Why did we close?

On December 28, 2013 Waygoose Redux closed it's doors for the last time. By the end of December 30 almost everything had been donated or sold. Very bittersweet, but after 20+ years of retailing American Handcrafts to the public it was time.

I still love what I did for those 20+ years. I loved working with the craftspeople who make such amazing pieces. I loved working with my many terrific employees. I loved presenting beautiful work to the public so that they could appreciate it along with me. I loved my store's neighbors and sharing our experiences and customers. And most of all I loved helping my customers find that perfect piece. As I look back, there really wasn't much I didn't love. Oh right, I hated construction and snow. Which brings me back to the question: If I loved it so much, why did I close the store?

I suppose the simple answer is; I know that once the 2 new luxury condominiums across the street from the store are completed it will be great, but I really dread living through the mess, noise and struggling to convince customers that we are still there. Having lived through the construction of Upstairs at Bethesda Row (Bethesda Lane), I know from experience that people don't like the confusion, dirt and complication of working around the road disruptions, so will find alternatives to traveling into the mess.

The second part to this answer and far more complicated is that over the last several years the way people shop has changed. We see far more reliance on gift registries and brand names, particularly among young people. The ease of shopping online is hard to resist, but it makes it far more difficult to entice customers to the store to buy gifts. So why not create an online store? I'm not sure that handcrafts are easily sold online. The work is individual to that artist, not every mug or bowl is the same, so if you haven't seen it or handled it in person how do you know that it is the right mug or bowl? Apart from Etsy, most of the sites selling handcrafts are ancillary to a brick and mortar store, so more a service for their customers than an Amazon site for Made in USA crafts. As far as branding, except for a few craftspeople, the world of handcrafts is really the anti-brand and that makes the work very special but often under recognized because the artist is not a household name.

There are many other factors that led to this decision, but when push came to shove as the lease was coming to a close this seemed to be the best path. So thank you for so many years of support and if I can help you find something please contact me through the store's website and I will do whatever I can to make sure you can still find the work you love.

with fond memories
Deborah

Reflections on 20 Years pt7

Where Are They Now?

Over the past 20 years The Waygoose has had the opportunity to hire many young people. As I was reminded the other day, the youngest was only 14 (Andrea's mother, Kathy, also worked for us at the time), but generally they were either in their last year of high school or 1st year of college. The very first was Hanan Saleh, she was JoAnn's backdoor neighbor in her last year of high school. She stayed with us all the way through getting her PharmD from Howard University. I'm sure many of you recall coming in to find some young person studying at the counter. In addition we had quite the international collection: Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Palestine and Russia to name a few. And most popped back in to work the holidays and/or the summers when they were on school breaks.

I always felt it was a great honor to be someone's first job and truly enjoyed the variety of characters that came and went through our doors.

Recently, we touched base with some of our first timers for an update and here is what they had to say:

L-R: Amie, Andrea, Annika, Antea, Emma and Erica

Amie: Department Manager at Macy's in Tyson's Corners (update: Sales Supervisor for Saks Fifth Avenue)

Andrea: Professional Hair Stylist

Annika: Senior Customer Success and Communications Specialist at Network for Good

Antea: While finishing her MA from DIU International University in Dubrovnik in International Relations and Diplomacy with a concentration on international political economics, Antea is working for the Croatian government at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Emma: Just completing teaching visual arts and art history in Philadelphia. She is currently the studio art teacher at Stone Ridge School in Bethesda.

Erica: Completing her 2nd Bachelors in Forensic Chemistry specializing in trace evidence/drug analysis. She's now looking into Graduate Schools.

Yes, oddly enough we've had an unusual number of employees over the years whose names started with "A". When we opened on Bethesda Ave, we had Amie, Annette, Arlene, shortly followed by Addie, Alexandra, Amy 1, Amy 2 and Antonia! No, it was not a requirement!

We asked them these questions:

1)  What did you enjoy most about your work experience?

2)  How did it help you in what you are doing now?

3)  Describe your funniest Waygoose moment.

4)  Who is your favorite Waygoose artist and why?

5)  What is your favorite Waygoose piece that you own?

And this is what they had to say:

1) What did you enjoy most about your work experience?

Amie: Working at The Waygoose taught me about customer engagement and how to make that customer our number one priority. I enjoyed learning about unique pieces that could be found in very specialized places and I liked that it showcases artist that have no platform. But most importantly I enjoyed the family we have become. We had each other’s back and we strove to accomplish the same goals.

Andrea: I love all the ladies I got to work with, especially my mom! Being only 14-years-old when I started, I had several mother-figures at the store. The customers were also a lot of fun. I loved helping customers find 'that perfect gift' they came in looking for.

Annika: I loved getting to talk to people about how they were going to use a piece or why they were giving it as a gift. Pieces of art mean so much to the people who buy them and I loved getting to use that experience to glimpse into people's lives.

Antea: Working at Waygoose for me was a very exciting experience. It is interesting to see how a part time job can have such a huge positive impact on your life. And this job really did. Working at the store was nothing but creative and fun. What I remember most is the way the managers taught us to do things and love the products. They were very patient and always encouraged us in such a positive way to learn more about the artists and the way things were done. The way they run the place was amazing. I remember noticing how this always reflected on the workers. We were a bunch of different characters and individuals but all so positive and warm. The young group of people along with employees that have been working there for years was a combination that worked extremely well. I will never forget how we worked together as a family and how much everyone helped me not only at the workplace, but in my personal life as well. I truly had an amazing experience and met the most beautiful and kind people.

Erica: What meant the most to me about working at Waygoose was getting to work at a store that was filled with artwork. I always saw the jewelry, the pottery, the glasswork as pieces of art, each with a funky, unique, and stylish quality of their own. I always wanted to learn about the crafts Waygoose sold because I consider myself an artist and was intrigued by how raw material could be transformed into beautiful artwork. The second most enjoyable experience at Waygoose was getting to see our frequent customers who bought pieces for themselves or family/friends come in and admire the work, ask questions about what was new, and talk about their favorite artists.

2) How did it help you in what you are doing now?

Amie: Everything I have learned at The Waygoose has helped me to develop into the manager that I am today. In a way it paved the way in knowing what it is I wanted to do as a career. I apply the same best practices I learned from Waygoose into Macy's. From customer service, ordering, helping increase foot traffic, marketing initiatives, visual and display merchandising most importantly.

Andrea: My job at the store was my very first job. Not only did I learn how to gift wrap like a pro, I learned a bit about time and money management. The basic customer service skills I learned have been valuable, as each job I've held requires working with the public. As a professional hairdresser, I get to meet and serve a wide variety of people.

Annika: It taught me to listen. In my job I spend all day listening to and responding to the people we help. Working at the Waygoose helped me listen to what people wanted and then guide them toward the piece that was perfect for them. Listening is the only place to start with that process and it is a vital skill.

Antea: My experience at Waygoose helped me a lot because it was my first impression of how business should be run and what kind of a feel employees need to have towards their bosses and amongst each other in order for the business to succeed. Wherever I went to work later, I always compared and tried to bring that feeling of warmth with me. I see that there are a lot of problems in businesses and institutions now because there is a of lack trust and understanding amongst colleagues and there is no true happiness found in working. I find this to be one of the core elements of any business- if you don't create trust and excitement amongst your workers you cannot succeed- our managers always brought that out in us.

Emma: "I always had the best time learning about each artist," she remembers.  In fact, Emma believes her years at the Waygoose still has a strong influence on the art she creates today.

Erica: My years at Waygoose have allowed me to learn about different forms of artwork, work ethic, customer service, and friendships. I have been working on and off at Waygoose since October 2005. Since then, I have gained valuable communication skills, great friends, a drive to work harder, and continue my desire to appreciate beautiful artwork.

3) Describe your funniest Waygoose moment.

Amie: Am sure there is a lot, but I can't think of any. LOL

Andrea: One afternoon, Jorge and I were unpacking new inventory, not checking things off on the packing slip as we went along. After taking all the cardboard boxes and packing materials out to the dumpster behind the store, we realized there was a piece of pottery listed on the packing slip that we didn't have. We scrambled to carefully pull everything out of the trash to find the missing piece. Thank goodness we found it, unscathed. I can laugh about it now, but it was definitely not funny at the time!

Annika: I loved the people I worked with, they always provided the best moments. Watching Erica read certain parts of the Harry Potter series knowing what she was about to experience were certainly some of my favorite and funniest moments.

Antea: My funniest Waygoose moment was definitely when there would be no customers in the store, or when we would be having just one of those lazy days and the girls and I would check our Facebook during working hours. As we sign on we see Word open by itself and a message is being written by itself on our computer. We froze for a moment and the message read: Girls, less Facebook! How are we doing today? – and we realized it was Deborah connecting to our computer from her home, which later on became a casual thing haha. Definitely one of the funniest moments.

Erica: My funniest Waygoose moment would have to be working with my coworkers, attempting to create the perfect snowman for a window display out of packing peanuts, a fake carrot, jewelry displays and peppermint candy as buttons. Despite the mess and being covered in static cling Styrofoam, “Frosty” was worth it.

4) Who is your favorite Waygoose artist and why?

Amie: Desert Heart, their designs and pieces are very unique and somewhat individualized. It's not pieces I feel a lot of people can wear so I think the person has to have a certain sense of time. I like to be different so I relate to the pieces. They seem very earthy and effortless, almost as if created by nature. I truly enjoy their design style.

Andrea: I love Sarena Mann's fairies and Carol Roeda's metal decor. They are both so fun and unique!

Annika: I love what Joseph Craig English does with scenes we all know and love. Looking at this artwork helped me see things I had seen every day (like a fruit stand or the traffic of Georgetown) with refreshed eyes.

Antea: My favorite product was the watches. I love watches and I love the way the artists would find creative materials and design to put them together. Definitely my favorite pieces.

Emma: Among her favorite artists is Bill Campbell.

Erica: Can I say my top two? It’s impossible to pick!

Jewelry: Wanna Buy A Watch? This company makes some of the most distinctive jewelry I have ever seen. Incorporating tiny watch parts into beautifully delicate and whimsical jewelry is a talent.

Pottery: Flambeaux. Easily my favorite pottery in the store, because the glaze on the pottery looks like flowers or snowflakes. Also, each piece is unique in how the glaze settles making them more spectacular.

5) What is your favorite Waygoose piece that you own?

Amie: My Desert Heart smoky quartz sterling silver choker necklace. I think the first year I bought it, I wore it every day to the point where the quartz is starting to change color. One of the reasons I loved that piece is the versatility of how I can wear it and that it goes with everything.

Andrea: I've used my blown glass ring holder every single day for the last 10 years. We have lots of Waygoose goodies around our house!

Annika: That is a hard choice. My worry bead ring certainly gets the most compliments and comments though.

Antea: My favorite piece that I own is a necklace by Stacie Jewelry of Maryland. It is a beautiful necklace with a heart pendant, which I bought for my mom when I was leaving the states. Just last summer she gave it to me to wear when we saw each other after a long time.

Erica: One of my first purchases from Waygoose. My Wanna Buy A Watch necklace. It has two circles with little numbers along it. All sterling silver and sparkly.

Earring: One of my four pairs of Barb Wire earrings from Barbie Levy. I love the colors and shapes she uses. The most complemented earrings I have.

Antea had these additional thoughts about her experience at Waygoose: I was 16 and I had just been living in Bethesda for a year when I started out on a journey to find my first part time job. It was very important for me to have a “good feeling” about the people and place I would work in because I wanted somewhere fun and relaxing to go to after school. I remember sitting in front of the store getting ready for my interview and I will always remember that as soon as I walked in and saw smiling faces and the warm decorations in the store I suddenly felt good in a matter of moments. I knew the second I walked into the store I knew that it is a sort of place I would love working in- it just had some sort of a warm glow. The experience I gained at Waygoose, to learn to love everything you do and sell, to be focused yet remember to smile and have fun are always in the back of my head and a very important factor for me when I work and I will always look back at that time of my life with gratitude for what I learned and a smile for the great people and great experiences I got to have.

Emma (unsurprisingly) answered as follows: I am currently teaching visual arts, and art history at an alternative high school in North Philadelphia.  This school enrolls returning high school students who are out of age for their grade and are returning for a second chance at a high school diploma. I work with young artists ranging from ages 16-22 introducing important aspects of art history, and the humanities, as well as painting, sculpture, illustration, and other fundamental arts.

Along with teaching I have also successfully created and run several after-school clubs, including a canvas club, a nail and beauty club, and a dance program. I am inspired by my students at this school because many of them have been previously failed by the school systems they came from. A lot of my students have grown up in impoverished and dangerous neighborhoods of Philadelphia, and their schools have been reflections of their circumstances. At most public, inner city schools in Philadelphia there is fighting, violence, bullying, and often a lack of support from teachers and staff. A large majority of my students have children, and some of them have multiple children. Still, all of my students have chosen to come back, they have decided that their education is worth the struggle and I marvel at their efforts every day.

I have recently found a new job that I will begin in the fall at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda. I am going to be the studio art teacher for 9th and 10th graders, and I am also going to be the yearbook administrator.

It could also be that in addition to relocating back to Bethesda, Emma’s also running the Art Camp at Glen Echo!

It was fascinating to read the responses we received; in some way the path they followed is reflected in the way they answered our questions and the personalities I remember so well!

Reflections on 20 Years, pt 6

I've been watching the recent work on the building to the east of us & it made me wonder why it is that the HVAC always goes out when it is miserably hot or miserably cold. At least that's been my experience over the last 20 years. 

One of the many curious things about renting commercial space is that unlike renting an apartment or a home, when you lease space you are responsible for everything. That includes the mechanical systems like the HVAC. 

Except for the 2nd Rockville space we haven't moved into a space with an HVAC system less than 20 years old. In addition, no space comes with any information about past maintenance of these units and since they are really expensive to replace (usually requiring a crane to lift them into place on the roof), until there is absolutely no hope of recovery replacement is not an option. Luckily, we have managed to find great maintenance companies (i.e. Congressional Heating & Cooling) that understand the power of duct tape and spit to keep these old systems together. Which brings me back to my earlier query. I can't remember one time that we needed a repair when it was a lovely, cool, sunny day. Usually it was windy & cold or blazingly hot!

We've also been really fortunate that none (knock on wood) have become terminal until just before we were making a big change. Winter of 2003 the very aged unit on the roof on N. Washington St in Rockville decided that it just couldn't go on. With the building slated for demolition in just a few months, it seemed silly to put any money into fixing it. Good thing customers had coats & with the addition of a couple of space heaters (office and point of sale) and long underwear we survived until we closed at the end of January 2004.

The funny thing is that we had a similar thing happen just before we closed on Bethesda Avenue. Not quite so extreme, but we had a minor problem (someone had switched it off on the roof!) and while determining the cause it was discovereded we were only a short time away from this unit looking to retire. Again, we ignored it, moved out and over to Hampden Lane where we again have been coaxing another old HVAC system to keep it's chin up. Do you think they know something we don't know?

While we have been really lucky in the HVAC companies we have used, we have also been really lucky in the quality of these old units, 'cause the funny thing is that the brand new unit in Rockville Town Square wound up needing a very costly repair after only 3 years (of course, the warranty had expired). Sadly, I think that says something else entirely!

Reflections on 20 Years pt5

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment."- Ellis Peters

as·tound·ing

[uh-stoun-ding]

adjective

capable of overwhelming with amazement; stunningly surprising.

as·ton·ish·ment

[uh-ston-ish-muh nt]

noun

1. overpowering wonder or surprise; amazement.

2. an object or cause of amazement.

Is it astounding that I've been doing this for 20 years? Absolutely! This is not my first career. Like many who start on a definite path later finding that maybe there is another path out there to explore. After many years in professional regional theater (Yale Rep, Milwaukee Rep, TheatreVirginia & finally Coconut Grove Playhouse) I found myself searching for a new direction. In November 1992, I was introduced to Nan Rael,  also looking for new challenges, she then introduced me to JoAnn Sweet and a new path sat clearly before us.

In all my years in Theater the longest I had spent in one place was 4 years in Richmond, VA. I didn't really give much thought to longevity during those early stages. Our first lease was very open ended, so who knew where this would lead. What a door was opened! I had already spent years surrounded by incredibly creative people, but here was another world, far more tangible. In the theater we created illusion -- a world only existing in a very finite time. A project begun, completed within months and then on to the next. This new world was filled with incredibly creative people creating lasting, touchable work that could be used and appreciated every day. Not to mention the range of creativity. Walk through the doors of any craft show and see aisle after aisle of work, many made of the same materials but each with the individual stamp of the maker's hands.

Every morning when I walk through the doors, I am filled with astonishment when I look around me at the sight of so much created by so many with so much love for what they do. How can I not be humbled by that?

Reflections on 20 Years Pt 4

It's great to have an idea for a small business, but sometimes making it a reality can be a bit overwhelming. The planning is easy, it's the execution that offers so many pitfalls for a first time potential business owner. There is a Catch-22 in opening a new business.  Banks don't want to lend money for a brick and mortar business if you don't have a location & landlords don't want (& actually neither do business owners) to negotiate a lease if everything isn't in place, which includes money to open the business.

Luckily for us we found an amazing resource through Montgomery County's Department of Economic Development (http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/dedtmpl.asp?url=/content/ded/sbs/toolbox.asp). While I'm sure certain aspects of the program may have changed, in 1993 the assistance we found was a saving grace. We might eventually have found our way, but I suspect it would have taken us much, much longer. This free service to residents of Montgomery County provided us a counselor who helped us hone our business plan so that it was "bank ready". The Small Business Development Center also served as a sounding board to make sure that whatever the business idea was, it had a high potential to be successful.

We had purchased a computer program that walked us through the steps needed to create a business plan. It asked the questions we would need to answer, but didn't really provide information on how to get those answers. I think we would still be brainstorming to this day! I wish I could remember the names of the wonderful people at the SBDC who answered our questions, lead us to the information we needed, edited our BP & kept us on track. JoAnn, Nan and I were great in the planning, but sometimes got hung-up in the details. Lofty is easy!

Once they determined we had a business plan ready to present, their support continued in a very concrete way. At the time, the SBDC presented a monthly "speed dating" event for potential small business owners to meet with banks looking to loan money. Copies of our BP were presented to the banks most likely to be interested in our venture. Then on a single day all of the parties were brought together. Brief introductory meetings were scheduled between banks that had expressed a return interest and the hopeful entrepreneurs, allowing the banks the opportunity to ask for clarification and size up the loan applicants. In addition, during the lunch break, banks set up small tables so that loan seekers could meet with banks that might not realize that yours' was a business they should invest in, so hadn't requested a meeting. Montgomery County's "Shark Tank".

We met with 3 banks. In some ways a strangely informal introduction, but I think the easy atmosphere took much of the anxiety away, so we were able to clearly present our idea to the scary bankers and loan officers. We also met with a couple of other banks during lunch and ultimately were offered 3 loans (2 we had meetings with and 1 from lunch). We accepted Potomac Valley Bank, establishing a long term relationship which we maintained until they were absorbed by PNC and lost the small bank qualities we had come to appreciate.

Waygoose Redux & it's earlier iteration The Waygoose are micro businesses. So whenever you hear politicians, pundits, journalists talking about small business, they generally are not talking about us. A small business typically has over 50 employees, the closest we got to that was when both Rockville and Bethesda were open when we hit 25 (summer & holiday help & many very part-time employees). It is often very difficult to get anyone to pay attention to the micros, much of the time an owner is the only full-time employee, making it difficult to join local organizations or lobby for attention. I suspect that most of the small businesses you patronize are really micro businesses and need your loyalty even more. To have the kind of resource available through the SBDC is an invaluable tool and we were lucky to find them.

Reflections on 20 Years pt 3

JoAnn, Nan and I started our search for space many months before we opened. Since we weren’t using a commercial real estate agent to help us, we spent a lot of time driving around calling landlords. I really can’t remember how many spaces we looked at, but JoAnn brought us to a space in Rockville in the Magruder’s Shopping Center by the Courthouse. Formerly a men’s clothing store, it had been empty for over a year and the landlord was planning to use it as a staging site for the planned renovation of the shopping center’s façade. At 4000 sq ft (average home size is around 2,200), with a raised mezzanine in the back it was scary and dark. In addition the space was essentially 4 or 5 areas, the front had dark green carpet, dark brown wood “federalist” style shelving lit with narrow strips of florescent fixtures in front of each & 2 brass chandeliers, then a small vinyl floored area with narrow cubby holes along one side. The sales counter was in this section backed by a truly excellent hunt scene. Then there was a very large beige area with more dark brown wood cubbies on one side and a lot of beige walls and carpets. The back section (also huge) was raised almost 36” & while it had lots of beige shelving, three way mirrors and reverted to the lovely green carpet! Behind this was tons of storage/workrooms, dressing rooms, break room and 2 bathrooms. This area was larger than many 2 bedroom apartments! Don’t think we didn’t consider it’s potential as rental space! 

But the deal was too good to pass up. The one major condition was that we would have to adapt the existing build out to suit us. That meant no removing walls, shelving or painting the dark “federalist” style woodwork. It was also really dark inside, especially in the front third which had dark green carpeting, lots of dark wood stained shelving and was lit with narrow florescent fixtures built into the overhang above the shelves and a couple of lovely brass chandeliers. What were they thinking! The middle section was lit with fluorescents only and was a lovely shade of off white with one flanking side covered with cubbies (to display shirts or slacks?) and off white carpet. Not very warm & fuzzy! Oh and there was a small vinyl covered section between the front & center (the counter was in this space with a lovely backdrop of an excellent hunt scene!).

Luckily we had JoAnn with her amazing eye for anything having to do with display. To solve the problem of the shelves (not everything will show up in front of dark brown), she figured out how to cover the shelves and backing with heavy canvas duck (like for sails). She then convinced a number of friends to come in and help her cover the walls with a lovely terra cotta after teaching them how to quickly add a sponge painting technique to keep them from looking too boring and flat.

The lovely chandeliers were quickly removed and an electrician installed huge rectangles of track for additional lighting that would give us a lot of flexibility when setting displays up all around the store. Four rolling walls were built for the huge center section and provide us with much needed wall space. Remember the cubbies I mentioned earlier? All it took was yards more of the same duck used on the shelves and voila someplace to hand Joseph Craig English’s original serigraphs. 

 

We wanted to be open for the 1993 holiday season, but couldn’t begin to do anything until the exterior renovations were completed, so luckily everything JoAnn suggested could be accomplished faster than you can say “Bob’s your uncle!”

Too bad it wasn’t that easy to get inventory in! (To be continued…)