Today we’d like to introduce you to Sasha Comadore and Suzanne Tyler.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Sasha. I started crafting as a form of dealing with stress, depression & anxiety. To have people in your circle (Family & Friends) volunteer to help you and run off and copy everything you do was overwhelming. Hurricane (Katrina) took everything “House, Car, Clothes, Shoes, Family photos, Family members & Friends” I was pregnant when hurricane Katrina hit my mom, sister and brother stayed behind. I was finally able to catch the news and I saw how everything was under water and so many people lives loss. I was stressed out and couldn’t get in touch with anyone. The Red Cross couldn’t find my family. I was stressed to the max in the results of stress. I went into labor at a 29 weeks hospital and wasn’t able to save my son. During a hurricane in a strange unfamiliar state I had to now plan a funeral (with what money I was dead broke from traveling to Texas (Food, Hotel etc.) took all of what money we had saved) I was fresh out of high school! A group of crafters made me a care box with photos from inside the delivery room and a blue bear with my son’s name on it! When I tell you, it touched me in so many ways! The funeral home (Williams Funeral Directors) in Garland Tx ended up covering the cost of the funeral. When I tell you, I came from absolutely nothing to be able to give crafters a space to learn how to craft for free was the best move I could’ve ever made. I put a post-up for help with the crafting Facebook group and that’s where I met Suzanne. We became Crafting Besties.
The amount of information given during the meet and greets has many crafters wanting to learn more and so far, we have been to four different locations. However, due to the pandemic, they have been put on hold. We now hold live zoom meetings to continue interactions and share the knowledge to help uplift and build. We currently have 30,000+ followers in our Facebook group “Crafting Besties”that covers the professional and personal development of other crafters. We both have a passion for helping others reach their maximum potential and expand because we see the need for diversity and understanding within the crafting community.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest, the road was far from smooth and the biggest struggle was self-doubt. The fear of failure and the many unknowns are going into an industry that was unfamiliar. Also, it was just taking that step to go forward with us both full-time working jobs, managing being full-time mothers and wives our days are stretched pretty thin. We had to develop systems and strategies that aligned with our personal lives in order to meet the goals we desired, achieve a high level of success and keep our saneness. As we pursued our vision, we found that meeting the supply and demand needs of became overwhelming, finding dedicated individuals who supported our vision to join the team, marketing and branding in an eccentric way, continuing to push forward regardless of the nay-sayers and imitators along the way. We definitely understand that people will always copy what you do and that’s just motivating us to go even harder!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Crafting Besties – what should we know?
Our company supplies sublimation printing paper to small businesses that offer unique items such as customized shirts, mugs, pillows, gifts and more. We specialize in sublimation paper. It is a paper that requires special ink that is heat activated using a heat press. We are known for our Facebook group and YouTube channel, where we offer free knowledge to crafters on how to break into the sublimation industry, live tutorials on how to’s and turn their hobbies into a brand to build generational wealth.
What sets Crafting Besties apart and what we are most proud of is that we are the World’s First Black Female Owned Sublimation Paper Company. We would just like to put it out there that we didn’t see any other African American women with sublimation paper until now. Crafting Besties is so excited to bring you the #1 Sublimation Paper in the crafting community. Our sublimation paper is like NO other. The best sublimation paper on the market. This Sublimation paper has the best ink release ever and has been fully tested. You will benefit over the average papers on the market to save you not only time and money but peace of mind knowing you will get your money worth!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
In order to succeed, integrity, the genuine desire and willingness to learn are all important traits to have. When you are honest, people will believe in you, they can help you and you can also take pride in knowing that you are honest with yourself and others. Learning from everyone and every situation you come across will help you to become more successful too!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1001 Alanis Drive Suite 210
Wylie, TX 75098 - Website: www.craftingbesties.com
- Email: craftingbesties2@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftingbesties_2/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftingBesties2
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYQ63YMebTZxhgHzChkjQ5Q
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
