While many entrepreneurs build businesses around market demands, Katie Cleveland took a different, almost accidental approach. She created a product first and then nurtured a market for it—a tactic that has paid off for her several times in the last decade.

Creating The Next Best Thing

How Katie Cleveland’s Curiosity and Creativity Nurture a Multifaceted Personalization Business

By Barbara Platts

(Originally printed in the July/August 2024 issue of Insights.)

While many entrepreneurs build businesses around market demands, Katie Cleveland took a different, almost accidental approach. She created a product first and then nurtured a market for it—a tactic that has paid off for her several times in the last decade.

“I would just make something, put it out there, and see who liked it,” says Cleveland, the owner of Desert Pine Designs, a personalization and wood shop based in Peoria, Arizona.

Cleveland loved making things from an early age, learning about baking, painting, and crafting from her grandmother. In 2013, as a stay-at-home mom, she began teaching herself to build furniture out of necessity.

“We couldn’t afford to buy furniture, so I taught myself how to build it,” the Arizona native and mother of two says.

She documented her work in articles and tutorials on a blog titled A2D, or Addicted 2 DIY. “I wanted to teach other people who didn’t necessarily feel comfortable using power tools that you can teach yourself and feel more comfortable,” she says.

As Cleveland picked up new skills, her blog picked up new followers. About a year after starting A2D, she shared a tutorial on how to make painted kitchen towels. The post took off.

“People were like, ‘Please sell these,’” she says. “But I didn’t know how to mass-produce them.”

So she started to learn and soon launched an Etsy shop named A2D Creations. From her shop, she sold towels, custom furniture and woodwork, home décor, and more. In 2019, she changed the shop's name to Desert Pine Designs.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Cleveland returned to what she knew best: her creativity. With everyone staying home, stationary bike sales went through the roof. Cleveland decided to build her own wall organizer next to her Peloton bike where she could place her towel and water bottle during a workout. Similar to the kitchen towels she made in 2014, her creation was a huge hit. She priced the base model for the organizer at $400, and orders started flowing in. She and her husband were making 10 per day, working around 15 hours daily to complete the orders. This kept her busy for nearly two years. Then she was ready for the next thing.

“Being a creative person, I’m always wondering what I can make next,” she says.

The Personalization Pivot

A laser was Cleveland’s next source of inspiration. She figured it would help her cut and engrave her woodwork. Plus, it looked fun.

“I really wanted to get a laser to see what I could do,” she says.

Then, without intending to or really trying, she got into personalization.

“I started making a few tumblers, and suddenly it took off,” she says. “I was getting custom requests from friends for personalized water bottles for their kids to take to school.”

Before she knew it, Cleveland started getting large tumbler orders from companies all over the country.

“Once that started happening, I began to really try to nurture that side of the business and put much of my attention toward it,” she says. She purchased her second laser this year to keep up with all the orders she makes in her studio, a 2,400-square-foot shop she and her husband built next to their house, which is actually smaller. And the orders keep rolling in. Her clients range from businesses to individuals to schools.

Although Cleveland keeps up with the woodworking and custom furniture side of her business, she says she loves working in the personalization industry.

“Every sale I get I think is exciting,” she says. “I love the challenge of trying to grow [my business], trying to grow sales.”

Screens and Booths

There are two facets to Cleveland’s business. The first is custom woodwork, which she often sells at farmers markets and arts markets in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and beyond. The second is personalization items, which she sells primarily online.

“I like the markets a lot because I work predominantly by myself. The markets give me a chance to interact with customers and figure out what they’re liking,” she says. She also enjoys being able to network with other people working in similar fields.

Cleveland has found ways to offer personalization items at the markets as well. She recently bought a small laser that she takes with her so she can personalize items for customers in minutes. An example is her wooden travel maps, which are her biggest seller at the markets. They include a badge that can be personalized with a name and a quote or anything the customer wants.

“I used to take down the customer’s information and then make and mail all of the badges to them after the markets were over. Now, I’m able to personalize them right there in front of the customers,” she says.

 

Cleveland made these wall organizers during the pandemic when many
poeple were doing their workouts from home. They were an immediate hit.

Besides some personalization products sold at markets, Cleveland says the bulk of her orders come from the digital sphere. She still operates her Esty shop because she says it’s important to have a presence on the online marketplace as it helps her reach customers, and she thinks some customers feel safer ordering there. However, she tries to push most of her traffic to her website, especially for larger corporate and business-to-business orders.

“Etsy is how I got my start, and it’s amazing if you’re just starting out and trying to figure out what your niche is and what’s going to sell,” she says. “And still, nobody should ever put their eggs in one basket. I feel like you need to branch out and explore other avenues of making your sales.”

Desert Pine Designs has active Instagram and Facebook accounts, which Cleveland operates. She says she’s received some sales through that, such as personalizing Stanley cups for the spirit line at her kids’ high school. But she receives the lion’s share of her orders from Google searches. She thinks this is due to search engine optimization (SEO) that she learned to put in place during her time as a blogger.

 

The wooden travel maps are a best-seller at markets. Cleveland will add
a badge to the map than can be personalized with a laser in just minutes.

“The blogging side of things really taught me how to make sure that my item descriptions had good keywords so that you come up on Google searches,” she says. Although SEO can be challenging and ever-changing, Cleveland suggests writing item descriptions based on how you would search for something on Google.

Forging Ahead

Cleveland is excited to learn new tools that will help market and grow her business. She joined APA last year and attended the International Personalization Expo in Las Vegas in February.

Cleveland sells a lot of her woodwork at markets throughout the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and beyond.

“We went to the expo and loved it,” she says. “We plan to go every year just to learn new things. We really liked the classes on running a business as that’s something that can be tough.”

Whether it’s at the expo or the markets Cleveland attends, she loves networking with others in the industry.

   

“I’m really into the community over competition and helping each other out,” she says. “Because we can all grow together.”

As for what’s next for Desert Pine Designs, Cleveland is looking to get more involved in business-to-business orders and wholesale options. She’s also hoping to add a UV printer to her studio.

Since starting more than 10 years ago, Cleveland’s business has evolved from a necessity into a multifaceted venture, fueled each step of the way by her creativity and curiosity.

 

“I love the challenge of seeking out the next opportunity,” she says. “I get really inspired by that now, like, ‘What could I make? How could I help this business advertise themselves? What can I make for this business that they may want to give to their customers?’”

The only question that remains: What will Cleveland make next?

Barbara Platts is the managing editor of Insights Magazine. She has worked in journalism and marketing fields for the last 14 years and is excited to be learning all about the awards and personalization industry.