#sparkchamber 071023 — Lauren Venell
“Creating something out of nothing with your own two hands feels like a magical superpower,” says today’s #sparkchamber visitor Lauren Venell. A 20-year veteran crafter, teacher, and designer, Lauren left behind her career working at tech start-ups in Silicon Valley to launch the innovative craft retailer Maydel [rhymes with ladle] in Chicago.
A big life change inspired by a real-life shortfall. After a long day at the computer, and wanting to make something with her hands, Lauren purchased a cross-stitch pattern to make for her daughter’s room. “The pattern called for 30 colors of embroidery floss, plus needles, fabric, and a hoop of a particular size. I found about half of what I needed at one big-box store, another 25 percent at a second big-box store, and all but one color of floss at a few different stores online. I finally found the last color [DMC 917 — I will remember it forever] in a box of 12 that I had to order from the UK. All in all, it took six entire weeks and way more than I’d budgeted to get the supplies for the project. I was so frustrated I almost didn’t want to do it anymore.” She wondered why pattern-designers wouldn’t offer all-inclusive kits … but the question answered itself. Gathering the materials is time-consuming [obviously!] so the profit from selling the kit isn’t worth the time it takes to put it together. Not to mention that purchase minimums required to get price breaks are prohibitive for an independent artist to take advantage of.
“That’s when it hit me — a company that made and sold supply kits on behalf of crafters would be a win-win-win: a win for artists and designers wanting to make more money without spending any additional time on operations, a win for customers who could finally get everything they needed in one place, and a win for the supply company, which could build an unlimited product catalog from a single, limited set of craft supplies.” The idea simmered for a while, but being the main source of her family’s income [and health insurance] it was hard to make the leap away from that security. When the universe stepped in — she was laid off — Lauren didn’t need opportunity to knock twice. She moved with her family to Chicago, and brought her vision to reality.
Maydel is an online and brick-and-mortar needlework shop that makes crafting more inclusive, eliminating hurdles to finding supplies and completing projects. The retailer offers products that meet a wide variety of accessibility needs for crafters with metal allergies, light sensitivities, vision and fine motor limitations, and more, as well as by-the-piece pricing and customizable project bundles to ensure that crafters get exactly what they want at the lowest possible cost from a fully vetted list of sustainable, ethical manufacturers.
A good corporate citizen, Maydel’s carbon footprint is very small, and they offset more than they produce via Tradewater. All their packaging is 100% recycled, curbside recyclable, and compostable, and they donate more than 1% of their revenue [not profit] to environmental justice projects in Chicago, and reinvest another 1% in underfunded entrepreneurs.
“Having been a professional crafter and then a visual designer at tech companies, it seems almost inevitable that I would eventually launch my own craft startup. Being a crafter is emotionally satisfying but financially unsustainable, and working in Silicon Valley is lucrative yet soul-crushing, but building a tech-driven craft company is fulfilling on all levels. For the first time in my life, I look forward to going to work every day.”
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Problems! There’s no shortage of problems that need solving in this world so as an inherent solutions engineer, my brain is always busy.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
Right now I’m using my passion for problem-solving to build the supply shop crafters deserve. By using innovations like by-the-piece pricing, customizable kits, and accessible tools, I’m working to make craft more inclusive by removing cost and ability barriers commonly ignored by big box retailers.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I’m definitely a night owl and a tortoise. My most productive hours begin after lunch, so I usually start my day with things like shipping, receiving, and inventory — tasks that get my blood flowing but don’t require deep thought work. I also have a lot of patience and stamina. I can chip away at a problem for years if need be.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
Nothing is ever done, it’s only done for now. The world never stops changing so things will always have to change to keep up.
