What do you call a person whose mind never stops conjuring up innovative ideas? A person that not only thinks of great ideas, but then calls to tell you about the idea so you can benefit from it too. I call that person Julia McNair.
All of Julia’s past experiences laid the foundation for her longtime career : owner of Do*It*Yourself Crafts in Birmingham, AL. The experience she garnered from her work in sports marketing (public relations), retail accounting (inventory management), anthropology studies (history of ceramics), project management for an engineering firm (strategic planning) and even her time working in a bookstore and coffee shop (customer service) have help lay the foundation for the successful business woman she has become. She is the perfect example of the fact that all experiences are useful ones.
You can’t help but like Julia McNair. She’s not afraid to try something new and when she does it is always well-thought and she has every detail covered. Plus, she has that southern charm that we all love.
So with all of that varied experience, how did Julia end up in the paint-your-own pottery industry? After a management change in a job that she once loved, Julia found herself ready for a change of her own. While considering her options (law school being one), she found herself crafting. Her ultimate decision was to open her own crafting business that included both scrapbooking and rubber stamping but also offered a variety of crafting options. She had painted pottery before but didn’t intend to include that in her store line up. However, as a few local studios started to close, Julia decided to dedicate a 4’ section of her studio to pottery painting. As the interest in different craft offerings changed throughout the years, Julia responded accordingly. She brought in more of what worked and got rid of what didn’t. She was wise to listen to her customers and to pay attention to what they want. Today, she has a studio full of pottery, plus glass fusing, silver clay, tie-dye and mosaics. Clay is also becoming a bigger part of the studio’s repertoire. And if I know Julia, which I do, it will be a success!
A self-described dilettante, Julia truly enjoys trying lots of things. She is not afraid to experiment and enjoys the process of creating a plan from start to finish. One of her gifts is that she is good at helping customers. Not just in a customer service way, but helping them realize that they can create something themselves. When someone enters her studio and says, “I can’t paint.” – Julia’s response is, “Neither can I.” Julia helps to demystify the process to a reluctant customer, which is pretty powerful. We could all use a little of that!
Having owned her studio for 12 ½ years Julia has seen a lot of growth in the industry. Her favorite thing about our little world is how much peers help each other. She loves that her fellow studio owners operate under the understanding that every good idea they have can be enhanced by someone else. The willingness to share ideas is evident when you see a group of studios together. Julia loves attending PYOP events and watching and listening to studio owners. They truly love what they do and want the best for their colleagues – not just themselves. Her philosophy is that anything she can do to help the industry helps her – even if it doesn’t directly affect her. As Julia says, “In the end the circle comes around.”
In the same way studio owners enjoy watching their peers succeed, they relish in providing a positive experience for their customers. Julia loves that her store is a part of so many people’s memories. “Every Christmas hundreds of gifts are unwrapped that were made with our help,” said Julia. “My biggest honor is helping people make things that they cherish.”
So what are Julia’s secrets of success? She’s empathetic. She’s able to understand what the customer is looking for by truly listening to them and by paying attention to what they aren’t saying. In addition to being a business woman she is a mom. She is able to look at her business from the perspective of a parent coming in and is able to provide what her customers really want.
The team at Do*It*Yourself Crafts has a system in place that keeps things going so that Julia doesn’t have to micromanage the store. She knows that things are being taken care of and that the staff follows the plan. This assurance allows her time to figure out what she will do next. What type of event or program she’s going to implement or what her next new product launch will be. What greater gift to a growing business than a leader that is free to lead!
When asked what advice she would share with fellow studio owners, Julia recommended that companies have web presence and maintain it. “Be sure to keep your event calendar and website updated! People want to see what’s new. Engage your customers by using social media, but be sure to expand beyond that horizon. Not all of your customers are tuned in to the magic of Facebook so be sure to meet them where they are. I think the biggest lesson of all is to listen to you customers. Doing so is vital to growing your business and giving customers what they want or don’t want. Listen and respond accordingly.”
Julia is passionate about her business and our industry. Owning your own studio is one of those jobs people dream about and Julia encourages every studio owner to enjoy what they do. Sure, times can be tough and not all days are sunny, but the life of a studio owner is rewarding beyond compare.
Do what you love, love what you do!
Crista
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