Made in the Suburbs: The Steelworker's Daughter

An interview with Debbie Boghossian, owner of The Steelworker's Daughter in Palatine.

Q: Describe your company. What product(s) do you make and what are they used for?

A: I work with a variety of metals to create unique wall art, holiday art, garden art and planters, and luminaries, as well as custom pieces such as saws, shovels and other tools.

I recently branched out to repurpose antique milk cans, hand-pump fire extinguishers, gas cans and the like into one-of-a-kind, beautiful pieces of art.

I opened my online business on Oct. 13, 2021. A Palatine resident and mother of three, I started The Steelworker's Daughter from the ground floor - well, the garage floor. I researched. I studied. I learned about different types of metal, different grades of metal, and different kinds of paints and finishes. I studied more. I set up shop in our family's two-car garage, learning my craft.

Starting with metal birds, I created delightful woodpeckers, cardinals and hummingbirds out of aluminum or raw steel. I hand-painted them or applied other finishes. Pretty quickly, I branched out into the found antique objects.

I do custom work as well. A 5-foot saw became a barn scene, complete with a barn (of course) but also a cow, pumpkin patch and scarecrow. A hand-drawn picture of five friends from 1945 became a custom sign for a memorial garden. And a blurry image of a tree became a piece of yard art for a shed.

Q: Describe the process of making your products.

A: I have three main categories of work: metal art designs for the home and garden that I can replicate, custom art and repurposed antiques. Each piece starts with the design or inspiration. It can be something drawn by a client, an old fire extinguisher found in an antique shop or my imagination. A lot of pieces are hand cut, so I take a piece of chalk and draw the concept on the metal.

I also use a computer software program to generate designs and send them to clients for their approval. Next is the cut. This is done with a plasma cutter by hand or the aid of a CNC table. Then comes the cleaning, sanding, painting and finishing. It really depends on what I am making. I have developed several techniques to achieve different looks.

I particularly enjoy painting with metal dyes. Flame painting raw metal is also a popular technique - I take a torch to heat up the metal, creating different hues of browns, purples and blues.

I really enjoy custom designs because of the close working relationship I develop with the client. It's fun to start with a concept and work from there. I allow for unlimited revisions, and I look at it as a partnership. I enjoy sharing pictures and videos of the process. I always make them wait to see the final piece in person - I think there's something special about unwrapping it. I never feel as if I can fully capture a finished piece with a picture, so I love getting a response from a customer once they've opened their package.

Q: Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?

A: Nope. I'm a one-gal operation. I design, cut, clean, paint, ship and do all the marketing myself. I do get a lot of support from my family. My husband is my biggest cheerleader, and my daughters are very social media savvy. I have family and friends who text me pictures of antiques they find when they're out and about. I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful community to support me.

Q: Do you have enough space in your current facility or are you looking to expand/find a new facility?

A: My garage is my studio. I love the space because it's mine. I love being able to work from home and have the flexibility to go to my son's soccer games, drop my work and take a FaceTime call from my daughters who are at college, or paint in my backyard on a beautiful day.

Q: What will your company's main challenges be in the next year?

A: Growing my audience. Social media and word-of-mouth are my main sources of marketing. I obviously did not grow up with social media and it's not my favorite thing to do, but I have learned that if I don't post, I don't sell. So figuring out how to get past social media algorithms, learning the best way to market, taking professional-looking pictures that truly represent the pieces, and finding the time will be a challenge.

Q: What's the hottest trend in your industry?

A: I try not to follow trends. As a small-business owner, I cannot compete with the larger stores, particularly regarding price - they have cookie-cutter designs and large warehouses to mass produce and store items. Keeping my pieces unique and created by hand makes my business stand out.

Q: Do you have a business mantra?

A: I don't have one single business mantra, but I do have a white board in front of my desk on which I write phrases that are positive and inspiring. They're simple things like "It's going to be a great week," "There's enough time for everything," or "I did it!"

Q: What is one interesting fact about your company that most people may not know?

A: My late father, Mike Pawloski, is the inspiration behind the name The Steelworker's Daughter. A steelworker in northwest Indiana from high school graduation to his retirement (minus his time in the Vietnam War). I also have drawn inspiration from my mother, Carol, who is also an artist.

Q: What are the benefits to you of making your product(s) here in the Chicago suburbs?

A: Small business owners are important to our local economy. I do my best to support local small businesses as well. I believe we're all connected, and I do better when my fellow business owner does well. My clientele are people just like me. I create what I like, and it seems to resonate with my customers.

Q: If you could make any product other than what you do make, what would it be?

A: I would love to create unique birdhouses that incorporate the techniques I've learned as a metal artist. Our local birds would be living in some really cool housing that would include traditional wood, hand-painted metal and maybe a piece of stained glass or two.

Q: If you could pick someone famous to promote your product, who would it be?

A: This is a tough one for me. My customers have been really crucial to growing my business by posting and sharing pictures of pieces they have bought. I always pick up a follower or two from their shares. Basically, I would love anyone with a large following to share my work in their home or yard. Of course, I wouldn't complain if Michelle Obama wanted to promote my business to her followers.