My guest this week is my dear friend Stephanie Edwards, the founder of Jubilee Trading Company, an ethical trade brand that blends traditional Moroccan leather working with modern trends to create elevated goods that elevate lives.
Jubilee partners with a small group of artisans in one rural community to create opportunity and impact that ripples out to the surrounding area.
Stephanie started her journey of wanting to make high quality pieces to serve her customers while being a busy mom working from home. While she did not have much control over her day while wrangling two kids under two, she did have control over what went on her walls; and when her space was serene and inspiring, her day felt that way, too.
She had a deep desire for items she sold to have a bigger purpose than being beautiful and inspiring; she wanted to impact others.
6:01 – Stephanie 101
- She grew up on a multi-generational farm, and she spent her summers working on the farm driving tractors.
- Although she was never given an allowance, she always worked and tracked her hours to get paid.
- Stephanie wanted to be a journalist, traveling and telling stories. But she realized it was the people on the ground making the most difference.
14:50 – Starting a business
- Stephanie’s parents didn’t have a college fund for her. They helped her start a corn maze and pumpkin patch business so she could work and pay her way through college.
22:33 – Dreaming of an artisan business
- She always dreamed of having an artisan business focused on sustainability.
- Stephanie realized she could build something for herself slowly and not lose a lot of money.
25:19 – Tedx talk
- Stephanie gave a Tedx talk about the power consumers have with their purchases.
- Small-scale businesses and entrepreneurship can really make a difference, not just the big companies.
33:02 – Biggest challenges
- Aside from the pandemic, the biggest challenge Stephanie has faced is working with people across the world who speak different languages.
39:38 – Going to Morocco
- Stephanie loves to travel, but going to Morocco to meet people she had been working with was a dream come true.
42:08 – What’s on the horizon?
- She’s launching a new summer collection, and she’s working with an interior designer to fill holes in their product offerings.
- They’re launching pillows, among other new items.
44:06 – Get to know you
- Guilty pleasure? Quiet time and watching Ted Lasso
- Business she would start? A greenhouse
FEATURED QUOTES
I can build something for myself and not like really lose a lot of money by making a mistake if you start slow.
Now we know what stores want, because we’ve got some obvious best sellers.
I’m excited to be really intentional and start channeling some good business mindsets.
CONNECT:About Stephanie:
Stephanie grew up on a farm in rural Estill Springs, TN. Little did she know that the entrepreneurial spirit of her family ruined her for any traditional career path. After studying Journalism and Art at the University of Tennessee, she moved to another tiny town, Leoma, TN, where she lives with her husband and two kids and runs her handmade business online. What began as a freelance graphic design business evolved into two e-commerce brands, Highland Ridge Decor and Jubilee Trading Co. As a handmade business owner, she loves advocating for conscious consumerism.
Thank you to our partner of the show!
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