Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Affanato.
Terri, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I met my (now former) business partner in the spring of 2010 when I was having lunch in a piazza in Rome Italy. We started a conversation which leads to what he did for business, which is Italian ceramics made in southern Italy. He gave me his business card, which I tucked into my pocket and promptly forgot about!
Months later, I came across his business card and went to Facebook to view his business page. Everything he posted was so beautiful! I was “liking” many of his posts; the photos of the ceramic items were intricately hand painted in bright, vivid colors. The first actual comment I wrote on one of his post was “someday I am going to come work with you!” which was probably followed by a smiling emoji or “lol”. I never would have imagined that within the year, I would be doing exactly that!
After months of discussion (by phone, email and text) the different items he sold and the manner in which he managed the business end of his business (which was horrible, at best!) We decided to form a partnership. Him with 30+ years selling ceramics, me with 30+ years of finance, marketing and accounting behind me.
I flew to Rome in 2011 to finalize our business plan and to travel south to meet the artisans that produced all of the wonderful things I was seeing on photos. It was a whirlwind 2 weeks of traveling the Amalfi Coast, with stops in to meet each artist that specialized in a certain n design or style of painting. All of the artists we met with worked in their own studio, many were “generational” artisans, working alongside their father or mother or other family relatives and keeping the craft of hand painted ceramic art alive and well in southern Italy.
I returned from Italy with a better understanding of the craft and business operation. In the months to follow, we hit the ground running. I knew that we need to market our products in a way that would showcase our artisans and their items. My mission was not just to sell ceramics, but to bring focus to the art of hand crafted ceramic art in an area that is saturated with factory products, tourist items and the like. I started by creating a Facebook business page, then pages on Pinterest, Instagram, Houzz and Etsy. I created our first website, which was a challenge for me as I had no expertise in web building but it was easy enough to do once I got over a few obstacles in the program. We were pleased to see the response to the website and we were generating sales from the website from the first week it was operational.
I started traveling to Italy twice a year. At first for a few weeks at a time, then a few months. We continued to sell via our website, social media and also in person to our clients in southern Italy and from the Navy Base in Naples. We began giving tours of our artists’ studios as well as ceramic classes to our visitors. I opened a gallery store in North Attleboro, MA thanks to the generosity of my husband that gave me use of retail space in his optical shop in North Attleboro center.
As the company grew and we would meet with artists in our area of Cava dei Tirreni, Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, Ravello and other towns in the region to add to our staff of artists that exhibited a unique style and a passion for the craft. We had many repeat clients and also started selling wholesale to retail specialty stores in California, Nevada, New York and Florida.
The years were flying by and business was excellent. During this time, my partner and I also opened a B&B/Holiday home in Cava dei Tirreni, which was once a property occupied by his family. It was a beautiful large, 16th century villa overlooking the mountain range. At the request of my partner’s family, I was appointed manager of the property, which also gave me a residence while I was in Italy. Again I put my marketing skills to use and we were able to welcome our first guests in the spring of 2013.
I was living a life that I never could have imaged! I had the love and support of my family in the US as I travelled back and forth to Italy 3 months at a time, living in the beautiful town of Cava dei Tirreni, taking our house guests around for ceramic tours, classes, and to experience “real” Italian life, off the tourist path. Our business was booming with orders being received from all over the world. It was everything I could want from life! I was happy, working with some of the best artist’s in the business, sharing this wonderful, ancient home with happy travelers and feeling very satisfied that I was helping to enrich the lives of our clients, house guests and artists.
But like all good things, there has to be an end. And this end came harshly and abruptly in the autumn of 2016.
My business partner and I parted ways. I lost everything. My “home” in Italy, my business and so much more. My first reaction was to pack everything up, return to the States and not look back. It was my husband, John McAvoy that refused to let me quit. He encouraged me to continue this crazy lifestyle. To rebuild the business alone. To stay in the place that I love. To come back stronger and better than before and as the sole decision maker of how I operate my business. I am thankful that I listened to his advice! Everything that I had with my former partner I closed the books on. I shut down the website, the social media – everything…and started over.
They say hindsight is 20/20, and it is true. The years spent with my former partner were a learning experience, in so many ways. I am thankful for having had the opportunity to learn in depth about this wonderful craft, to meet so many wonderful people and to experience so many good things. And I have learned about forgiveness and letting go. I have learned that you cannot move forward with anger in your heart. Once you find peace after conflict, things fall into place. I never thought I could do this business on my own (as my Italian is poor at best!), and I am happy to say that I CAN do it, and I am happier than ever! Since 2017 I have my own home now in Cava dei Tirreni, a new website, and artisans that have stayed by me during the rough times that have proven to be more like family than just business contemporaries.
I have continued to focus on the art of local artisans that express themselves through beautiful ceramic pieces and to bring to light the day to day life of my artisans to help my clients appreciate the hard work and devotion that goes into each and every piece. My sales are steadily climbing; I have been given many opportunities to showcase my artists work in a variety of venues from gallery shows and exhibitions in the US.
I have retained and added other wholesale accounts and am happy to begin this new chapter in my life!
Great, 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?
As in all businesses, there will always be challenge along the way.
LANGUAGE – For me, the biggest challenge is communicating with my artists. My Italian is far from perfect and very few of my artists speak English. If it wasn’t for Google Translator, I’d be lost! When I am in Italy, it is easier to communicate my needs as I use broken Italian and lots of hand jesters!
CONVERSIONS – All of my work orders are written in Italian with conversions to metric from the imperial method used in the States as well as converting US dollars to euros. In the same respect, all of my client invoices are translated back into English, imperial measurements and US dollars.
TIME – There is a time difference between Italy and Boston with Italy being 6 hours ahead. Many days, when I am in Boston, I start my day at 3 am as messages and telephone calls come in from my artists or my shipper. If I was to wait until 9 am Boston time to reply to these calls and messages, it is possible that there will be a day’s delay in production or shipping. Also, in Italy, the work day is not like in the States. Most people in Italy work from about 8 am to noontime with an afternoon “reposa” a break for lunch to go home, eat and rest with work resuming at 4 pm or 5 pm until 8 pm. It has taken me a long time to embrace this casual work style. As an Americans, we are geared to work all day often times eating at our desks or on the run and working overtime to complete a task if need be. In Italy, there is no urgency as life is to be taken slowly, to enjoy each day.
ITALIAN HOLIDAYS – A prime example of the slow pace is the August holiday in Italy of Ferragusto. Beginning on August 15th and ends on September 1st. Everything shuts down – public offices, restaurants, supermarkets…and of course, ceramic craftspeople! This holiday has some religious connotations, most Italians see Ferragosto as the culmination of summer vacation. This is the time to escape from work and book a holiday at the beach or in the mountains. Major cities become ghost towns as regular residents flee with the same common goal: a bit of sun, good food, and plenty of relaxation.
SHIPPING – Shipping documents are (thankfully) written in English. The owner of the shipping company I use, Mailboxes, Etc. in Nocera speaks English which makes shipping from Italy convenient for me.
Italian Decorative Art by Affanato & Company – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
All of our ceramic items are made to order, we do not stock inventory. This affords us to offer beautiful handcrafted items at very reasonable prices. From dinnerware to large ceramic tables, ceramic murals, flooring, vases and decorative wall plates and more, each item is handcrafted which gives us the ability to custom design and select the colors that our client requests. Often times our clients will put us directly in contact with their decorator or contractor to work with them on a selection of tile or other items that a color match is important to achieve the final result for their project.
I am extremely proud to represent a group of artisans that are some of the best in our area. Each artist has been hand selected for their particular expertise; let it be for painting exquisite facial features or for their unique designs. One of our best selling items is our re-edition medieval tiles. Each tile is made by hand from start to finish. The designs are representative of designs from the 15th century. Along with these designs our clients are also able to add their own designs to tile. Many choose to add family names, a family crest or memorable dates. This along with the tile designs makes for a very unique addition to their home.
Same is true for other items as well. We are able to personalize most ceramic items such as adding a monogram to dinnerware or a personal message to the reverse side of a decorative wall plate for a birthday or an anniversary, etc.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
What I a most proud of is that I am helping keep the art of handcrafted ceramic art alive here in southern Italy. In a world filled with factories turning out cookie-cutter items at fast speeds, for me, to represent the art of men and woman that are true artisans, many that work side by side with their fathers or mothers, continuing the tradition and that have the passion for their craft, We carry a large variety of designs from traditional items of our region to modern, contemporary items and everything in between. To be able to showcase these wonderful artists and to share their art with the world is a humbling experience for me.
And for my personal proudest moment was to recover from losing all that I had previously built with my former partner. This event was an all-time low for me that at the time, I did not believe I could continue on my own, but I have. It hasn’t been easy, I had many days of self- doubt, frustration and anger towards my former partner but time heals and I believe that we reap what we sow. I no longer look back on those days, only to what is ahead for the future.
Pricing:
- Hand crafted ceramic items made in Italy starting at $35.00
- A selection of specialty H&BA items as well as food items offered on website $10.00 and up
- Large selection of dinnerware and accessories starting at $12.00 per piece
Contact Info:
- Address: US: 59 Laurelwood Drive, North Attleboro, MA 02760ITALY: Via Ido Longo, 22, Cava dei Tirreni 84013 (SA)
- Website: www.affanatoandco.com
- Phone: USA: 508-982-5622 ITALY: 39+342/7261873
- Email: italiandecorativeart@live.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italian_decorative_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerriAffanato/
- Twitter: https://www.houzz.it/pro/terriaffanato/italian-decorative-art-by-affanato-e-co
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/italianceramics/
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.
