We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kendra Woolridge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kendra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Janet & Jo. is the namesake of my two grandmothers. I named the company after my grandmothers, as a way to honor both sides of my family, and remind myself of the responsibility I carry, to ensure the impact cancer has had on both sides of my family, is used for good.

Our mission at Janet & Jo. is to educate and inspire, through our nail lacquers and the stories behind their names.

Prior to starting Janet & Jo. I was simply Kendra. The daughter of a woman whom I watched courageously fight cancer all throughout my life- a total of four times to be exact. I later lost both my mother and my grandmother Jo. to cancer.

As I was starting Janet & Jo. I discovered my purpose after finding there were so many toxic ingredients, including carcinogens, in nail polish formulations. Not only was I taken aback, but I was highly disappointed in the lack of transparency and education surrounding this. Many times when we discuss ways to best care for ourselves and reduce our risks of developing diseases such as cancer, we think of the foods we eat or products placed on our skin, but nailcare products are rarely brought into that conversation. With Janet & Jo. I’m able to combine my passion for polish, education and personal experiences, to spread awareness, while providing a healthier alternative to traditional nail polishes- something that was not being done at the time. My emphasis on using clean beauty education and storytelling as a mechanism to connect with and inspire others, is what makes Janet & Jo. unique. So many of us have or know someone that has been affected by cancer. Through our shared experiences we’re able to build community, strengthen awareness and make informed purchasing decisions. What started as a mission to spread clean beauty education in the nail product space, has evolved into my purpose. Our mission at Janet & Jo. is the core that fuels this company. Our mission has enabled me to use something as seemingly simple as nail polish, to be a tool for education and inspiration.

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.

.Janet & Jo. began as a passion project that turned into my purpose. One thing I’ve learned in this journey is to be flexible and open to ideas, other than your own — this is where true growth occurs. Janet & Jo. began with nail lacquers and we have since expanded to offer self care sets that have these beautiful mugs with cute sayings that are simple reminders of our right to choose- whether we’re choosing to see the silver linings in life (see our signature mug: Life may not be perfect but your nails can be) or see ourselves out of toxic relationships (see: I like my polish like my relationships, non-toxic mug, in our self care sets). Self care is more than a saying or idea. It’s a verb and I take pride in helping others find ways to define self care for themselves.

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

Our social media audience is small, 4k+ followers, but I love it because each of those followers are organic. I take pride in having a true following who understands and is apart of the community we’re creating. I think being genuinely seen and understood by your target audience is key and also remembering real life happens offline. We have been able to do amazing things and build strong relationships with companies and organizations. My advice for those starting out is, don’t get consumed with building an online presence that you neglect real-life connections and relationship building experiences.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Going out and engaging with my target audience has been the most effective strategy. It’s important for your consumers to know, you, who you are, what you believe and why you created the brand. Through our public facing events we’ve been able to connect and grow with our audience.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JanetandJo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetandjo/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetandJo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendra-w-1105ab76/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/janetandjo?lang=en

Image Credits
Janet & Jo. LLC