“It’s not enough to sell pretty and trendy things. What counts is the impact on people, on the community, whether a given product solves a problem. Even things that are already visible can get better and better, but you have to define what is going on.” – says Ania, a graduate of the Young Entrepreneurs Succeed! program, and today also … the founder of GWIAZDA GLASS, a glass manufacturing company. Ania runs a network on Kickstarter. You too can breathe artisanal glass!
Ania is running a campaign on Kickstarter. You too can support craft glass production!
Ania, you have recently started your own company – GWIAZDA GLASS. You have been dealing with artisanal glass production for a year. Please tell us what exactly your company offers.
I have been dealing with glass for 3 years now, and I designed my first glass object in 2017. GWIAZDA GLASS focuses on glass everyday objects, i.e. glasses, bowls, etc., produced in a craft way, in a small quantity, with great respect for detail.
You have created your own product – a set of Kinderbal glasses, which have won several industry awards in various competitions over the past year. Tell me, what makes them different?
Kinderbal focuses on inspiration drawn from two color spaces CMYK and RGB. These are the colors that, when mixed, give the effect of a full rainbow. Due to craft production, the glasses achieve different color intensity – each glass is a separate story resulting from the work of human hands.
How did you choose this path for your business?
I am a product designer by education, but I fell in love with glass at first sight, when I saw the manual production of glass with my own eyes. I also noticed how little low-volume everyday glass is in Poland. I saw an opportunity for development in this niche.
Why did you decide to advertise your products on Kickstarter?
Kickstarter allows me to open up to clients from abroad and introduce Kinderbal to a wider audience. Kickstarter will allow me to place an order at the mill, thanks to the pre-orders collected in the form of pre-orders. That way, if Kickstarter is successful, I’ll go ahead with production without having to spend all my savings at once. Placing even small orders at the glassworks involves high costs, so Kickstarter would give me a better long-term perspective for brand development.
Have you always dreamed about it or was the idea born spontaneously?
From the age of 16, I wanted to become a designer, but the love for glass was born suddenly – I designed Kinderbal, realized the prototype on my own, assuming that it would be an interesting adventure using a material that I rarely use. I didn’t expect how much the glass would draw me in.
What does your work look like on a daily basis?
It depends on the projects I’m working on. Kinderbal is in the implementation phase, so during the day I contact the glassworks, I ask how the work on glass blowing molds is progressing. I prepare content for social media, especially Instagram, where I try not only to post nice content, but also to educate in the field of design and glassmaking.
I’m also working on a few other projects that require me to do 3D modeling, color selection, and 3D proofing. Mostly I sit at the computer and hang on the phone 😉 . The most exciting are trips to the glassworks, where I oversee the making of prototypes, watch glass tinting tests and talk to craftsmen. These are incredibly interesting trips, I always learn something new.
Please tell us about your situation before joining the program run by the Youth Business Poland Foundation.
Just before I applied for the YBP program, I made an internal decision that I wanted to start my own business and give myself a chance to realize my personal brand. I decided that I would look for forms of funding, educate myself in the field of entrepreneurship, and that’s when I came across an advertisement for YBP.
“I made an internal decision that I wanted to start my own company and give myself a chance to realize my personal brand.”
What did participation in the YES! program give you? – Young Entrepreneurs Succeed?
I made sure that I was doing the right thing by setting up the company, I received a lot of support and warm comments about my business. I also learned a lot about marketing and e-commerce. I also received many tips on where to look for information allowing for the development of the company.
I made sure that I was doing the right thing by setting up the company, I received a lot of support and warm comments about my business. I also learned a lot about marketing and e-commerce. I also received many tips on where to look for information allowing for the development of the company.
What has been the biggest challenge for you so far in developing your own business?
I think I suffer from imposter syndrome – I have to constantly convince myself that I am good at what I do and I have the right to earn money from it. It turns out that winning competitions and nice opinions are not always enough ;). You have to hear them many times and, above all, let yourself dream.
Thinking about a breakthrough moment in developing your business – what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
Pop-up store. When I am able to run a brick-and-mortar store or showroom, I will be very proud of myself. I can’t wait to design my own store.
What are your future business plans?
I would like to expand the assortment in my shop, meet new craftsmen and support slowly forgotten techniques of glass production before extinction. I am interested in the development, not only of my brand but also of myself, including my knowledge of glass.
What do you think is the biggest factor in starting your own business?
Added value. It is not enough to sell nice and trendy things. What counts is the impact on people, on the community, whether a given product solves a problem. Even things that already exist can be done better and wiser, but you need to look carefully at the reality.
Do you have a “recipe for success”? What advice would you give yourself as you start your own business?
I don’t think it’s time yet for me to give advice to others, but contrary to appearances, such a cliché as “believe in yourself” I have to repeat to myself every day, so I think that others will also be useful 🙂.
8 days left until the end of the campaign!
The article was written in cooperation with the Youth Business Poland Foundation.
