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

Hi Jacob, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In 2019, I had an ida for a self service fulfillment center. I love coming up with new ideas and then bring them to life, but I didn’t have time to start a new project. In 2020 I had some downtime because of COVID, so I thought it seemed like a good time to give Shipist a try. So glad I did, it’s been amazing!

What should our readers know about your business?
Shipist came together from my experience in eCommerce and shipping. My family runs a specialty supply company called abc Window Cleaning Supply. I grew up in that business and learned about shipping, logistics, website management, inventory management, book keeping and more. abc is a big enough company that we have a lot of work to do in all of those areas, but small enough that everyone does a bit of everything.

From that experience, I started Shipist. I envisioned it as a half way in-between option for people that are have shipping challenges but can’t use a fulfillment center. If you ship infrequently or have customer made to order items you can’t use a fulfillment center, so you miss out on the benefits. But, short of a fulfillment center, you don’t have good options. You can pay retail at the FedEx or UPS store (super expensive) and you have to dedicate some space in your house for shipping (takes up lots of space). Shipist is self service, so you can come use our pack stations and packing material as needed and get discounted shipping rates.

I didn’t think of artists when se started, but that’s since become our main focus. In that vein, I added fine art prints drop shipping as a service in Q1 2021.

I continually learn new things from our customers. I’ve learned to listen closely to their needs and pain points and look for opportunities to add new services that will add value. I’ve learned that artists hate shipping, managing their website, making prints, and all of the things that take them away from creating. That’s perfect, because those are all of the things I like doing!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love books and coffee shops, so we’d hit tons of those. Day 1, we’d go to Unravel and Aviano coffee. While we were in the area, we’d hit up Hermitage, an incredible rare book shop in Cherry Creek. Day 2, we’d go to the original Corvus location on Broadway, followed by Mutiny Information Cafe, a quirky bookstore. In easy walking distance are so many cool things (Voodoo donuts, Chubby Cattle Sushi, a few more book stores, some antique and vintage stores) so we’d walk around there.
Day 3, we’d head over to Rino. Blue Sparrow coffee and Crema would be obvious choices, followed by a trip to the incomparable Conifer Shop for vintage finds and a chat with the owner Caitlyn. Lots of art galleries all over the place, so we’d walk around and finish the day off at Bar Fausto for drinks and eats.
Day 4, we’d take a bit of a longer drive to Switchback coffee in Colorado Springs and then walk around Garden of the Gods.
Day 5, (assuming it’s Sunday now), we’d go to Denver United Church and head over to Steam coffee after. After that, a short drive over to Copper Door coffee (woman owned!) and a walk around the Botanical gardens.
With whatever energy and time we had left, we’d want to go to Sweetbloom coffee, the book bar, and Green Russel. Of course, we’d just be scratching the surface, but this would be a good start.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So much credit to spread around. I founded Shipist along with my mom Linda. Her support and expertise has been vital to our growth. My wife Kynley has been incredibly supportive and has also leant her design expertise to our logo and branding. Our first hire, Jenna, has moved our print shop light years ahead. Our customers have been supportive and have given amazing feedback to help us iterate Shipist into a company that brings them more and more value.

I’ve been influenced and helped by countless resources. The one that stands out for Shipist specifically is a book called The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holliday. Starting Shipist was filled with challenges and that book helped inspire me to push through.

Website: www.shipist.io

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shipist.io/

Other: www.printist.io

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