Oc\u00e9anne is a line of minimalist modern jewelry by French designer,\u202fAnne Harrill, handmade in Cleveland, Ohio.\u202fWith an aesthetic that merges both the maker utility of the rustbelt and the enduring beauty of French design, Oc\u00e9anne is a tribute to Anne\u2019s childhood in France and her journey to the American Midwest. Inspired by life\u2019s small pleasures and made for your every day, each piece is designed with a focus on craftsmanship, comfort and functional beauty.<\/p>\n
We recently sat down with Anne to discuss how her business got started, her Core City: Cleveland experience and her future plans.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I moved from France in 2004 and was looking for a community. I moved, was young and getting married, and I found that it was really hard for me to connect with people. I was French, and my mom was Italian, and the culture shock was very hard. My husband was a musician, and I was always helping out by working the merch table, and I had the idea to sneak some of the pieces that I made in to try and meet people that way. I started doing just that, and people were responding well. I was meeting people, and that was the initial purpose of it. My business picked up from there.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I started as an artist, and when you become a business owner you have to pick up many skills along the way. I\u2019ve been stuck with the day-to-day tasks of managing my business; from making cool pieces to paying the bills. It\u2019s been such an amazing experience to be able to step back and really take the time to remember the value of my business\u2014to remember why I started but also why I\u2019m doing what I\u2019m doing and how to be more intentional with my financial goals.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How many skills I need to have to keep moving forward. I feel like I\u2019ve been going with my instincts prior to the program, so what I\u2019ve been learning has been working great for my business so far. We\u2019ve been growing, and now I\u2019m learning to be intentional and set goals for myself.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Being able to remember why you started. It also helps you learn how to articulate what you do because sometimes it feels like you get stuck on the daily tasks and you get so focused on that. It helps you verbalize what you do and make sense of what your business looks like to outsiders.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I would love to expand our store to more workshops and have more collaboration with other artists. I want to become more of a creative space where people can meet and build a community together.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n