The husband-and-wife team behind Loftipop, a local Etsy shop, Rachel and Ryan O'Neill discovered a mutual desire to own their own business while also finding a way to satiate their creative outlet. Now their popular shop features an eclectic line of art prints and designs based out of Sarasota. We chatted with Rachel about her growing business, as well as the couple’s aspirations and goals for the future.

What pushed you both into pursuing a business in the creative industry, specifically art prints?

Ryan was always a graphic designer and I knew that there was something that we could do [together]. We wanted to be creative and also just see if anything could come from it. It took us a bit to figure out that it was going to be art prints, but once we started, [the business] flourished and grew. 

 Currently, Loftipop is just an online store. Do you plan to expand to retail locations or stores?

Within an hour of launching our Etsy shop, we got our first sale and things just started moving from there. We have not had a chance to focus on the wholesale side of our business, but it’s something on our list. We will always be focused on e-commerce. This gives us the opportunity to sell worldwide rather than in just one particular area.

What is the inspiration behind the designs? Could you describe your design process?

We go with whatever we are interested in at the time. We follow design trends and also just our own intuition as far as what we think is cool. We really love modern, vintage, and rustic elements. I know that sounds all over the place, but it keeps things exciting.

Regarding our design process, we usually have some ideas about what we want to create. I'll make a list and even some mock up design/drawings, then Ryan runs with those ideas and we work back and forth until we've reached a desired outcome.

 How would you describe your designs?

Our style is eclectic, but not heavy; the designs are pretty simple, light and fun. Honestly, it depends on the collection we are designing – some collections are more modern, while others have a vintage-inspired feel.

What is your most popular product? Do you have plans for introducing new products?

We don’t really have a most popular product. But as we grow we definitely want to expand our product base. We’ll probably stick to home décor and drinkware, but the sky is the limit.

 What is your goal for your business? 

Our ultimate goal is to grow our business and create good jobs for our community, especially the young people. We have two amazing creative colleges here and so many talented graduates that are leaving Sarasota. We don't have enough good-paying creative jobs in this city, and that would be something awesome to create and be a part of.