Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Atkins.
Hi Sara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always had a passion for building and creating. I grew up watching the home remodeling shows on TLC, redesigning my SIMS homes every other day, and eventually rearranging my room to create a mini makeover like I saw on TV. I went to school for design and eventually got a job with Sherwin Williams (thought I could use my creativity here) where I worked for 8 years as an assistant manager, store manager, and eventually a sales rep. During my time at Sherwin, I had also bought a townhouse with my husband and we did some DIY projects on our own. We did some ourselves and hired contractors for some projects that we didn’t have the expertise to do. I had some good experiences and some terrible experiences. And I had the same with my clients at Sherwin. Some of the contractors were great and some were not great. Then we bought a single family home and did some larger projects like an addition and 2 bathroom remodels. Again, sometimes we hired a contractor and sometimes we did the work ourselves. I had a baby, stopped working at Sherwin, attempted real estate (thinking I could use my passion for interior design here again), and then we lost my step son tragically and I realized how important my family was and decided real estate was not the path I wanted to take. So as one does after a major life event, we decided to sell our house. Except that the majority of our DIY projects were about 85% done. So I took two months off any kind of work to finish all of the projects and get our house ready for to list for sale. During this time, I realized here is where I could combine everything I loved into a business AND by focus on serving only women (a major pain point) I could have a safe business for myself as well (and a pro female business). So many women, including myself, felt uncomfortable when men were working in their homes so having another female with them to tackle the projects they couldn’t do made them feel safe in their homes. A few of my friends had hired me to take on larger projects and then referred me to their friends and soon after I was doing less handy work and more accent walls like wallpaper and woodwork – trying to bring more personality into their basic white homes. I had finally found the combination of design/building/creating which was always something I had wanted to create for myself and for others. My business today is a design and install studio and I focus on wall treatments like wallpaper, lime wash, and woodwork walls like shiplap or wainscoting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. I had great success at the beginning as a handywoman because so many women wanted to hire me. But there were a lot of projects I took on that I was in over my head. I underbid projects, spent a ton of time driving back and forth to home depot for supplies, and also had to learn how to run a profitable business. I had learned a lot of the business stuff from my time at Sherwin but now it was my own money and my own time. I had to learn how to manage my time, schedule enough clients, when it was time to raise rates, and learn everything about social media as well. I said yes to a lot of projects I should have said no to because I either didn’t have the skills or I was a people pleaser and didn’t want to let anyone down. The biggest challenge is definitely preparing for slower seasons which don’t tend to be the same every year. I am in year 3 of this business and still struggle with lead generation that doesn’t feel salesy or pushy. Hiring has been another struggle because I want to grow and expand but finding someone who is a good fit hasn’t been the easiest. Also, all of the backend stuff like taxes and paperwork are so tough because I am more creative and less legal and it is a bigger learning curve.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Casa Copper is a design and install studio. We focus on helping women love their homes and spaces. I specialize in affordable design and installation services. What sets me apart is that I do the design and also the install of the design. It is all encompassing. I am known for wallpaper and lime wash painting but am currently expanding into design consultations and mini room refreshes. What sets me apart from others is that I am honest and straight forward. I am not going to tell a client that the project will take 2 days when it actually takes 4. I under promise and over deliver. As a designer, I focus on what makes sense for the client. Do they have small kids, dogs, a very active lifestyle? All of those things help me guide the client to the best option for them whether its lime wash or wallpaper or a storage solution in their living room for their 5 year olds toys. I also love the affordability aspect and will often go top facebook marketplace or thrift stores for furniture pieces/accessories for my clients if they are open to it. I am most proud of having a female focused brand. I plan to employ all women and refer all women professionals.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think every successful entrepreneur naturally has a higher tolerance for risk as we are betting on ourselves every day we wake up. I don’t take major risks for my business on a regular basis but I recently made the decision to completely rebrand my business from the Sarafix go Casa Copper and that is probably the biggest risk I have taken. I am still mid transition so no updates on how it is going, ha. But I know in my gut it is the right decision to make so I am following my gut on this one. From a more tangible/safety standpoint, there are certain things I will not do because they may have some sort of risk. So getting on an extremely tall ladder on a roof for a client is something that is a hard no for me. I have a family to come home to every night and they are always top of mind when I am staring at a tall ceiling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.casacopper.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casacopper_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551954998647
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CasaCopper
- Other: https://share.google/5Zn9UQFV8KXMyRFKG
