Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Chiarel.
Hi Elizabeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Like so many children of Greek immigrants, I spent most of my childhood visiting Greece every summer to spend time with my family there, including both sets of grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins. Every time I would visit, I loved shopping in the city of Athens and of course the Greek islands. I fell in love with Greek ceramics in my teen years and remember the first piece my mom ever bought for me. I began collecting colorful ceramics made in a variety of workshops.
Many years later I heard of a European ceramics sale happening in Northern Virginia so I was eager to go. I couldn’t believe the number of people there purchasing beautiful serving pieces from Italy and Hungary. I decided at that moment to source a line of ceramics from Greece. Later that summer my husband and I were in Greece and visited one of the islands and found a beautiful line from a workshop in Patra, Greece. We made contact with the family there and three years later participated in an international gift show in the Washington, DC area (where I grew up) as a vendor. The rest is history.
I was determined to find the best name for the business as I could so that it would truly represent Greece. So, one day after thinking about it day in and day out the idea of “SO BLUE” came to mind. When I would return home in the summers after trips to Greece, I would show my friends photos of the beaches and Greek islands. Greece is known for its beautiful seas and the blue water is gorgeous. My friends would ask me “is the water there really that blue?” and I would respond “yes, it is so blue…” This is how I came up with the name.
From that show in 2002 until today we have been involved in Greek festivals and other types of pop-ups including holiday gift shows all over the East Coast. Because of my husband’s career with the federal government, we have moved twice and have been in Lexington since 2009.
Over the years we have sourced ceramics from workshops all over Greece and now carry a line of table linens and other handmade gifts from Greece. There is so much talent in our beloved Greece, and we love to represent the artists.
In 2020 we realized we had to find a new way to sell our ceramics and other products from Greece. My daughter, who sadly had to leave Boston and her last semester of college due to the pandemic, agreed to create my website and finally bring the business online for the first time ever as an e-shop.
Because of her experience in social media and graphics the business took off as we joined so many others on Instagram and Facebook.
It was our hope as members of the Greek church in Columbia to be able to participate in Columbia’s annual Greek Festival. We are praying the situation will allow us to in 2022.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first years were a challenge for many reasons. When I had the idea to start this, I was a mom to a 2-year-old. Then my son was born in 2000 so I delayed the idea for a couple of years. Only with the help of my family and friends was I able to be a vendor at shows since my kids were so young.
Once we set in motion the import process we had to learn about customs duties, shipping, etc. Bringing over ceramics is not easy. They have to be packed well, and not all the workshops are experienced enough to do this.
You have to also be able to put aside your own preferences for design and color and not only sell what you as a buyer like. You have to have a variety for your customers. Also, price points are very important. It is crucial to have a little bit of everything as to appeal to everyone’s budget.
In addition to pricing, it is important to realize not everyone appreciates the value and worth of handmade ceramics. Some will tell you your prices are too high and others will tell you the opposite. Handmade and hand-painted ceramics will usually sell themselves but not all will realize the work it takes to produce these pieces making them more expensive than mass-produced items.
Of course, when I started there really wasn’t anyone doing this kind of thing with ceramics like this. Today there is much more competition in the market, especially in the Greek American market. I like to find ceramics and other products that not everyone has. I like to be unique and offer something different.
The pandemic has certainly brought its challenges on so many fronts. Not being in person to sell is difficult. God willing once things are better it is our hope to be back on the Greek festival circuit. Seeing something in person especially handmade ceramics is so much easier from a selling perspective. Sometimes pictures do not accurately reflect the beauty of a piece or the colors.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Before I started So Blue Greek Ceramics and Gifts, I was a high school guidance counselor. I have my Master of Arts in Psychological Services and an undergraduate degree in International Relations. I chose to be a stay-at-home mom when my son was born and then shortly after that had the idea to start this business.
I grew up working in my dad’s restaurants and learned how important it is to treat people well and to provide the best customer service I can. My father taught me to respect and appreciate your customers and of course, he taught us the Golden Rule like no one could.
In addition, I love Greece so much and had the most fortunate experiences to be able to spend so much of my life there. I am proud to represent artists from there and show people all the beauty that is created there.
We also initiated a fundraiser for a camp ministry sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and raised thousands of dollars in less than a month in 2020 and continued last month.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Growing up in Greece every summer and being with my family and making so many friends. We would travel there almost every summer and spend time between the two villages my parents grew up in. It was so important to my parents that we know our families.
Contact Info:
- Email: sobluegreekceramics@gmail.com
- Website: sobluegreekceramics.com
- Instagram: sobluegreekceramics
- Facebook: sobluegreekceramics
Image Credits
Maria Chiarel
Elizabeth Chiarel
