We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jim & Jenny Penny a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Jim & Jenny with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I would say we get our work ethic from our parents. Growing up I (Jenny) watched my parents work hard for what they needed to provide for my brother and I or what they wanted to have. Jim grew up watching his parents do the same. I would say it was instilled at a young age for both of us to work hard, do your best, and take pride in the work you accomplish or what you achieve. Jim and I both continue learning and growing every step of the way. Working our full time jobs plus running a side business definitely requires a strong work ethic as we don’t get a lot of “down time” since we are always trying to prepare for the next show, restock inventory, or maintain the website. Growing up with hard working parents on both sides definitely helped us become the adults and business owners we are today.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
We started this business to help with adoption costs and although it hasn’t covered them completely, it has helped to ease a little of the financial burden. Currently, through donations, whatever extra money we could scrape up, and the business, we have raised just enough money to adopt a baby in Ohio (roughly 20k) but are still trying to raise money in case we can apply for an out of state situation (upwards of 80k). We are still waiting to be matched. We both still work full time jobs and then work the business in the evenings and on weekends. It gets exhausting at times but we love making gifts/decor and know the struggle will be worth it the day we hold our baby in our arms.
In this endeavor we have also been able to shed some light on the adoption process and share our adoption journey with the people we meet. Most people don’t realize how emotional and financially expensive newborn adoptions are. We didn’t even realize all of it until we were further in. We are hoping that by making more people aware of our journey, maybe the system can be redesigned to help loving families afford to adopt a child of their own. Along the way, we get to use our creative talents to make fun and unique gifts and decor while we wait for our baby.
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?
When we started this business we both had some woodworking skills and liked to make things for family gifts. Since then, we have expanded our knowledge of woodworking while also adding in laser etching, 3d printing, sublimation, and vinyl work. We are always trying new ideas and reading about how to solve problems we may have or make processes (like staining 100 suncatchers) more streamlined.
Multitasking is a skill that is definitely used when you own your own business. If you don’t make good use of your time, the workload can add up really fast. If you are unable to multitask naturally, we found that making a list of items that need to be worked on can help keep us focused so we can get everything done that we need to. For example, while the 3d printers are running, we may also be running the laser and doing computer work such as scheduling posts on social media, designing new products, and adding products to the website.
We are constantly researching and trying to think of ideas to help streamline our processes so that we can be more efficient. Whether that is redesigning displays for better visibility or trying out several websites before we finally settled on the one we wanted to build. Taking our time with trying things and making small changes here and there has definitely helped our business process. We would advise anyone starting a business to take the time to research and do your due diligence with finding what works not only for you but for the customer you have in mind. If something isn’t working then find a way to change it. Our first website was not what we wanted so we ended up trialing 3 more before settling on the one we have now.
Communication and networking are other skillsets that you will pick up. Jim and I are usually kind of quiet unless we are in a situation where we feel comfortable. During this adoption journey we have had to step out of that comfort zone and become good at talking to people so we could not only get sales but also talk about the reason for our business. That includes talking to customers, talking to fellow vendors to see what shows are good to sign up for, and even talking on the news at one point. Don’t be afraid to make connections with your customers and your fellow business people. They will only strengthen you and give you more opportunities than you originally had.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Owning your own business can be very stressful and overwhelming from time to time (especially when you also work a full time job). There have been times where things that needed done were piling up and we both could feel the stress. Luckily when one of us is stressed, usually the other is not at that point yet and we are able to help the other one out. We work well together and are able to bounce ideas off each other and implement them to get them over the finish line based on our skill sets. When we find we are too stressed out, we step back and take a breath. Making a list of what needs done and the priority of each item on the list can definitely help. Not only does it help us to not forget something but it also helps to keep us focused on what is next. By dividing and conquering we can tackle the tasks on the list and help the other person if they need it.
Our advice would be to try and not let yourself get overwhelmed (easier said than done sometimes). Also try to take a few hours for yourself. Even if there are tasks to still be done, sometimes they can wait a few hours while you relax or do a favorite activity. That time will help refresh and energize you so you can get back to the tasks at hand without becoming too stressed and shutting down. Your mental health plays a big part in your life and if you are rushing or not “feeling it” then that can come across in your work as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.designsbyscamper.com/
- Instagram: @designsbyscamper
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designsbyscamper
