AOW Handmade: An Interview with Leslie Mittelberg

For those who are not familiar, let me introduce you to Leslie Mittelberg, founder of Swahili Imports. Though she successfully sold the business earlier this year, during her tenure her team of 22 was working with up to 45 artisan partners in 15 countries throughout Africa. Products ranged across a variety of categories, including garden art, interior décor, textiles, jewelry, kitchen tools, and personal accessories.

She sold to museums and retail shops across the US, including Disney and Williams Sonoma. NY NOW was consistent and integral to her sales strategy. She also used to attend shows throughout California. When there was no social media, all her sales came through trade shows, which were vital to her business.  Read the full interview below! Enjoy.

You have been a champion in this field since 1995 and have seen so much evolve within the sector. What advice do you have for those new to working with artists?  

Understanding cultural nuances is crucial in developing a relationship long term. You must show interest by visiting and meeting artists directly, not just over Skype and Zoom.

What do you wish you had known when you first got started?

I was successful because I knew the artists and their whole families. It becomes personal and motivating. Sharing ideas and strategies with the artists is essential. You also need to develop marketable products as a team. For example, I would send an idea, and they would embellish and change it slightly. It was collaborative. I listened to my clients, studied journals, and always knew what to bring.

When you and I first started working in this field, artisan goods were yet to be mainstream. They were still something new for many retailers. Now, the opposite has taken place where there is a bit of saturation in the market, making it more difficult for artisan goods to stand out because of social media. There is more responsibility from the artisan side to create designs that are truly new and unique.

When I speak with entrepreneurs about importing, they often get daunted. Can you offer some tips for those just starting to import artisan goods and working directly with producers?

When considering importing a container, know that the cost is often an additional 30-40% on top of the order – including shipping, duties, and insurance.

You can find a warehouse quickly now by Googling facilities close to where you live. Regarding a broker, it's essential to work with one who has worked in the handmade sector before.

If you’re brand new to the field, you must be efficient with shipping. For example, I worked with many groups in various African countries, and we tried to get all the orders aligned to send them simultaneously with a delivery date. We would have all groups send orders to the same port and consolidate them there.

Air freight is high, so our focus was on sending container loads. That allowed us to diversify goods from small dishes to large baskets. Another key to success was having a partner that helped pack everything and focused on one continent.

I will add that people also overlook the post office, but I had good luck with it. It was often cheaper and faster than going by airfreight. 

You do need a good broker in the country you are working in as well as in the US, because they need to communicate with each other. When getting into larger orders, you need one for air freight and another for container loads.

What advice do you have for those thinking about exhibiting at a B2B trade show?

I recommend attending a trade show twice yearly at the same show because they will only remember you if you are there. They want to know that you will be there. This was essential to our growth.

When looking at your business, what helped it reach another level in sales and growth?

Before COVID, our website was up to date and intact, so fortunately, we were ahead of the curve. The website was critical at that time and very user-friendly, so we hit a new generation of buyers who felt comfortable buying online. We also designated a person for customer service. For example, they would even get a personal call after the order was shipped. We had our eyes on the ball for all our clients. We went beyond when it came to customer service, answering the phone and hand-walking people through our site.

We also invested significantly in product photography.

For our marketing efforts, we first hired a consultant who helped start our digital efforts and then we took it over ourselves once things were set up and running well.

In your eyes, what helped keep your company competitive over the past 20+ years?

1.     ‘WOW’ products

2.     Customer service

3.     Email blasts

4.     Consistency

5.     Constant presence at the trade shows

Where do you see more opportunities within this field?

There are still many opportunities, especially if you are designing. That is the critical factor. You must change things and build your company slowly.  

Were there any surprising best sellers for Swahili Imports? 

Stone hearts or baskets. It's a usable product. Also, items for the table, such as small baskets for bread.

In terms of products, where do you see room for the most growth within the artisanal sector? 

It's all about the story. If I still had Swahili Imports, I would try to work more with refugees and other communities facing challenges. Their stories help build a connection to support the product.

Any final tips?

We also had a retail store, so this was helpful in selling all our samples. The warehouse was clean because we sold out of all items thanks to the shop. We also had an outlet that sold everything remaining for little cost.

Lastly, I wish I had planned an exit strategy right from the start of my business.

For more info, contact Leslie Mittelberg at leslie@getreadyexport.com