Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Dolber.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was working in television and film production in New York City during the early 2000s. On my days off, I would hole up in my apartment and make things for hours. I’m a Cancer, so the urge to spend time alone in my proverbial crab shell after long hours on set was strong, compulsive even. I had the tiniest room, but I was happiest spending hours weaving strings and making things by myself. Nothing but time, my favorite music, and creative energy.
At a friend’s insistence, I signed up for a craft fair to sell some of the things I’d made, and that’s how it all started. One craft fair led to another festival, then to selling online, then in other stores, and eventually out of my studio on Main Street in a small East End town on Long Island.
Alright, 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?
On one hand, yes, the road has been smooth. I waited a long time to have kids, so while many friends were raising theirs, I had time and resources to pour into my work. I also had a lot of opportunity, people eager to rent me a space or carry my line in their stores. Part of that was privilege—being young and “palatable.” But I’d say in large part the road was paved by a deep knowing that there was no other path for me. I tried and failed many times to be employable, but I just couldn’t last anywhere long-term. The struggle of fitting into someone else’s box was harder than the unpredictability of earning my own way in a handmade business.
Now that I have two small children and am their primary caretaker, I’m struggling to be in my work the way I used to. I’m fortunate that my wife works, so we have two incomes. Perhaps some women can do both at 100%, but I am not one of those women—and I think I’m in the majority there. The lie that we can “do it all” was a hard one for me to unpack.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I run a small handmade jewelry business with a growing line of vintage smalls. I’m most proud of making it through the pandemic and coming out the other side as a mother of two, with an active studio space that’s still open today.
Let’s be honest, no one was buying jewelry during the pandemic. But because of the relationships I had built, people wanted to support me. So I pivoted and did everything from selling jewelry kits for people to make at home to hosting Zoom workshops. I utilized a small business loan to move into a beautiful, turn-of-the-century studio space at a great price, because it had been sitting empty for months. I leveraged whatever resources I could, with the faith that things would turn around—and they did. I’m so grateful to the customers who supported me during that time.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Listen. We are living through some dark times in human history. My heart goes out to young people who get such a bad rap for simply not buying into a bad deal. Between rising prices, interest and student loan rates, a terrible job market, laughable minimum wage and AI insanity, I don’t blame anyone who feels apathetic or unenthused. Couple that with a two-party political system doing none of us any favors, against the backdrop of an economic system that is inherently flawed, exploitative, and destructive to the environment? If you’re paying attention, it’s hard to get out of bed, let alone get to work. But the good news is that with all this collapse comes an opportunity to build back better and more equitably. As a young person, you can be at the ground level of that change bringing voice and fresh perspective to help build what’s next. I think that’s exciting and worthwhile.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rebeccadolber.com
- Instagram: @rebeccadolber
