We were lucky to catch up with Jamie Taber recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jamie, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

I am a former special education teacher. I spent most of my 20 years teaching students with physical and health impairments but ended my teaching career teaching students with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. My students have taught me so many lessons! First, they have taught me the importance of kindness and joy (which has become the motto for my business!). So many students with special needs love unconditionally and find joy in the little things. Second, they have taught me resilience. Almost all of my former students had (and still do have) many surgeries and medical procedures. Watching these young children fight for their lives, learn to walk again, etc., teaches you that you can do anything you put your mind to and that fighting for what you want is so very important. My students would go through these surgeries and procedures with smiles on their faces, bringing joy to everyone around them. Third, my students have taught me to be creative and that where there is a will, there is a way. Together with my students, we would find creative measures to make things possible, from making a special hook for a student with Dwarfism to be able to turn on the lights to finding special tools to help students write. My time working with students with severe and profound disabilities taught me that anyone is capable if you find a way. We had students planting flowers, packaging seeds for sale, cleaning rooms, greeting others in our classroom store, etc. We found a way for every single student to participate.

This lesson brings me to the overall mission of my business. I hope to someday own a storefront, that is made of a collection of small businesses. I envision a large community gathering place with tables and adaptable seating, outlined by rooms of people cutting hair, reading books, enjoying baked goods, receiving counseling, relaxing watching TV, a clothes closet, etc. I have a plan for every room that is based on a former student or family member of mine. I chose these types of businesses because I know that any person with any kind of ability level can participate in some way, shape, or form. It may be a door greeter who uses a switch to activate a device that speaks for them. It may be sweeping up the hair in the hair-cutting station, shelving books in the book nook, or packaging baked goods. The possibilities are truly endless!

So overall, thanks to the thousands of lessons my students have taught me, I have learned to spread kindness and joy, aim for what I want, have resilience, and that ALL people deserve to have a job. I hold these lessons close to my heart as I keep working toward my goal!

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.

Tabers Trades is currently a gift shop that specializes in spreading kindness and joy with handmade gifts. I specialize in ornaments, earrings, magnets, keychains, and other small gift items. Almost all of my items are made of wood and engraved/cut using a laser machine and hand painted. I am very dedicated to creating custom items for my clients and work diligently to design and create something that they will always cherish.

I am most proud of the work I do to help spread kindness and joy and preserve memories. I currently have a longstanding client at a radiation center for who I make hundreds of daffodils (flowers for radiation patients) “hope” ornaments. I also had a client who lost their daughter at a young age and wanted to use my kindness tokens to share her memory. We worked together to design the perfect token that had their daughter’s favorite saying and her signature, which we had taken from an old sheet of her homework. The family gave these to her friends and spread the good message of their daughter’s memory to others. Most recently, I made a larger order of customized ornaments that featured a grandfather/dad with each of his grandchildren/children with a special saying of his engraved on each. Hearing the joy that this brought to the family is something that will stay with me for a long time.

Overall, I want future clients to know that I would love to work with them to create that special item! I also love to do fundraisers for schools and sports teams so that I can give back to communities.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

About 2.5 years ago, I had the most significant pivot of my life when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had left the classroom that summer for a full-time position working from home for an online university. My career change allowed me to start my business, which I was just getting up and running. Then, that February, my life totally changed. I had to undergo a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. I also have lupus, so the treatments absolutely destroyed my immune system, and it has taken me until now to heal fully. While the time in treatment set my plans back, I also used my creations to make it through. Painting and creating became therapy for me. From this, I learned how to manage my time and energy best so that I can make the best decisions for my business.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I currently sell on Etsy and own a booth at a local vendor mall. While Etsy does have higher fees, I feel you get what you pay for. I have tried a few other handmade sites, and they do not get the traffic or have the selling options that Etsy has. I did have my own website, but I recently redirected it to Etsy to save money and time. I have found that participating in Etsy’s ad campaigns can really pay off. I recently listed a USA color-your-travels ornament and have already sold over 1,000 (in two months) thanks to Etsy’s ads! With any platform, it is important that you promote yourself and advertise as much as possible!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.taberstrades.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabertrades
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taberstrades1
• Other: Etsy: https://taberstrades.etsy.com