We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chrissie Starr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chrissie below.
Chrissie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
From the support of my friends and people who purchase the items I create. One of my favorite things is seeing kids who pick out a plushie I made. Plushies are so dear to us growing up (as an adult too) and knowing that someone is going to love and cherish something I made is an amazing feeling.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I started making jewelry many years ago under the name deadstar creations and had my first opportunity to showcase as a vendor with an event called Artslam at the then White Rabbit. I was one of the few non traditional artists accepted to set up. As the years have passed, I have been able to acclimate to the new group of creators that are now popping up in our city. The name change to justourstuff13 came about a few years ago to include my fiancée’s artwork, since we’re showing “our stuff”. Our home base for a while was Jefferson Bodega. Setting up there allowed us the opportunity to host our own pop ups. This has brought on our “markets with a cause” theme. We began donating our raffle prize to a selected vendor and they can keep the money raised. As a cancer survivor, I am well aware of the high cost of medical bills and getting behind. This is our way of giving back to our vendor family.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities? Perseverance for sure. Don’t be scared of hearing the word no. Networking. I would carry my cards and if I saw someone who I thought fit my jewelry target audience, I’d whip out my phone and show them what I make and give them a card. Focus, there’s always going to be people who want to do what you do and try to emulate you. This is a tough one but keep focusing on yourself and your own growth and it’ll help you get far.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
In January after working 10 years for the same employer, we were laid off. This has been a big challenge for us as it has impacted getting our supplies and purchasing things we normally get for our events. We had to think outside the box. My fiancée developed some new skills out of necessity. He now makes our cupsleeves that we have at our events and my jewelry tags. We are very grateful to be surrounded by an amazing vendor family that has supported our endeavors and helped us continue to put on great pop ups.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Justourstuff13
- Facebook: Just Our Stuff
Image Credits
chibibunnycrafts
