We recently connected with Susan Kaulbars, Owner/Designer at Framing Solutions in Minnesota, and have shared our conversation below.
Susan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform, and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding my career purpose was filled with many twists and turns along my professional journey. I spent roughly 20 years in the hospitality industry from waitressing to restaurant management. Then, working and managing retail operations. I have been a Mortgage Loan Broker, along with working in a variety of other industries in sales roles. But once I found the picture framing industry, I have never ever considered not being a part of this crazy, creative framing industry.
This industry offers many opportunities utilizing diversity, creativity, right/left brain challenges, and a great deal of personal satisfaction for a framing design that exceed expectations! When a customer is moved to tears when they see their finished work, well, it can’t get any more satisfying than those moments.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions, we had for you?
My life started as a farmer’s daughter in SW Minnesota. My mom was a nurse, and my father changed to carpentry when I was 9. In high school and college, I focused on art, music and theatre, but with a strong interest in science too! I ended up marrying a mechanic over 40yrs ago. So using all types of experiences and tools, making sawdust, creating, designing for all types of art…well, they all combined into a custom designer and picture framer
Many people think custom framing is just 4 sticks of wood and a bit of glass. They couldn’t be further from the reality of what we do. Whether it’s a memorial piece or a beautiful piece of art, they all have special handling needs. When completed, each project should showcase should your individual tastes and personality. Upon hanging in your home it is a reflection you. Your walls in your home should tell your story and show what’s important to you, and your family. It’s a real honor to create for all types of art mediums or commemorative projects for both an individual’s home or business.
At Framing Solutions, I believe each piece is unique, and strive to pinpoint why it is special to the person. Only then, can I start to conceptualize a design that will showcase their piece. Maybe their project is a travel memory, a family event, a memorial, part of a prized collection, or sadly it is honoring a person who was part of an unfortunate, tragic situation – like a still birth or childhood cancer. The reality is, what we create becomes a special wall accent that can last a lifetime or several lifetimes.
There’s no cookie cut or mass-produced look that comes out of Framing Solutions! Every design is conceived to fit the style of the project through unique, innovative, and sometimes unconventional designs and moulding selections. Every project has a “look” we are trying to accent. Utilizing over 30 curated vendors, offering a large variety of moulding options, a customer can discover “that one look” that connects not only with their project – but their personal style as well.
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?
It took a long time to find “my passion” for a career. As I look back over the 24 plus years I have been in the industry, and now 10 of those being in my own framing studio, it is really remarkable how many situations have prepared me for this current venture.
For the first 10 years, a lot of my time was spent learning this business not only as a framer but how to own my own framing business in the future. I was a frame shop lead in a big box store, worked for two private shops, then I was a vendor rep to the industry. Theres’ a lot of learning that gets shared from framer to framer. What a fantastic learning curve. I was also talking to people, reading, competing in framing competitions (winning many along the way), and absorbing the “how to’s” of this complex occupation. I have been a teacher in the industry, having taught over 30 people the basics principles of framing. Learning to custom design and frame all types of mediums, 3-D, historic, collectables, etc. is a learned skillset.
There are no complete, valid educational courses or degrees for this industry. I like to say when training other framers, there are 100 rules – but there are 5,000 variations to those rules. The more you know, the more diverse you can correctly frame a person’s project.
Growing up, I was always a creative kid. Colors were always a part of my world. I was painting, drawing, creating all types of things. Creative arts were always a part of my life. I was infused with so many different experiences, I was fortunate to have them all combine into what it takes to be a successful picture framer.
Once when my daughter was in high school, she came home and told me she had volunteered me to “design and help some kids paint 5 panels, 6′ x 16′ of NY’s Broadway Street, at night, for their upcoming band concert!” Hmmm ok, so, I designed and laid out the scenes. The kids were great painting the panels. What a great personal treat to see it completed as the band played in front of those panels.
I personally love challenges and do not back away from them. It is very necessary being able to offer such a diverse skill set as picture framer. My smallest project in 2023 was 2″ x 2 1.2″ and the largest was *84″ x 114.” Nothing is too small, to big, or unusual in my business. Bring it on!
As for advice to others? This is a wonderful profession for those who hate repetition (like me), are creative, like challenges, and are self-starters. The framing industry is not ever going to be “prime industry,” but is it a wonderful small business to consider. Many have made their businesses into multi-million endeavors. However, most like me, entertain being more small business operators with less than 3 employees, if any. There are many retiring shop owners, or businesses planning on selling in the years to come. If there is a local framing shop in your market, seek them out a conversation with them.
Finally, keep learning. Stay aware of changes that are happening in the care and handling of art. New techniques and products are always being introduced. What was once a common handling practice 10-20 yrs. ago, may not be the best practice today. It is not a stagnant industry!
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
I love what I do. I’ll continue to be a picture framer and do this for however long I am physically able. As an “artistic designer and picture framer,” a lot of what I create for a customer is projecting my creative designing during the actual production period.
Artists just don’t stop creating! If you think of an artist painting a picture, their creativity is their own concept at work and another person can’t pick up their brush to create that concept except the artist themselves.
Going into my 10th year of my own business, my design style is known and sought out, for a customer’s projects That’s very fulfilling – and I’m blessed. I end up juggling a lot of details and multitask many projects at the same time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When you realize and accept that what you do impacts lives…it is very rewarding. I am blessed and will continue as long as I can!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.framingsolutionsmn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/framing_solutions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/framingsolutionsmn
