Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kimberly Tringali. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kimberly, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
Risk can be scary, which is why many people do not take them. I believe with extensive research , determination and confidence taking risks in life help you grow. I recall the best advice my dad had given me when I was a senior in high school . I wanted to attend the local college in Bangor , Maine where I grew up where all my friends were going. He told me to take the risk and attend college in Boston, to gain a different experience . He said “ You know what’s here in Bangor, so if you want to come back you can, but you’ll never know if you might like something else if you don’t try, take the risk !” I of course went to college in Boston and loved it. I think of my dad often with his wise advice on taking risks. Throughout my life I’ve taken risks and have grown from each decision.
Cabin Fused Glass started with a dream of owning my own business with my husband and sharing my love of glass art .
It began April of 2021 I was working at Walt Disney World for Arribas Brothers at the EPCOT pavilion helping guests create glass art pieces. Myself along with the team would create design examples to help guests find their inner creative talent. So many of my original designs would sell and guests would ask for my creative ability to assist them in their own design.
One day I went home and said to my husband, “ I love designing with glass and we could have our own business creating glass art.” That’s where the ideas began. So many questions came up as to where would the business be located? What items would we sell?
Would this actually work or are we just fantasizing? We decided to take the risk and do it. Essentially we were taking a chance on ourself and our ability to create a business we could do together.. Our “Someday… was actually happening NOW!!” It was scary and exciting all at the same time!
We always enjoyed vacationing in the mountains of northern Georgia so we had a location , now it was time to find markets and stores that we could sell
our glass art. We settled in Hiawassee GA and bought a cabin with a garage where I would create my glass art.
The first year was a real struggle, trying to find events and stores to place our glass items. I was constantly creating and designing which I enjoyed, working 60-75 hours a week. The kiln was always firing with product. We joked we worked harder and longer than ever , but the satisfaction was so much greater because it was our business . We started building relationships with event coordinators and fellow vendors always networking and learning ways to grow our business.
Our second year began and we were seeing familiar faces at our events and guests would comment on how much they loved their art pieces they purchased from us and it was then that we realized a following began. People were reaching out to us to create a special design for them, create their pet on glass or ask us to be a vendor at their show. We are humbled and honored every time, feeling blessed to have connected with such wonderful people.
Currently we are seasonal vendors at the Union County Farmers Market in Blairsville Georgia every Saturday. Our product is also available for purchase at multiple locations in Georgia including, Vogel State Park Visitor Center in Blairsville, Brasstown Bald Visitor Center in Hiawassee , Keen Creations in Blairsville , and Mamma’s Market in Hiawassee as well as multiple festivals throughout the year. .
You might ask, was the risk worth it ? The answer is YES, absolutely!
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?
People always ask, “What is fused glass?” Fused glass is taking multiple layers of glass cut and designed and fused in a kiln. It is the heat from the kiln that fuses all the glass together. I can adjust the heat of the kiln to get the design I desire. The process takes about 15 hours.
As a fused glass artist I gain my inspiration from the outdoors. My designs include flowers, mountains, bears all of which can be seen where I live in the mountains of northern Georgia. I have started creating pet portraits on glass where a guest will send me a facial picture of their pet and I will create it as an ornament or nightlight on glass.
It brightens my day when I receive pet pictures from guests asking me to create their pet.
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?
The three qualities I have which are most impactful for me are creativity, communication and patience.
Ideas and creativity are always flowing in my brain and I design with a sketch pad or in a journal I can refer back to. Everywhere I go, I am getting ideas or seeing things which inspire me.
Communication is a key for sharing ideas and letting others know about you. Effective communication is a must in growing our business.
I believe you need patience with yourself when you decide to start your own business. You need to give yourself time to learn, make mistakes and move forward. Having patience with yourself to develop and grow are essential.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parent’s legacy was to believe in yourself and always know you are stronger than you think. This extended into my life to believe I could make intelligent decisions and create the life I wanted for myself . The strength wasn’t physical it was mental strength, creating positive thoughts training your brain to know you could do it. Whether it was a challenging event, issue or something that needed to be resolved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Cabinfusedglass.square.site
- Facebook: Cabin Fused Glass
Image Credits
Ken Tringali
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
