We were lucky to catch up with Christine Herrin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christine, appreciate you joining us today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

Vacations are essential in my business — I need to take breaks to make sure I don’t get burned out! I think the trick is to remember that you get to determine what a “vacation” looks like. Sometimes you need to completely unplug, sometimes you just need a quick change of scenery to reset. My advice is to think of what you need (a break, a change of scenery) and know that by taking that time to step back, you’re honoring yourself and the rest you need as the main asset of your business.

Ever since I started my business, I’d take quick working trips / retreats to keep things fresh. I’d visit a new city, schedule some sightseeing in, but most of the time, I’d sit in a cafe to “work”. I’d work on bigger picture tasks like brainstorming new product ideas or revamping processes in the business. Being out of my usual environment taking in new sights usually sparks new ideas for me. I don’t pressure myself to turn off working on my business to unplug — a long-haul flight without internet is actually the best time for me to get deep work finished!

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

Everyday Explorers Co. is a modern paper goods brand that encourages self-care and promotes mental health through creative memory-keeping and crafty me-time. Our products include journals, stamp sets, scrapbooking kits, stickers, and more. Our subscription kit, the Mini Book Makers Club, offers crafters insightful guiding project prompts and everything they need to document one aspect of their life every month.

My mission with my business has evolved throughout the years. I started just wanting stamps and stickers that could help tell my story and stories like mine: single, traveling, younger (no kids), with an aesthetic like mine. Now, it’s turned into how scrapbooking (or memory keeping) is actually such a meaningful activity — and how I can create scrapbooking/craft products into something a more mainstream audience can appreciate. I want people to pause and notice the details enough to document them. I want people to express their creativity through journaling, or printing out their photos. I want people to make something their proud of and feel the joy of picking up an old scrapbook or journal that takes them right back to the exact moment they wrote about.

I believe in the importance of jotting our stories and perspectives down, if not to share with others, as a way for us to slow down and fully live the moments in our life. I believe in the act of making things with our hands, how creative me-time can bring peace and joy. I believe in being present in the world, of noticing details in our everyday life that is worth capturing and celebrating.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One big lesson I had to unlearn in my business is more complicated equals better quality. Sometimes we overcomplicate things (hello, overachievers!) thinking we get extra points for the effort, but it just makes things unsustainable. When I first came out with packaging for my stamps, I had this great idea to wrap each set individually and stamp the label seals (like a postal stamp) to make them look handmade. That was great for the first five sets, but as I had to scale to 50, 100 — it was no longer sustainable. I still get caught in the trap of wanting to add more or make things more intricate, but I’ve had to really think about where my time and effort is better used; the “nice to haves” can make way for things that move the needle further.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I take pride in my designs and point of view with my products. I try my best to think of original ideas, collecting inspiration from outside our industry. I also work very hard to provide good, human, customer service.. My products are all about creativity, joy, and me-time, so I match that with kind and honest customer service. I like to think that it’s helped build trust for my company.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.everydayexplorers.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayexplorersco/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@everydayexplorersco/videos