Meet Casey Poirier

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

Hi Casey, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

I was raised in a very loving, generous, and selfless environment that allowed me to develop generosity and empathy qualities of my own. Because of this, one thing I really wanted to be able to do with my art was to use it for supporting social causes and local organizations. The first instance where I was able to do this was directly after Roe v Wade was overturned. As a women owned business, I immediately felt the need to show my support for reproductive rights for all, as well as rally an effort to raise funds for organizations providing medically necessary care. I quickly got the idea to create a collection of earrings in which 50% of the proceeds would be donated to Planned Parenthood. I hadn’t expected much at first, but the hand shaped wire uterus earrings were a much greater hit than I anticipated. I ended up raising over $700 for Planned Parenthood over the course of couple of weeks. Being successful in this further instilled how incredible it is to make a difference in something that matters to you, no matter how big or small of an impact it may have. I then did a similar fundraiser during Pride Month of 2023 with a Pride Collection to raise funds for a local LGBTQ+ supporting organization called EqualityMaine. Then, following the tragic mass shooting in Lewiston last October, I created a collection of hand shaped wire Maine earrings and ornaments that allowed me to raise over $1000 to the Victim’s Relief Fund. Having a platform to support causes I believe in and give back to the community is one of my favorite things that has come out of starting Within Resin Designs and I hope to continue to be able to do this is the future.

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

I started Within Resin Designs in 2021 while studying as a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at the University of New England in Portland, Maine. I had been dabbling in resin earring making in the summer of 2021 in between classes, and when I decided to share my designs with friends, my hobby quickly turned into a successful side hustle. My business has expanded further than I ever imagined, with my inventory now including much more than the jewelry I started with. I have expanded to creating bookmarks, drink coasters, suncatchers, wall art, and more. Almost all of my art involves real, dried flowers and plants that are preserved in the resin I pour. This is my way of encapsulating nature’s beauty and giving my customers a way to enjoy it for years to come. As someone who has always enjoyed the outdoors, I feel that my art truly reflects the best parts of all of my interests. I am also now a full time physical therapist at an outpatient neurology/balance clinic in Scarborough, which can be an emotionally tolling job at times. Creating art allows me to have an outlet where I can both express myself and focus on needed self care at the same time. Customers can find my art online on my website at https://shopwithinresin.square.site/ and keep up with my on Instagram @shopwithinresin.

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?

I believe that the three most important qualities that were required to get me to where I am now were perseverance, creativity, and patience. Perseverance was required to fuel the drive to create something bigger than the hobby this started as. I have had to wear many hats as a one woman show – artist, content creator, budgeter, marketer, and the list goes on. I was once told that I am both the overworked employee and the tyrannical boss at the same time, which is actually incredibly accurate. Finding the balance between keeping my art enjoyable and running a functioning operation was one of the hardest things I had to overcome, and I truthfully am still working on it. With that being said, there were many times where I felt it would be easier if I just gave up, but my perseverance continued to pushed me forward. Second, creativity was necessary in order to not only have new and unique ideas for designs and items, but also to problem solve when needed. Running a business is not easy, and it’s important to have a creative mind and be flexible as issues arise. Lastly, operating Within Resin Designs has required a lot of patience with my art and with myself. As with anything, there were plenty of times where projects did not go as planned. I found over time that I needed to give myself grace and not become frustrated when something happened that was out of my control. I developed the ability to pick myself up, dust myself off, and try again – as many times as I had to.

With all of that being said, my biggest advice for an artist just starting out is to be patient and to never give up. Your art or product is worth sharing and you will find your desired market eventually. There is no timeline on success and you must be kind to yourself when things are not going quite like you imagined or hoped!

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The biggest obstacle I have been dealing with lately is burn out. From when I started my business until late last year, I was working nonstop outside of my regular 40 hour work week on all things resin. Looking back, I was taking on more than I should have. I didn’t turn down any custom orders, I signed up for every craft fair I could, and inevitably I could not sustain that forever. After the last holiday season, I started taking a step back and giving myself some much needed rest. I learned how to say no, and if you know me personally, you should know that this is a big deal! I have been focusing more on my personal relationships and other hobbies that I truthfully had been in part neglecting because of my business. 2024 has been the year of finding a better balance where I can still enjoy creating and making new art to share with my customers, but also enjoying time outside of this as well. I think that is incredibly important and is something I wish I had been told when I was first starting out.

With that being said, I hope to start a new chapter during the second part of this year for Within Resin. I am looking forward to getting back into a creative swing and maybe even getting some of my items in local shops for wholesale/consignment (this is me formally shooting my shot at local Maine businesses)!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopwithinresin.square.site/
• Instagram: @shopwithinresin
• Facebook: Shop Within Resin