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

Alright, Sara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

So, here’s the story behind Jipsē Co Studio! It all started back in 2015, after I graduated college I spent some time living out my wanderlust. I had this knack for romanticizing the beauty of travel. So, I spent a good amount of time immersing myself in different cultures and experiences.

Months after coming home from my travels I could still recall certain memories and fragrance notes associated with them. I wanted to create something tangible that would capture the memories and emotions associated with my travels. That’s when the idea of making candles struck me. I believed in the power of self-care and the significance of small moments and also too had an obsession with fragrance, and I thought candles could be the perfect way to evoke the stories and essence of my journeys and give me that creative outlet. So I started selling candles under my company name Jipsē Co.

But it didn’t stop there! I also had this deep interest in home decor and interior design. I realized that creating a space that truly reflects who you are can be transformative. So, I dived headfirst into the world of designing and decorating homes, particularly small living areas.

Then, 2020 hit us with the pandemic, and suddenly, the need to reimagine and elevate our living spaces became even more important. I was already regularly designing spaces at that point. And That’s when a family member suggested the idea of creating a website to share my love for home decor and interior design, with a special focus on making small living spaces shine. Smaller living spaces and decorating them were problems that I wanted to address and help solve. In a world where small urban dwellings were becoming more prominent, I wanted to show that it didn’t matter how small your living space is you can always make it better, make it yours.

And that’s how Jipsē Co Studio came to life! It’s all about inspiring and empowering others to elevate their spaces and embrace the transformative power of intentional design. Whether it’s through designing a home that truly reflects your identity or lighting a candle to indulge in moments of self-care, my mission remains the same, to elevate our living spaces and the experiences we have in them.

So if you’re looking for some inspiration to make your space truly yours, or if you want to add a touch of coziness with beautifully crafted candles, Jipsē Co Studio is here for you.

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.

You know when I majored in Anthropology I was told that Marketing was a common career path, but never understood why. And even in my studies looking at the visual aspects of culture, was always more interesting to me. Overall, marketing and visual culture go hand in hand in their understanding and utilization of visual communication to convey messages, create meaning, and engage audiences.

So when it came to designing my candles, the scent stories and the packaging for that, I knew what I wanted. Both of those aspects, marketing and visual communication really gave me the basics for brand development and brand identity. Also too my natural inclination to storytell through other means like crafting a candle, really allowed me to take my vision and run with it for Jipsē Co Studio. I am most proud of the initiative I took to get the ball rolling.

From the moment I decided to make candles for myself, then for others to the moment I decided what sort of packaging I wanted, I’m proud of the steps I took beyond the idea. I think the customers that buy my candles really do love them and the unique fragrances and hopefully the stories themselves. And I think the readers that subscribe to my home decor website find value in what I share.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I started Jipsē Co and even Jipsē Co Studio I was going through the lessons that every business owner has to learn. And that is that you have to try, try and try again. While I maintained a 9-5 job, I would spend every free moment that I had dedicated to either the development or the progress of Jipsē Co Studio. There were even periods of time where I had to shift my focus, because things weren’t working. But I always came back to my vision because ultimately what I was trying to achieve never changed.

In 2 years it’ll be 10 years from the inception of even the idea so the fact that I maintained my desire to grow my business even when I wasn’t yielding results, speaks to the power of vision. Vision never dies, so if you have a dream to achieve as an entrepreneur understand that first of all. And secondly understand that it’s important to try many different things when it comes to marketing. Try what you can and see what works, but as long as you understand why you started and where you want to be in the end, then you’ll get there.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Aside from my natural desire for learning and research, I am always looking to those who are more successful to me. I try to learn as much about their failures as I do about the things that worked for them. Learning never really stops so finding mentors or individuals that you look up to in your industry is really important. YouTube is a wonderful resource for information and learning because people want to share their lessons and experiences as well. So always be of that mindset that you can still learn and do better in your industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jipsecostudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jipsecostudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/511668483841438
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-k-2863071b6/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jipsecostudio
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jipsecostudio https://www.etsy.com/shop/JipseCo https://wwww.etsy.com/shop/JipseCoStudio