By William Spencer ’17
“It’s really simple and easy to make,” are the words you’ll hear if you stop by Catawba College student Nichole Rosati’s table in the Cannon Student Center during lunch. An avid lover of all things fun and nerdy, Rosati has adapted her passion into her profession with her 8-bit artwork.
The senior Accounting major from Greensboro understands the value of a quality product and produces a wide array of merchandise ranging from television characters, comic book heroes, and the occasional sushi. Rosati has built her business around the child-like wonder that millennials have for television, movies, and culture.
Discussing how she got started with her business, Nichole said that it began as a simple hobby, merely making and presenting her work to her friends and family as gifts. Eventually, she gained attention from friends and her fellow students which prompted her to start taking commissions. After gaining a loyal audience, she went from selling one or two from her little container to showcasing her work at local conventions with great success. With the help of pearler beads and a hot iron, Rosati has become a self-made businesswoman.
As Catawba College strives to promote the values of entrepreneurship to its students in the Ketner School of Business, Rosati has become a prime example of a successful entrepreneur. Through her hard work and dedication to creating a quality product, she now understands how to function as a professional business owner dealing with deadlines, supply and demand, and of course, proper customer service.
“I sell at conventions and I have the merchandise available online through Etsy,” she said while discussing her work. “Typically, depending on the commission, it could take me one day to two weeks. It all depends on how many beads I have, whether I need to get special colors, and the timeframe I’m given.”
Regarding her plans for the future of her business, Rosati plans to incorporate a wider variety of products by expanding her reach into the realm of Disney.
“I’ve had so many people, especially little children interested in Disney stuff so I think that will be my next goal,” she said.
