We recently connected with Lorielle Jackson and have shared our conversation below.

Lorielle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business?

Scaling as a small business owner is something we all dream of as we grow and develop our businesses, waiting eagerly for that first big order that will surely catapult us into great success. But then, the moment arises; you land the biggest order of your career, and before you know it, you begin drowning in your business in ways you never even saw coming. That moment for me was last year. Along came the momentous corporate order that required me to Girl Boss up in a way I didn’t know I was capable of, and in a way, that made me want to throw up my hands and walk away from the business altogether.

The biggest initial issue for me was capital availability. Net-30 payment terms can be difficult for my small product business to begin fulfilling large orders immediately. We make pre-curated gift boxes, and our on hand inventory is very limited. For custom orders, additional efforts are needed to source niche items, order them quickly, and pray there are no delays due to supply chain issues. In this case, waiting 30 days for payment was not an option as the deadline for delivery was creeping up basically within that same 30 day time frame. I am primarily a self-funded business, to get the biggest order of my life started, I had to rely on personal credit lines, savings and close friends to loan me the money to order all the needed items to begin the assembly process in a timely manner.

Once the items for the gifts arrived, I needed ALOT of hands to get everything assembled and packaged for shipment. I literally called everyone I knew and, at several moments had at least eight friends and family swoop in on the assembly line to help with the volume of the order.

The last hurdle to overcome was freight pickup. This particular order required the building and transportation of 6 pallets full of gifts, which obviously had to be picked up by an 18-wheeler truck. Insert Thanksgiving holiday pickup delays, combined with the fact my office location is not in a commercial area and you create a perfect storm for challenges—a few of the trucks that came out to pick up the order canceled due to safety concerns. Finally, someone was able to pick up the pallets the day after Thanksgiving giving me a mere four-day countdown to get the gifts across the country to California.

Frustrated, overwhelmed, and defeated were the immediate sentiments during the time of getting those orders out. But there were also many learning lessons that I took away from this experience which has aided in the successful delivery of even larger orders since then. At the end of the day, everything is figure-out-able.

8

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a science nerd turned creative entrepreneur. I studied Environmental Science at Florida A &M University and began teaching high school science shortly after graduation. When I was 24 years old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer which completely shattered my world yet, over time, forged the path for me to start my own business. In the years following my diagnosis and treatment, I sought a creative outlet to regenerate feelings of joy in my life. When one of my close friends got engaged, I volunteered to make her bridesmaid proposal gifts. Her entire bridal party was so elated and excited about their gifts which also made me happy and excited to have had such an impact. From there, I focused on creating the most thoughtful and lavish birthday gifts for friends with upcoming birthdays, luxury housewarming gifts, wedding gifts, and adorable baby shower gifts for everyone in my life. The outpouring of love and feedback I received from each gift, encouraged me to turn my gift-making hobby into an actual business. Since then, I have dedicated my time to creating memorable moments for people located all over the nation. We have an array of pre-curated gifts available on our site for those who need an easy and quick gifting solution. We also specialize in custom gifts for special occasions, events, and corporate needs. Our mission is to provide joy through gifts, creating an enjoyable gifting experience for both the giver and the recipient.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 24, I lost my father to pancreatic cancer literally 2 months after my own diagnosis. That experience with grieving the loss of my health and the loss of my dad at the same time was very challenging for me. There were so many mental, physical and financial strains I faced, that many days I had no idea how I could possibly get through it all. My faith, my will and the endless support of my friends and family carried me through those years and cultivated the strength I have today. 9 years later I have the confidence that I can overcome any obstacle that I am facing in any facet of life, personal or professional.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have had to unlearn that being humble means shying away from the spotlight. Rooted in spiritual teachings and a very humble upbringing of my childhood, I believed for the longest that there is honor in humility and that there is no need to be the “loudest” person in the room. My naive interpretation of this ideology led me to have a lack of confidence and an extreme discomfort with scenarios that forced me to use my voice or anytime I inadvertently became the center of attention. Over time, I have learned that being humble does not mean make yourself smaller in the rooms you are in or dimming your light for others to shine. Being humble is more about being grateful, sharing credit when its due and acknowledging the factors and people who have supported or contributed to your successes. Embracing my light and honoring my gifts unabashedly has aided me in my journey to success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prettybrownbox.com
• Instagram: Prettybrownbox
• Facebook: Pretty Brown Box
• Linkedin: Pretty Brown Box LLC.
• Youtube: Pretty Brown Box