Transcript
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Speaker: Go to zinn .ai slash Jim Zierz to rise. You'll see two months of fee -free investing. Start investing with VinoVest today. Hello everyone, I'm Kennedy. And I'm Vasquez. We run Changemaker -Z, a student -run initiative that aims to empower, educate, and connect Zierz interested in entrepreneurship.
Speaker: We interview teenagers with impactful projects and create resources to help you change the world. If they can't do it, so can you. On this podcast, we discuss the logistics of creating different types of projects with Jin Ziers who have already done it. We will leave our social media and website information in the description.
Speaker: Today we are here with Samantha Handler, the founder of Cakes by Sammy, a custom accessories company. Samantha turned her sneaker painting college side hustle into a thriving bootstrapped revenue generating custom accessories business based on personalization and bold and chic hand -drawn designs for all ages. Today's episode, we're going to discuss how successfully in today's episode, we're going to discuss how to successfully incorporate whimsy and personalization into a business.
Speaker: as well as talking about how to turn a side hustle into a full -time business. Samantha, welcome to the show. Hi. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. So excited to have you here. Um, so my first question, I always like to start it off is like, just tell us a little bit about yourself and how did you kind of get started with kicks by Sammy? Yeah. So I'm Sammy. I'm the artist and founder of kicks by Sammy.
Speaker: I'm 26 years old. I'm currently based in New York City and kind of as you were saying, Kicks by Sammy basically is a custom accessories company and we care to every milestone and pretty much everyone's able to go to our website, pick one of my hand -drawn designs, pick a product and then personalize it with any name or initials. And as that continued to grow, a lot of corporate clients actually started reaching out
Speaker: recognizing our style of art and wanting to use it now for promotional products, murals, events, and so much more. So basically how it all started, Kakes by Sammy, a lot of people, the first question is, why is it called that? So basically the end of my senior year of high school, I was going to college and that summer I was trying to figure out, kind of start packing for freshman year. I wanted some cool swag, I wanted some apparel, but
Speaker: I didn't see anything on the market and I was in my closet and came across
Speaker: an old pair of white Keds. And throughout high school, I used to always color on my Converse with Sharpies. So I was like, oh, this could be a cool idea to paint some University of Maryland logos, which is where I went, and some other fun doodles about the school. So I ended up doing that and posting them on social media. And I surprisingly got a really big response. I didn't expect at all. I posted it for fun. So friends and family started reaching out, asking if I could
Speaker: make them a pair of shoes for their freshman year. So throughout that whole summer, I then had this whole side hustle of painting shoes and making money doing it. So when I got to college, I just continued to spiral from there. And obviously, at the end of college, that's when I decided to scale the business and evolve it into what it is today. That's cool. Because I was wondering, because you really do have like you didn't you just said you didn't really have a big art background necessarily.
Speaker: or anything major like that, but your art style is very unique, whimsical, fun, bright colors. Does that just come, I guess, naturally, or did you take a lot of time to develop that kind of unique art style? Yeah, so I never was actually trained in art in high school. I took one AP art class for fun because I always loved to do it. It was definitely something. I always had to head a journal next to my bed when I was a kid and went doodle.
Speaker: and just do fun things for myself, but it really was a hobby that no one really knew about. My grandma actually is an artist, so it could semi -run the family a bit. She does a lot of watercolor and cool stuff like that. But kind of throughout high school, I realized I loved to do different shapes. I always loved Andy Warhol. I loved pop art.
Speaker: So I always loved fun, colorful vibes, so I definitely had influence on that when I started creating my own style. I just thought cool different checkered shaped stars and kind of mixing it with different icons and make something that was really fun and colorful to the eye. I definitely wanted my art to really show a positive feeling when you looked at it.
Speaker: Yeah, that's amazing. Like the identity that an artist is creating, actually it's how he represents or she represents her, she's own work. And you became a self -made CEO at just 18. My question is how did this whole idea get started? We listened behind, you know, so behind the whole idea. But when you went to the college, like your studies didn't have any connection, maybe with business or something like that.
Speaker: Yeah. So when I went to school, I still thought when I was painting on the shoes that it was just a hobby. I never really thought it was going to turn into a career. So I kind of was lost at the beginning of college. I feel like most students are. And I decided to study psychology. And then I also added in a business entrepreneurship innovation minor because I started to realize that I had a really deep passion for actual entrepreneurship. So that kind of when it sparked my idea that I really could turn this hobby into a full
Speaker: time business. So obviously I didn't study art exactly as my major, but I decided to take a few art classes on the side. In college you could do electives, so I did like a graphic design class, I did like an entry -level drawing class, so I was able to kind of develop my skills in that way, but it wasn't my full -on major.
Speaker: Um, cause at that point when I was picking a major, I still didn't realize this. I was really going to want to focus on art in my future. So the business aspect definitely helped. Um, and kind of made me realize that I really could take this idea of just painting shoes, but really evolve it into something that could be a full -time job after college. Yeah. I, cause I'm in the entrepreneurship, I'm actually an entrepreneurship and innovation major right now.
Speaker: but like I feel like there's always like when you I'm also like a creative person it's always like ooh you know when you do that creative stuff it's like oh how am I gonna make money though so
Speaker: I don't know like I love that you were able to kind of develop your idea and you know you were able to do what you love. I was kind of wondering because as soon as I got to college I noticed that so there were so many businesses popping up and I feel like I don't know I feel like college is just the perfect place because you have a bunch of people around your age. Do you think there's like any advantages in starting your business in college like did you was it easily able to promote it in college?
Speaker: Yeah, no, that's a really good point. So definitely I was gonna say I think I did have a little bit of advantage starting young. I think you also have so many resources in college and also a lot of people to like pick your brain and go into the business school, talk to professors and play around. It's kind of the only time in your life where you don't really have an obligation
Speaker: to anyone else that you don't have children, you're not married, you don't have anything like that. And so when you're really trying to figure yourself out. So I think it was a perfect time for me to experiment with different things, test different parts of the business and trying to see which would stick and what would work.
Speaker: I definitely think it was a great time just to get the word out there. Obviously, like you're around so many kids your age who also have so many different cool ideas. And it definitely I was able to kind of jump around and also build the social media, which was like the big platform that I kind of based the business off of and really spreading the word at the time.
Speaker: So I definitely think when you're young, it's like a great time. And even if you don't know what you want to do, but you know you kind of want to be your own boss or start your own business, I think it's a great time to kind of dabble into different aspects of things that you're interested in, like join a club or talk to someone that may be in a space that you have interest in or a professor. And you're able to kind of have that time to figure yourself out to then maybe an idea will just come to you where you can really turn into something bigger than what you ever thought before.
Speaker: Yeah, I totally agree with what you say. I would like to add that maybe the connection that you will do, as you said, if you want to be around both, actually the time will give you all the opportunities to think over the different aspects of what you want to do.
Speaker: And at the same time, until you're reaching this spot during your lifetime, you will have achieved many different things, like to do some collaborations with people, or to explore new ventures of yourself that you have never think of in the past.
Speaker: My next question is that we have said you have collaborated with numerous influencers such as Walter Park, Stephanie Kotlib, David Oliver and Justice Smith. Would you like to share one of your favorite collabs or stories if there is any?
Speaker: Yeah, so I think yeah, so I think the cool part about my business also when I first started, I didn't even think of like the corporate side or influencer side of it. I was just really focused on building my product. So when different like corporate clients started reaching out saying we really could see your art utilize and all these different ways, I thought it was just so cool. And it kind of was the first time people could see my art on a larger scale than just what my audience was. So I mean, just to go back to
Speaker: My first big collaboration was the summer after I graduated college. And I got approached by CBRE, which is a huge real estate company. And they were like, we love your style. We really could see your artwork blown up on our windows for our empty lease building. So obviously, when you go to different buildings, you could see like, this is for lease. And you see like, whoever is repping the building. So I ended up doing a 12 piece installation on like 12 foot by 12 foot windows in Chicago.
Speaker: We ended up doing two more there. And then it was pretty successful that they asked me to do two more in Miami. So that was like the first time people were really seeing my art on a larger scale. I had it signed. It was really cool. I went to visit all the locations and people were really taking photos in front of it and kind of building attractions to these huge buildings. And they really kind of
Speaker: targeted towards like higher end retailers. So like it used to be like a Chanel was there like a Gucci like stuff like that like higher end retail spaces. So it was really cool to kind of see my artwork used in that way.
Speaker: And then of course, just throughout the years, I've now been able to collaborate with other artists, influencers to send special blankets to pillows. So all the names that you listed were really cool experience. So like, for example, Walter Parks, he does Dreamscape. So it's like a huge interactive immersion. I'm pretty sure it's based in LA still. So I made custom sneakers for them that they have at their site and that he wears around.
Speaker: and a few other obviously cool influencer gifting like that. And then I just did a collaboration with another artist based in LA and she does all these sculptures of popsicles. So I was able to paint all the popsicle sticks and we were able to create these really high -end art pieces.
Speaker: people could buy. So it just really showed that there's so many opportunities of ways to use my artwork with others. And I think the good thing about collaboration is it's like you should work with people that align with your brand and have similar missions or styles. And it's great because you then attracted their audience and your audience and they bring them together on something that is totally unique and cool. Yeah, I that's crazy. Like, because you said your meeting was when you're at 22, your first big meeting. Yeah.
Speaker: Was that intimidating being 22, being a young woman, going to this big boardroom, selling yourself, marketing yourself? Do you have any tips on that? How was that experience for you? Yeah. Well, the good thing was it wasn't in person since I'm based in New York. So a lot of it's via Zoom call, stuff like that. So that's the good thing. It's very intimidating to go in front of people. I've done it before to pitch yourself. And what I've learned through entrepreneurship is you kind of have to also
Speaker: approach the idea that failure is inevitable and that you have to be comfortable with it because a lot of times you do put yourself out there on, I mean, I pitched a million different projects, some I get, some I don't get, you know, it's all the process of entrepreneurship. So you definitely have to be comfortable with putting all this hard work in and then just not getting the job. So that's something I've learned on the way. Because obviously all these are so cool, but there's definitely so many that I ended up not getting.
Speaker: which is totally normal. But yeah, I think also like especially even doing podcasts like this, I think it really helps to get your word out and be able to really build upon like your mission and spread the word more and be able to kind of explain what you do in a better way. And I think it's like great practice. It helps me pitch also as well. So I feel like the more you talk about yourself and also selling yourself, I think that's the hardest thing is entrepreneurship is you have to continuously sell yourself. Yeah.
Speaker: That's crazy. No, and because like, and everyone always says like, you never know, like even if you don't get that job, you never know who in the room could recommend you for something else.
Speaker: I was gonna say a lot of it has also been like friends of friends, recommendations, like seeing another project. A lot of times I'm like, how did they even find kicks by Sammy? And it's really interesting to see like, I know, like, I guess like a corporate client reached out and they're like, Oh, just like an intern in the office, like knew you and mentioned your name. So it's all these crazy things that you want to leave a good taste in everyone's mouth, because you never know what the next connection is going to be. Because especially in New York, everyone somehow knows each other in the business world.
Speaker: I have a question, do you work in a studio or at an open space for artists? Yeah, so right now actually in New York I have, luckily I'm able to have a two bedroom so the second bedroom is basically a whole studio. I have all my samples, various drawings, I have like my art wall, I mean I wish I could sit on it now, but if I could show you it's really cool setup, so I'm lucky to have that. The hard part, obviously one day I want to have
Speaker: more of a space. It's so hard in New York, it's so expensive here. So that's kind of the next step. But yeah, right now, it's a home office space. I'm able to have like interns come in and work with me and then anyone else I have helping me out with businesses, virtual, remote. So that's the stage I'm at right now.
Speaker: Yeah, that's awesome. Do you ever find it hard when you're living in your workspace for that like work -life balance? Yeah, it's always funny because like once COVID hit everyone experienced what I think you've been experiencing for the last like four or five years.
Speaker: right? Yeah, I've been doing this business since I graduated. I mean, right after college, I love the poem. So with my parents also like running this like grinding and stuff like that for a year or so. So then once I moved to New York and
Speaker: start this business I obviously was always in my apartment and definitely in New York you have a really small confined space so sometimes it does like hinder your creativity and sometimes you need to just walk around or go work in a coffee shop kind of just like get your juices flowing because sometimes when you stay in the same spot and like you're just by yourself you kind of like lose your creativity so definitely like moving around just getting outside really helps to continue to boost all my creative juices.
Speaker: But yeah, so I was telling my friends, I'm like, this is my life totally. So I mean, at this point, I'm totally used to it. I definitely like love human interaction. So like, the hours I'm not working, which I mean, it's hard, but I definitely try to either like go maybe work with another friend who maybe freelances or has their own business and is in a similar situation, or just like socialize in other ways. Because during the day, I'm by myself. So it's definitely you need that balance and find that social opportunities because
Speaker: If you're alone all the time, it does get, like, sad and depressing. Yeah. I'm glad to mention the thing, because I was actually going to ask about, like, because you're in a creative field, like, people ask for customizations, but like, do they, you mostly, you have your designs and then people will tell you what they want. But, um, you know, when you're in a creative slump, what kind of things do you do to get out of that? Because it's kind of hard because someone will be like, oh, this is doing a week, but what if you don't have, you know,
Speaker: Yeah, I was gonna say the hard I always tell people the hardest part about like running this business is I have to be the creative mind at the business line. And usually they don't align that well. Because when you're super stressed, and I mean, basically I do everything right now if you're on top of finance, accounting, marketing, all that stuff, and then you also have to be the designer, it sometimes you get drained and totally like overrun, and it's hard to get those creative juices flowing when you're stressed. So definitely like
Speaker: every once in a while you need those like days where you totally don't focus on the business end and you just like revamp to get your creative juices flowing because obviously if you don't feel creative then you're not going to really end up getting anything done in the end so I mean going on walks exercising maybe doing
Speaker: Another hobby that like interests me hanging out with friends. I mean, I love traveling when I travel like I'm working but also Just like seeing other areas and just being in nice weather and it really just like gets my juices going So I mean there's different things sometimes you just have to push through it if you have like a project do and like sometimes it comes to you also like
Speaker: when I'm sleeping sometimes like thoughts come to me in my sleep so like sometimes I like to have a notepad next to me and like write it down like it's sometimes the craziest times like I know it's like especially when I fall asleep like sometimes I get like anxious and your mind just keeps going and sometimes that's when like the creative thoughts come which is crazy keep a notebook by your back guys also I don't even want to get off topic but I don't remember my dreams I haven't had like
Speaker: I don't remember my detail. I have vivid dreams. I'm known for crazy dreams. I don't know if they're stress dreams, but like I remember every detail, which is nuts.
Speaker: I am, personally, I am also thinking a lot during screaming and maybe I'm finding the perfect solutions to problems that I may have during screaming, which is crazy. I know. In comparison with Kennedy, I remember everything that I was framed. Not forever, but for at least one week, if it was something important. I feel like that's a common thing with creative people, though. They'll say it's not a good thing to do. What'd you say? Yeah, that is my favorite thought.
Speaker: yeah and then you burn out yeah that's very true yeah I don't know maybe it's just like when I start to feel
Speaker: like start to like think of things and like go through things in like a different environment maybe like when I'm like on the couch also like sometimes I'm super like in a relaxed state that's on like dots just start coming to me. And you need something else to just go maybe take something from the fridge do something because you're feeling that you're relaxing a lot and this is not what you're used to. Yeah exactly so it's good though. Yeah.
Speaker: There are numerous examples in YouTube with people customizing phone cases, even devices, or things like that. Do you think that this goes against the view of the original designer of the product? Yeah, I mean, I don't think that impacts me that much.
Speaker: I feel like everything I do is pretty unique, that's why I love the customization element and so basically everything I do is hand drawn originally and then I'm able to computerize it and edit the colors and if people want to add some personalized elements I'm able to edit on the computer so I feel like my whole process of just
Speaker: the customization is what really like draws people to my products rather than other companies. Our designs are pretty unique and different which I really want and I kind of try to change the collections every few months so that like if I have a design available from January to June it's a limited edition you only get it then and it kind of makes our products a little bit more exclusive and to change them out which people really find interesting and
Speaker: Also, a lot of our products, I would say, obviously you can get a blanket anywhere or a phone case anywhere. So what we try to really focus on is the dimension of our art and how unique and special it is. Because I feel like when people buy our products, not that they're just buying our products, but also a lot of times they're like invested in me and my journey as a young entrepreneur. And I tried to create a community that relates to me.
Speaker: and is super loyal in wanting to support a female -owned business and someone who started at a young age and kind of grow with me as I continue to develop different designs and products. I mean, especially my followers who have been with me from the beginning, they totally can see the evolution and how much I've grown in my style and the quality. So I feel like that's been a really interesting part of my whole business and as a designer in all of my products as well.
Speaker: Yeah, I definitely agree that it really matters. When you love the founder of the company, it's just so awesome to see them grow and fall along in their journey. And I was like, to what, to Vasily's question, I feel like that's the beauty of art, to be able to customize something, to be able to add your own touch,
Speaker: and just kind of make it personal to you.
Speaker: So yeah, I think that's been like a huge selling point. So at this point, since like we had to start scaling and how the shoes were art, we wanted to be able to still use my artwork, but make it a more scalable option. So basically now if you go to my website, I have designs that really can hit like any milestone. We have a baby collection. We have stuff as like tween birthday gifts. We have grad gifts. We have a bridal bachelorette, like a wedding.
Speaker: suite 16 stuff like that so we basically can hit every milestone with you and we have different templates so if you want to use one of those and then personalize it with initials names stuff like that or we also have like options where you can make it even more personalized obviously with like the price so we just do some edit feeds so people still feel like they're getting something that's super personal to them and that they can't get anywhere else
Speaker: Yeah, that's important that they feel that this is constantly made for them and they will then create their own memories by combining this success with their moment. Yeah, so we kind of like...
Speaker: Yeah, we've kind of been like pitching it now that like you grow with us, like with every milestone. So basically we've had customers now that I bought their baby gifts, I brought the birthday gift, the camp, summer camp, summer, like people have been with us for so long that now they want to hit every milestone with us and kind of share that experience.
Speaker: A big part about our community is people now want to send us photos to post about them, to have them like intertwined in like our community that we show that like they're part like they're a picture by family baby like when they take a picture from our baby blanket or like a hooded towel so it's so fun to like have them be excited to like send us content and want to actually be part of our brand.
Speaker: This is so amazing. Yeah. So this is the end of the episode. Thank you so much for being with us today. Yeah, thank you so much. It was so nice and so happy I got to sleep with both of you.
Speaker: Thank you, and thanks everyone that have raised until the end of the episode. Today we talked about the customization trend and the Kix by Sami accessories, as well as how to incorporate personalization to your business scheme. You can find all the social media handles in the description below. And until next time, don't forget to change the world. Bye!
Speaker: Thank you guys for listening. We hope you enjoyed the conversation. We had such a great time. Make sure to leave us a review. If you want more Changemakers content, you can follow us on Instagram at JinsearsToRise and on Facebook at ChangemakersE.
