We recently connected with Johana Gutierrez-Griffiths and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Johana, thanks for joining 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?

Being the owner of JJ Paperie & Co after 2.5 years in, I am very happy that I took the leap and went for it back in 2020. Having a business comes with tons of highs and lows but at the end of the day, the best is knowing and truly realizing you are the one in control of the growth and progress of your business and life. JJ Paperie & Co evolved from calligraphy workshops to now having a growing stationery line that are in select shops in the US and partnering up with brands such as Nordstrom, & Other Stories and Saks! I definitely did not see all of this when I first started, for one I didn’t realize all the opportunities available to me then either but it all came along the way.

I think there are people who strive in a more traditional setting and then I think there are those that are curious for a life a little less traditional and I think if you have that inkling at all, then to really think about it and see where that curiosity takes you. I had wanted to freelance for some time before I started my own business and didn’t go for it because I was scared/unsure. The thought never left my head and I finally knew that as I got older I was either going to give it a shot or just let it go. So I went for it and I plan to never look back.

Johana, 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?

I started JJ Paperie & Co after working in the media & entertainment industry in NYC after 7 years! I had some pretty “dream jobs” but I knew long-term that the “hustle” wasn’t really going to be for me. While I like to call myself more of a creative vs. artist, I always liked to do something with my hands. I picked up calligraphy back in 2016 as a true hobbyist – didn’t really practice and didn’t do much with it after a few tries. Flash forward to 2018 after I got engaged, I wanted to attempt to do some of the day of details (place cards, wedding signage, seating card). So I basically consumed my mornings and nights after/before work to learning this craft until I felt like I was “good enough” to do my own wedding details.

I am an example of someone who didn’t have the traditional art/design experience but put in hours of time and practice. I think we are fully capable of learning a new skill (drawing, painting, calligraphy, etc). It’s really like anything else – you just will need to want to learn how to do it.

I’m really proud of what I’ve learned since then coming from a background of not knowing either design or art but I really love to encourage others they can do the same or learn something new if they want to! I

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

I sell on my website and primarily wholesale at this time. I actually am planning to revisit Etsy as they do have an existing customer base that helps drive traffic to your shop on there early on. While I do love having my own website and think it’s important to have one, it’s also good to be aware that you will need to drive traffic yourself for new customers to discover you.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

I have multiple revenue streams across my business and that allows me to really do all the things I love to do! Between selling my products wholesale, to creating unique experiences with on-site engraving and teaching calligraphy workshops to educating others about their own creative paths is awesome. This all happened pretty quickly in my business and while I don’t think you need to do these all ASAP, it just happened organically for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jjpaperieco.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jjpaperieco
• Other: [email protected] for ay questions :)