From Courtroom to Ceramics: My Unexpected Second Entrepreneurial Endeavor

From Courtroom to Ceramics: My Unexpected Second Entrepreneurial Endeavor

And that's how SaleenArt USA was born!

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They say life is full of surprises, and so far it's played out that way for me. I'm Seda Aktas. I spent half of my twenties in school and the other half working as a government lawyer, and another decade building my law practice. While navigating courtrooms and contracts, my heart always has held a deep passion for the art of Anatolia, where I was born. Little did I know that this passion would lead me to a completely unexpected second business venture – and reconnect me with family in the process!

My second cousin, Selin Esendemir Abdian, lives in Turkey. We hadn't been close growing up, but a few years ago, I stumbled upon her while she visited Miami with her husband and baby. Selin, who had a shift from marketing agency owner to contemporary artist was creating these stunning pieces of palatial quality that blended traditional Turkish techniques with a modern sensibility. I was absolutely fascinated by her talent and savvy: 8 years into forming SaleenArt and she was already selling these museum-worthy handmade Turkish ceramics all over Europe and the Middle East!

The lawyer in me saw an obvious opportunity in SaleenArt's quality handcrafted ceramics, but more than that, I felt a genuine desire to share Selin's talent with the world. So, we started talking. It turned out we had more in common than just our family connection – we both shared this entrepreneurial spirit and a love for exquisite handcrafted art as design objects in every interior.

And that's how SaleenArt USA was born! I became the exclusive importer and distributor of Selin's work, bringing her exquisite ceramics to the US market and shipping them out of Houston, Texas. It's an incredible journey, filled with challenges and rewards, but nothing that follows one such leap of faith to the arts is fitting for the faint of heart. And connecting with Selin, collaborating with her, and sharing our heritage through art in the has been an unexpected gift. 

Who knew that my passion for my cultural heritage would lead me to a second entrepreneurial endeavor, a renewed family bond, and colorful networking opportunities? It just goes to show, life's surprises can be pretty colorful.