Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Brockington.
Meredith, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Amie, pronounced (ah-mee) means female friend in French. Amie was born from an affection to support the maker movement and shop locally on a broader scale. I resigned from a very comfortable corporate job to pursue Amie as a woman entrepreneur. I couldn’t shake the desire to create a platform focused on sharing artist’s stories and female, not factory-made products. In September ‘17 I launched Amie’s ecommerce shop carrying 9 women artist’s handmade products from across the U.S. In just under a year we have featured Amie artist’s stories, grown our Amie community to 15+ makers with plans to expand and grow each season, and gained a supportive audience on social platforms. We are currently working an Amie label of apparel and accessories. We’re collaborating with our artists to design and develop products launching in the market next year. Stay tuned!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Business is never smooth sailing, but oh so sweet when the stars align. I’m not much for complaining, so I’ll lead on a positive note. I created Amie to uplift women, period. It’s the foundation of our platform and the common thread that weaves our community together. The world needs more love. More grace. More hope. More community. More creators. The Arts have power to connect and bring people together– so we’re working on doing our part to make the world a better place for women and future generations of young artists. Mr. Rogers was right. You are perfect just the way you are.
I’ve come head-to-head with adversity as a woman-owned business. As a young woman in my late twenties I can confidently say protecting yourself and your business is challenging, emotional, and extremely personal. Sadly, there’s a reason why the ‘me too’ movement exists. It’s imperative for me to say you are not alone and they will NOT win.
Being a one-woman show, I wear many hats and have taught myself all aspects of business such as bookkeeping, taxes, shipping and handling, customer service, order fulfillment, managing inventory, marketing, social media, and so much more. It is overwhelming and sometimes isolating, but I love my job. I have a supportive family and creative community that encourages me to keep going when I start to get bogged down with the day to day grind. At the end of the day, I keep forging ahead and trusting the road ahead.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about AMIE – what should we know?
I’m the Founder & CEO of Amie. I have a B.F.A. in Photographic Arts. My professional career prior to Amie was Photo Art Director for L.L.Bean and a Commercial Photographer. The benefit of working for myself is I can merge two roles as Amie creative director and utilize my gifts to create content for our omni-channel platforms. I have the privilege of traveling across the country to meet the artists, photograph their process, artist studios, and share their stories. I have fallen in love with creative writing and visual storytelling. I am honored to champion women artists and fellow women-entrepreneurs empowering women daily. As far as I know, Amie is unique in the market because of supporting 100% women artists and providing a face to the products. Many businesses buy products from artists, but don’t give them the credit they deserve or enough exposure. I’m not criticizing, only expressing an opportunity to shift the focus to support artists while still driving sales. I believe there’s enough to go around!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Portland, Maine is a pioneer of supporting the artistic community starting at the beginning of the month with First Friday Art Walk, galleries sprinkled throughout the city, PMA, MECA, and nonprofits dedicated to helping artists. I’m thankful to have launched Amie in a city where people want you to succeed. I work with a mentor through Score (free business management consultant), which has been imperative to providing business direction, insight, and feedback. I surround myself with entrepreneurial friends who are in the same boat and are running rad businesses. I count my lucky stars that I can call on my family and friends with wisdom and advice. My guy who is the ED of Maine Youth Rock Orchestra is a pillar to the success of Amie- walking alongside me, providing emotional support, and tactical insight. An illustration of what hard work gets you. Without a doubt, my parents are my biggest cheerleaders and stand behind my wild ideas. They’ve seen me ‘reinvent’ myself a few times and always have my back no matter what.
Pricing:
- Textured Incense Holder / $42.00
- Gold Rim Tumbler (set of 2) / $68.00
- Leather Woven Clutch / $159.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 142 High St #220
Portland, Maine 04101 (as of August 1, 2018) - Website: www.femalenotfactory.com
- Phone: 207-710-6617
- Email: support@amieartisans.com
- Instagram: @femalenotfactory
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/femalenotfactory/
Image Credit:
Meredith Brockington
Erin Little
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
