Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenn Daugherty. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jenn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

I started Vanda Gallery on Facebook as just a place to share my creative endeavors. I had absolutely no intention to make it into a business as my life was full at the time. Between motherhood, more-than-full-time job at a busy doctor’s office, and life in general, I had no time to devote to making my art into anything more than a fun hobby. However, a few years, life events, and new hyperfixations later, I was ready to try it out.

I discovered sewing by necessity. I’m short and finding pants to fit a maternity belly is crazy difficult. My mom gave me a Brother sewing machine the Christmas I was pregnant. She taught me how to hem my pants and that’s the only thing I ever did on that little machine for a few months. After my baby shower, the girl that was essential in the planning and setup for my shower loved bags. I decided to try to make her a basic bag as a thank you gift.

That first bag was all it took to create an obsession.

It was actually 3 years later when I decided to try again. I had wanted to so many times but not knowing how to sew anything other than hemmed pants was a bit of a hinderance. One of the life events was leaving the insanely busy job and finding one more conducive to having an outside life. With this new free time, I finally took the time to learn what was needed to carry on with more bag making.

From there, my dream began. In 2020, I finally dove back into bag making and sewing head first. My real encouragement came from amazing friends and family who supported me during live sales. That’s how I initially did all my selling. I would premake a few items, do a live sale, and poof, suddenly be without any inventory. I eventually started selling at craft shows and fairs. I got to the point where I was running out of room in my living room and finally got a shed in November 2021 that was to be the sewing shed. It’s taken over a year but I’m finally moved into the shed and living out my dream of creating with no interruption, making custom bags, and prepping for the next show!

Jenn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My favorite part about making bags is to add some color and fun to daily life. I love hiding fun little aspects like an interesting zipper pull or fun interior to a bag to make the day a little more fun.

I’m a huge fan of Coach purses. Bad to admit? Maybe, but I can’t give the suckers up. I still possess my favorites. The only problem with those beautiful bags? They are just like thousands of other people’s bags.

Even though I find them beautiful, they lack a level of personality that I wanted in my life. Sure, I want a classy bag on the exterior, but what’s wrong with having a fun detail on the inside? Something that can make me smile just for an instant while I’m carrying on with the monotony of grocery shopping, laundry folding, and the daily grind? Nothing. That’s whats wrong. Absolutely nothing.

With that idea in mind, I started making bags from other designer’s patterns. Nowadays, I’m making bags from my own bag designs and fabric designs. I even started a line specific for the issue at hand… Classy on the exterior, Sassy on the interior–therefore making the Classy & Sassy Series by Vanda Gallery. A series that highlights a beautiful, simple, classic exterior with a touch of fun on the inside.

Between my goal to make others smile and to motivate, I always try to encourage others to follow their dreams. I love to see others succeed and do everything I can to encourage them. A kind word, a warm embrace from a non-hugger (hey, we can’t all be huggers), or a touch of reality for strength and to just do-the-damn thing, I try to keep it real, but motivational for all those who are trying to find more in life.

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

Not everyone is against you.

I’m sure there is a probably a solid 50/50 mix of those reading who are thinking the following: those who say “who’d be against you?” and those who say “yeah, right.”

If you have been in the category of “yeah right”, I’m right there with you. I’ve worked toxic jobs. I’ve worked with people whose main initiative is to want you to fail. I was privileged enough to have an amazing family who was not like that but I know not everyone has that privilege. Just know this: if you believe in you, that’s all that matters. But it makes it easier when you can find your ‘tribe.’ I put that in quotes as I got that terminology from the bazillion mom blogs out there that I read in the days I was pregnant, but it’s so true for so many of life’s moments. Your tribe, whoever they may be, will have your back. Not everyone’s tribe is the same. For some it’s family, for some it’s an amazing assortment of the best friends who might as well be family ever. Whoever your tribe is, believe them when they tell you this: YOU. CAN. DO. IT.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

So far, the majority of my loyal business and sales has come from social media, primarily Facebook. At the very beginning, I decided to being a secluded Facebook group for those who fit the following: friends, family, or buyers of Vanda Gallery products. Two of my four current custom orders are people who have been following me in the VIP group. One of them is a multiple repeat customer. The loyalty is still building with my customers as I’m still fairly new in the grand scheme of things but once you see it encourages you so very much to keep going!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.govanda.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/vandagallery.va
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/vandagalleryva
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-daugherty-2a31b451/

Image Credits
Jennifer Daugherty I’m my own photographer. It helps having a lot of hyperfixations!