We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Ladd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Jennifer, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I was raised in a family of strong women. My grandma, my mom, my aunts, and my sister all work hard and take a lot of joy in a job well done. I learned from them the satisfaction that comes from working hard at something and then seeing the results of your efforts. They say to me that if you say something is just “good enough”, it probably isn’t good enough. I use their wisdom to guide me when I work on my art and I strive to keep working toward perfection.
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’m Jennifer Ladd. I am a surface pattern designer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I make and sell handbags, accessories, and home decor with my own hand-drawn designs at my website, jenniferladd.com . I also sell my designs on hundreds of different products through my print-on-demand shops at Redbubble and Society 6. My designs are bright and colorful, often focused on flowers and nature but sometimes featuring quirky, obscure references (like inflatable tube guys or blue spotted salamanders). I create work with the goal of brightening your space, brightening your life, and making you smile.
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?
The most important quality I rely on is passion. I love what I do and I love waking up each morning knowing I get to work on what I love. I think that passion comes through in my work. Once in a while, I try to jump on a trend that just isn’t me and create work just to fit the trend. That work usually falls flat. When I put my efforts into subjects I love and am passionate about, I think you can see that excitement translate into my work.
Another important quality is stubbornness. My husband might not agree that my stubbornness is useful (ha!), but I have learned that I need to be persistent in all things related to my business. This applies to simple things like not stopping until I am 100% happy with a design, no matter how long it takes. But it also applies to bigger issues like growing my business into what I would like it to be. I am just one woman on my own and I am in charge of every aspect of my work (designing, uploading, sewing, shipping, advertising … everything!). My dream is to someday license my work to be able to see my designs on products in stores, but I know I will not get there on my own without being persistent and stubborn.
Finally, I think every small business owner would agree that organization is essential to getting anything done! I don’t have the time to waste looking for lost files on my computer or lost supplies in my studio. I keep my business in a separate room in my house and I keep it clean and organized and very tidy.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Right now, I use all of my designs on my own work (in my handmade shop or at my Redbubble and Society 6 shops). My ultimate goal is to expand and work with other companies to get my designs onto products in stores. My biggest obstacle, though, is myself and my own fears: fears about rejection, fears about the unknown, fears about fitting in and not being good enough. As I mentioned before, though, I am stubborn. I am forcing myself to work past those fears and persist with my efforts, no matter how scary it may seem.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenniferladd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferladdhandmade/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferladdhandmade
- Other: Redbubble site for t-shirts, home decor, art, and accessories: https://jennifereladd.redbubble.com Society 6 shop for art, home decor, and accessories: https://society6.com/jennifereladd
