Written by Lexi O’Neil, Endicott College Intern
Odessa began Fossick Home to spread sustainable living and delicate craftsmanship to any home. The concept for her business manifested when she wanted to bring art to salvaged furniture to help elevate one’s environment.
Retail settings can be draining for workers and overwhelming during specific times of year, so one of the ways that Odessa combats this is by turning the business from a retail setting to a services platform. While marketing on social media can be difficult to navigate, she takes it in strides while working with a consultant and her daughter.
However, some challenges are more difficult to overcome. While mainly working solo for the shop, Odessa can be pulled away to the workshop during hours: she is only one person, so sometimes her attention needs to be split fairly between the two. She uses her passion for architectural history and design to fuel her passion, reminding herself that one person can only do so much and that she is always giving her best attention whenever applicable. She manages her work-life balance with ease. She understands she works most efficiently when projects remain fueled by joy rather than capitalistic greed.
Fossick Home is still pretty new to the neighborhood, working to get to a place where working with other businesses is on the horizon and dreaming of larger-scale design launches for her business. Odessa has been fortunate to pick things up quickly as she goes, ensuring that she attends meet-ups hosted by Beverly Main Streets to broaden her interest in her work and meet possible future collaborators. Her best advice to those looking to open their own business is to do the proper homework: talk to the locals and other owners in the neighborhood. Set realistic goals and hold yourself to them before growing too quickly, and consider what areas you can grow in year after year. The best piece of advice, though? Be flexible. You should be able to shift gears at any moment to overcome any barrier. Odessa wants all to be brave with their dreams.
