We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jade Gibbs. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jade below.

Hi Jade, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I absolutely wish I could go back in time and start my business sooner. I have been knitting and crocheting since I was about 10 years old. I never took it seriously & had no clue I could make a lucrative business out of what was just a hobby for me at the time. I took many years off from knitting and crocheting then picked it back up during the pandemic. My grandmother, Ann Gibbs, the woman that taught me how to knit and crochet, unfortunately passed during the pandemic & I started to start up again in her honor. I eventually started to post my work on instagram and started to get DMs from people wanting to buy my work. From there, Ann’s Closet was born. I do wish I started this sooner so that I could’ve had the chance to show my grandmother my creations and show her that it can be more than just a hobby. A skill she taught me as a child has now grew into something so much more.

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’m Jade Ann Gibbs, owner & creator of Ann’s Closet, a crochet and knitwear line. I’m Originally from Brooklyn, New York but now based in Atlanta, Georgia. I spend most of my time creating original crochet garments, patterns and tutorials to inspire other crocheters to explore the world of crocheting clothing. I also offer coaching sessions for people that want to learn how to turn knitting and crocheting into a business. As a child, I spent tons of time with my grandmother Ann Gibbs, learning how to crochet & knit. When she passed in 2020, I wanted to do something to memorialize her. That inspired me to create Anns Closet. I am immensely grateful to have learned such an amazing skill from such an amazing woman. I am honored to be able to spend my time learning more about this craft each day & teaching other as well.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I came to Atlanta in the middle of the pandemic in 2020 with no job & no plan. I started creating TikToks in my spare time showcasing my work & through hard work and dedication, I was able to create a crochet community of over 130k people that wanted to see more from me. They supported me and encouraged me to push further, learn more and monetize my talents. Thankfully that community I build has grown beyond my expectations and I have been able to support myself with my art. There are a few things that I believe catapulted me in the Tik Tok space. When I first started out, I posted very often, almost every day. I would spend one or two days a week recording content all day then posted that content throughout the rest of the week. I responded to every comment & really engaged with the people that engaged with me. Once I figured out which videos did good and which didn’t, I recreated the ones that did well, in different ways. I made sure to always be my authentic self and have fun with it.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

Yes! Not only do I sell physical crochet and knitwear items, I also sell my crochet patterns. Crochet patterns are a set of directions for other crocheters to be able to recreate my designs. I have recently started coaching as well, which has been my favorite aspect of the business so far because I’ve been able to help other crocheters with their projects, learn how to read and write patters, build businesses and grow on social media. I have a monetized youtube channel. I also occasionally get brand deals & sell my rights to custom patterns for crocheters that may not want to or know how to create patterns but would like to sell them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annsclst.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annsclst/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCArEb9jpUz0BOv7fT4roVUw
• Other: Tik Tok : www.tiktok.com/@annsclst