Small Business Spotlight - Concetti
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Small Business Spotlight

May 1, 2023 | Commercial, Detroit

As a small business ourselves, we can appreciate the triumphs and tribulations faced by all types of small businesses.  

However, from our own experience and partnerships with other small businesses, we can confidently say the pros far outweigh the cons.  

Small businesses have more creative freedom, independence, and equity. There are always new opportunities to learn and grow. More often than not, small businesses offer employees a deeper sense of purpose and connection.  

Above all, there’s more empowerment.  

Before starting Concetti, CEO + Principal Designer Rachel Nelson yearned for a work environment where everyone’s voice was heard, and everyone felt empowered to move the business and themselves forward.  

Not only did she end up cultivating an empowered team, but she soon realized that a confident, autonomous team is more motivated to make positive change within the community and attract like-minded clients and partners.  

Over the years, we’ve collaborated with several small businesses whose commitment to their team, customers, communities, and brand laid the groundwork for some of our most intentional projects yet.  

Here are three Detroit-based small businesses whose values and vision continue to inspire us:  

 

Good Cakes and Bakes 

If you were to look for a bakery that values their team, customers, and community more than Good Cakes and Bakes, you might be searching forever.  

Good Cakes and Bakes initially set out to create wholesome, organic, quality baked goods. They also wanted to employ those returning from incarceration as a way to ease their transition back into the community. As their business grew, their desire to give back expanded with it…which ultimately led them to us.

Having the shared belief that the spaces we work in have a profound impact on our well-being, we worked together to transform their bakery into a space that prioritizes the customer experience and activates previously unused areas to allow for more employee functionality and efficiency.  

It still fills us with pride to look back on this project and know we collaborated to achieve their goal. More than that, we know their employees and customers are in a better position to put forth more positivity in the Detroit community each and every day.  

 

 

Coriander Kitchen and Farm 

As the only Detroit restaurant that is both farm AND table, Coriander Kitchen and Farm is dedicated to creating nutritious and thoughtful food while supporting local farmers.  

However, this savvy small business knew they’d need more than an incredible mission and a prime Detroit River canal location to appeal to new customers…they also needed an atmosphere that was approachable and familiar enough for people to try their unique farm to table cuisine.  

Our design solution was to co-create a space that combined the industrial Detroit feel people know and love, with the quirky, farmhouse feels authentic to Coriander. The result? An eclectic space that aligned with their mission, values, and menu.  

In a fast-paced world where it’s tempting to take shortcuts and compromise, Coriander carved their unlikely niche in our city by living their truth, staying authentic, and reconnecting their patrons with the food they’re eating and enjoying.  

 

 

The Color Bloc 

We can’t help but wrap things up with the small business that gives back to Detroit creatives and embodies our city’s past, present, and future.  

Before the Color Bloc came into the space, it was solely the Banner Sign Co., which has been operating from the same space since 1924. Even more interesting than its nearly 100-year history, is how the Banner Sign Co. has stayed in the hands of small business owners who have managed to adapt and meet the needs of a growing design professional and art community.  

For decades, the Banner Sign Co. provided handcrafted illustrations to generations of local businesses. In the 1990’s, the company brought large format printing to the mix of offerings, extending its creative capabilities to include custom printing on acoustic panels, fabrics, wall coverings, tiles, and more. 

Fast-forward to 2021, the new owners of the Banner Sign Co., Digital Print Specialties (DPS), brought in Detroit’s first Benjamin Moore to offer a multi-service hub for artists, business owners, home improvement enthusiasts, and many more. 

In addition to recruiting our design strategy expertise to transform the space, DPS also encouraged us to use our rolodex of local partners to bring the multi-faceted design to fruition. The result? An award-winning project that wouldn’t have been possible without generations of Detroit small business owners.  

 

 

 

Are you looking to elevate your small business through interior design strategy? 

Connect with us today!  

What does “dopamine décor” mean to you?

Rachel: It’s the pieces that make you happy when you see them. An instant smile or giggle. For me, it’s unexpected whimsy and humor. In my house, I’ve got a brass fox head wearing sunglasses and a monkey-head planter with a gold tooth. They never get old. It’s about surrounding yourself shamelessly with things that make you happy. I can’t wait to bring pieces like this into my new home, Divinely Detroit, the historic church located in Indian Village.

 

How did you land on the name Moxie?

Rachel: At Concetti, our brand persona is “genuine moxie” which means kind, calm, loving, but bold in who you are. We’re always building our clients up to take that bold, courageous step. Moxie is the bold part. The “I don’t need permission” part. When you choose dopamine décor, you’re choosing to surround yourself with pieces others might not understand, but you love.

 

Who is Moxie for?

Rachel: It’s for anyone who’s been told they’re too much, too loud, too bold. It’s for the person who wants that little empowering piece in their day whether that’s a trucker hat, a beautiful candle, or funky lamp. It’s for people who want to surround themselves with pieces lovingly crafted and curated to give you a little dose of empowerment.

How do you stay creatively energized when building something from scratch?

Rachel: I’ve never subscribed to the idea that your life should follow a certain timeline. Since I was 16, I knew I wanted to be an interior designer. That’s 23 years of being dedicated to one decision, and it still feels good and in alignment.
When I create something new, it’s like a spark goes off. I listen to that inner knowing. I tell my team, “One step in front of the other.” It might be clumsy, but you’ve got to start moving.

What design rule do you love to break?

Rachel: Any of them. If I want to turn my dining room into a recording studio or a kids’ playroom, then I will, and you should feel empowered to, as well. The only rules worth following are the ones that make you feel good in your own space.

What advice would you give to creatives who feel “too much” for the design world?

Rachel: There’s no such thing. What you’ve been told is “too much” is your superpower. That’s what makes you different and magnetic. Stand in your power. Make decisions from alignment, not shame or guilt. Be unapologetically you because that’s when you really shine.

Favorite dopamine décor brands or artists?

Rachel: Regina Andrew (Detroit-based and stunning), Seletti (monkeys holding lightbulbs, peacock lamps), Noir (the hand chair!), Bold Monkey, Zoe Bios (customizable art), and Eric & Eloise (quirky brass animal heads). I make them weird with purple lights in my basement because it makes me laugh every time.

What do you hope people feel when they bring home a Moxie piece?

Rachel: I want them to feel excited and happy. I want unboxing to be an experience that exceeds expectations whether it’s something you wear and feel empowered in or something in your home or business that gives you that hit of joy every time you pass it.

What does success look like for Moxie?

Rachel: Moxie is more than numbers, it’s a movement. It’s about inclusivity, empowerment, and telling people they’re perfect exactly as they are.

One mindset shift that changed everything for you as a founder?

Rachel: Realizing that everything I need is already within me. I can surround myself with mentors and partners, but at the end of the day, I’m the only one living my truth.

Advice for creatives carving their own path?

Rachel: Persistence wins. Your journey is your own. Do the things that light you up and keep going. Pause to reflect on what’s working, what’s draining you, and what you can add back in to make you excited again. There’s no one else like you so own it.

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