Meet Sarah Bertochi

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Bertochi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Since the opening of our first retail location, finding time for creative play has been one of my biggest challenges. As a solopreneur I am responsible for every aspect of managing the shop. I am the chief financial officer, marketing and social media manager, order and shipping coordinator, production manager, screen printer, lead sewer, head buyer and so on… finally somewhere at the end of my “list” is artist. Wearing “all the hats” unfortunately does not allow much time for creative exploration.

Because keeping the doors open at our brick and mortar is my top priority I have had to make very intentional steps to actually schedule time for my creativity. Anyone that is an artist will attest, creativity has a mind of its own and inspiration is not something you can just “schedule” That said, it is a step in the right direction – carving out time and setting up the right environment helps to set the tone where creativity is more likely to happen.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Sarah Bertochi, I am the owner and creative director for my business Sarah Bertochi – Handmade. In addition to running the business, I am also an artist. Creatively I am a surface pattern designer and screen printer.

In early 2023 I opened our first retail location in beautiful downtown Hudson, MA (Voted the Best Main Street in America)

The shop is filled with unique handmade and uncommon goods you will not find anywhere else. Supporting handmade, local and women owned are key drivers for my business. The shop helps support not only my own work, but the work of other local women owned businesses. I create original artwork that I hand screen print onto fabric which is then cut/sewn into handbag, home decor and small accessories (all sold at my shop and with our more than 150 retail partners)

Sustainability is a big part of my story and I firmly believe that everyone has a responsibility to “do their part” for the environment however small…I use only natural fabrics in the construction of our range, fabrics like linen and cotton, and I print with water based eco-friendly inks. These inks are drain safe and require no chemicals to clean up. Our bag linings are made using upcycled fabrics which I source from thrift stores and donation center.

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?

Be Personable – Before taking the leap of faith into retail, I was an outside sale rep for many years. In that capacity I learned how to become comfortable talking to strangers. This familiarity with how to interact with folks from all back grounds, makes conversations in the shop almost second nature, easy and comfortable.

Pay Attention to Details – The little extra touches around the shop and how our products are merchandised, are a reflection of how I want our customers to feel when shopping at our location. By creating a welcoming environment folks are more likely to shop with us.

Numbers Don’t Lie – Get comfortable reading and understanding what to do with financial reports. These are critical to the overall health of your business. I had the benefit of having had many year of generating sale reports before opening my brick and mortar shop. Having a good understanding of profit and loss statements and gross profit margins before taking that knowledge to retail has helped keep my business on solid footing. These are scary concepts for many folks, especially creatives.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always on the hunt for new and exciting products to line the shelves at the shop. If you are an artist and you make something unique and different, then I want to hear from you.

My shop accepts artists on a consignment basis, those brands that demonstrate success have the opportunity to move into wholesale. Preference is given to women owned brands, as well as to those brands that have a sustainability story to tell. There is an application linked from my Instagram profile. I review applications every quarter or as needs in the shop change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarahbertochi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahbertochi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbertochi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbertochi/