Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Fields.
Hi Megan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
The story behind Axel Creations ARC is not the typical story. It started as a simple yet complicated one focused on just doing something for the best of my son and family. It grew into what it is now after I found a love of helping individuals create unique, personalized, and bespoke items for their loved ones and home decor – at times, spending hours going over the smallest details to make a design exactly what a client envisioned, but couldn’t quite explain. Believing in the power of personalization, we are able to tailor each piece to our client’s unique preference. Whether it’s a heartfelt gift, a thoughtful anniversary present, or a personalized baby shower keepsake, we make our products to become meaningful gifts to loved ones as if they were our own.
The idea of my business started when I found myself making an abrupt decision to pull my son out of the local school district after bullying toward him escalated to violence. I decided to homeschool and in turn, would need to find a way to replace the lost income of my husband staying home – something I’m incredibly grateful for him doing. Yes, you read that correctly: I continue to work in a leadership position in addition to running my business. It’s definitely challenging, but extremely rewarding when I dedicate time to my clients and receive amazing reviews from them.
Without hesitation, I took a chance and opened up Axel Creations ARC (named after my son’s middle name, Axel), envisioning a business that would allow the opportunity to utilize my creativity and design skills to develop home decor items – initially. I soon found myself branching into other avenues, though. Making more personalized items for local sports leagues, gifts for various occasions, wedding items such as personalized canvases, and more. I’ve had so many requests for items that I don’t even have on my website – creating concepts from scratch and tailoring it to each client’s personal needs. My most memorable item was what is now featured as our Custom Football Blanket – a throw blanket with a football outline surrounding a heart collage of photos from the season. This concept was born from a request for a gift to give to a coach’s wife of a local football league and can be formatted for any sport.
I’ve truly felt so much joy from the gratitude I receive for making things as personal as possible. I have made it my vow to remain focused on the “family business” culture as the core of my customer experience – allowing me to ensure each item is 100% unique, treating every piece as if it was going into my own home or to my own family member. This is my business mission statement, which is spoken throughout our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram, along with our website: “Thank you for stopping by. Stay Awhile. Become Family.”
I hope to continue expansion, and because community involvement is important to me, I have started implementing plans to support local non-profits with contributions from upcoming featured items.
I never thought I would undertake an endeavor like this, but I have learned so much and made incredible connections. I’m grateful for the opportunity and am excited about what the future holds.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! I don’t believe any business truly experiences a “smooth road” when a concept is first born. And my experience was no different.
While I did have a vast professional career to lean into that allowed me to understand many of the business aspects I needed to start, I struggled initially with the various hats to juggle along with learning the business model/industry I was working with. My background in design and creativity was tailored in the home decor/home improvement industry – specializing in remodels and construction design, not personalized items. But I recognized the connection and had a passion for creating designs along with customer relations, so I knew I could blend both for a unique experience.
I’ve learned over many years the importance of learning from those that have walked in your footsteps before, then making the path your own from that experience. I reached out to mentors for advice and researched as much as I could, including videos on how to start the type of business I was wanting to create. I nurtured partnerships with a local interior designer to ensure I am considering the latest trends for stock decor items.
However, I would have to say the biggest struggle I had to overcome in the beginning was the need to juggle many hats to create the foundation for what I have now. Keeping overhead low was a priority, so instead of hiring experts to do the various tasks I needed done, I accepted the challenge and researched how to do them myself. Build a website from scratch? Me. Create design graphics and concepts, product photos, and detailed descriptions. Me Again. What about attention-grabbing marketing campaigns? You guessed it… Financial advisor? Social Media Coordinator? Customer Relations Expert? The list is endless. Even over a year later, I’m still learning new functions daily. However, the challenge to learn so many functions of starting a new business was exciting and rewarding. I never imagined I would be learning how to code a website or creating marketing videos from scratch!
Time Management, organization, and keeping the “family-owned business” mentality at the forefront is what has helped Axel Creations ARC succeed and grow to what it is today. Ensuring that each client I work with loves their items has truly driven our customer satisfaction, bringing clients back again and again. Additionally, staying organized with daily goals and structuring my time to manage all the aspects of my business along with my primary career has been essential to the success experienced thus far.
Above all, though, the unwavering support of my family, friends, and repeat clients, along with the guidance from my dearest mentors, has kept me focused and motivated and is truly heartfelt. I would not have been able to succeed without any of these individuals and for that, I am extremely grateful.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Professionally, I have always been in a retail leadership position with various home improvement companies. This is what has helped me develop a keen eye for design and graphic layout combined with a business savvy placed into every purchase with Axel Creations ARC. Initially, my love for customer satisfaction drove my success in my early years. This developed into a passion for people overall – ultimately driving me to become heavily involved in training and development with the associates I worked with along with specializing in customer relations and home design.
My passion for people and their interests have gained me many “adopted children” through my years of mentoring those around me – those of whom have helped continue to drive me when I struggle with the challenges I’ve faced. Helping people succeed and see their excitement for accomplishing something or gaining something fills my world with elation.
I’m also well known for my creativity, tenacity, ambition, and motivation when I set my mind to something. Regardless of the challenge, I typically don’t back down and try to maintain the mindset of “I believe I can” even when success seems bleak. I’m most proud of my leadership accomplishments that have given me the confidence to pursue building this business despite the challenges faced. And I love that I have built something that allows me to use my creativity on a daily basis to bring joy and bliss to others.
I believe these traits have helped me in so many ways with the individuals I have worked with – even with Axel Creations ARC. My tenacity keeps me going when challenges are hard and my motivation to succeed helps me endure. However, the passion for people is what truly drives the success with Axel Creations ARC. My business IS people. Whether I am producing an item for someone to place in their home, showing off their personality, or creating something personal to give as a gift to others, this passion for customer satisfaction is shown with every client to the fullest extent – treating each item as if it were my own. While I’m aware there are many options for consumers to get similar items, I believe this passion I place on every item changing a consumer into a client – making them family – is what sets myself and my business apart from others.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
Aside from watching the Cowboys game with my grandfather growing up? Haha!
I would have to say my favorite childhood memories were all the days I spent with my parents building our home from the ground up. We were a simple family and didn’t have much, but my parents worked incredibly hard to provide for our family. This included building our home one brick at a time.
I can remember days of helping my dad nail the studs together for the walls and roof. I was too young to do much more than literally hand him a single nail at a time, but I felt like I was a part of something important. Years later, just before I was a teen, my parents separated, and I continued to help my mom place the finishing touches such as kitchen cabinets, tile backsplash, and wainscoting (I just dated myself).
I realize now, these memories or experiences helped to develop me into who I am now. It was my first exposure to the world of home design and construction along with working hard to earn the things you gain in this life. It also taught me to have a sense of pride in everything I do and to put 100% effort into the smallest details.
Contact Info:
- Website: AxelCreationsARC.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/axelcreationsarc
- Facebook: Facebook.com/AxelCreationsARC
- Other: https://pin.it/7h6SnPjHu
