What It's Like to Be a Solo Artist Running a Brand

I make the art. I photograph it. I write the copy. I manage the website. I pack the orders. I handle customer service. I run the ads. I write the blog posts.

That's the whole operation. One person.

Some days that feels like too much. There's always something that needs attention and only one of me to give it.

Other days it feels exactly right. Every decision about this brand is mine. The voice, the look, the prices, the packaging. Nobody is telling me to compromise on any of it.

The tradeoff is that growth is slow. I can't scale the way a company with employees can. I can only do as much as one person can do.

I've made peace with that. The work is better for it. And the people who find this brand tend to appreciate that it comes from one person with a specific point of view, not a team optimizing for reach.

— Reed Slater
Teascarf Brooklyn

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