Interview by Mercedes Arnold

Kristan Vermeulen: My name is Kristan Vermeulen, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am the founder and podcast host for Makers of the USA. 

Maine Vibes Magazine: How did your podcast come to be? Why makers and why a podcast? 

KV: I started Makers of Maine when I started my business back at the peak of the pandemic. It was February 2020, I had just had my son, I had lost all of my PR clients, and was a stay-at-home mom. I felt the need to do something a bit more creative during a time when we were in limbo and no one knew what was going to happen. I’m a very work-driven person and I also like to support and give back to the community. I wanted to create a storytelling platform to share maker’s stories because I was already doing it as a publicist. 

I was so frustrated, even before the pandemic, that a lot of small businesses weren't getting the light shed on them as much. It was hard to pitch stories to national and local press because they were overwhelmed. I decided to create my own business because I thought it would be fun and why not? I landed on a podcast because a lovely woman named Patsy Wiggins, a former anchor at Channel 13, had told me there was no existing platform of a podcast or media outlet that tells stories about makers, what they do with their hands or creative minds, and their process. I decided to run with that idea. 

I had help from friends because I had no idea what a podcast was and I had no idea what equipment to get. I started in my bedroom closet, and my very first interview was with Becky McKinnell, with Wildwood Oyster Company, and owner of iBec Creative, and we did the interview on zoom. 

It was amazing to start this platform, it was all me, it was my other baby. I wanted to put my own strategy and creativity towards it, and put my own definition of a maker against it. When a lot of people think of a maker, they are crafting with their hands and coming up with a product. In my case, I feel that there is a lot more to a maker than only crafting with their hands and coming up with a product, which is amazing. There's also the creative mindset, the process of art. What's that thing that's coming into your soul and getting put on paper? To explain that it's mind-boggling to me and I wanted to depict that. 

There's so much to make and craft that I wanted to define a bit more because I think a lot of people don't understand what that could mean from a broader standpoint.  So, that's kind of how it grew, and I cannot believe it's a national outlet today.

MVM: Listening to you, I can feel your endless curiosity and drive to learn. Where does that come from? 

KV: I like this question! So drive, when I was growing up, my mom, in particular, was always saying, you can't go to school and expect to get a full-time job coming out. She would say, you need to have experience, you need to add something to your resume. I think that was the best advice that was given to me. When I was in high school and into college, I worked my butt off and tried to get those opportunities, whether they be free or paid. I started off working in a retail shop as a cashier, then I provided tours and workshops for tourism groups locally, where I grew up in Maryland. I could see the benefit of really getting into something in order to lift yourself up and grow and I became obsessed with it. I know that kind of work and drive can be exhausting, but that is what drives me. I want to work hard at something that I believe in, and I encourage others to do the same thing. 

And, I would say my mom was my biggest cheerleader and the one that really gave me that lift. But also at the same time, I wanted to prove to other people that I could do something because there were some doubts. People in my family didn’t think I’d go to a four-year college, let alone get my master’s degree. I did, and I worked my butt off doing it. I’m so happy with what I've achieved and the goals that I've set for myself, and I do have more goals that I’d like to meet. I always encourage folks, whatever goals they have in mind, they can definitely achieve them. 

MVM: So you started talking about what drives makers to do their craft. Have you found any commonalities between those who you’ve interviewed? 

KV: I would say the biggest commonality between all the makers that I've interviewed thus far is community. Especially here in Maine, a lot of people have built this community of, not only like-minded makers but more of a community of makers of all sorts that share their passions and talk about the challenges. Everyone has their challenges as an entrepreneur, so I feel the community is definitely that common ground, and even outside of Maine, it’s very similar. I'm very lucky to live in Maine because there is such a big community of makers and it's so easy to find them, versus other states, it’s not. When I go to other states it's more that their drive comes from their passion; if the passion weren’t there, then they wouldn't exist. That passion of going into their shop every day to do something that fills their soul is common through every single maker that I've talked to. So, I would say community and passion are big, big ones.

MVM: Would you say your passion is storytelling? 

KV: I would definitely say a passion of mine is storytelling, but my biggest passion is supporting others. The whole reason why I started this platform was to help tell stories of makers that didn't know how to tell their stories or were scared to get them out there. As a former publicist, I helped coach them into that. It's a matter of, what types of questions you ask, how you get that out of them, and what are the appropriate questions. What's a good flow? The flow is what it's all about, so I feel like that's [storytelling] my craft. I care about makers telling their stories in the most authentic way, in the right way. I've had to go back to some makers to retell their stories because they didn't like it the first time, but that’s fine with me. I wanted to tell their story in the most truthful, honest way and I want them to enjoy it. That’s what journalism should be. 

MVM: I agree, I want MVM stories to stay true to who the person is and is as authentic as possible to that person(s). How do you find makers to interview? 

KV: Word of mouth! I had gone to Washington state, which was the trump that prompted me to go national. There was a maker out there that handcrafts chef’s knives, one of the best bladesmiths in the world. I went out there to interview him and was telling him how excited I was to find out more about the other makers in that area as well. He then proceeds to tell me about a maker who bought a piece of equipment from him, who builds 17th-century organs. I thought I had to interview this guy, I was so excited, that’s just one example. It’s really makers knowing other makers, and they tell their stories about the ebbs and flows of their journey which leads to another maker. 

MVM: Do you ever get nervous before or during an interview? 

KV: Yes. Before an interview, I tend to question myself and have to remember what I’m going to ask them. I worry that people are going to judge me, or what if my storytelling sucks? What if they aren’t comfortable? Am I doing the right things to make them comfortable? After I get through that mindset, I'm fine. I get to the point where I’m like, I'm gonna do this and get into a flow. Once I start hitting those raw questions, like a deep dive into their story, that's what makes me happy, then I could care less about my nerves. I get more nervous from the video component of it. 

MVM: The video component is tough. I usually panic before posting videos because I start questioning myself, do I want to do this? Do I want to put myself out there like this? I know I have a harsher lens than somebody else would, but it’s scary. 

KV: Oh, it is. Definitely, it is for anybody. You'll notice when you look at my social media and my website, and the way I marketed myself, I never put myself out there at first. It was more the maker and their products. Then my friends started to notice and encouraged me to put myself out there if I wanted to grow bigger because my story is unique as well.  Sometimes I feel alone in the process. While there are many successes, there are some negatives. When you’re a one-woman show, you feel alone sometimes. I can’t wait to get to a point where I have a team so we can share success together. 

MVM: I’ve been thinking about the value of having a team since I started my business and how much that contributes to being successful. I’d love to have one. Back to you though!! How do you prepare for an interview? Take us behind the scenes of your podcast.

KV: So, the prep for each maker is on a case-by-case basis. Some makers I've known about for a while, and it's been a dream to talk to them and have a conversation, and then some that I don’t know as well I put a lot of research in before meeting with them. It’s nice to get that raw conversation out of somebody and see how they speak to certain questions. I like going case-by-case with a maker talking about the process of their craft, who they are as an individual, how they grew their business, and any advice they would give to other makers. What does community mean to them? I always end with the question of, why they make and craft in the area that they live in. And has that helped them? That's a little behind the scenes of the podcast. However, not only do I focus on the interview itself though, but I focus on the photography and videography behind it. I have to come up with a shot list of what to capture of someone’s craft from a visual standpoint. If that wasn’t happening, I probably wouldn’t be capturing their story in the right way. I’m so grateful to have the capability to capture the visual side of it, too.

That’s the behind-the-scenes of the storytelling process, but there’s a lot more to the editing of the podcast. I do the first cut of editing and then send it to my audio engineer, Trevor. I do my own graphics, content, writing, social media, promotion, PR, and everything. It takes a lot of time and energy but I’m ready and willing to do it. 

MVM: There is so much going on behind the scenes! It’s important to recognize you for that. 

KV: Thank you, it’s a lot. You know, going into podcasts, they are a huge platform where there are so many of them out there. I knew going into it that I was going to be one of many, so how can I be a differentiator? 

MVM: Ok, so you have a podcast, but what podcasts do you listen to? 

KV: I listen to Kylie Low’s podcast, Dark Downeast about true crime stories. She is amazing, I’ve learned a lot from her! There are other maker’s podcasts that I listen to, Makers of Minnesota by Stephanie Hansen is one. I also listen to a few NPR podcasts. 

MVM: When you think about your podcast and the work you’ve put out, how do you remain positive and not critical of your work? That’s something I’ve struggled with questioning, are people going to like this? Do they care? 

KV: That’s a tough one because I’m always critiquing myself. At first, when I started the podcast, I thought it was going to be a hobby. I think it’s testing the waters, giving yourself creative freedom. You’re already putting yourself out there. I know people have likes and dislikes, that’s just who they are. I like and encourage others, to give feedback whether it be good or bad. I do get negative reviews on my podcast and I question them, but those don’t stop me. I would say, ignore the onesie twosies, go with your gut, your creative mindset, and your passion. You are the person that’s creating and spreading joy and if that fills the passion in your soul, as long as you do that, you shouldn’t worry about what others think. 

MVM: Thank you, that’s good advice. It is difficult to practice that, life is busy and time flies. I feel like we have to make time to put positive thinking into practice. I was listening to your most recent podcast on your flyfishing getaway. You were talking about how European makers’ markers are different than the US. Could you talk about that? 

KV: That’s one of the reasons why I started this whole thing! When I left college, I was an event planner for the government and traveled to military bases in Europe. My boss would tell me about the makers’ markets in Germany. I ended up going to one of them and there were all these wooden cottage tents for vendors. Sometimes they are practicing their craft in them, it’s amazing. All of the vendors have their own little cottages. The community would come out to the market, sip their mulled wine, catch up with others, having conversations, it seemed like a great time. 

They are bringing their community together and enjoying themselves, it’s an experience and part of their culture. When I saw that, I wanted to know what it was about those markets that created that feeling of community and celebration of makers. I would love to shift our mindset over here. Every state and local community is different with different cultures and approaches to life. I would love to do that in event settings where we can bring voices together and have meaningful conversations while having fun. 

MVM: Do you think there’s a difference because of how the US is so hyper-focused on commercialism? 

KV: Yeah, I can see that, but I do think over time there’s going to be that shift here. We’re already seeing it, people are taking their passions and starting their own businesses.

MVM: Right, and your podcast seems to highlight the sense of community that comes from being a maker. 

KV: Yeah, it is. Lately, what I’ve been doing on my podcast are these roundtable interviews. I did a fly fishing one, and we all sat around a campfire and talked about how our experiences are relatable even though we are all makers in different ways. I think those types of authentic conversations can lead to people agreeing on similarities and they can feel like they can have those conversations within their own communities. Last night I interviewed Model Airplane, a 14-piece band. We all sat in this tiny room and it was like a therapy session. They were finding out things about each other they hadn’t known prior to the interview. That’s why I do this. It’s really great to connect with makers and be able to share their stories. 

Thank you, Kristan for sharing a coffee and taking the time to talk with Maine Vibes Magazine!! Now go listen to Makers of the USA!!

Web: https://makersoftheusa.com

Instagram: @makersoftheusa

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