We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kendra Duevel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Kendra with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My father! Growing up, my dad owned a small business- still does to this day- and built it from the ground-up. I watched him work long days (and sometimes nights and weekends, too) to faithfully serve his clients and provide for our family.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m Kendra, the artist behind “Artistry by Kendra”! I’m a full-time Bouquet Preservation artist. I take wedding bouquets AFTER the wedding and turn them into forever keepsakes. I also work with memorial flowers, anniversaries- any occasion that one would like to have memorialized.
Each flower goes into a meticulous drying process to preserve the shape and color. I work closely with my clients on their design preferences, and then cast the flowers into resin or press into a frame. It’s a very involved process with many steps, and my clients patiently wait 4-6 months to receive their flowers back! I love working with flowers- my shop smells good all the time.
I just moved into my first real commercial/studio space, so that is my biggest focus professionally right now. There is definitely a lot more logistics to consider with your own building rather than working in your basement!
I make a point to bring attention to the nonprofit that I partner with: Venture. Venture is an organization which works to rescue women and children from human trafficking, and provide safety, housing, education, and long-term care. Most of their work is focused in Southeast Asia. 10% of Artistry by Kendra profits go directly to this cause.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
#1- Learning good business skills: Bookkeeping, spreadsheets, web design, good communication skills, computer program literacy, taxes/sales tax, etc. I spent nearly 6 years as an Admin for an IT company, so I developed all of these skills there first and was able to transform those into running my own business!
#2- Many, many hours dedicated to research and trial and error. Practicing on flowers (non-client flowers) for the most efficient and effective ways to do each step. Lots of Youtube videos to teach myself new methods. Lots of research on the best product brands, and testing out each one to find what works for me.
#3- Being involved on social media. Getting plugged in (especially instagram) gained me a follower base and eventually client base, it helps me promote my business and get leads, is a built-in portfolio of my work, and helps me to stay involved with other preservation artists to form a tight-knit community.
How would you describe your ideal client?
90% of my clients are brides! This means the majority are usually millennial women, like myself, so I I find it really easy to relate. (It’s also fun to talk wedding details.) My ideal client is one who understands that this process takes a long time. It can be stressful to be constantly bombarded with emails asking for order updates and how much longer. I love when a bride tells me, “Take your time!” And, “I trust your artistic vision!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artistry-bykendra.com
- Instagram: @artistrybykendra
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artistrybykendra1
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Brand Photographer: Bauer Creative
