Life has shaped entrepreneur Petra Forte into a fiercely strong and unstoppable force. For this Caribbean trailblazer, there is no dream nor endeavour beyond her grasp – literally! Thanks to what she calls her superpowers, she has turned a vision to make handcrafted concrete décor into an actualized success:
“I have quite a few superpowers,” the 43-year-old Barbadian enthused, “I call them superpowers, and I believe that everyone has them. It’s just then knowing how you will use it. One of my superpowers is that once I can see and understand something, I can do it.”
Inspired by an artisan from the Maldives, Petra was able to mix, mold, and polish her way to creative mastery. After two years of research and practice, she launched her business Coazline Décor in April 2022. While her decision to work with concrete was shocking to many, her artistic prowess, however, came as no surprise.
“[When I launched the business], it was a very exciting atmosphere for me. People were more shocked at what I was doing as opposed to my creative skills and ability,” she said, explaining that the use of concrete as household décor is novel in the region, “Using the medium of concrete was an experiment all on its own because what we’re accustomed to seeing from concrete is industrial – it is always a building material.
“Very few people see concrete and think ‘I could probably see this as a tray in my dining setting’ or see it as a nice functional jewellery holder or something like that. No one ever looks at concrete and sees it [as décor], so I wanted to showcase how concrete could be used in a functional situation.”
Courage and inventiveness are, unsurprisingly, two of Petra’s long-standing traits. As the eldest of her five siblings, Petra recalled occupying lonesome years with reading, singing, and dancing – and when she was not picking dunks, flying kites, and roasting breadfruit with friends in the Mapp Hill community where she grew up, she immersed herself in her creative gifts. She remembered being bold enough to entertain scores of people with her talents, too. But, although she eyed big stages like Richard Stoute Teen Talent Contest, only audiences of her parents’ Adventist church and school choir had witnessed her perform; her devout Christian mother had cautioned against and disallowed secular performances. “At age 12 or 13, I did not want to hear that,” she said, after sharing that her upbringing was characterised by “church, church and more church.” However, over time, Petra said she became deeply grateful for her values that were instilled by the church, such as compassion and empathy. With these qualities, she is able to connect authentically with people, even strangers. Her magnetic warmth and humility could turn a simple greeting into a lengthy, self-disclosing conversation with someone she’s met for the first time; “I could say ‘Hi, how you doing? Are you having a good day?” and the person would just offload.”
Becoming the owner of Coazline Décor was a bold step along Petra’s complex business journey. She said experience gained from establishing different businesses throughout the years (e.g., landscaping, and crafting cake-like structures with baby products such as diapers and baby bottles) has poised her for success in her current venture. Since Petra’s faith in God pervades every facet of her life, Coazline Décor was, naturally, birthed with divine orchestration. “There’s always a surprise for the journey because I always leave room for God. I have a plan and God has His own plan,” she noted, “I’ve always loved that creative process and all of the different things that I would have done creatively segued into creating concrete pieces. [So, my journey] has very many layers. It wasn’t something that I could say I knew I was going to be – a concrete creator. But I knew I was going to be a creator because I have always enjoyed seeing that finished piece.”
Progressing from an idea to holding a tangible creation excites Petra, who can seldom contain her overwhelming jubilance. The mother of one revealed that she still gets awestruck every time she unmolds one of her concrete creations. “I am like a kid in a candy store after unmolding, and I would show my daughter Nu-Biah, ‘Look at this! Look at this one!’” she said, with eyes lit up. As Creative Director, 18-year-old Nu-Biah is instrumental to Coazline Décor, as crucial design decisions begin and end with her trusted input. Petra’s Coazline Décor team also includes her boyfriend and his best friend, for whom she expressed immense gratitude. She noted that the team is brilliant and always readily available to share much welcomed feedback.
“I have an awesome team. My team is fantastic, and they have always been there. If I call for advice, if I want to talk about ideas, they always make time to hear me out and I truly appreciate that. They know how important it is for me to get their feedback, because I know it’s always going to come from a place of love, respect, and growth,” she said.
While reflecting on humble beginnings, she acknowledged her sister’s husband, who gifted her with her very first concrete mold, which was hexagon-shaped. While passionate and optimistic, her newfound occupation forced her to persevere despite challenges.
“I came home one evening and I found it on the table, and I was like ‘What is this?’ My daughter said, ‘Uncle dropped that off for you.’ I did not waste any time. I went and I made some concrete. I was very excited, but when I unmolded it, it crumbled,” she revealed, after initially erupting in laughter at the thought of the unexpected mishap, “When it crumbled, I tell you, my heart sank. I told myself ‘I am not going to lose any sleep over this. I’m going to go back to the drawing board.’ So, after that, it was just experimenting with things like the consistency of the concrete and just constantly making notes.”
It took roughly six months to perfect the craft, which Petra started practising with resin as the medium. However, since she was dissatisfied by the “plasticky feel” of the finished product, she had searched for alternatives. That’s when her history-making use of concrete surfaced, enabling her to now create vast collections of unique, handmade pieces – a process that has become second nature.
To this day, finding the right mold can be tricky. Sometimes, Petra said, introducing an additional product could mean experimenting with different molds, which is often a process of trial and error, since an unsuitable mold could result in breakage. Since receiving the hexagon mold, her collection has consistently evolved. Now, her mold inventory includes shapes that can make a wide array of items such as coasters, candle holders, ashtrays, and vanity trays.
The appeal of and demand for Petra’s pieces had prompted her to acquire more molds. She recalled the challenges of initially working with a single mold, which limited her to making up to two pieces a day. During this time, she had shown a colleague at Mount Gay Distillery her handiwork and, through word-of-mouth, received an outpour of praise and best of all, orders.
“I would have shown a few people after I really perfected that one piece… Bear in mind, I only had that one single mold, so I ended up, in a two-week span, having 27 orders of this piece and only had this one mold, so that was a very exciting time,” she recounted, noting that she can now make up to 44 pieces daily. To this day, she reflects on the support received from her “Mount Gay family” with immense gratitude.
Each Coazline Décor piece is handcrafted with great care, attention to detail and heart. For this reason, Petra said she does not envision transitioning to machine-made, mass-produced products. The self-confessed perfectionist said she takes tremendous pride in her work, which entails mixing, molding, curing, sanding, sealing, polishing, and branding. For Petra, crafting décor is an intentionally intimate activity, so when she gears up in her mask, gloves, and apron, she is mindful of the feel of her products, which she inspects with bare hands during the sanding phase. She would determine colour choices with Nu-Biah, diligently lay out needed items like containers and utensils, and then measure and mix the right amount of ingredients, including colorants. After molding, the concrete is left to cure for at least 10 hours.
Although she is meticulous and detailed, Petra has an open mind when it comes to the function of her pieces; She encourages her customers to use their Coazline Décor without any “labels” or limitations. For instance, a ‘toothbrush holder’ may be used to fulfil another, suitable function such as storing makeup brushes or housing a small plant. As such, she describes her pieces as versatile, multifunctional décor. In fact, hearing about customers’ creative ideas for the décor is one of the most satisfying experiences that she has as an entrepreneur.
“What I also love is not putting a label on what each piece is. It then allows you, the consumer, to be even more creative with the piece. For instance, there was a lady who purchased one of my pieces. She saw it and automatically saw a bird bath. I would not have thought of using it as a bird bath.
“Whenever this happens, I am so excited because it means that that part of the vision that I have for the business is shining through when I’m speaking to my customers or potential customers, because right away you can see this piece in your space as something that I never thought of it as. That builds so much excitement in me and I love it!” she said.
Petra has a deep-felt desire to scale and evolve her business, eventually becoming a household name in Barbados and across the region. In time, she seeks to add products such as countertops, coffee tables, bathroom sinks, and pendant lights to Coazline Décor’s offerings. She is also eager to add a touch of elegance to hotels, bars, and Airbnb accommodations. In the meantime, she relishes the buzz she’s created, attracting hundreds to her ever-growing Instagram page, coazline_decor.
The patriotic businesswoman revealed that her business name was inspired by the vibrant beauty and richness of Barbados’ blue coasts. She said, “I’m very biased when it comes to my little rock Barbados… We have some of the most beautiful coasts in the world, so the name Coazline was initially based on that but then I spelt it differently, because of the vision I have. I want to carry items from A to Z in concrete décor, that’s why it is spelt ‘C-O-A-Z.’”
In addition to her “awesome team,” Petra is also grateful for another, life-changing resource, namely the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, a course organised by the U.S. Embassy in Barbados and the Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT). She was part of the 2022 cohort, which learned the tenets of effective business management for six months before graduating in May 2023. She said the other participants, course information and support within the program were phenomenal:
“The whole experience was amazing. What I really, really love and appreciate about that course is you don’t necessarily have to have an already functioning business to gain from the wealth of knowledge, you can come into that course with an idea.
“Based on the tools and resources that they provide, you are then able to take it from the idea stage into a start-up, and then build from there. They set you up to win regardless, because even after the course, they still provide mentorship. They still are there for you to learn from, gain support and help with your business, so I would advise anybody to participate,” she said.
Petra gained great value from the AWE program and said she intends to help other women entrepreneurs with the knowledge she has garnered. As advice for women contemplating entrepreneurship, she said “do it!”
“Do your research, make sure you take the time out to properly and carefully research whatever it is that you’re getting into, and have a good team. Sometimes when you say the word ‘team’, you will think it’s from a professional perspective, for example, you may have the accountant or lawyer, but it could be your best friend that has really good ideas that you’re able to bounce ideas off of,” she said.
Petra cautioned that while starting a business is not easy, entrepreneur hopefuls should not be overcome by fear, as this could prevent any progress. Additionally, she implored people not to rush the process of building a business. She said that while many are eager to get their business on the market, hastiness could compromise the quality of the product.
“The problem we have as emerging businesses is that yes, you want to get your business out there, you want to get started, that’s fine but don’t rush because your brand then ends up being a representation of you. So, you don’t have to go over the top or be too overly extravagant when you start but you still want to deliver a professional looking product,” she explained.
On the surface, Petra’s pursuit looks glamorous, but in reality, she is driven by a deeper, substantial purpose. She values quality time with family, and owes much of her determination to their presence, love, and support. That’s why making time to do “family stuff” is an essential, non-negotiable item on her busy schedule.
“I don’t want to be a person that puts everything into business and becomes so consumed in that that other parts of their life suffer, because the whole purpose of me trying to build this business is so that I can eventually have financial freedom, but I don’t want to have that and then there’s no one to share it with,” she said.
While Petra’s superpowers embolden her to strive and achieve, the adoring eyes of daughter Nu-Biah makes every sacrifice and gruelling effort all the more worthwhile and meaningful.
“She keeps me strong. She keeps me focused. She keeps me grounded. She’s very expressive and I have no doubt that she’s proud of me. She says, ‘I’m proud of you, you know?’ One time I asked ‘Why, what did I do?’ She said, ‘nothing and everything.’”
