Employment History pt. 1

My primary employer for the past eight years was Catherine Costanza, the owner and designer of the Catherine Rising brand. Catherine is more than an inspiration to me, she pushes me far beyond the places that I could ever have dreamed that I’d go. For details on our professional relationship, please see the information below.

Catherine Rising

2018 to present

 

I was hired by Catherine as a studio assistant in February 2018.

Prior to the pandemic I was working for her from 7am - 5pm, four days per week. at the time, I would handle, on a daily basis, communication with suppliers, as well as wholesale and retail customers. I would also pack and ship orders and I oversaw the bulk of production in the studio.

I was occasionally tasked with more creative pursuits, from designing new products, to handling website matters in terms of aesthetics as well as functionality. Additionally, I would train new employees in the ins and outs of the business and in the process of production.

My pendant-pandémique responsibilities, a workload attributed to me at a much reduced schedule, are listed below.

  • Production

    I maintained my handle on the majority of production work. From manufacturing, by hand, each little palo santo bundle to stitching every hand-rolled incense package closed, my hands touched virtually every piece we sold, wholesale and retail.

  • Organization

    I preserve the chaotic order within the 600 square foot studio by regularly arranging and re-arranging the many boxes, bins, jars, trays, and crates of products, materials, and other supplies needed on a daily basis for the business to function.

  • Training

    I taught each new employee everything that they need to know. Every item’s process is unique and all of the details of production must be carefully and properly learned. If they are not, this can halt shipments, from personal orders to very large POs.

  • Maintenance

    I cared for many aspects of the studio, but particularly its cleanliness. The use of materials like dried flowers and grasses, powdered incense, assorted grains, and vintage textiles ensures that I always had more than enough to do on this particular front.

Projects in which I was involved at Catherine Rising:

  • peace pins

  • seasonal bundles

  • eye pillows

  • rope incense

  • guasha kits

  • stick incense

In May of 2023, I was given the title, “Studio Manager”. Many of my previous mentioned responsibilities remained the same. I was fully managing two employees and working much less on production.

Each day was fun and challenging, and never quite the same as the last.

I still work a few days a week at Catherine Rising, pro re nata, as needed. More often I am found across the building, at the Slow Roads studio . . .

READ MORE IN EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: pt. 2

Catherine in the studio

visit her shop

Keep going to see part two of my employment history.

pt. 2