How to bet big on yourself

We’re back with another interview with an artist and small business owner I admire! Louis from Dos Santos Collective is currently popping up at our Echo Park space. He makes the coolest incense holders shaped like furniture, architecture, cars, and other objects that he loves. They’re functional art.

It’s his second go-round with us - he popped up to great fanfare last year, but since then he’s taken his hobby full time and is now pouring his concrete creations as a living.

Louis: I started the brand while I was in college studying Construction Engineering at San Diego State. What began as making pieces in my sister’s garage slowly turned into an obsession with finding ways to turn objects I loved into something permanent through concrete.

Over the years, that hobby grew into a business. I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands like BMW, Rivian, Red Bull Racing, Petrolicious, and Netflix, but at its core it’s still about creating pieces that feel nostalgic, functional, and collectible.

It was definitely a little terrifying. For a while I was balancing a full-time job in construction project management while running Dos Santos Collective before and after work. Eventually the business reached a point where I felt like I was holding it back more than helping it.

The decision came down to betting on myself. I realized I’d rather put all my energy into building something of my own than always wonder what could have happened if I never tried. Going full time has allowed me to take on larger projects, collaborate with bigger brands, create more consistently, and spend more time experimenting.

On choosing to build in public:
Sharing the process wasn’t really a strategy at first, it was just me documenting what I was making. Over time I realized people were just as interested in the mistakes, experiments, and behind-the-scenes moments as they were in the finished pieces.

People connect with seeing something built from scratch. It makes the work feel more human.

So much of the job has nothing to do with making art.
There’s a lot of problem-solving, logistics, accounting, customer service, shipping, project management, and planning involved. In a weird way, my construction background prepared me for that more than I expected. The creative side gets most of the attention, but running a business is really about wearing a lot of different hats.

I’m also a big fan of going on walk and observing around the city. Some of my best ideas come from noticing small details in architecture, signage, furniture, or objects people normally overlook

1. World Cup - rooting for Portugal the most currently but got to support Mexico and USA as I’m half Portuguese and half Mexican!

2. In person Movie Theaters - I’ve always enjoyed going to amc or regal however I’ve been trying to make it a habit to see 1 new movie or a replay in the theaters. There’s something special about going out to see a movie rather than Netflix.

3. Coffee Shop - trying my best to either try a new coffee shop locally or visit my usuals and build a genuine connection with them

4. Renovating my live/work space - really feel like since I’ve been growing I need to maximize the most out of my 1 bedrooms I’ve been trying to find ways to explore those options and it’s been really exciting but expensive haha!

5. The Bear - it’s finally about to me back for season 5, last season :( but really felt influenced about this show and honestly have been able to drive myself to build something from nothing and learning to adapt has been powerful.

Thank you for sharing with us, Louis!!

over n out,

Kristen