Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nina Sweeney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nina, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I learned an ideation trick from other entrepreneurs in my life: introduce limits to the problem you’re working on to help your brain think outside the box. As an example, if you’re putting together an event with a budget of $1000, you’d ask – how would I execute this if my budget was $10? $100,000? You’d be surprised by the brilliance that can emerge when the circumstances change.
As I’ve worked on renewing old items, this practice of changing circumstances is inherent to my art – not a single item I find is the same as the one before. In a lineup of 10 pieces, each has a different material, shape, condition, and set of details that completely change my approach to the design. My broad goal for each: create a piece that will inspire joy in someone’s space.
I don’t always feel creative; some days I worry that eventually my well of creativity will run dry for good. But for me, variety is what keeps it alive, and my commitment to sustainability brings variety in droves.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I run Pillowfort Studio, a home decor brand featuring colorful, sustainable, hand-refinished pieces that invite joy into spaces. My favorite part of my work is that nothing is made new; I find all of my pieces used and revive them into one-of-a-kind art. There’s so much joy and power in finding novel uses for discarded items and resisting the urge for newness and perfection. Learning this skill allows me to look around at what already exists and see a universe of opportunities.
In sharing my art, I’ve found that people are very excited to add something unique and colorful to their space. It’s an invitation to push back against prioritizing neutral and ‘sellable’ spaces, and instead embrace the childlike joy of mixing colors and patterns. We spend so much time in our homes, and it can be quite healing when they start to reflect who we really are.
What’s new with the business? Pretty much everything. I very recently made the decision to seriously commit to selling my art, and everything is in startup mode: building a following, setting up channels to source and sell pieces, navigating business registration and taxes, troubleshooting shipping. I have a very exciting menu of challenges I get to work on, and I’m savoring this stage! I’ve often likened it to the first days of learning a new language – every day is a mix of both failures and wins, but I’m constantly improving. I can’t wait to see what this business has evolved into three, six, or twelve months from now.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Though I’m still early in my journey, there are a few mindset reminders that I’ve found invaluable in launching my business. First, put aside whatever embarrassment, pride, or guilt you’re feeling and ask your community for support. This may look like embracing self-promotion, asking for advice on a decision, or expressing when you’re feeling imposter syndrome. I’ve been surprised by how excited people are to support me in my venture, whether it’s a sibling or a stranger online. The best way to develop this skill is (unfortunately) to try it, and keep trying it. It’s been an embarrassing process for me, but I’m getting better at it by getting over it.
Next, I’d remind folks about the importance of time. There are a million anxieties that can come with starting a business – my audience isn’t big enough, I don’t have enough runway, I haven’t reached the right people, nobody seems to care! It’s hard to accept, but these things truly do build over time. For instance, a challenge I’m working on right now is building an Instagram following. As an individual on IG, sometimes it takes me 7 or 8 times seeing a creator’s face before I finally decide to follow them – I should expect the same from others! Focusing your mindset on your long term goal will save you some of the nausea of the day-to-day rollercoaster.
Finally, and a bit different – I’ve been practicing communicating clearly how I’m unique. For instance, my business is different from most other “furniture flippers” because it’s colorful and eclectic. I’m different from most colorful furniture you’ll find because my work is sustainable and upcycled. When I communicate these traits with clarity, I start to find the people who will follow my journey. What’s your differentiator, and how clear is it to your audience? This is a great question, by the way, to ask someone in your community 😉
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I’ve always been someone who finds it hard to stick with one thing; whether it’s a career path, a hobby, or a geographic location, I always seem to be trying something new. Since leaving home for college, I’ve lived in 4 places and pursued 3 career paths. In the past 12 months, my hobbies have included (at varying degrees of success/stickiness) block printing, jiu jitsu, rock climbing, coding python, woodworking, bike mechanics, artisan bread baking, graphic design, gaming, and piano.
I used to be embarrassed by my apparent inability to stick to any one thing – I thought it would lead me to never ‘mastering’ anything, which was the goal, I guess? In high school, someone literally told me I was a “Jack of all trades, master of nothing.” Feels a little dramatic, but not untrue.
After years of looking with envy at those around me who performed so expertly at their various ‘things’, something has finally clicked for me. What I’m doing now is informed by, and enhanced by, everything I’ve tried before it.
As I’ve tackled launching a small business:
My background in art of many mediums has allowed me to confidently execute the design of not only furniture pieces, but my logo and branding, promotional materials, and color palette. My coding experience let me build and customize my website without stress. My 3-month stint in cold-call sales taught me the psychology of selling and the skill of persistence. My cursory background in mechanics and woodworking has made me more comfortable with the physical work of refinishing furniture and improvising tooling solutions. My athletic hobbies have kept my mental and physical health in check as I navigate the ambiguity of entrepreneurship. All of the people I’ve met along the way, in all of these various communities, are now coming out of the woodwork to offer words of support and encouragement.
There are many paths through life in which doubling down on your strengths is incredibly fulfilling and fruitful. For my path though, I’m so grateful to be a collage of all of my disparate skills, and I think they’ll take me far.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pillowfortstudio.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pillowfort_studio/
- Other: tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pillowfort_studio?_t=8mBrO8UDAnj&_r=1
Image Credits
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