Mona's concrete homewares, including cheese boards, coasters, and vases.
Finding fulfillment through the process of creation
Mona is, at heart, and artist and a maker. For her, the process of physically designing, feeling, and creating her products is immensely satisfying. “I really like the fact that you're working from conception,” she says. “Where you're thinking about the product, then you're actually making it. Then, you're actually taking it to market and selling it.”
“Initially, when I was thinking of a ‘business plan,’ I was thinking of a 200-page document. It gets really overwhelming, and then I have a hard time in moving forward. So, LivePlan has been really great.”
With this comes the joy of being able to see her products go out into the world, hear her customers' responses, and see them feel and appreciate her work. “It's so rewarding to interact with customers—to have someone purchase something and come back later and say how much they love it, and to spread the word to other people,” she says. “These people come up all the time that say, ‘My friend has this,’ or, ‘My friend got me these coasters and I love them.’”
For Mona, the ability to connect with customers and share her artwork with them is the most rewarding part of running Mona Does Concrete. “It's been great to go to a show and have something new, and have people come and react with it and give you feedback,” says Mona. “It's just so fulfilling. I love it. It would probably be my favorite part of being a maker. I can't imagine anything else taking over that feeling.”