We recently connected with Robin Bennett and have shared our conversation below.
Robin, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
It started as a little interest, that turned into a small-scale hobby, that turned into a side project, that turned into a small business trying to help open doors for others. Our story begins when my daughter, Katelyne, wanted to buy a bunch of jewelry for herself to wear. When I told her no, she got a creative idea and decided could make her own, which she did. A few years later, she decided she wanted to do a business class at the homeschool co-op we were attending at the time. After bouncing around a few ideas, she landed on selling the jewelry she was making. Katie loved selling her pieces because it not only allowed her to show off her creativity and skill but also taught her some good life skills. During this experience, I discovered that many teenagers had a similar mindset to hers. I also saw a need. I saw many talented, intelligent, and independent youth that had no way to take their skills into the real world and build something out of their passions. That’s when I got the idea to start a small business of my own so that I could learn what it takes to turn a craft or skill into a profitable business. I want to give these talented youth a means to take their art, craft, talent, or skill and test it in a real market setting. To learn how to make an honest living by taking their skills and building them into a business.
I want to develop a Junior Entrepreneur Program for youth in Jacksonville and surrounding communities. That’s when I got the idea to create ‘The Robin’s Nook’ and use that to build and design a Junior Entrepreneur Program for teens in Jacksonville and surrounding communities. To help teach others, I knew I had to have the experience of doing it myself first. At the time, I did not yet know how to be an entrepreneur, or how to establish or grow a business. But I did know how to “make stuff.” I asked myself, how can I teach something that I, myself, did not know how to do?
That’s when I started doing research, working with a mentor, and attending programs that taught me how to be an entrepreneur. I started taking online business classes with SCORE Jacksonville, Jax Chambers, and Jacksonville Women’s Business Center. I took and graduated from the 12-week Jax Bridges Program. Then I moved on to the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center’s Entrepreneur Certificate Program. This is where I learned more about business finances, marketing matters, legal business matters, and leadership within the community. I can proudly say that I grew both personally and professionally from the experiences, teachings, and programs that I had the honor of attending and graduating from there.
So, until we are able to start our Junior Entrepreneur program, my daughter and I are going through all the steps and learning the ins and outs of having a small business. While I mainly focus on my craft of soap making and my daughter, Katie, focuses on her jewelry, we often collaborate and work together on each craft. This helps ensure that each product is made with love, care, and creativity to its fullest. Our handmade soaps are sure to make your skin feel loved while giving you a sense of satisfaction about what you’re using to cleanse it. While our specialty handmade jewelry offers an unmatched uniqueness that will both boost your confidence and accent your personality.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
The Robin’s Nook is a dynamic mother-daughter team that loves to craft 1 of a kind products. My daughter Katelyne is our jewelry design expert, and I am our lead soaper. While we each have our craft, we often collaborate and work together to make sure that each product is made with love and care. We also enjoy crafting things such as handmade cards, paintings, poems, etc for our community, church, friends, and family. We are always learning and testing out new formulas, designs, and ideas. As with any business, there is always a new lesson to learn and ways you can grow.
I have always been a creative person who loves to craft. I love to use my creative thinking to solve problems by thinking outside of the box. Art, writing, crafting, and singing have always been my passion. A way for me to express myself and release my emotions. Creativity has given me an outlet for whatever life throws my way, including dry, sensitive skin. For years I tried so many different soaps, lotions, and “moisturizing” creams, with no success. Until I tried a soap that was handmade by my sister-in-law, Maddie Davis (the owner and mastermind of Natural Fictions); If you have a chance check out Maddie’s shop on IG: @Naturalfictions, FB: @Natural Fictions. When I realized how much healthier my skin was after using a handmade soap, I was hooked! I began asking her questions, doing research and learning how to make soap of my own. During the same time, My very talented and creative daughter had gotten into jewelry making and a micro business class at our homeschool co-op. That is when I began to realize that we could use our talents and passions to not only make money but more importantly help open doors for others. We started The Robin’s Nook as a way to further develop our skills, learn about how to run a business, and a step towards launching a Junior Entrepreneur Program for youth in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.
The Robin’s Nook combines creativity, quality ingredients, and close attention to detail to handcraft skin-loving soaps, and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces.
Our handmade soaps are sure to make your skin feel loved while giving you a sense of satisfaction about what you’re using to cleanse it. Our specialty handmade jewelry offers an unmatched uniqueness that will both boost your confidence, and accent your personality.
While we design our products to help you to look & feel your best self, we are most proud of the connections and relationships that have started as a result of our business journey. One relationship, in particular, is what most would consider foolish and unreasonable. Laura Staley, is the owner of Green Iguana Bath and Body and Hands-on Jax. Most think because we are technically considered “competitors” that both of us would be foolish to trust the other. However, instead of focusing on competing, we have decided to work together, collaborate, and boost each other up. We can have a much larger positive impact on our community if we work together. We are open and honest with each other. We brainstorm together, and encourage one another. Community relationships are so much more important than competition. I am super excited to announce that The Robin’s Nook, will soon be teaching a resin jewelry-making class in the Hands-on Jax classroom that is adjacent to Laura’s Green Iguana Bath and Body Shop. Laura saw the same needs in our community that I did. A need for a space where people from all crafts, hobbies, beliefs, educations, and walks of life can come together to teach their passions, share their knowledge and skills, teach a trade/craft or learn something new. Businesses can network and grow their reach and followers. Customers can enjoy all the benefits that come from businesses putting community over competition. When we work together, everyone wins! That is truly something to be proud of! If you have a chance check out Laura’s FB and IG pages IG: @Hands_on_jax FB: @Hands-On Jax.
The main thing we want our potential customers to know is that we put our 100% Best into everything we do! Everything we sell is made by us, by hand, for our community with love. Our #1 Priority is our customers and our community. If we don’t have exactly what you’re looking for, we will happy to make a custom soap or jewelry to fit your need.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
When 1st started tossing around the idea of starting a business, we had no entrepreneurial skills at all. We had no idea what it would take, how much money we would need to get started, how accounting or marketing was done, or any of the other “business” skills necessary to start, maintain, and grow a business. Before filing all the paperwork required to start a business we started looking for resources to help guide us through the process of a start-up. while doing research on my laptop one evening I heard the news mention Jax Chamber and Jacksonville Woman’s Business Center (AKA: JWBC). I immediately pulled up the website and found an entrepreneurial training program known as Jax Bridges, and the JWBC Entrepreneur Certificate Program. I found that the applications for Jax Bridges had just opened, so I applied. Even though I had not actually started my business yet, we were accepted into the program. This became the start of an amazing journey. I completed their 12-week program where I learned business planning, how to identify my target market, and how to pitch my business to others. At the program graduation, I was introduced to Jackie Perrault, Executive Director of the Jacksonville Women’s Business center. She directed me to the JWBC Entrepreneur Certificate Program where I met some really amazing women business owners and mentors. Jackie and her team at JWBC have been the very best mentors and cheerleaders for our business. They challenged me, encouraged me, and help me grow personally and professionally. If you are new to the business world, find a chamber or business development center in your area and get connected with other business owners that want to see you succeed. If it were not for the JWBC team, my business would not have survived its 1st year. I always know where to turn if I need help in our small business.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
While at an outside market downtown along the river on a windy spring day, 1 of the cross bars of our canopy snapped. At the same moment, our custom wood display shelves, all of our products, and our table were knocked to the ground nearly hitting my teenage daughter. That moment changed everything in our business. We meet the majority of our customers at in-person markets. Most of our revenue comes from outdoor, in-person markets, which require us to use our canopy, tables, and displays. This meant that we now had no way of bringing in enough revenue to cover the cost of supplies. We tried for a while to get our canopy repaired, but because of where it broke, we were not able to find replacement parts locally. It took several months to get the correct parts from the manufacturer. We eventually received the parts and ended up fixing the tent ourselves. In the meantime, we had to start searching for other sources of revenue, and other ways to grow our business. We had to spend more time on marketing social media, and improving the website. We had to take more hours at our day jobs to keep the business afloat. And now we are starting to teach our craft to others as a way to both increase revenue and our reach. This was a challenging pivot for us. But we get better every day. Sometimes you just have to take things 1 step at a time. You’re going to hit struggles and setbacks in business and life, make the best of them! Be Innovative and creative in your problem-solving. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok!
Contact Info:
- Website: TheRobinsNook.com
- Instagram: TheRobinsNook
- Facebook: The Robin’s Nook LLC
- Other: [email protected]