and I am the owner and designer of Copper and Confetti Co. I live and operate my biz from Westchester County, NY. I sell custom art and gifts mostly for weddings, but also for life's other special events! My most popular items are my personalized wedding maps and pet portrait signature drink signs. In addition to my digital items in my Etsy shop, I sell mugs, prints and ornaments. This holiday season my pet portrait ornaments have been a huge success!

What year did you start your business and what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

I started my business in February of 2019, shortly after my own wedding in fall of 2018. As I was searching for custom thank you cards for myself, I realized I couldn't find what I wanted online. I decided to design them myself and I wanted to be able to offer this level of customization to other brides.

How did you come to learn what you do? (self-taught, education, classes, books, mentors etc.)

I was a handbag designer for 10 years, so I am proficient in Adobe Creative Suite. I used Illustrator everyday in my career and this is the main program I use to create my art that I sell in my Etsy shop. I also have taken several watercolor courses on Skillshare to perfect my painting skills.

What has been the most rewarding phase of your career?

I love when my brides show me photos of how my artwork was used at their wedding. I am still in awe sometimes that people choose my art to display at one of the most important days of their life. The fact that I can contribute to the beauty of their special day never gets lost on me.

What is the most challenging part about being an entrepreneur?

Balancing it all! As a one person company, I often have to wear a lot of different hats. I can't just sit and design all day. I also have to do finances, strategy, promotions....just to name a few!

What do you do for inspiration? Do you ever hit creative roadblocks and how do you overcome them?

I always try to stay on top of wedding trends by following blogs like Style Me Pretty and looking on Pinterest. In addition, sometimes my brides have really great requests that actually end up becoming items in my shop.

What’s the secret to your success (personally/professionally/spiritually)?

I truly love and have a passion for what I do. I also never give up. It's easy to get defeated, but if something doesn't work or doesn't sell, I always try to figure out what I could try next instead of getting discouraged. Each mini failure is one step closer to the solution.

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs just starting out? Do you have any tips or tricks you learned along the way that you’d like to share?

Don't overthink it! At some point, you are just going to have to jump in and try. There will never be that "perfect moment". The best way to learn is by experience.

What do you think the #girlboss / creative female community needs right now?

Women supporting other women is truly one of the strongest powers and it's amazing what magic can happen when we all work together. I'd love to see more collabs between brands- I have had great success with any that I have done!

What are you working on now and what’s in store for your business this year?

My shop used to be purely digital, so adding in physical items has definitely brought in more traffic and sales to my shop in the past few months. I'm excited to continue to offer new designs on these items and my next launch will be my Valentine's Day collection. I can’t wait to see where my small business goes!