Meet Amy Jordan

We recently connected with Amy Jordan and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I have grown up around many people who weren’t afraid to take chances. My grandparents owned a small business while my other set of grandparents were farmers. I’ve seen how much it takes to work hard and to surround yourself with people who support you. I also have an amazing husband who is always by my side and when I have a vision, he does his best to make it happen. I truly wouldn’t be where I am at today at 49 without his love and support.

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?

I grew up in rural southeastern Ohio. I married my high school sweetheart and it took years of hard work to get where I am at today. I opened up my first wedding venue along side my husband thinking this would be a way to have some extra income and revenue for us to enjoy retirement. Elderberry Farms was brought to life through a lot of hard work and long nights. I would teach, come home and get right to work. Our first wedding was my brother in law and his wife. A few years later, my in laws were looking to move. We saw that this amazing place was still for sale and took a huge risk. We moved a few miles and our in laws moved into the guest house. I had a vision and just knew this place was going to be special. We settled in and got right to work. We needed to come up with a name and my husband said something about using my grandma’s name. My grandma never used her first name, Auvis but we all that it was very unique. We took it a step further and flipped it to Sivua. Sivua Gardens was established in 2022. We are now running two wedding venues and teaching full time. My teacher friends always joke that we should have our own television show because of all the situations we have dealt with not just owning and running two wedding venues but just our every day lives. There’s always excitement happening.

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?

I don’t mind taking risks but I am very cautious about what I do. Owning a small business is very stressful and takes a lot of your time and energy. I envy all the ambitious small business owners who have quit their day job. I believe whatever you do in life, take the chance but really think hard and long. Think about the longevity and is it something that will support you into retirement. Having a good retirement is very important. I can also say when we opened our first venue, it was something that was needed and supported locally. Now, there are definitely more venues opening which is good for the economy. So really think every scenario through and take your time. We never set out to open our venues quickly. We are continually working on them and doing it by not needing to take out huge loans. This is what works for us. Also, I am a huge believer in repurposing things. Sivua Gardens stands out because not only is it beautiful and has history but I think outside the box.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My husband, Jon, is truly my biggest supporter. We have been together since high school. We have a true love story that is something I love sharing. I get a ton of ideas and sometimes I have to find the right moment to tell him. The idea might be something I don’t even mention for a few years because in truth, he’s worked very hard building the two venues to where they are at today. Deep down, he knows I can’t stop envisioning what else can be done. He may fuss but in the end he supports me. That is why I am the person I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elderberryfarmsvenue.com
• Instagram: sivuagardenevents
• Facebook: @sivuagardens

Image Credits

Adison Snyder Photography