We recently connected with Jalonna Kearney-Rodgers and have shared our conversation below.

Jalonna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

It’s difficult to remember when I first learned to craft but in recent years I’ve learned to master my Cricut Maker machine for free via YouTube videos, blogs, and training classes. The most essential skills I have obtained so far are all of an internal nature. I learned self-discipline, proper time management and to dismiss fear of judgment from others. These skills are of the utmost importance as a creator because you know going into a project that not everyone will love it like you do. As long as you are comfortable with what you are putting out into the world, that’s all that matters. To speed up the learning process for more technical skills, I could have paid for masterclasses but I didn’t have an endless supply of funds and enjoyed hustling to find different perspectives from creators too much.

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

Sure! My name is Jalonna Kearney-Rodgers and as the owner of Blue Room Bride, I teach women to DIY and craft the wedding of their dreams. Because I was involved in various activities, clubs, and organizations as a child, I didn’t have time to craft for fun. As I grew more in my creativity, I decided to pick it back up as a hobby. Fast forward and I’ve been a business owner for about 3 years now. A few weeks before Covid began, my (now) husband proposed during the Super Bowl. At the onset of my planning process: everyone was in quarantine,l and my job laid me off. I needed to find an outlet to relieve my increasing anxiety about the future.
Like most brides, I thought the only way to plan my wedding was to outsource and purchase everything. Not only was I unable to find other small black owned businesses to patronize, but without steady income, it became increasingly difficult to justify spending money on our wedding. After talking with hubby, we decided to use my skills to “craft the wedding of our dreams”.
I handmade the stationary, save the dates, bridesmaids boxes, groomsmen gifts, wedding favors, and welcome baskets.
Once the wedding was over, and I had a chance to reflect on my experience, I decided to focus on re-creating wedding and engagement-related DIY projects because I want to make it easier for DIY brides to create the wedding items that reflect their personality and truly make the journey special.
Through free printables, tutorials, and live trainings, I teach women to DIY and “bride on a budget” by creating customizable gifts and memorable experiences for their wedding party.
I am most proud of the community and content I’ve built on #MakeWithMeMonday. Each week, the Roommates and I come together on a live-streaming platform to craft a new project. This past week we designed a bridesmaid proposal coloring book in Canva. We will be creating a bookmark and personalized label in the coming weeks so that my followers can have a complete proposal gift ready to present to their crew at the end of the month. Many of the DIY projects can be made using household items and do not require a cutting machine so it truly is an opportunity for women to save a little money while surprising themselves with their own creative talent.

Have you ever had to pivot?

It’s ironic to be asked this question at the season in my life as I am currently preparing to transition out of the classroom in my 10 year career as an educator. In building Blue Room Bride throughout the years, I have become more comfortable in desiring to work as a fully remote employee then full-time entrepreneur. Creating my own schedule, expressing my passion through crafting, and creating a stress-free environment for my future family are the most appealing aspects of my upcoming transition. I believe I can impact more people through my vision for Blue Room Bride and came to this realization shortly after returning to the classroom “post Covid”.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes! This may sound ridiculous but I wish I knew about all the free resources my local library offers! I have found various certification courses, self-help groups, and professional activities like resume building workshops and mock interviews all for FREE! YouTube university is great but sometimes being in the presence of others allows for better connection and networking opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blueroombride.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/blueroombride
• Facebook: facebook.com/blueroombride
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRoomBride
• Other: Blog: https://blueroombride.com/blogs/blue-room-blog