Meet Sarah Raud | Welder & Metal Fabricator

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

Hi Sarah, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
To trust myself and to be patient. We tend to hold ourselves to a ridiculous standard, but we’re all human. I believe most people who decide to start their own business experience some level of self-doubt or imposter syndrome and I’m certainly one of them. When I first started, I’d second guess every decision I was making. I’d ask questions that I already knew the answers to and seek approval or guidance from anyone who’d give an opinion. It took a while before I started to realize that I actually was the qualified professional that my clients saw me as. I lacked experience, but was determined and resourceful. I’ve developed so many new and exciting skills since then that it’s hard to believe that there was ever a time that I felt I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. There is always so much more to learn, but the first and most valuable lesson is that you make the calls, so it’s better to just accept that responsibility early on. You’ll find that you make the right ones more and more frequently. Trust in yourself and in the learning process.

What should our readers know about your business?
Skoria LLC is more than a fabrication shop. It’s my personal playground; a culmination of all of the things I enjoy and have a passion for. It started off as a sort of quarantine-fueled pandemic passion project. For context, I always wanted to be an artist, but being a jack of all trades nearly to my own detriment, I lacked direction. I started a BA in Studio Art at GSU in my early 20’s and fell in love with metal sculpture, iron casting and welding, but a combination of scheduling conflicts between work and school, financial stresses, and overall declining mental health took it’s toll. I got derailed in my pursuit of a BFA in metal sculpture and after four years of college, but no degree, I dropped out.

Fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic. I had been a line cook for thirteen years at this point but, like so many others, was laid off when everything started shutting down. It was a big change, but I was determined to use it as an opportunity to get out of the restaurant industry and into something I cared about. I had no idea how to start a business and not much money saved up, but I knew that I could do a lot with a little. I wanted a career where I had creative freedom and could utilize my resourcefulness, versatility, and passion for sustainability. So I made a decision to invest in myself. I bought a cheap beat up Ford Ranger and a budget buzz box and started collecting scrap metal to practice on. I still considered my welding to be a hobby, but that summer I worked for a landscaping company. I ended up fixing a couple of fences and trailers for them and word spread, though very slowly at first. Every cent that I could spare went right back into buying more tools. I worked 55+ hours a week doing lawns and did odd welding jobs or art to sell at markets on the weekends until I had a little buffer. Then I put in my two weeks and it felt like taking a leap of faith.

I officially started Skoria LLC in August of 2021. “Skoria” being the Ancient Greek spelling of “scoria”, meaning slag or the impurities formed and separated out when a molten metal is smelted from ore. So Skoria means “rusty trash”, essentially. Not only a way of alluding to Skoria’s humble beginnings, but to an ongoing dedication to sustainable practices. As much scrap metal and other repurposed materials are used as possible, in everything from repairs to full custom fabricated work. My artistic background proved more useful than I thought it would with the business side of things. I created a Logo and could do my own graphic design for marketing. I supplemented my income by occasionally vending at art markets, selling paintings and scrap metal jewelry and whatever else I felt like making. It certainly wasn’t easy, but it helped me to develop a clientele and hone my craft.
I’ve learned so much about working with not just metal, but wood, epoxy, paint and even design software. I’ve recently started offering CAD files to clients for custom fabrications and can assist in determining stylistic elements in accordance with the layout of the site, be that a residence or a more industrial application. Still, there is so much more to learn and that potential for growth is so exciting. Every new skill or specialty equipment acquired opens a door to all new capabilities. I suppose Skoria is still a very new and very small business, but it has gained steady momentum and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Maybe that’s because I stopped taking a back seat to my own life and finally started driving, with a lead foot. There’s a bad metal pun for you.

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?
I’m a huge fan of nature and love to take advantage of living in “the city in the forest”. There are so many great hiking trails either within the Perimeter or just outside of it, so if I had a friend in town I might go out to East Palisades or Doll’s Head Trail. If I were lucky enough to have a friend in town at the same time that the South River Watershed Alliance were hosting a kayaking trip, that would be ideal. They do some amazing work in promoting the conservation and restoration of Atlanta’s South River and often host kayaking trips, which is a fun way for people to get involved. There are usually art markets or shows happening between Little Five Points and EAV. You can find the Bizarre Bazaar and Cryptid Creatives markets in those areas. I know Big Trouble in Little Five Points and the annual Halloween parade will be coming up soon, plus there’s plenty of eclectic shops there that are open year round that my friends would enjoy, like the oddities at Rainy Day Revival. Afterwards, we could go to Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party near Candler Park. Not only do they have great teas and coffee, but inside is a cozy library room where you can purchase books and out back there is an absolutely adorable patio. The owner also founded The Learning Tea, an organization that supports young women in India with housing and education and much of the proceeds from Dr. Bombay’s goes directly to them.
I enjoy biking, so I’d likely want to take bikes onto the beltline to show my friend the amazing art, historic buildings, and diverse urban landscape that can be seen around Atlanta. I don’t skateboard anymore, but stopping by the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark to sit in the field and just people watch is a great way to get a nice view of the city as the sun goes down.

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?
There have been so many people who have been incredibly supportive and encouraging of this entire journey. First off, I’ve been fortunate to have some really amazing clients who were kind, communicative, and enthusiastic about my work. I didn’t expect that opening a business might somehow restore my faith in humanity, but meeting a number of strangers who were so supportive and helpful and have treated me so well has certainly helped in that regard. I’ve made some strong connections and have so much gratitude for the clients who saw potential in me and helped me to see it too. Huge shoutout to Liz who started off as one of those clients and is now a much larger part of my life and continues to be a huge support. I’ve also had friends who pushed me to put myself out there and those who I knew believed in my abilities. Their confidence in me ignited my own. Big thanks to Katherine from Coven Creations ATL who convinced me to come out of my shell and start doing art markets and is always pointing me in the direction of scrap metal. That experience was paramount to re-socializing after what felt like a long hibernation.
I’d also like to thank my late Grandfather, Terrald Weaver. He passed years ago, but I currently use his old woodworking shop as my private studio. He probably never knew it, but I believe watching him work in that shop when I was a child gave me my love for craftsmanship. It was like he planted a seed that didn’t sprout until after he was gone, but even though our materials and personalities are very different, I’d like to think that he’d be proud of what I’ve done with his shop. It was very important to him, as it is now, to me.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/skoria_llc

Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/company/skoria-llc

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