We recently had the chance to connect with Skylar Buchanan and have shared our conversation below.
Skylar, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think the biggest misunderstanding about my business is the overall process of making a rug and its complexity. Because I’ve mastered tufting (in my opinion), it makes the process look easy, which then makes customers believe it should be priced cheaply. The rugs and art I create isn’t mass produced and takes a lot of time and effort to create. The materials alone are expensive and with every new rug that is made, I have to constantly spend money on items specific to the order. Another thing to consider are the countless hours it takes to trim, shave, carve and clean up the rugs. The whole process from beginning to end requires time, money, and experience.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Skylar Buchanan, I am the owner and creator of Decor Ones LLC. I am a fiber artist, located in the DMV area, with a main focus of creating rugs as art pieces, while also dabbling with crocheting and woodart on the side.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I believe the primary thing that breaks the bond between people are their values. If values do not align, they most likely will have less in common or always find themselves at odds. However, one thing that can restore that bond is coming to an understanding on both sides and finding a middle ground.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I almost gave up early in my journey due to a lack of interest in my art from the public. Social media is still my primary advertising avenue for my brand. Unfortunately, I’ve had multiple issues and ups-downs with the algorithm. I put a lot of time/effort into the pieces and the videos to showcase my art. When my post got little to no traction, it was extremely frustrating and discouraging.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
One important truth that I think very few people agree with me on is that you do NOT have to share ALL of your knowledge with everyone! I vehemently believe in helping others learn, grow, and build a community, but nobody should know all of the ins and outs of your business. A lot of knowledge in this business comes directly from your experience and trial/error. Nobody has the same journey, struggles, trials and tribulations. These experiences ultimately lead to a business’ own unique style. You just can’t replicate someone’s “secret sauce”.
Unfortunately, people feel entitled to your knowledge and experiences, then label you a “gatekeeper”. As a business owner you must do your due diligence and research, test different techniques, and figure out what works best for YOU! Everything can’t be copy and pasted, because then nothing will make you stand out.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Absolutely! I once worked with a celebrity on a rug and it did not pan out how I expected. I initially was excited because I thought that it would come with more exposure for my brand, but instead I was met with constant and sometimes unrealistic stipulations. The order was a mega rush order, and once sent out, I requested a picture with the celebrity using or holding the rug. They reassured me they would, but it never came to fruition or even further communication. We live and we learn from every experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.decorones.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decor_ones/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decorones
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@decor_ones
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
