We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordyn and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jordyn, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Oof. Starting out strong with this question!
Work life balance is something I think I’ll always struggle with. Art and designing has always been something I’ve loved doing, so when I eventually started my business the lines blurred between “hobby” and “work”. I do struggle with finding a hobby that isn’t attached to my business – most things don’t stick.
What I tend to do now is make new products for the fun of it and if they sell, they sell… and if not… then I had fun doing it! For example, this holiday season I hand painted a bunch of ornaments. It was very therapeutic for me. I threw them up on my website and people loved them! That made me happy, but the point of me doing something different was mostly just for me to find a hobby and something I could do that would make me feel creative again.
My husband was in the military and worked horrible hours, so if he wasn’t home I was usually working. There have been periods of time where I worked from sun up to sun down. He’s now out and we’re transitioning into being a “normal” family… which means for the most part after 5pm I’m not working anymore. Getting a puppy also REALLY helps you not work too late because they’re needy little guys!
My ultimate goal for my business it to have it be successful enough that I don’t have to work so hard on it each week if I don’t want to, or if there are important family things I need to attend. I’m working hard on spending time with family and being present and not thinking about what I’m “not getting done”. It’s a work in progress, for sure.
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.
I started my business back in 2016 when my husband went off to Boot Camp. I wanted to make long distance cards since there weren’t any on the market that accurately represented what I was feeling. Since then my shop has expanded to stickers, bookmarks, sun catchers, and more! I want my products to bring positivity and build connections.
Running this business has not been easy. There are moments when I feel on top of the world and other moments when I feel like giving it all up. I try really hard to not compare myself to others, but I’d be lying if I said that doesn’t happen.
I think the only reason I am where I’m at is because I haven’t given up. Covid really impacted my business in 2020. So much that I had to get a full time job to supplement the income. I worked at that job for 2 years before getting burnt out and needing to quit. I then took a break from everything before jumping back into creating. That break was SO needed for my mental health and sanity, because I’m finally feeling inspired again… and that’s so important!
I think it’s also important to transition your business into whatever feels right to YOU. I was feeling so stuck on “what I needed to be” and not what would make me happy. At the end of the day if you’re not happy, your customers are going to feel that, so it’s better if you’re proud and excited of what you’re doing.
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 total homebody and love staying in. But if you were to visit Michigan, I’d recommend heading up north to Mackinac Island/City! It’s a cute town and is a beautiful area year round.
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 dad deserves a shoutout because he bought me all my first art supplies. He encouraged that hobby from a young age and even bought my first paper for my greeting cards!
I also need to shoutout my husband for being a huge inspiration to me as well as a huge support. He continues to encourage me and my business even in the slow months.
My mom deserves a shoutout for taking over my business operations for a few months when I was going through intense burnout (and possibly depression). She handled all orders and made sure I didn’t give up on everything.
And last, I want to shoutout two small business owners who have been my online friends – always encouraging and giving suggestions – Kyndra from KynYouBelieveIt and Emily from Emily Cromwell Designs.
Website: www.jordynalisondesigns.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jordynalisondesigns
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JordynAlisonDesigns
Other: Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@JordynAlisonDesigns