We had the good fortune of connecting with Diana Andrade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was pretty simple, life is too short to not try new things, take risks, and just go for it. There truly is nothing like being in charge of your own time, and getting to dedicate it to the things you truly enjoy and care about.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love our business because it’s one we’ve built from the ground up as husband and wife. Getting to work alongside my husband has been a gift, and has only brought us closer together.

A few things I love about our business is that it incorporates engineering & the creative arts. We started out with a single 3D printer, iPad, and a lot of guts!

Since launching our brand in January 2021 we’ve been able to reach 53k sales on Etsy and 15k followers on Instagram. Of course, it is not all about the numbers, however it is nice to look back and say I DID THAT.

We proudly serve the polymer clay artist community. (INSANELY TALENTED PEOPLE), I highly recommend checking out our Instagram to learn more and view their art.

We have been able to print approximately 100,000 polymer clay cutters (imagine miniature cookie cutters) made out of 100% recycled PET plastic right out of our home office and have shipped to artists all around the world. Our customers use our product to create unique earrings for their own small business. I design the shapes, make the earrings, and my husband handles all the hard engineering stuff!

As for my professional background, it was not at all easy. Having been raised by uneducated, immigrant parents, was a huge accomplishment for me to even make it to University. My parents were also not able to fund my education, so I spent most of my college career working. Waitressing, food delivery, and picking up remote jobs was how I managed to pay for it. I majored in Wildlife Biology and minored in environmental geoscience (yes, fellow tree hugger!) I love the outdoors and I also love learning about earth systems.

As for my entrepreneurship education, it was very limited, I learned everything I know from my older brothers, and parents, all which are also self employed.

They say entrepreneurship is the hardest of careers and I will say I 100% agree. But it is so worth it! Taking that first step is the hardest part.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I find that my favorite places to visit in Dallas usually revolve around art and nature, such as the various museums and the arboretum. And as a vegetarian, I am so thankful for the variety of healthy restaurants in the area like Veats and Xaman Cafe. Being around positive people who can find and appreciate the beauty in the little things that life has to offer us are special. These experiences are what fuel my artistic inspiration, and in turn, my life!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Cutterly Designs would not exist without our incredibly talented mechanical & manufacturing engineer, Cesar Andrade (my husband), our amazing shop manager, Mary Sandoval and my supportive family (Los Vazquez) who are always willing to help when and however needed. No kidding when they say it takes a village!

Website: Cutterlydesigns.etsy.com

Instagram: cutterlydesigns

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