We were lucky to catch up with Athena Hawkins Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Athena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

Getting to where I am today was nothing short of grinding everyday. Owning your own business is not a normal job. There are no 9-5 hours, you keep working until everything is done. If you do not get it done, there is not another co-worker that comes in after you to finish it or a boss to pick up the slack. You are the boss. You are the one who needs to study and know your product better than anyone else. When I first started out, my family and friends bought things but once that stopped, I had the decision to keep going or just get a couple bucks here and there from them when they wanted to place an order. One major thing that has helped me grow my business are festivals. I go to many craft festivals year round not only for sales, but another way is to market my business. People love to see the face behind the company and know what type of business owner they are placing orders through. Whether you make 1,000 sales or 20, you are still getting your business name out to those that may not have known you before. That may not be a sale now, but it can be in the future. The more you can get your name out there, it is a win. Another way I market my business is through social media. I make sure that I post new designs and sayings so it keeps my timeline fresh so people know I have an unlimited amount of designs, sayings, sizes, and color combinations to choose from. Recently, I have been dabbling into putting my calligraphy on things other than my signs which has expanded my business. For example, one major idea that has been successful for me is finding old antique suitcases and putting my calligraphy on them. They are unique and so fun to do!

Athena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Athena Hawkins Wilson, I am 24 years old and my workshop is located in Winder, Ga. Southern Peach Crafts is a Christian owned company that specializes in custom wooden signs of any shapes or sizes. When I first started out, I was working for my dad’s cabinet company, he and my brother taught me so much about woodworking. Reading a tape measure, how to use a table saw and a chop saw, and so much more. One day there was a bunch of random pallets laying around that I took apart and put together. That went to staining and painting random words on them, to custom making frames and saying for many customers around the Southeast. I do not have a huge beautiful inspirational story on how Southern Peach Crafts got started. I kept being creative and moving forward and trying new designs, trial and error on what the consumers looked for, and learned to master it. When I first started I felt like I would never be as successful as those who had a beautiful, inspirational story but I learned to see the beauty in the simplicity in my story. I have determination and passion to make my business successful, and that is enough. If you have an idea or a product that you love it is up to you to make it successful. Learning the type of market and areas that your product would most thrive in and capitalizing on it. This is when you find out what type of work ethic you have. It is hard owning your own business and not having dead set hours everyday. It gets hard to keep yourself motivated and to continue to work hard even on those days or months that may not be the most successful. One thing I would want future customers to know is I value your dollar. I will never take for granted any type of support you give me, whether it is a purchase of a sign or a follow on one of my social media accounts. Any small token of love and support is enough for me and is making this small business owners day.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building a social media platform is a lot harder than it sounds. It also depends on the type of demographic that consumes your product. If a lot of your customers are in their early 20’s, you would stick with more of an aesthetically pleasing timeline with added reels and trending music. For me, I do not have a specific age, but more of a style of home. Many of my consumers have farmhouse, rustic, or cottage style homes. I give options in my signs that have more of a classic or modern style but those are not my best sellers like my other signs with more of a rustic look to them. I have learned what sells for me and I run with it. I post them all the time, with a splash of custom orders people have sent me and put in their homes. People love to get inspiration from others, especially with something so specific as signs. If they see a sign in someone else’s home with the same type of style, they get an idea of what it would look like before buying. Giving people visuals of the product but also having them staged in a home is the key for me and works best for my product!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

For me, I put everything I have into each sign. When I first started out, when people liked a sign I took it as people liked and approved of me. When people would not give my signs the time of day, I took it very personally. I had to learn to separate myself from what I did and not turn it into what I am. Other small business owners have called this the “I am my company syndrome.” It is very important for you to make sure as a small business owner, you have successes outside of your business. It is so important to find other things that bring you joy to focus on when you are not in the office. After the first year high of your business, outside factors begin to play a role like burning out or overloading yourself, the uncertainty of when your next big sale could be, or the fear of failure. I have grown to learn that my signs are not everyone’s cup of tea, and that is okay. The sooner you learn to separate feelings from business, it will be less stressful and more fun. You can do your best thinking when you are relaxed and love what you are doing!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: southern_peach_crafts
• Facebook: Southern Peach Crafts