Category: Q&A

Owner of Smittens

LeeAnn Fay-Ellis is the owner of Smittens, a family-run business in Gilford that specializes in crafting mittens from upcycled and repurposed sweaters.

Explain your job and what it entails.

As a small business, so much of the job is staying organized. Scheduling events, accounting, ordering enough fleece for the liners, inventorying the stores we sell in and being sure we have enough product for each event. … Searching and thrifting for good sweaters can be fun, especially when I get to shop with my daughter. My husband does all of the cutting and matching of patterns and colors before sending them to me to be sewn. This starts our assembly line process.

How long have you had this job?

Smittens was started in 2011.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

In 2011 I saw a vendor selling sweater mittens at a craft fair that our 10-year-old daughter was selling at. She did a trade with her for a pair of sweater mittens for me. When we got home and I tried them on again I realized they didn’t fit well. I commented to my husband, David, that they felt more like an oven mitt and not very comfortable. He replied, ‘Why don’t you make your own?’ So we did. We went to our local thrift store to stock up on sweaters, found a pattern online, which I modified to tailor our mittens to fit better.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I have been a crafter for as long as I can remember. Both my mother and grandmother sewed and taught me the basics. I also took quilting classes. But as far as the modification of the sweater mittens, it was trial and error to get them to fit properly.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

The majority of our work is done at home … so I am fortunate to wear sweatpants or yoga pants and be as comfortable as possible. [For] during the selling season … we had fleece vests made with our names by another local artisan (Forever Memories in the Mall of New Hampshire.)

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Finding good wool sweaters. … Another challenge is making enough to supply for the multiple stores we are in and events we do.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

When we first started, we would only make two or three pairs at a time. We now focus on making 50 at a time and have more of an assembly line process.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

We, like many artisans, create year-round and have a very limited selling time, especially with mittens. The unknown expenses can be great and what we sell each pair for is not what we actually make.

Five favorites
Favorite book: No More Excuses by Sam Silverstein and Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself! – Crush the Excuses by Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue
Favorite movie: August Rush
Favorite music: My daughter’s Spotify account! Music from the ’70s to today.
Favorite food: Blackened Mahi Mahi
Favorite thing about NH: I love the beauty of the seasons. I was fortunate to grow up in the Lakes Region with the lakes and mountains as our backyard.

Featured photo: LeeAnn Fay-Ellis. Courtesy photo.

A talk with the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year

Howard Brodsky, co-founder of CCA Global Partners, has been named Citizen of the Year by the Greater Manchester Chamber for his business leadership and community service. He talked about what this award means to him, his criteria for supporting community projects and his insights on balancing local and global business initiatives.

What does being Citizen of the Year mean to you?

I’m deeply honored and humbled to receive this award. Growing up in Manchester, I’ve seen firsthand the resilience and spirit of this community. The past recipients of this award are leaders who have made invaluable contributions to improving lives here. It’s a privilege to now be included among them and to give back to the place that shaped me.

How do you select the community projects you support?

I look for organizations tackling our community’s biggest needs through innovative, collaborative solutions. Some of my top criteria include potential social impact, sustainability, and alignment with my values of inclusion and opportunity for all. I also seek out leaders who show a real commitment to empowering others. By working together, I believe we can build a stronger, more equitable future.

What’s a notable challenge you’ve overcome in your career?

Early in my career running my own business, I encountered significant financial difficulties that almost caused me to close my doors. It was an incredibly stressful time, but it also taught me lifelong lessons about resilience, adaptability and being prudent with resources. Challenges like that stay with you and make you a better problem-solver going forward.

Why fund a prize for young journalists?

My late son Jeff had a passion for journalism and giving voice to important stories. To honor his legacy, we created the Brodsky Prize to encourage promising young reporters across New Hampshire. An informed public is so vital for a healthy democracy. This award celebrates the investigative spirit and brings recognition to students pursuing truth and making a difference in their communities.

How do you balance local and global business interests?

While headquartered here, my businesses operate nationwide and globally. That gives me a platform to foster connections between our community and the wider world. It’s about promoting Manchester on the largest stages but also bringing international innovations and perspectives back home. With open channels of cooperation, I think we can leverage our local talents on a broader scale to make a greater impact.

What’s your main piece of advice for making a community impact?

Listen to understand the real, everyday challenges people face. Then roll up your sleeves and work together to develop bold yet pragmatic solutions that can scale to meet community needs. It’s also about empowering others — through mentorship, resources or opportunities. By investing in one another, we can build the strong, caring society we all want for future generations.

Featured image: Howard Brodsky. Courtesy photo.

Beekeeper

Alexiev Gavriluk is a beekeeper and owner of Mad Russian Apothecary in Derry.

Explain your job and what it entails. 

I keep bees. I help the bees make honey, then I sell the honey. I also teach people about our best practices and how we co-exist … and how they can coexist with the bees.

How long have you had this job? 

My wife and I got the bees during the pandemic, so I’ve been keeping them for four years. I learn from the bees every day and every season, so I’m constantly growing as a beekeeper. 

What led you to this career field and your current job? 

I’m disabled, and I’ve always worked blue-collar jobs. … I needed to find something I could do comfortably on my own. We’d always loved the idea of keeping a few hives … as a hobby. As I grew more involved in the meditation aspect of it, matching the energy of the bees, I also grew more in tune with the hives, and beekeeping became more than just a hobby … Also, I’m just really good at it. I also love talking with our honey customers at fairs and markets about the benefits of pure local honey and how good bees are for the environment.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I attended an online bee school taught by a master beekeeper. Everything else was self-taught, hands-on learning.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire? 

I wear long jeans, work boots, a beekeeping jacket, leather elbow gloves and a special veil attached to a hat. … When I’m working with the honey, I wear whatever I don’t mind getting sticky. When we’re working at a market or fair, my wife and I wear matching yellow plaid shirts.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

I work with hundreds of thousands of stinging insects buzzing around me — most people would find that a little challenging. But since I learned to operate on the bees’ frequency … the hardest part now is dealing with my disability. I had to adapt beekeeping to fit what I could do with my hands. I attached special handles to the boxes, additional bars to lift the frames and other little techniques to make the job more accessible.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

The bees know more than I do, and I’m better off assisting them than trying to control them.

What do you wish other people knew about your job? 

I’d want people to know the systemic harm … lawn pesticide or poison causes to our environment. The bees, the wildlife — everything suffers. … Also, I’d want people to know the value and importance of raw local honey, and why it’s often more expensive than … in supermarkets.

What was the first job you ever had?

Sweeping the parking lot and cleaning the dumpster area of a local convenience store when I was in fourth grade.

Five favorites
Favorite book: Necroscope by Brian Lumley
Favorite movie: Big Trouble in Little China
Favorite music: Punk rock and metal
Favorite food: I have two: shoo-fly pie, and obviously honey
Favorite thing about NH: We’re in the woods but still close to everything – city, mountains, ocean.

Featured photo: Alexiev Gavriluk. Courtesy photo.

A talk with the new director of the NH State Council on the Arts

Adele Bauman, who recently transitioned from the New Hampshire Division of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to become the director of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, shared insights into her career shift, her plans for utilizing the arts to bolster New Hampshire communities and her major goals for the Council, and offered some advice for aspiring artists in the state.

What made you switch from health and human services to the arts sector?

The arts became a part of my life in childhood. They remained a parallel passion throughout my adult life. I worked as a studio photographer and graphic designer prior to my joining NH DHHS. I had been with NH DHHS for almost 16 years when this opportunity arose at the NHSCA. I found myself leaping for the chance to transfer my state level government skillset to a state arts agency. I also had a previous focus on service to New Hampshire’s children and youth as a child protection service worker and then as an administrator at the Bureau for Children’s Behavioral Health. My time at the NHSCA offers me the ability to think about ways to support New Hampshire’s residents throughout their entire lifespan through the wellness the arts can bring to each of us.

How do you plan to use the arts to help New Hampshire communities?

The arts can provide wellness to our New Hampshire residents. Stronger individuals lead to stronger communities. Stronger communities lead to a stronger state. The arts can regenerate communities as well as provide opportunities for increased social connection, interface, collaboration and open-mindedness across populations regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Increased arts participation among New Hampshire students could enhance academic performance, increase their chances for success after high school and encourage them to become more dynamically engaged with their communities through participation with such things as voting and volunteerism. The arts are a major player for increasing economic drivers within communities. Increasing access and equity within the arts literally translates into health benefits for the community, which has a positive impact on the quality of life for all residents. This is true whether one is creating or viewing the arts.

What is one major goal you have for the Arts Council?

My major goal is to continue to support and strengthen both the mission and vision of the NHSCA. The State Arts Council provides a wide variety of services, competitive grants and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, schools, health care facilities and to individual artists with the intent to support the arts to thrive in New Hampshire and increase accessibility to all New Hampshire residents in all ages and stages of their lives.

Are there any specific groups or sectors you’re looking forward to working with?

Not especially. I have been learning so much about New Hampshire in my first few months of work. Seeing New Hampshire through the lens of our many local artists and art organizations fills me with so much pride and hope for what lays ahead.

How has your personal interest in art influenced your approach to this role?

In the same way that I could never fully put my camera down, I cannot take the ‘social worker’ out of who I am. Educating myself about how the arts impact wellness for humans of all ages drives my work. My wish is for all individuals to welcome the arts into their lives. The benefits are there to support and offset some of the more challenging aspects of our daily lives.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring artists in New Hampshire?

We all need you to keep creating, whether we all know it yet or not. Your dedication and hard work makes us all stronger.

Featured photo: Adele Bauman. Courtesy photo.

Event Planner

Melissa DeRusha is an event planner and owner of Star Events, based in Hudson.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I host craft and vendor fairs and family outdoor events in New Hampshire. As an event planner, I find venues around New Hampshire to rent. I draw up a contract for my vendors with all the info they need. After that, I create an event page on Facebook with advertising on a bunch of different platforms. Before the event, I continue advertising; then I will create a floor plan for where the vendors’ places will be. The day of the event, the vendors arrive and I have them placed in their spots, and they give me a donation of one of their products. I hold a penny sale raffle for a different charity or program at every event that we have. There is a lot of emailing involved and working with all the vendors.

How long have you had this job?

Four and a half years.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I loved organizing parties for my family, so I decided I would get into events. And this allows me to have a flexible schedule for my children.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I didn’t need any.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I wear tops based on the event theme with jeans or leggings.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Something challenging would be finding event space to host at.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

You need a lot of patience, and it’s not as easy as most people think.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

That craft fairs have come a long way. It’s not your old-style crafts. There are so many talented small-business owners as well as direct sale vendors. We have food trucks, face painting and so many fun things.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at Canobie Lake in the event center.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

To stick to my contract. — Angie Sykeny

Five favorites
Favorite book: Be Yourself
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite music: everything
Favorite food: french fries
Favorite thing about NH: camping

Featured photo: Michael J. White. Courtesy photo.