The Necessity of Partnering for a Small Business

A JOURNEY OF GROWTH AND COLLABORATION

It's been a little while since my last post, and oh, how things have evolved! Honestly, the time away stems from the whirlwind of good happenings in life. In my previous post, I shared my struggles with starting a small business and my efforts to navigate through those challenges. This journey has required me to confront my aversions and shift my focus towards future opportunities. I’ve been working hard on recognizing my weaknesses and taking a meaningful look at who I am, who I aspire to be, and in doing so, discovering my authentic voice rather than imitating someone else’s.

"Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've been doing this for awhile, why am I acting like an amateur? As a artist, are you ever really THERE, or are you always experimenting? I’ve often found myself experimenting with various design styles in hopes of finding a niche. The downside is that while chasing that elusive niche, I risk never developing a distinct style of my own. It’s natural for me to explore everything—I see beauty everywhere! But, I realize that I need to center myself and cultivate my own unique style.

Sometimes the most amazing things happen.

This brings me to an exciting development in my quest to build a thriving small business. I cannot emphasize enough the value of having a mentor, coach, or a supportive friend who is willing to invest time in you and provide honest feedback. I know it’s not luck, it’s more likely to be providence, but I’ve found invaluable wisdom in my daughter-in-law, Sarah.

Over the past six months, our lunch dates have blossomed into a treasure trove of discussions—everything from our spiritual walks to my business blunders. The bond of trust we’ve built allowed for open, candid conversations without any topic being off-limits. In truth, I often found myself seeking her advice more than the other way around, despite our 40-year age difference.

One day, while brainstorming ideas about expanding my product line, I noticed Sarah’s eyes light up with enthusiasm. Suddenly, this revelation shifted our dynamic; she was no longer just a sounding board. In a spontaneous moment, I asked her, “Would you like to join me?” Her enthusiastic “Yes!” felt like a response she had been waiting to give for months. Just like that, we dove into an exciting conversation about collaborating on this new venture.

Now, why mention our age difference? It’s actually turned out to be a beautiful advantage. With my extensive background in print and graphic arts, coupled with Sarah's dynamic skills in business, project management, human resources, marketing, and finance—all at the start of her career—we make a fantastic team. I could not have wished for a better partner! Plus, her comfort with technology makes navigating the modern digital landscape a breeze. Just the other day, while I was struggling to log into WiFi at our lunch spot, she effortlessly connect to WiFi while I’m busy wrestling with my own device! And I thought I was tech savvy!

We are stronger united.

Moreover, I believe our age difference signifies an opportunity to bridge generational gaps. There’s an unfortunate divide in our culture today, that being the case, we’re not just focusing on reaching a broader target market; our ultimate goal transcends that. Sarah and I are coming together to fulfill our call: to walk humbly with God and glorify Him in everything we do. Uniting people is part of that call. We both share a passion for the gospel, for creating beautiful things that help people communicate with each other while adding a touch of elegance to their lives.

We are better united.

Since Sarah joined Jan Johnston Artworks, our production has more than doubled! Her keen eye for design has transformed my patterns into beautiful stationery items. Beyond that, she has taken the reins on pricing, inventory, shipping, sales, and so much more, allowing me to dedicate my time to what I love most—developing my style by creating patterns and expanding our product range to include wallpaper, bedding, curtains, and our exciting new line of digital download art prints.

When our partnership began over a lunch meeting in April 2024, we set ourselves the challenge of developing 12 new patterns for our Flower of the Month calendar for 2025. By the end of June, I had crafted twelve unique designs while Sarah worked her magic on five stunning floral collections. These included everything from folded note cards to personalized note cards, notebooks, notepads, and weekly planners, each beautifully designed and ready for our customers.

While our sales are just starting, we're excited to see that people truly appreciate our work. Our next step is to embrace the world of social media marketing and share our creations with a broader audience. We’re also staying true to our initial inspiration from our first post in March 2024—documenting our journey of building a thriving small business, celebrating both our successes and setbacks. On that note, stay tuned for my next blog, where I’ll dive into the world of online selling!

Here’s to embracing this journey of growth and collaboration! We can’t wait to share more of our adventures with you.

Do you want to join us on this journey? Are you ready to hop on this train? Brace yourself for a bumpy ride, but remember, it’s easier when we journey together. Stay tuned, stay inspired, and let’s figure out this shop-building adventure together! 

Meanwhile, We've crafted a FREE planner to get you going on your journey to "Imagine Your Potential, Idea Planner for Entrepreneurial Minds."

Download it right here👇

Disclaimer 😉: We are not business coaches, we do not have MBAs. We are just recording our journey building a small thriving business using our own wits, talents, compassion for organization, beautiful things, and our love for the LORD and each other.