We recently connected with Justina Ware and have shared our conversation below.

Justina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Custom2Fly started off as “Accustomed To Flying”. It was meant to be a group on Facebook for travel enthusiasts. I wanted to celebrate launching the group by purchasing some new travel gear and while browsing, I wasn’t able to find any luggage or duffle bags that really represented me. That’s when I thought, “why not create it myself?” I wanted the name of this venture to be catchy but also highlight that customization is a speciality, and it just so happened to work out that if I shortened “accustomed” and “flying”, I could achieve that.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was, and still am an avid traveler, and as previously mentioned, I wanted my luggage to represent me; I was tired of my zebra print hard shell case. I searched and when none of the results appealed to me, I decided to just create my own. I then decided to take it a step further and instead of it representing me, literally have it be a representation of me; that’s where the idea to use an animated version on the items came from.
I started with luggage covers, passport covers and duffle bags and expanded to include backpacks so that I could provide for children as well. When Covid hit and travel halted, I pivoted and added blankets as well.
Aside from the “vanity” of it, the luggage covers do serve a practical purpose; they prevent scuffs and scratches and it makes it really easy to spot when coming down the carousel. That aside, there is also the feeling associated with having something customized specifically for you.
I am most proud of being able to get my products to notable influencers and having them showcase it on their page including Ja’Bria and Ari Fletcher.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to pivot during Covid and I started offering blankets and for a small time, I was also offering custom cash envelopes for saving money.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

During the initial stages of the pandemic, I actually closed my business to new sales because shipping delays had become a nightmare. I had lost the momentum with orders prior to Covid and I had also lost any motivation I had. My sister encouraged me to reach out to influencers, so I took a chance and created a custom blanket for Ari Fletcher from a picture with her and her son. I re-opened my store just in case. I mailed it to her and about a week later, my Instagram notifications started going crazy. I opened the app to see she had posted it in her story. I got an influx of followers and also had a large number of sales just from her post, and just like that, I was motivated to start promoting my shop again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.custom2fly.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/custom2fly