Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Kinthiseng
Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a child I enjoyed crafting; whether it was making gifts for others or something for myself. A lot of those crafts involved beaded jewelry. In fact, I enjoyed trips down to the Delmar Loop to visit (now closed) Zuma Beach Bead Company and there was also a small bead craft store in downtown Kirkwood, which was closer to where I grew up. In high school, I worked for Diane Katzman of (now) DKD Custom Jewelry and Accessories and supported her growing jewelry business and her trunk shows. Following graduation from Kirkwood High School, I joined the United States Air Force. I spent over a decade in the Air Force and then moved back to St. Louis with my husband and toddler. While I wasn’t crafting much during my military days, once I moved back home I was looking for a hobby. It started with a loaned Cricut machine doing basic vinyl cuts and heat pressing those onto shirts, totes and more. On suggestion from my husband, he said I should look into laser machines since I seemed so fascinated with the GlowForge commercials on the TV. In late 2020, I purchased a laser machine and in early 2021, I officially started my laser crafting business – The Pineapple Workshop, LLC! As my family grew, the items I offered began to reflect what my family enjoyed using and/or gifting.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was not a smooth road. Starting a business is challenging. I did a lot of research on what I needed to do to register my business with the State of Missouri, my county, and more. I felt that once I checked items off my list, there were things I missed or didn’t honestly know about or realize. I learned along the way, but I also began to network and ask other small business owners about their experiences setting up their businesses. Ultimately I set my business up as a sole proprietor LLC. Also, entering into an industry I didn’t know a lot about, I had to decide who my audience would be, source my materials, and determine how to market my business locally. In 2023, which was my third year in business, I began to see trends with the economy and families not spending as much on non-essential items. Despite the prices of essentials skyrocketing, I am staying positive as I move my business into “Q4 craft fair season” and find creative products that my customers want to purchase for themselves or to gift!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a small, woman Veteran-owned laser business, my biggest supporters are local moms. Being a mom myself, I like to have items available that are useful and I have personally tested. When I am a vendor at local craft fairs, moms are the ones that are usually looking for gift items for spouses, family members, coworkers and more! My biggest seller year round are the engraved silicone bottle bands that go around bottles/cans. They are popular for school, sports, camp, etc. They are available in a variety of colors and fonts and I have engraved thousands of them for local families as well as families throughout the United States. Families that purchase them usually reorder more than three times and many times they are ordered as gifts for a child’s birthday or for birthday favors. Additionally, my Missouri and St. Louis theme ornaments are my other best sellers. I offer a variety of patterns and have a fun zip code ornament design. Families often purchase these to send to loved ones out of state or realtors that want to include an ornament in their new home owner gift baskets. When not marketing items through local crafting groups, I do craft fairs to network and get my product out there for others to view. You’ll find me at local school fundraiser events, sip n shops and fall fests! I update the events tab on my Facebook business page to reflect those upcoming events.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned is to be flexible. I may have my week planned, but as a mom, things can change in an instant. This also includes material supply delays. Being able to pivot and reassess the move forward is important. Communication also goes hand in hand with this when I have pending orders for customers.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepineappleworkshop
- Other: thepineappleworkshop@yahoo.com
