Despite being an Ohio native, Allison Kuhlman is relatively new to Cleveland’s artisan scene. After living on the East Coast for seven years, Kuhlman moved to Cleveland in 2018. The full-time wedding photographer jumped into a new career last year, opening up Wander Plant Pots, a journey that we profile here. With her business taking off, we asked Kuhlman three questions about her first year as a full-time member of Cleveland’s artisan scene.
Cleveland Magazine: What’s it like to be in a city with such a big artisan scene?
Allison Kuhlman: It’s great. I started my business during COVID so I wasn’t able to network, but I had so many people reach out to me over social media to say hi and offer their help. It’s really nice to be in a community where everyone follows their passions.
CM: What was it like to start a business during a global pandemic?
AK: It was really interesting, especially considering the plant industry as a whole had a boom during the pandemic. People bought plants for everything from stress relief to decoration, so it was cool to see them reach out and show me how they were using the pot they bought.
CM: What does the future look like for you and your business?
AK: I’ve been thinking about this a ton. Weddings are picking back up so that’s been back to taking up a lot of my time. I’ve focused in on things that are customer favorites or things that I enjoy doing. Instead of doing customized orders, I’m doing smaller batches of pots focused on things that people really like. I’m trying to do it in a more intentional way.
