Meet Caitlin & Donny Rambacher of Akron, OH

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin & Donny Rambacher

Hi Caitlin & Donny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello! We are Donny and Caitlin Rambacher, the husband and wife duo behind The Art of It All. How did we get started? To be honest, we’re still in the very beginning stages of this creative venture. That being said, we first had the idea to form some sort of locally-focused small business almost 10 years ago when we moved back to our home state of Ohio. We were rediscovering everything “The Heart of It All” had to offer and were looking for a creative outlet to share it. We initially met back in 2011, when we were both students in the Visual Communication Design program at the University of Dayton—so we’ve been collaborating creatively for quite some time.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As full-time creatives (and now, parents to a toddler), we’ve definitely taken our time getting this passion project up and running. We designed the logo and came up with the name for the business way back in 2015, but we didn’t actually launch until this year. Back then, the name of the company was inspired by Ohio’s tourism slogan from 1984 to 2001: “The Heart of It All.” In a weird twist of nostalgic fate, the state actually re-adopted it just last year. We couldn’t help but laugh! It also took us a while to acquire the rights to use the business name as we had to track down the original owner who hadn’t been using it for quite some time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We believe perspective is everything. The way you laugh. The way you write. Your garden. Your collections. What you wear & how you wear it. Your home. Your friendships. Your community. It’s all art. That’s what we are striving to make people feel with our work.

Most of our designs have some sort of connection to Ohio—with a close tie to the community in and around Akron. These hyper local offerings steeped in history are what we are most proud of. We have a whole Blue Tip collection that pays homage to the Ohio Match Company that was once based out of Caitlin’s hometown of Wadsworth, Ohio. Another collection is a tribute to the eclectic Highland Square neighborhood just down the street from where we live. Right now, we’re working on a local and historically based seasonal drop for Halloween.

So far, we’ve focused mainly on apparel, but we also offer magnets, patches and more. We’re always looking to add to our offerings, so keep an eye out for what’s new as we continue to evolve.

You can also follow us on Instagram @theartofitall, where we share some of our favorite local findings, from hiking trails, to community events, other small businesses and more. We love learning about the history of the places that serve as the inspiration behind our designs and adventures, and hope to pass on some interesting tidbits here and there as we launch new products and share our local experiences.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
It may sound cheesy, but the most important lesson we’ve learned is that it’s never too late to get started. With every year that passed after our initial spark for the business, we were discouraged that we would never actually “do it”—once we let go of the notion that we had to have everything perfectly figured out before launching, that took some of the pressure off. We are learning as we go! Asking questions, seeking advice. Always open to change. Our business is not the same today as it was when we first dreamt it up, and that’s okay! It will continue to grow and adapt as we discover how to best serve our community and ourselves. Thanks for being along for the ride!

Pricing:

• Get 10% off your first order with code WELCOME10 at checkout.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theartofitall.co/
• Instagram: theartofitall
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartofitall