Meet Ana Dawson | Owner of La Luna Coyote

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana Dawson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana, what makes you happy? Why?
What makes me happy is the first time I pull a product from a form that started out as a drawing. I use drafting software to come up with product designs, then I cut them out from acrylic on a laser printer, glue them together, sand them as smooth as possible, make a mold or form out of silicone, and then I can pour concrete into it.
After that I sand the concrete piece, top coat it, and add whatever accessories it needs to become a functional product.

That’s when my photography and website/social media/videography management position starts. Hopefully I’m managing shipments after that point,

The magic is when a customer sends me a picture of the product in their home.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart of creating my own products out of concrete and the process I’ve developed., to make it possible. I got here because it became clear to me that you could buy molds or forms online, and the businesses on etsy selling them were ripping off artists creative work. I wasn’t cool with that. So I changed directions. Easy? I’m not sure much of anything about being a small business owner feels easy. The easiest thing is comparing it to my career before and toughing it out because I don’t want to go back.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
You have to tour the desert! Sabino and Madera canyon are always on my list. Day trips, Bisbee for sure. For food, it’s hard to go wrong here but everyone always want to hit up Mexican food, and I always pick a local Tucson restaurant. Can’t go wrong with La Cocina for the best atmosphere, food and cocktails. For the best shopping, Chingona Arizona, and ElbeGoods. Then deff end the evening at Royal room bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Well first off, the friends and family that supported and encouraged me from the start. As well as the friends I’ve made that are also business owners. They have made a huge impact on my life in general, and those new friendships are very valuable to me. Love you guys!

Secondly, I owe a great deal of my successes and often some gusto to Start Up Tucson. They have something for everyone, and I likely wouldn’t be creating my own products right now, if I didn’t have access to their community center. I was lucky to have received their resiliency award within my first year of business too. Thanks Ladies!

Website: https://lalunacoyote.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laluna_coyote/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaLunaCoyote

Other: tiktok – La Luna Coyote