Today we’d like to introduce you to Delanie Fischer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Dicks by Delanie was birthed in 2015 when I was asked to bring a handmade item to a holiday party for a white elephant gift exchange. Due to my love for painting, I decided to paint a coffee mug, and what else would be on it other than a bunch of colorful penises? The mug was an unexpected hit, and soon after, my friends started asking me for sets of “dick mugs” for their homes. The rest is dickstory…
Dicks by Delanie was a hobby for me over the course of three years. During this time, I fulfilled orders for friends and family via Facebook and Venmo and processed the occasional Etsy order, but never really took my craft too seriously – even though people seemed to thoroughly enjoy the ole dick mugs. My career at the time was in entertainment – I was a stand-up comedian for about six years and had dabbled in acting, writing, and producing, all while balancing a corporate day job at a movie studio. It was fun and exciting for several years until I became extremely unhappy, unfulfilled, and completely burnt out. After a lot of soul-searching (and binge-eating), I realized I was living the complete opposite lifestyle of what I truly needed, and I wanted to figure out a way to be my own boss, make my own schedule, and utilize all of the professional and creative skills and experience I had gained. When I weeded out all of the things that didn’t serve me, I was left with…dicks. Oh my gosh, my dick mugs had been chillin’ there a long time, how had I not seen that this is the thing?! That’s when I decided to turn my three-year-old hobby into a fully fleshed-out (pun intended) business.
I spent six months planning, organizing, and researching before I officially launched Dicks by Delanie in September of 2018. Within six weeks, I was able to leave my day job. I got to walk in and tell my boss that I had to put my notice in because I was going to be “drawing dicks on things full-time.” One of my proudest moments. I attribute a lot of the success of Dicks by Delanie to the comedic self-help podcast, Self-Helpless, that I co-host with two of my best friends and fellow comedians, Kelsey Cook and Taylor Tomlinson. My co-hosts, and our listeners, are incredibly supportive and I could not have made the leap without them. Self-Helpless also started as a hobby for us that turned into a dream job, but that story for another time!
Has it been a smooth road?
Hell to the no. Leaving stand up comedy was the worst break up of my life. My identity was so wrapped up in it that when I stopped, it felt like nothing about me would ever be interesting again. Total identity crisis.
The biggest struggle I faced in the beginning was with my own limiting beliefs and self-doubt. Most of us grow up being taught, whether directly or indirectly, that work is not supposed to be fun – it’s usually grueling or boring, and you just have to get through it so you can live for the nights, weekends, and that annual two-week vacation. This lifestyle might work for a lot of people and that’s great, but the thought of continuing to live like that made me miserable. Once I changed my mindset, the path kind of revealed itself, as woo-woo as that sounds.
Once I got over that hump, the biggest challenges that quickly arose all revolved around the fact that I had no freaking clue how to run a business. I’ve never even had an interest in the topic, let alone have zero business classes under my belt, and to be honest, I barely know how to work my phone. Everything was new for me. I had to learn the ins and outs of packaging and shipping, forming an LLC, and even had to google the difference between gross and net profit! I’m still learning, and sometimes it’s uncomfortable, but I am so glad that I took the plunge. My challenge going forward is determining the trajectory of my company and what kind of impact I want to make, which can be daunting, but also feels like a good place to be.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Dicks by Delanie – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Dicks by Delanie is a specialty dishware company – or “dickware,” if you will, that offers a unique, high-quality alternative to your run-of-the-mill plastic penis-themed merchandise. I pride myself on creating safe, eco-friendly, and charitable products – using non-toxic and xylene free materials, recycled packaging, and donating 5% of all profits to women in need. Every piece of dickware consists of original art, hand-painted and baked by me. No two are the same! Whether you want to own the original Dicksplosion mug that started it all, or dickify your favorite celebrity, character or loved one on a Custom Mug, Dicks by Delanie is the perfect gag gift (pun intended) for any occasion. Most of all, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to combine my love of comedy, art, and contribution into one venture. Also, I definitely enjoy the irony that when people purchase my dicks, they are supporting women.
Making a living painting penis caricatures has gained the attention of other creatives who want to figure out how to turn their hobby into their career, or just want help figuring out what they love doing. A lot of people reach out to me asking to pick my brain, and I genuinely love guiding others through this process, it’s just been impossible to make time for everyone who asks. It’s inspired me to officially launch my creative consulting services in May of 2019. I’m eager to assist people, with practical advice and encouragement, to reach a place where they are more excited about their day-to-day. Don’t get me wrong, I still have plenty of crap days and it’s hard work, but I’m about 90% happier than I was, and I think that is doable for everyone. I’ve learned that you don’t have to be perfect, or even the best, you just have to be yourself.
Feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] if you are interested in receiving more information about consulting sessions.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
My favorite thing about our city is that you can get any type of food that you want within a couple of miles! Also, the fact that most people are open-minded and many of them are following their passion in some way, which is really inspiring. It makes you feel less crazy for wanting to pursue an unconventional life. And of course, the weather babay! I don’t think I could live anywhere else after being spoiled by perpetual sunshine. I know everyone hates the traffic, but it’s a small price to pay for living in such a wonderful place.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dicksbydelanie.com, www.delaniefischer.com
- Email: [email protected], [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dicksbydelanie/, https://www.instagram.com/delaniefischer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dicksbydelanie/, https://www.facebook.com/delanie.fischer
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dicksbydelanie, https://twitter.com/DelanieFischer
Image Credit:
Patrick Nicely
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
