Meet Amanda And Cory Nigbur | Artist, Owner & operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda And Cory Nigbur and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda and Cory, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was born to be an entrepreneur! I’ve worked for myself for almost 20 years in a few different businesses.

The opportunity to take Orenda from an online, craft fair based business to a full scale western chic store front presented itself and it just felt right. We didn’t hesitate and jumped right in!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
‘Orenda’ is believed by some Native American tribes to mean that all living and non-living beings encompass an energy and that energy is able to be used by it’s possessor.

We focus on handmade, one of a kind, ethically and indigenously sourced goods for you to wear and for your home.
We also pride ourself in carrying and creating non-toxic items. All of our leather is indigenously sourced, naturally tanned and colored. We don’t work with any synthetic chemicals! Orenda first started as a leather and turquoise jewelry company and since we’ve opened the store front, we’ve expanded our handmade line into organic whipped tallow, organic beeswax and essential oil candles, taxidermy art, pressed flower and butterfly art. I have even incorporated growing and drying my own flowers for bouquets in the store! We love to create new and unique things to wear and to decorate your home with!
We have also brought in other artists, mainly from Colorado, who align with our store and have the same passion we do! We are happy to support other small businesses within our journey too.

Being an artist and a business owner can and does have its challenges, but the one thing I’ve learned that has continued to propel us forward is the ability to shift, grow, change and keep going! It’s definitely not always easy, but worth it! Sometimes, we have this grand idea to create something or try something new and it doesn’t always work the exact way we want or it’s doesn’t sell like we thought it would etc, but we always go back to the drawing board, try to shift the perspective and see another angle. Understanding that this is a process and we have to let the process unfold to grow and continue to evolve, is something I remind my self, whenever I feel a challenge.

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?
We would start the day with breakfast at La Baguette, a local French restaurant, followed by a drive through Garden of the Gods park. We would then walk around Manitou Springs to enjoy some local shopping. We would then stop at Mona Lisa for cheese and chocolate fondu to end the day!

Other places to see and visit on the trip would include a drive through the mountains , hiking or walking trails, The Cheyenne mountain zoo and a visit to Sun water spa hot springs.

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?
My husband Cory!
He is my rock, support system and biggest cheerleader. My other half of the business too! He is also an artist and a leathersmith at Orenda.

Website: orendanaturalwear@gmail.com

Instagram: @orendanaturalwear

Facebook: Orenda Natural Wear

Image Credits
None