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

Jocelyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I would be lying if I said I haven’t ever thought about having a more conventional job. Being a small business owner can be extremely difficult at times. It takes a lot of discipline when you are the only one running the show. If you don’t put in the work, there is no one else to come behind you and pick up the slack. One thing I love about being my own boss is flexibility, but with that, I think it’s important to establish a set routine you stick to. A regular job would force you to get up at a specific time and stay there until the work day is over. When you are working from home every day, sometimes it’s hard to want to get up and get your day started, and it’s easy to get distracted. I think creative burnout is another thing that has made me wish I sometimes had a regular job. Having to come up with new designs constantly can be overwhelming, especially when inspiration isn’t striking. But I say all of that to say this, even though owning a business is tough, I am incredibly thankful for my business, even if it isn’t the most typical path I could have taken.

Jocelyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Before starting my business in the summer of 2020, I was a full-time college student working as a freelance journalist. During that time, I was really struggling with my mental health and was looking for a change. I decided to quit freelancing and chose this less conventional path, but it was a path I knew would make me much happier.

I design all of my products and hand screen print my apparel! Aside from creating my own items, I occasionally work on custom design projects for my customers also. Another thing I have been spending a lot of time on is wholesale. I only started wholesaling my products last year, but it has been very successful so far! I believe close to 100 other small shops now carry my items. It’s been super exciting to see my business expand in that way!

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

When I started my business, I used Etsy, then switched to Shopify after about a year. Etsy is a great platform for people who are just starting out. It helped me to establish a customer base and learn the basics of operating an online shop, but I would not recommend staying on Etsy forever. While I found success on Etsy, I always knew my end goal was to operate using my own website. Etsy has a lot of fees, so you really just have to calculate for yourself if it is worth it to stay or move to your own site.

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We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building my audience on social media is still something that I struggle with, even after two years of being in business. While I think social media is a crucial part of promoting your business, it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers aspect. I have business profiles on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and even Pinterest. My best advice would be to put your business on as many social media sites as possible and stay consistent with posting on them. Show behind-the-scenes content and tell your audience a little bit about your life, so they know who the face behind the brand is. People will connect with you and put their trust in your brand if they can relate to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goldenhourpressco.com
• Instagram: @goldenhourpressco