Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Pitre. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Girlfriends Ink is a lifestyle brand for womxn created by mom and daughter duo, Jessica & Elaine. Our brand focuses on utilizing productivity, self care and inspirational stationery. What started off as a capsule line of greeting cards, journals and home goods has evolved into a vibrant lifestyle community that empowers womxn to cease their dreams, smash their goals and walk in their purpose.

Looking towards the future, Girlfriends Ink hopes to continue to build its community through networking events, exclusive launches, and mentorship.

Girlfriends Ink is more than pretty journals and planners, it’s a sisterhood of womxn who are actively in pursuit of creating a life fueled by purpose & productivity.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I think about the beginning of my story, I picture seven year old me at my grandmother’s dining room table. I was so excited to have an opportunity to sit and use her beautiful personalized stationery to help her keep in touch with those that she loved most. I was always enamored with the variety of greeting cards, monogrammed envelopes and other items she would use to personalize each note and how she poured her love into each correspondence. I like to think that the love of stationery was passed from my grandmother to my mom and then, of course, to me! As a kid, I always loved being creative and my mom encouraged me to express myself through things I was interested in. She would buy me notebooks, pens and paper for me to draw and write and you could often find me doodling or journaling my thoughts during my free time.

Fast forward to 2019, my mom had a need for a simple greeting card that she wanted to be able to send to her friend. She wanted it to be simple, unique and have a message that spoke to the nature of their friendship. I created the perfect card for the occasion that simply said, “Hey Girl”. From that one card our business, Girlfriends Ink, was born. That one card sparked the conversation between her and I about the fact that there is not enough representation within the stationery community. We decided to take action and be a part of the change that we wanted to see. The desire to take action and create positive change, coupled with our shared love for stationery items created that full circle moment that was needed to bring Girlfriends Ink to life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I think about the definition of resilience the first thing that comes to mind is an item. It actually is an old school rubber band ball. Why a rubber band ball? Well, resilience to me means my ability to bounce back. Essentially each rubber band is placed on the ball and adds to its inherit ability to bounce back and that is an observable demonstration of how your experiences in life can build your resilience, if you allow them to. To be able to bounce back from challenges, difficulty, or times of crisis is really a muscle that I have learned, and am continuing to learn, to flex. When I think about my personal journey, I think about a time when in my life when I actually felt the least resilient. In 2020, I would say that I went through one of the most challenging times in my life. It was not because I was not achieving what I set out to do, or that I was not going through the motions day to day running my business, going to work or caring for my family. What was suffering most was my mental well being. There are a few interpersonal relationships and specific situations that catapulted me into a deep depression that at the time I was not sure I would make it out of. It was not until a stay at an inpatient hospital where I realized that I needed a little more support than I was going to be able to give myself. During a chance encounter when I was checking out a nurse mentioned to me that I should see if I could enroll in Group Therapy. I know, I know, I am sure that you are thinking the same thing as me and I am sure that my facial expression made the same statement to her at the time. However, she described the group and mentioned that it was Women’s Trauma focused and that it was worth giving it a shot. Fast forward, I went to group therapy and needless-to-say that my experience was life changing. It was life changing for so many reasons but one of my main take aways I learned was that RESILIENCE IS A SKILL! Similar to learning how to do anything new or challenging, at first it can often be cumbersome. Through practice, we become more adaptable and that is what strengthens our ability to move forward, and take action. So, whether it comes to life or business, learn how to go with the flow, always maintain a clear sense of perspective and lastly remember to recognize that you have a CHOICE in how you deal with any challenge that you face.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson that I had to unlearn was that the more I work the more successful I will be. That is FALSE! Owning a business is hard and takes a lot work. It can be very rewarding, but it can also be mentally and emotionally exhausting ESPECIALLY if you are not taking time away from your business to practice self care. Always staying busy with your business can be good, but ask yourself are you also being productive. I think this is something that a-lot of business owners can relate to especially as we continue to see an increase in entrepreneurship. There are so many quotes that put emphasis on the “hustle” or “grind”, but rarely do they take time to also emphasize the importance of self-care and your mental well being. If you are not caring for you, then that means you can not also put your best foot forward personally or business wise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.girlfriendsink.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlfriendsink
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlfriendsink
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/girlfriendsink
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/girlfriendsink