www.etsy.com/shop/rollsandraspberries (holiday items only)
HOLIDAY SHOPPING DEADLINE; regular shipping, customs, priority, international, etc.:
US DOMESTIC last day to place orders with expected delivery by 12/25 is 12/18 (3-5 days shipping). INTERNATIONAL last day to place orders with expected delivery by 12/25 is 11/28 (10-20 days shipping) **All holiday items are ready to ship in 1-2 days from order date!**
Jennifer in her own words...
Do you have any fun nicknames? How did you get them?
"Twitch" Lovingly nicknamed by my students.
When I get overworked, overstressed, and overtired, one of my eyes twitches. This kind of thing happens when you're a Mama, full time teacher by day, and small shop owner by night - aka HUSTLER!
Tell us about you!
Hometown - Pittsburgh PA (Go Steelers)
Current town - Kissimmee FL (House of the Mouse aka Disney)
Married for 7 years, 1 fur baby, and my son Trace just turned 2 years old!
I'm a full time Professor at Full Sail University, where I teach Digital Cinematography, Producing and Project Planning.
I volunteer with our local school district, and personally founded an annual "Cinderella Dress Drive" to bring free prom dresses to underprivileged High School girls in my school district. We typically collect between 300 and 500 new and gently used gowns every year and then help girls to shop!
My family loves spending time at Disney, the Beach, and traveling to visit our family back in Pennsylvania as much as we can.
What is the name of your business and what is it you make?
Rolls And Raspberries. We sell funny kids tees, and a few adult designs too!
How did you start your business? How has it evolved?
I started my business in November 2015, using a drop shipping service who printed, packaged, and shipped all my orders. In summer 2016 I started the transition of purchasing my own equipment, learning how to use it, and beginning to do my own production within my home studio - this has let me decrease turn around time and be more involved with quality management and customer service. My company will celebrate our 1 year anniversary the last week of November 2016! We have big plans to continue learning, growing, and evolving. It's been a ton of fun so far!
What is the meaning of your business name? How did you come up with it?
My two favorite parts of the baby stage: baby ROLLS and babies blowing RASPBERRIES. I photo captioned a personal photo with "Rolls And Raspberries" and my friends got a kick out it, and it just sort of stuck as a unique name.
What is your biggest dream for you and your business?
I would love for my items to be stocked in a children's boutique. I've had a lot of interest but it hasn't come to fruition just yet. It's a goal I'm working towards!
What is your favorite part? The part you don’t care for as much?
My absolute favorite part of having this shop is being tagged in photos from customers of their child wearing one of our tees. To me, that photo tag notification is better than any sales notifications, 100%. I think it's amazing to know there are other people out there who share my sense of humor, and are spreading the laughter with everyone who sees their child in a funny tee. And the Instagram small shop community has just been an incredible perk that I wasn't expecting. No way I'd still have a shop a year later, without the support of other shop owners and Mama friends.
I don't care for marketing. The majority of my time goes to designing, manufacturing, and customer service, so I don't have a lot of time left for promotion. I need to work on this.
What has been your biggest accomplishment so far? What are you most proud of?
I'm proud of the fact that I've almost reached our 1 year mark! I also recently sold out of all Halloween theme designs, which is a BIG thing for my small business. Being that my birthday is on Halloween, it was the best "gift" ever!
What does shopping small mean to you?
Shopping small means supporting other makers and their families in a very direct way! It means acknowledging the creativity and hard work of another person who is also pouring their heart and soul into their business. I love shopping small for GIFT gifting - not only can you find something personal and thoughtful, you can find something that they don't already have, because it's not available in stores. And the absolute best thing is that you might inspire the recipient to start shopping small as well, after they receive (and love!) their gift.
Why is handmade so important?
Handmade it important because you are directly influencing and supporting the maker of the product, and not a third party. There are many ways an item can be handmade, and each process is special and important.
What are your plans for the holidays? What is your favorite way to spend the holidays? Favorite traditions?
My little family will be traveling north for the holidays. I'm super excited because it's the first year my son will "understand" a bit more about Santa and Christmas, and I'm hopeful he will get to experience snow for the first time. It's just so much more fun to enjoy the holidays through a child's eyes.
Anything else you’d like to add…
Recently on October 22, I hosted a group "Instagram Rep" photo shoot, which took place at the ESPN soundstages at Full Sail University. We had 10 Instagram "Rep" models on set and their families, and we received products from OVER 20 other small shops to make up the kids' outfits. It was an 8 hour shoot day (organized chaos) but was a ton of fun, and allowed us all to break through the social media screen and connect with the community in person!
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