Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Justine Olsen . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Justine , appreciate you 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?
This question is often viewed differently to me based on how my business is going in the moment. I am the kind of person who has really always had some kind of a desire to create something artistic and make a living out of it. I mean, who wouldn’t? I have 3 kids at home and worked nights at our family’s bar for over 17 years. My long-term goal was to go from managing and bartending to running the bar after my father retired. The stress and late nights got the best of me, and I realized this may not be my forever thing. Time to re evaluate.
Having taken the leap of opening my own floral preservation studio and now working from home full time, I go back and forth between loving being a business owner and just being plain old stressed out. Mental burnout is a real thing and creativity doesn’t flow as well when there is stress Involved. Sometimes we need to step away and come back to a piece with a fresh mind and more ideas. But that is also the beauty of being able to manage my own projects and work on my own timeline.
Being a business owner means I am a lot more than just what I create. I am a receptionist, a manager, an organizer, a social media manager, a photographer, a creator, a website builder and a packaging specialist! There is so much that goes into it, but I really do enjoy it!
Sometimes during slow seasons, I wonder about a 9-5 job. I believe many creative people struggle with that kind of atmosphere and I am very grateful I decided to take a chance of living out my dream of becoming a creative entrepreneur. Spending more time with my family and having the opportunity to teach my children the importance of taking chances & doing what you love while being alongside them as they grow. I couldn’t ask for anything more rewarding than that!
So, the pros definitely outweigh the cons for me. I get excited thinking about the future, perfecting my craft and growing my business.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I live in Corcoran, Minnesota on a small hobby farm with my husband and 3 kids. I worked in the bar industry for over 17 years until covid hit. In 2020 we shut down and re-opened months after. At this time, I had given up all of my bartending shifts to other staff members who needed it more and started to focus on the management side of things. The stress of the industry got to me and I found myself contemplating other avenues for work.
Ive always worked with resin as a hobby, so I decided to dive in a little deeper. I was creating coasters, tables and wall decor with resin and sold them on Etsy and locally. I had made my brother and sister-in-law an anniversary gift using their dried bouquet from their wedding in a resin block. It wasn’t my best work, but it made them SO happy. I knew this was it. Having so much experience working with resin already, I decided to start preserving wedding bouquets, funeral flowers and also making pet memorials. I have found so much joy in creating these pieces and seeing how happy it makes my customers.
Fast forward a couple years, and my business has grown quite a bit! I opened my own studio on my property (something I only ever dreamed of) and I am able to work with people all over the United States. I absolutely love to work locally when I can., Meeting my customers face to face is always a bonus. The industry has gotten pretty big for floral preservation over the last few years. The options are endless. I create a wide variety of items from tables, blocks, coasters, trays, ring holders, candle towers, jewelry and more. I work with fresh flowers, old bouquets, fake flowers, added items/photos, and even ashes from cremations. I turn these items into keepsakes in resin. It is a very lengthy process and takes months to create, but it’s worth it.
I have worked with resin for years and have a huge amount of time, experience, and trial and error into my work. I think every artist is set apart from each other to be honest. Everyone has their own style, so you really need to do your research when choosing your artist and making sure you are on the same page.
When thinking about preserving your special flowers, make sure you book your wedding date in advance! peak wedding dates fill extremely fast. It is definitely a labor of love. Having patience with your preservation artist is one of the best things you can do for them. Each piece is hand made with love and the most important thing is the quality and outcome of each order.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Oh, this is such a hit or miss thing for me. I only hop onto my social media when I have the time to, and one of the biggest things with growing a social media account is posting at the right times, using keywords, the right hashtags and SEO. Then, you have to all of a sudden become some amazing photographer and keep creating content or you just kind of fall off the face of the (earth) internet.
I mean, between Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, I just can’t keep up with it all. It is such a love hate relationship for me. I do not have the time to keep creating reels, editing, and posting on certain days at certain times! It’s a full-time job in itself. Plus, I am not the best at it. It probably takes me a lot longer than others!
I stress to people often that the best thing you can do for someone who is growing their business and their presence on social media is to like their content, share it, interact with it, etc. Trust me, it is one of the best things you can do to support someone on their new business endeavors and it’s amazing how often people (even friends and family) will not do this.
Otherwise, my only other suggestion is just to keep at it. Share your products whenever you can, create a reel whenever you can, and keep pushing word of mouth and asking your customers to share their experiences of working with your business. Be personal and relatable on your platforms, share your wins and some of your struggles. It builds a relationship between you and your audience and helps them feel connected to you and your brand, even if they aren’t a direct customer.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Definitely word of mouth. It’s not something I can really do myself. Also, teaming up with different vendors in the industry and creating a support system and sometimes even friendships with these people helps give a sense of community in the industry, even when I am working for myself. Being able to reach out, chat, and offer feedback and talk about our experiences really helps, especially when I am alone a lot of the time when I am working.
I have also worked a lot with local florists and built a relationship with them who then offer my services to their customers who are looking for preservation options. Networking is so important.
Ultimately, I think it all starts with creating and maintaining relationships with my customers and other vendors in my industry. Continually supporting them and creating those connections with potential clients lets them know I care about their success. I am so appreciative of the other small business owners who take the time out of their busy schedule to reciprocate that and recommend my business to others. Every little bit helps!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blacksheepboutique.square.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_black.sheep.boutique_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackSheepBoutique8
- Other: TikTok: @black_sheep_boutique
Image Credits
Justine – Black Sheep Boutique