Meet Becki Ayers

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Becki Ayers. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Becki, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Being a successful artisan requires confidence; you can’t shrivel when things are uncomfortable. Nature taught me this. Growing up bordering National Forest land I had a lot of freedom to explore. I got an idea in my head and just did it. Regardless of the obstacle, I would find a way to overcome it. I climbed the tallest trees, slipped & fell countless times in rivers, and found myself adding more and more miles each time I hiked. Before I knew it, I was challenging myself on a world stage instead of my childhood haunts.

Nothing was off the table. Let’s go to Africa alone and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, sure. Trek through the Himalayas, check. Live through spitting cobra encounters on the Headhunters trail in Borneo…and so on and so forth. So, when it became a question of ‘should I leave the security of my job in Physical Therapy to become an artisan?’ it was a no brainer. I mean why not? None of my visions had failed to unfold to that point.

So, here I am six years later. I make a living sharing my work, stories, and smiles with others. These connections are only possible because I trusted myself, believing (naively or not) that I could succeed.

My bit of advice to others would be to shrug off those creature comforts and begin challenging yourself. Plot a path (scary, wild, unruly, or whatever it may be) toward your vision, hold your head up high, and just start walking.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

It’s taken seven years for my one-woman leather artisan shop, Rural Roots, to be what it is today!

In 2024 I did 80+ shows. This is ALOT of interactions and such a beautiful way for me to meet and continue to navigate all walks of life. My goal in a divided world is to make pieces that connect with everyone. I used to get nervous before shows but after 7 years I’ve found that people are just people. Showing up authentically and being open minded has never failed me.

Another one of my brand’s missions is to help reconnect folks to timeless pleasures.
Reading books and learning = my leather bookmarks
Making music = my leather guitar straps
Taking pictures the old fashion way = my leather camera straps
Observing nature in a more intimate way = my leather binocular straps
Playing games and connecting = my leather playing card cases

Lastly, my brand is all about quality over quantity.
Leather’s durability, longevity and recyclability as a natural product are the exact reasons I chose to be a leather artisan. Leather is a sustainable product by origin because it is a by-product from the meat industry. This idea of sustainability has more recently led me to focus on upcycling and repurposing river wood and textiles. I’ve had so much fun adding these different mediums to my lineup and they have been a hit!

I think Bronnie Ware said it best, ‘Our throwaway society seems to forget that everything new has to come from somewhere and everything old has to end up somewhere.’
So, I’m happy to know my leather pieces will be around for decades and handed to younger generations. Repurposing existing items like driftwood and upcycled textiles can allow commerce without adding to the world’s heap of unloved things.

I can’t thank everyone that has shopped and supported my brand enough!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Don’t conform or follow others. Tread your own path and don’t ride others’ coattails. Deprogram yourself and find out what makes you, you. Maybe remove yourself from life’s static and see where your mind goes when no one is there to remind you what society’s rules are. Who are you when you are stripped of these inputs? Find yourself and be authentic. This can make all the difference in a brand.

2. Don’t forget how to play. Be silly. I am always just being my awkward goofy self, and I think that helps to disarm people. Instead of a conversation where each person is trying to one up the other you instead find laughter and commonalities.
Many entrepreneurs feel the need to be superior to another. I don’t buy into that. There is no need to be anything but friendly and collaborative.

3. Ask questions and listen. I’ve found that you can ask just about anything if it’s said with kindness and/or curiosity. This can make for some truly amazing interactions. We live in a world that is slowly losing true connection and community creating a more and more self-centered or isolated society. Often, people will not open up if they do not feel seen. So, take some time to learn others’ stories. Just listen and stay curious. It’s a lost art.

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?

Oh man, hands down ~ EVOLVE.
Certainly, lean into your strengths and talents, that is what makes any brand or person special. The gifts we are given should be shared but not stagnantly.
I don’t even think one needs to ‘invest’ effort into improving areas of weakness. I think you just need to be continually recalibrating by remaining in tune enough with your environment and your interactions. As a brand there are always going to be trends and ebbs and flows of styles, colors, utilitarian needs etc. so you need to be able to adjust, reassess, get back to basics or send it and create the next original piece.

When I first started 80% of my brand was my leather ‘hUmaNITY tags’, beautiful words I had gathered from around the world that were attached to various products. I was so excited and thought they would inspire people as well as make for a truly meaningful gift. The truth was the complexity of them got a bit lost in the crowd. I pivoted by reconceptualizing new products that stayed true to my vision. This was time consuming but ultimately led to some of my best sellers. The hUmanITY tags remain in my offerings but represent a smaller part of my line.

The feedback we get from our customers keeps us accountable, enlightened, and humbled. As a result, my brand is always a work in progress. It helps me to keep things fresh, imaginative, and unique. I love when people say things like “I can feel your energy in your work”, it’s reflective of my journey and my ability to evolve parts of myself and my products.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ruralrootsshop.square.site/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ruralrootshandmade
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giftsinspiredbynature
• Other: Wholesale opportunities for suitable retailers.
  Feel free to e-mail me with further inquiry.

Image Credits

All photos provided are by me, the owner, Becki Ayers 🙂