Date joined etsy- 1/23/09
Sales to date - 968
Give us some basic info about you: name, where you live, kids/pets, favorite ice cream flavor, etc.My name is Fumi Bull and I am the owner of Davie & Chiyo, a clutch and custom purse design company based in Vancouver, BC. I started this business with my sister, Himi, who is the sewing talent behind our clutches. We specialize in bridal designs, creating clutches for every member of the bridal party - brides, bridesmaids and flowergirls. We had never really planned on working in the bridal market - it just kind of found us.
Describe an average day in life of "you".
My day always starts with emails, whether I'm checking it on my laptop in the morning or on my Blackberry when I'm on the go. From there I usually catch up on Etsy conversations and emails, pay the bills and place supply orders online. The emails don't end there either, keeping up with an online shop means that my day is peppered with Etsy convos.
My sister comes over in the morning to start the work day and we begin processing orders - cutting the appropriate fabrics, sewing and packaging. These days there's always at least one trip to the post office to drop off outgoing packages. Depending on the day, there's always an errand or two to run, too. We're constantly at the fabric store, picking up more of the usual colours, matching wedding dress swatches and scoping out new patterns and colour trends.
With the majority of my day being work, I still try to squeeze in a few meals and a yoga session :)
Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?
I grew up in a very creative household. My dad had a passion for art and followed his dream of becoming a woodblock print maker. Having grown up with such creativity, I think it really translated to my interests, whether it was through dance, cooking, figure skating, sewing or art. Although my sister and I have never had any formal design training, we've always always been designing.
What made you want to start selling on etsy?
My sister first introduced me to Etsy. She initially sold hand-knit and crochet items to supplement her income as a stay-at-home mom. I saw her running her own shop, doing something that she loved and I found it very inspiring. I've always wanted to own my own business so Etsy seemed like a natural progression.
How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?
Surprisingly, it didn't actually take very long. From the day we joined Etsy as "Davie & Chiyo", it took a little over a week for our first sale. At the time, our shop was a little different - we sold small pouches and clutches - so our first sale was for a couple of eyeglass cases.
Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?Being half Japanese, naturally, I've always had a taste for Japanese food and my mom's home-cooking. However, growing up in city like Vancouver, I have developed a taste for other ethnic foods. Vancouver is every foodie's dream - there is such diverse ethnic cuisine from every country in the world. Some of my favourites are Indian, Thai and Italian.
My favourite TV shows are pretty much anything on the W Network. They feature anything from design shows to reality TV on dysfunctional families - I love it all!
Music is a big part of my work environment. My laptop is always on with my favourite playlist. Right now I am listening to a lot of Coldplay.
Is there anything you'd like to try your hand at doing? Knitting, baking, soap making, wood working, an instrument, etc.
I love cooking, so I'd definitely like to become more adventurous with cooking other ethnic foods. Nothing is more rewarding than a meal that you've cooked yourself.
What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?
The online community is your best friend. Make connections and get featured by bloggers and websites with interests similar to your own. You'll find that your name gets out faster than you'd expect and you make great connections in the process.
3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
sycamorestreetpress - Amazing prints! I wish I could find more reasons to buy greeting cards.
Joannarutter - Such cute jewelry - it's difficult to not want everything in this shop.
redsofa - Completely unique and whimsical jewelry. I absolutely love the crab claws!
One year from now, I hope...
...to be doing exactly this - running my business, except much bigger! I have big dreams for Davie & Chiyo - one day everyone will know us by name.
--Have an etsy shop with over 300 sales and want to be a featured seller? Contact me at phletcher@gmail.com
As always, thanks for reading :)
