Recently the staff of CraftRevolution.com had the chance to sit down with Marie from The Sampler. We found her fresh approach to life and business a joy to experience, and we’re sure you’ll feel the same way.

[CR]Many of us know you as Marie The Bee, which is really cute, but what is your real name?

[Marie] Maria Theresa Rios Kare, but “Marie” works, or “Marie the Bee” or “M the B” or “Hey!”

[CR] Where are you living now?

[Marie] Currently I’m in Berkeley, CA… but looks like I might be moving to Sacramento here in a sec.

[CR] Before we talk about your special niche, would you mind telling us what your favorite craft to pass the time with is?

[Marie] hmmm… one thing I find very relaxing is weaving. I have a children’s table-top heddle loom that is adorable. So nice.

[CR] It sounds really neat! Have you ever worked in the art industry before?

[Marie] The only “real” job I’ve ever had was working for a dot-com as a content developer and all-around marketing goob. It didn’t last, of course, but I really miss my sweet sweet desk, my cool chair and (of course) the social caché of being able to say, “Hey, look at me! I’m one of those dot-com jerks!” — which, here in Berkeley, goes a long way, I assure you. Other than that, I’ve been working on my own line of crafty whatnot for about 3 years and I briefly had a tiny boutique of handmade things (sigh).

[CR] Would you share with us something you have learned about the craft world that surprised you?

[Marie] That many people are just as insecure about what they do as I am — even people who, to me, seem to really have it together and are not only amazingly talented crafters/artists but remarkable businesswomen as well.

[CR]That sounds like something that everyone should keep in mind as they work towards their goals. What advice would you give to other designers, artists and crafters who are just starting out?

[Marie] Be nice! The craft world is a very small place — too small for cruelty or spitefulness. Also: spellcheck.

[CR] The staff at CR are also huge spellcheck fans! Can you recommend any great resources in your field?

[Marie] The best resource I’ve found so far has definitely been the friends I’ve made. Those foxes totally rock. Kindness, wisdom, support, foxiness etc. all from an organic (mostly, ahem!) and renewable resource. I won’t name names because then everyone will be beating down their inbox doors. Also good: the Switchboards.

[CR] We love The Switchboards too! It’s where we met. So tell us, who has been the most supportive of your business?

[Marie] My fiancé who has been a sounding board for all my schemes and my parents, who I’m sure would love to see my pursuing a more stable sort of career, but continue to support me nevertheless.

[CR] Having a supportive family is definatly a bonus. Now, we all know you come across some of the best new products on the net, so you have to tell us- what was the last item you bought online?

[Marie] Eeep! Very very early this morning I bought a bee rubber stamp.

[CR] Too cute. For those who don’t know, what is the full name of your company?

[Marie] The Sampler — a division of Heart Tattoo. Doesn’t that sound official? I did it this way so I didn’t have to get a new business license. I’m lazy.

[CR] It’s very official sounding! What exactly is The Sampler?

[Marie] It’s a bit difficult to explain. The blurb on the site says: The Sampler is a promotional/distribution tool for indie businesses. Each month, indie crafters, shops, zines and record labels who run web-based businesses send samples and promotional materials to a contribution pool. I portion out the goodies, put them in little packages, then send them off to Sampler Subscribers and back to contributors!

But I think it’s become a bit more than that. There are all kinds of fun ways to get involved (see the Fun Stuff page) and I really think a bit of a community has cropped up around the Sampler. So: the Sampler is a crafty/indie-business community where really fun things happen and everyone is really nice.

[CR] We love the Fun Stuff page as well- it’s an easy way to get sidetracked from the everyday grind. Speaking of the everyday grind, when did you first launch The Sampler?

[Marie] August of 2004.

[CR] What made you decide to start The Sampler as a business?

[Marie] It seemed like such a fun idea and surprisingly other people thought so, too. I really only ever thought it would be a side project, but it quickly became my full-time job. I guess decided to go with it because I knew there had to be a better way to advertise a crafty business than paying $300 for a tiny ad that people might not see. Also, you get stuff in the mail and that’s pretty rad.

[CR] It must be hard dealing with all the customers- both vendors and retail clients. What’s the biggest customer service challenge you face?

[Marie] I try to remind myself to Stay Calm. Most of my customer service happens over email, so it’s often hard to interpret a customer’s meaning without the standard cues of body language and tone of voice. If they come off a little testy, don’t get upset! Customers don’t and won’t understand if you’re having a bad day of if you’ve got tons of other work to do — they just want whatever they want and quickly. Be courteous. Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean…

[CR] What is the worst part of running The Sampler?

[Marie] Worrying. I worry about everything. Also: paper cuts… so many paper cuts.

[CR] What do you think are your greatest strengths in running your business?

[Marie] I like to think that my strengths are my friendliness and diplomacy. For the Sampler, it’s been very important to me to develop a community type vibe and I think that a more relaxed/friendly approach and my accessibility have really helped achieve this.

[CR] What would you say are your weaknesses?

[Marie] I tend to be a bit of a push-over. I really need to learn to say no to people and projects. I think this has something to do with my constant worrying… Also, anything with math is pretty rough going.

[CR] Math isn’t our favorite thing either. What is the best part of doing The Sampler?

[Marie] Oh man.. it’s all pretty fun. I guess just being able to see something I’ve created succeed. That totally rocks. Ooh.. and I super dig the coloring pages.

[CR]Why do you think it is important for consumers to buy from independent designers and crafters?

[Marie] My own reasons for buying from independent designers/crafters all center around a sense of individuality. I want things that are unique and have a history. I like knowing that someone put a lot of care and effort into an object and I think that makes it far more precious. It’s also just awesome to help people out on the way to fulfilling their dreams. Each time you purchase something from a crafter/designer you’re getting them one step closer to what they want to do, and one step further from that job they hate or the blasé reality of daily life.

[CR] We couldn’t agree more. One final question for you - what do you think makes you a revolutionary?

[Marie] My beret, mustache and marxist leanings?! Perhaps it’s simply the tenacity to see my one idea (the Sampler) bare fruit, no matter what. …and the ability to use cool words like “tenacity.”