Meet Isabelle Gelot Hunt | Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabelle Gelot Hunt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabelle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Creating my business happened as we were going through a big life change, moving from NYC to a small town in Maine and during the pandemic. It felt like I was starting from zero and having an opportunity to really think about what I wanted my work to be. I wanted to created a business custom to our new life style. I wanted to be independent, free of my time, able to shape my everyday the way I wanted. I also had no connections whatsoever, so I realized working as a freelance designer would be hard, but creating my own creative studio where I could both do freelance work and also make and sell products could be a good solution. I started small, making products out of my illustrations, reading a lot how to start a product based business, experimenting, failing, trying again… It was a constant learning curve, and now that I think about it I wasn’t sure where this was going at all, but I knew that if I could keep the freedom and creative aspect, I could figure it out!

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m French and I started my career as a scenographer and interior designer in Europe working mostly freelance for different design and architecture studios. Creating my own product based business, Isatopia, came later when living in the US and moving from NYC to Maine. I wanted to start a business that I could run from home, and from anywhere! The idea of creating a work structure that was specific to me, and that I could shape to our own life was the starting point. It was not easy because I never learnt to make products and even less to sell products! So it took a lot of learning (and it still does today) perseverance and patience. I kept having other jobs on the side for the first couple years until it started to pay off. I was ready to give up many times along the way, often thought that it would never work out… But when the business started to take off it was such a huge reward, and really made me realize I hadn’t come this far to give up!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Maine is a very special place! A week long trip in my opinion would mean a trip along the coast. We would drive up North all the way to deer Isle or even Acadia, go on beautiful hikes, stop in small towns and try lobster rolls, visit local bookstores and antique shops. We could take a ferry to visit some special island such as Monhegan or Vinalhaven. If we have time we would make it down to Portland for a day of museums, restaurants and a little shopping…

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband. He has been pushing me from the get go, he believed in me much more than I believed in myself, he pushed me and made me persevere and keep going every time I had doubts or thoughts of giving up…… And on top of that he has supported us as a family along the way, as I was figuring things out. This would never have happened if I didn’t have him by my side.
I also have strong and durable friendships, friends who listen to you, give you advice, support and cheer you on. I think having people who really know you, with whom you evolve through life, side by side despite the distance and life changes is maybe the strongest pillar to starting any endeavor.

Website: https://www.isatopia.shop

Instagram: @isatopia_

Linkedin: Isabelle Gelot Hunt

Facebook: Isa Gelot

Image Credits
Jo Silver