Hi Stephanie, can you give our readers an introduction to your business?
Sal do Mar Studio (formerly The Fussy Goose) is an eco-conscious and community focused brand based on the east coast, originally from Cape Cod living in North Virginia. We offer handmade soy candles made with premium ingredients and we’ll release more goodies as the year goes on. Aside from our great products, we’re using this platform to share stories from local makers, artists and small businesses because we believe in “community over competition”.
Uplifting other makers is something I’ve always valued since the early days of Fussy Goose, so I’ve made it a mission to interview folks to get a slice of their story and share their experiences with all of you. You’ll find their interviews here on our blog series Surf Report, and we highly suggest subscribing to our newsletter to find out first when these stories go live each month because we have a great lineup.
We're also going about this rebrand a little differently and I’ve decided to break down some 'professional' barriers with the way we’re running things. You may notice more casual dialogue and freedom within our business because I think it’s only fair to you and I that we all experience the real personalities behind Sal do Mar Studio. Growing Fussy Goose was a beautiful exploration into building a business from scratch but at times felt inauthentic and vanilla. Some folks will embrace the silliness, and some folks like vanilla and that’s cool but give our products a chance to win you over.
I'm a Cape kid who grew up in a military family, in a blue-collar part of Falmouth. If I had to summarize myself into a several adjectives it would be considerate, satirical, passionate, cautious and curious.
I enjoy all music except one very specific song, comedy stand up, true crime pods and trying new things. Things I dislike are celery and that one very specific song.
Have you experienced any failures during your journey, and how did you recover and move past them?
I believe you aren't failing if you continue to try and grow through trial and error. The day I wake up and decide to quit because I'm afraid to try is the day I’ll consider myself a failure. Some days I do wake up realizing what I’m doing isn’t working, and that’s just another way to change and figure out what will work.
With that said, have I royally screwed up during my business journey over the past 7+yrs, yes! I’ve wasted money, I haven't fully prepared myself for upcoming seasons, I’ve dropped the ball and said the wrong things, but I continue to run this ship and do my best to learn from past mistakes.
"Studio" Dennis Port, Cape Cod May '20
In your own words, how would you define success as a maker, artist or business owner?
My gauge for success as a maker and artist changes all the time. Sometimes it’s as simple as acquiring a dream store on my wholesale list, but sometimes it’s wrapped up in superficial things like Follows and Likes. Something I’m trying to unlearn is comparing my business to others, and remembering that superficial numbers like Follows can be bought and truly don't measure success in the real world. Success is sticking to your authentic self and mission, contributing to your community and hopefully others will embrace your journey.
Is there someone in your life that deserves some recognition or credit?
My husband, family and friends are my biggest supporters and if they did doubt my decision to run a business during peak pandemic in 2020, they sure did a great job keeping a straight face haha. I’d be nowhere without my community, and more than likely many of you are reading this now so Thank You from the bottom of my little heart.
My little family and two favorites. Hawk Bill Mountain, Virginia '22
Let’s say your friend is visiting the area and wants to see your favorite hangout spots, what are some local places you’d want to show them? Places to eat, drink, visit etc.
I’d start with a bagel sandwich at Manchester Bagel and head west towards the mountains for a casual hike, then grab lunch and drinks at Dirt Farm Brewery. I’d also show them around King Street in Old Town and bar hop starting at O’Connell’s, working our way towards Murphy’s.
If they’re into museums and city life, we’ll head to DC for the day and do all the fun local and touristy visits: Natural History Museum, Science and Art Museums and grab dumplings at Reren in Chinatown. Maybe catch a comedy show at the DC Improv, why not.
Thanks for reading and supporting local makers, you can find us at thesaldomar.com and on IG @thesaldomar.
Have a favorite maker, artist or local business owner you'd like to nominate for our next interview? Head over to our nomination page and let's spread the Local love together.
All images and artwork are copyright by the maker, unless stated otherwise.
