Meet Rhonda Dudek

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rhonda Dudek a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rhonda, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I’m not sure if Ive found my ‘purpose’ exactly, or if I’ve just done enough trial and error in life at this point to know what I don’t want to continue doing. Pushing out the things I don’t enjoy and focusing on what I do helps direct me to goals that help me feel fulfilled and happy. I have sketch books full of random lists titled “what is my dream life scenario’ it’s changed thru the years, but having that list allows me to evaluate all the aspects in my world, gives me direction and keeps me on track

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

Hi! I’m Rhonda and I’ve been lucky enough to have made my entire living off of making things since 2005. I’m a self-made artist and metalsmith who makes whimsical handmade sterling jewelry, metal sculptures, and all sorts of handmade goodness, and have recently started teaching workshops on how to do the same.

I joined Etsy in its first few months of it’s birth. Back then you’d get featured for a whole month or so and it was the dawn of ‘Bloggers’, which made for a very fun and exciting time press wise.

I quickly transitioned into the wholesale market and joined forces with a worldwide distributed catalog that had me hand making over 5,000 sterling silver pieces a year. I had no social life and worked out of a shed and two vintage campers in the mountains of Asheville NC, and it was an amazing ride.

Then COVID brought everything to a crashing halt. So I’ve switched gears a bit as over 80% of my brick and mortar shops I sold thru never re-opened. I’ve been focusing on vending in person at craft markets and festivals, which is a super fun way to spend a summer. And most recently I found an absolutely beautiful loft studio down the street from my apartment in lovely Providence, RI. This studio is a brick and huge window dream, and I’m currently in the running for a grant to get the workshops going.

I’m beyond excited for my 20 year celebration of Figs & Ginger to lead me into this new realm. 🙂

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Talking about yourself and brand and getting good at self promotion is important. I actually started a YouTube account that gained traction in my 30s. It was very silly but editing videos of myself helped me gain so much confidence in how I talk and present myself. I definitely think it’s helpful to yourself on camera while alone. Then keep making videos till you don’t hate seeing/hearing yourself quite as much. I still hate it but definitely recognize how much it’s helped me articulate myself!

Taking calculated risks. Every single decision that I’ve made that made a difference to my success was a risky gamble that happened to pay off. Thankfully. But those risks are important for growth imo.

Understand your demographic. Stalk them, become them. Figure out what the algorithms show them. Don’t copy those things but get a good picture of the type of person you’re selling to.

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?

To an extent, yes I think it’s better to go all in on what you’re good at and hire those who are better at other areas and pay them well. In reality tho, many, including myself, can’t do that so we are forced to wear all the hats. If I went back in time and had appropriate cash flow from the start, I would absolutely have hired a team to help me thru the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Figsandginger.com
• Instagram: @figsandginger
• Facebook: Figsandginger
• Youtube: Figsandginger

Image Credits

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