We recently connected with Joelle Prisco and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joelle, thanks for joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Being your own boss is a wonderful thing…. But it is not easy at all !

I was an elementary school teacher for 13 years. I thought this was my career path for life. However, after the unpredictable year 2020 brought this world, I started to realize that life is too short. I placed more importance on my mental health and truly what made me happy, and if that meant leaving a secure job, then that was what I had to do!

Many people say, “Wow, you are your own boss- you now have so much time for yourself!” Right there, they are so far from the actual truth…. Being your own boss does not mean more time – it means working around the clock and doing everything in your might to make your small business work! It means taking care of paperwork. Creating your product. Posting and taking care of social media. Packaging. Setting up pop up shops/events to attend. Taking orders. Shipping. Printing. Checking inventory. Ordering labels and business products. Handling Promotional deals. Answering emails. Meeting new clients….. endless work that seems all so rewarding when you are doing what you love!

Joelle, 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?

Mama JoJo Crayons is a woman owned business 100% led and created by me, Joelle Prisco.

I was an elementary school teacher for many years. When I taught first grade, I created crayon hearts and other shapes for my students using our classroom crayons. The kids loved the uniqueness of their once broken crayons and cherished their new crayon- and most of all, I enjoyed making them! …..

Fast forward to 2020 when home instruction and quarantine was in full effect- my daughter was home learning how to spell her name and colors of the rainbow- so I decided, why not make her name in crayons in the order of the rainbow colors! I posted what I created for friends to see, and there it happened. My small business venture began!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Mama JoJo Crayons are created with ONLY Crayola crayons.

There was a time that the idea of using a cheaper crayon brand to cut down on cost crossed my mind. I immediately stopped and reminded myself that QUALITY is a priority to my business! As a former teacher (and I think I can speak for most teachers), the different brands of crayons and what the kids enjoy coloring with is clear.

I knew that the quality of my product built my reputation. Crayola is a quality crayon that is non-toxic. I wanted to stand by my product and know that it was safe to use for kids and adults.

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

Social media is a great way to showcase your small business.

When I created my first set of crayons for my daughter, I posted it. Through family and friends sharing my post, I then gained followers. Those followers then shared and ordered my crayons.

I didn’t have the money to pay for advertising. I turned towards Instagram and posted away. I didn’t listen to algorithms regarding key times when to post. I posted when I wanted to post. I posted what I loved. I posted new shapes and styles. I posted my new products. I posted things that made me excited. I posted about me. I stayed genuine to me and ignored when/what/how to post.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: MamaJoJo123abc
• Other: Website in the works ! Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Danielle Cabral (Bravo’s Housewife of NJ and Mama JoJo Crayons Fan)