Today we’d like to introduce you to Cory Rubald.
Hi Cory, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
CCLee Creations began in 2019 as a simple idea between my husband and me—we wanted to create something meaningful to help fundraise for our daughter’s high school band trip. We started making handmade snowmen, and what began as a small project quickly turned into something more.
When COVID hit, the band trip was unfortunately canceled, but we decided to keep going. To our surprise, people kept coming back and requesting more snowmen than we could keep up with on our own. That’s when we realized this could grow beyond just a fundraiser, and we brought on our first employees to help meet demand.
Since then, we’ve continued to expand our product line and now sell our handmade items in multiple stores and across several states at large craft events. Even with that growth, we’ve stayed committed to what made us special from the start—creating each piece by hand with care and passion.
Today, we offer a wide variety of handmade lighted snowmen, decorative blocks, wood items and winter planter decor. It’s been amazing to see how something that started as a small family idea has grown into a business we’re truly proud of.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Like many small businesses, we’ve faced our fair share of challenges along the way.
In the beginning, one of our biggest hurdles was getting larger companies to take a chance on us. As a small, new business, it was difficult to compete with bigger corporations, especially when it came to purchasing raw materials. We had to work hard to find cost-effective suppliers so we could keep our pricing competitive with large manufacturers, including overseas production.
Even now, we continue to face challenges. One of the biggest is the rising cost of shipping, largely driven by increasing fuel prices. That impacts both our supply costs and getting finished products to customers and retailers.
Overall, as a small business, we’re constantly adapting to changes in the economy. But those challenges have also pushed us to be more creative, efficient, and resilient, which has helped us grow stronger over time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
When we first started, one of the most meaningful things we did was give each of our snowmen a unique name—many of them inspired by family members and friends who supported us along the way. That personal touch is still a big part of who we are today.
Over time, we’ve continued to grow and expand our product line. While snowmen are still at our core, we now create a variety of lighted products, including handcrafted wooden pieces. My husband is the visionary behind many of our designs—he comes up with new ideas, builds prototypes, and then we see how customers respond. That process allows us to stay creative and keep introducing fresh, exciting products.
One thing that really defines us is that almost everything we create includes lighting. It’s become our signature style. We love how lighting brings warmth and life to our pieces and makes them stand out, especially during the winter season.
We’re also especially proud of how we’ve been able to reinvent products over time. For example, we originally made winter planter décor years ago, but when we redesigned it to include lights—using bulb dowels wrapped with string lights—it completely transformed the product. Now, customers use them in outdoor pots and planters to create a festive, glowing display, and the response has been incredible.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For us, mentorship and networking have really grown naturally over time through the relationships we’ve built within the crafting community. Some of our biggest mentors have actually been fellow crafters we’ve met along the way and become close friends with.
Their advice, support, and willingness to share their experiences has been incredibly valuable. We’ve built a strong network of creative friends where we can bounce ideas off each other, share feedback, and help each other grow and improve.
We’re also very fortunate to have a close friend, Karen, who has been an amazing source of support. She’s always our biggest cheerleader—encouraging us, lifting us up when things get tough, and helping us think through challenges and brainstorm solutions.
I think what has worked best for us is building genuine relationships. Being open, supportive, and willing to learn from others has not only helped us grow our business, but also created a sense of community that we truly value.
Pricing:
- $25 – $130
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ccleecreations.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccleecreations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063754415119
