Johanna, 15, and Adistan, 11, are cousins gifted with some incredible talents! We couldn’t help but stop by their booth full of bugs (yes, BUGS!) and beautiful artwork and accessories. Check out what they had to say about their business below!
CEM: Tell us about your business. How did you get the idea?
J: Well my sister, when she went to high school, she had a zoology class. Over dinner she would tell us how amazing it is, and I was like that sounds really cool! So then she taught me how to do everything and I just made a business into it.
A: I didn’t make these, I bought them, but I made the paintings. I got into painting a few years ago. I first started drawing and everyone told me how good I was, so I was like “Maybe I should start painting.” So I started painting and I realized that it was something that I really like.
CEM: What supplies and resources did you need to get going? How did you get ahold of them?
A: For my supplies, I usually use acrylic. The brushes I get from somewhere like Michaels or paint stores. The rings I got online off Amazon, and the ornaments I got from Cracker Barrel.
J: I go out and catch these all. Not all of them are from Arizona, some are from Oregon. Then I do the whole process of pinning them and making sure that they stay in the right place. Then I put them in frames or I put them in viles.
CEM: What are some challenges you’ve faced with your business and how did you overcome them?
A: The paintings sometimes I have to redo the whole painting if I mess up, which is really sad because it starts off really well and then I mess up. And I might not be able to paint it back, because let’s say if it’s black, I can’t paint over that. So I just have to buy more canvases and it’s a lot of money. Usually I’ll sketch it out, with some of them I freehand but I usually sketch it out to be sure I won’t mess up.
J: The frames I get them off of Amazon or Hobby Lobby, and sometimes they can be really expensive to buy them individually, so I try to find like sets of them. The viles also I have to buy huge sets of them and it costs a lot of money. There’s also other challenges with pinning and stuff. Like sometimes the insect can get damaged and it’s kind of sad. So I try my best not to do that and be as careful as I can.
CEM: Johanna, how do you catch these critters?
J: For the flying ones I have long nets that can extend. If it’s a spider, I put a jar over it and put a piece of cardboard underneath. Then I just flip it and put a lid on.
CEM: Do you have any advice for aspiring kid entrepreneurs?
J: I think if you’re happy with it and you’re confident in your business, you should just do it. You should just try! And if you don’t make money the first time, it’s okay because you just keep doing it, keep putting yourself out there, someone will come!
A: All I have to say is do your best, like whatever your gonna sell or you want to sell, sell it! Don’t think about it. If you like doing that thing, and you want to make money or you need to make money, just try your best. Keep coming over and over again, so your business gets bigger and more people know about it.
It was so fun getting to chat with these two young ladies! We know there is a lot in store for their business. Johanna and Adistan, we hope to see you at another market soon!
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