We were lucky to catch up with Jillian Stormer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jillian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I have been creating epoxy tumblers since 2020. Learning this craft has taken alot of time, trial, and error. I taught myself from youtube tutorials and experimenting with different techniques. Although, four years later and I still mess up at times. I enjoy the challenges of working with epoxy.

Jillian, 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 name is Jillian Stormer, I am from Johnstown, PA. I work full time and have a creative business, called Jillian Rae Creations. I started by my husband purchasing me a cricut for Christmas back in 2019. I was just making shirts and signs, but wanted more of a challenge. I remember saying to my husband, “I want to be an epoxy tumbler wizard”. So, he ended up buying me a single tumbler turner to start. My first epoxy tumbler was a disaster, so it was definitely the challenge I was looking for. But, I was determined and motivated. After countless hours of YouTube watching, trying different techniques, it probably took me about six months or so to have it down. It took me longer to find the right products to use that I wanted to be JRC quality for my brand. I now have 20 tumbler turners instead of only one. I attended my first market back in 2021. When I shockingly completely sold out, that’s when I knew I found my niche.
What I think sets me apart from others is my attention to detail and quality of my product. I’m not one to just say “oh that’s good enough”. My ambition to provide the best of the best even when it’s become a pretty saturated market. I am most proud of having loyal customers, learning challenging a craft, and the motivation to keep going. I am forever grateful that I have created over 1,000 epoxy tumblers with my hands, and for my customers allowing me to create for them!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is when I make a tumbler customized to the customer and they have the biggest smile on their face. It’s very rewarding to me that I created something with my hands that made another human smile. Jillian Rae Creations motto is “It’s not just a cup, it’s a keepsake”. Because it truly isn’t just a plain cup. It shows personality and character. The possibilities are endless and it’s just super fun for me to be able to make someone smile.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My audience on social media (especially Facebook) has grown for the past four years. When I was starting out in the social media world for JRC. I would do giveaways. That was a fun ans easy way to engage. But, since then I haven’t really been able to do that because of the scammers on the platform, unfortunately. But, now I just simply post my work, be transparent, and be myself. I am sure there’s so much more I could be doing. But I am still learning myself. A big thing I have noticed with building a social media audience is consistency.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jillianraecreations.com/
• Instagram: Jillian Rae Creations https://www.instagram.com/jillianraecreations?igsh=MTU5aW1qOXQxd2xqOA==
• Facebook: Jillian Rae Creations https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100057409122871

Image Credits
BridgePerspective Jillian Stormer