Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Andes
Hi Alyssa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got started in 2019 when I moved into my first apartment by myself! I had always had siblings or roommates and finally I decided it was time to find a place of my own. Stuck on the couch with endometriosis and wanting to be part of something bigger than myself, I started making earrings out of polymer clay in the evenings throughout those winter months with the intention of raising money to donate to nonprofits across the twin cities. $5 of every sale would be compiled and then donated to a rotating list of different foster care programs, counseling for young women, friends of mine who were going through hard times, etc. and it felt great to be able to use my creative skills to help others. I started doing art a whirl every May and selling in some small shops around the twin cities. I also make handmade clothes that I sell, I learned to use a sewing machine in 2020 and started out making masks to donate to the hospitals. Now I take custom requests from people who have a quilt they want turned into a jacket or bag or pants and they get to work with me on how it’s customized. It’s been a fun journey to get here!
In 2023 I opened another small business called Soup Sisters which is a dinner party business for women in the twin cities to build community and make friends. It’d all sober and I try to offer different price ranges and time options for people so everyone can join in. Between my two small businesses I stay busy and I also stay creatively challenged and fulfilled, I feel so lucky.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any business, there are things along the way that you never could have imagined you’d have to deal with. With flourishing femme, I’m selling a tangible item so it involves setting up a tent and tables, carrying the pieces around with me, baking them in the oven, shipping them in the mail, and needing space to store all my supplies. But with soup sisters I’m selling more of a concept, a community, a friendship, so it’s different feel! I do host events where I’m loading and unloading plates, tables, floral, bottles of NA wine, everything that goes into hosting. But it’s definitely a shift between the two! I would say I’ve been fairly lucky with my experiences. Knock on wood. I’ve had tents blown in the wind, people cancel from events last minute. But really nothing that catastrophic. Lucky me so far!!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work feels so personal towards what I’m inspired by around me during that time. Since I first started making earrings, I would have dreams with ideas regarding color combos, shapes, designs and I would wake up and write everything down before I forgot it. I try to create things that I like, that I would use, that fit into my world. And I feel so insanely honored still to this day, that other people like these things too. I still pinch myself every time I make a sale. I try to price my pieces to be affordable to people can enjoy them and they’re not just sitting in my inventory. I think my quilt jackets are probably my favorite pieces I make, I look forward to getting dressed every morning so to make something that people get to wear just feels so incredible. I also had my head shaved in 2020 so large statement earrings became my go-to. Having a funky bold earring feels like a must for everyone.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Honestly talking to the other artists/vendors/friends I’ve made along the way has helped me the most. Getting to bounce ideas off of each other and trade stories. I have recently been enjoying the Chaotic Creatives podcast! Other wise, I typically have a show or audiobook on in the background while I’m working. I love a memoir.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.soupsistersmn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishingfemmegoods
