Meet Jonathan Floyd

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

Hi Jonathan, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

To start with, Box Of Care is a gift-giving company based in Kenner, LA right outside of New Orleans. It started in 2017, in a corner of a 2-bedroom apartment with 3 founding members who turned into a solo business owner.

The company’s purpose (and mission in this case) has been to bring the flavors and spirit of New Orleans to those who love the city, wherever they are. The idea for Box Of Care was sparked by seeing companies from other cities package items that are familiar to those places, and not seeing this in New Orleans was disappointing.

Box Of Care is based on five staples and one worth mentioning is the ability to provide a platform for others. Within the gifts we make, we make it a point to shine a light on local businesses, both large and small, giving the most authentic view of New Orleans possible. We source items that even locals have not seen and that is something we will always do.

The next staple to mention is supporting minority and women-owned businesses. In a place like New Orleans, it was imperative to identify businesses that give the city its true culture. Not all but a great deal of the spirit of the city is due to its minority residents and the creators and makers in that population.

So, when someone buys a gift from Box Of Care, they can be assured that is giving them a New Orleans that they can feel.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My background for the last 12+ years has been in corporate recruitment. One day in 2016 while having a conversation with my wife who’s from Chicago, she was a little homesick which sent us down the path of finding a company in New Orleans that was doing the same thing. While finding a few companies that put together local gifts, I didn’t see anyone selling what I would want to buy. Or honestly what I thought represented the city.

New Orleans is a diverse, culture-rich city and if someone is going to receive a gift from here it needs to showcase that. This sent me on my journey of creating New Orleans gifts that tap into the businesses and people that give the city what locals love and others need. We began to put together all sorts of combinations of items that touch on the food and cooking elements of the city, but also the celebrations of Mardi Gras.

When it comes to our retail gifts or even the custom event or hotel gifts that are done by Box Of Care we have ONE goal: Bring people the most authentic experience possible. That cannot be stressed enough. And this starts with the products inside the box and ends with the opportunity to connect to the businesses through our digital guide. The bridge to learn about what you are experiencing in New Orleans is important to us.

Our pride in this business is obvious in the events and organizations we have gotten to support like: The Sugar Bowl, The NCAA Men’s Final Four, United Airlines, Burger King, and more. But from a vendor standpoint, we have put together thousands of gifts and put some of the smallest companies in the city in the hands of the dignitaries and leaders of world-class organizations.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

This is a great question. It is hard to narrow down to 3 skills, but I will try my best.

First, network!! Network like your life and business depends on it because it does. It is incredibly important to establish your business within your local area and the only way that can be done is by getting out to tell people about it. It is important to attend events and be ready to speak to what you can do, and how it can help others. That is the other part of the networking equation and that is being able to speak to how you can assist someone along their journey. That will get you farther faster than any cold emailing or lead generation. Nothing beats putting a face to a name and a conversation to make the initial connection.

The second is perseverance. “NO” is an answer you are going to hear numerous times at the beginning of your journey in business. Of course, these principles are general but unless you have created something life-saving or life-changing, there will be people who will tell you they never need your product. Understand you are going to have to work through those no’s to get to the yes’s. And to tie the first point to the second point, it is critical that you know where your audience resides and meet them where they are. You will be much more inclined to get to yes’s faster if you are speaking to the right audience.

Lastly, be passionate. I know the thought of “playing it cool” and not wanting to put yourself too far out in front of everyone may be uncomfortable, but you must do that and have the fire to do it. You cannot be afraid to have anyone know about your business but when you discuss it, you must be passionate. There will be times when you can gain a customer or supporter just because others see how much your work means to you. Passion is respected. Let that feeling overtake any fear you may have. Know you have a message that only you can give and operate daily in that mindset.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

The easy answer for a challenge as a small business owner is always funding. Lacking funding makes accelerated growth difficult as you navigate the early stages of a business.

But from a more general standpoint, lacking knowledge of the decisions that I make or need to make worries me more than anything else. There are business books, scenarios, and tests that can be used to predict circumstances, but nothing is like running a business. When you are at the wheel and have to decide when to try something versus not trying, it can be complicated and scary.

My approach has me to take projects and opportunities one at a time and try to finish them before I move along. This is easier said than done but that plays into the challenge. As a business owner, you have to tap in and understand what is happening in your company and with your customers. As you get deeper into that you may be able to learn how to maneuver through tough times and how to best please your customers. There is science to this but there still are no guarantees.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Lilly Magnolia Rose Photography (for the pictures of myself and family)

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