Our best-selling item, the Ladies Notebook Paper Graphic T-Shirt:

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/158272198/ladies-notebook-paper-graphic-t-shirt?ref=shop_home_active_13

 

 

We continue to sell more of this one single item than any other in our store ... it's been copied and reworked elsewhere, but nothing beats the quality and nostalgic appeal of our classic notebook paper tee. Go to Shop Just Wish and get the original.   : )

 

 

Yes, you are seeing this correctly ...

 

Library Due Date Card and Notebook Paper Graphic Aprons!

 

Thanks to an awesome idea for a custom order, we've decided to offer both designs on an apron just in time for Summer grilling.  : )

 

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/189020581/library-due-date-card-graphic-apron?ref=shop_home_active_1

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/189080573/notebook-paper-graphic-apron-makes-a-fun?ref=listing-shop-header-1

Just Wish Update - May, 2014

Wow ... where to begin? April closed out as the most successful month since the inception of Just Wish and we feel grateful and blessed.  : )

We surpassed all of our goals and had a spectacular finish beyond anything we ever imagined. Several unexpected placements on popular sites and blogs in mid-month caused sales to sky rocket. It was all we could do to keep up with the orders. Sleep was scarce for several weeks but we kept up the assembly line production that has expanded from Kathryn's studio into our dining room. Most days now we work in the larger dining room area, storing our products in the studio. After the morning routine of getting the kids fed, dressed and out the door to school, we move everything out and begin production. Most days the kids are banned from the dining room after they return home as we're still working and making products to fill our orders. Then we put everything away, reset the table cloth for dinner, and get on with the business of homework, dinner and raising a family. In the morning we do it all over again.

It's tempting to work 6 and 7 days a week and there have been times when we've had no choice. But we are still determined to set aside at least one or two days a week to leave it all boxed and in the studio to decompress and enjoy some time off. It's not easy when the phone keeps going "Ka-Ching!" and we know another order has been placed. We're learning now how to separate family from business and create a boundary that lets us tend to the other most important things in our lives like our kids and ourselves. And, we've realized that managing family first is the key to our success moving forward and we'll keep making adjustments to keep those priorities in place.

Another area we've improved in is learning to work smarter. We've always worked hard and poured our hearts into this business from the get-go, but hard work by itself is only one component of our success. We continually review our processes and figure ways to improve production while maintaining quality. That hasn't been easy. Sometimes an idea looks awesome on paper and we're excited to try it out -- only to find that we have to go back to the drawing board and start over. Mostly, we stick with what works and try to improve it. The few times we tried to "re-create the wheel" didn't work out as planned.

We've rolled out a few new products in already established lines and the response has been great. We're also receiving more custom orders in addition to folks buying "off the rack". That development has been wonderful because it allows us to interact on a more personal level with our customers, something we really enjoy. It's satisfying to know that someone likes something we've made enough to purchase it -- it's an entirely different experience to work with a customer to help create a special, one-of-a-kind item or gift and share the excitement they have.

One customer had a brilliant idea to use our Library Due Date Card shirt as a college graduation gift for a friend ... we "date stamped" an entry with her name and used the university as the author and her degree as the title of the book. We had so much fun creating this shirt for her and interacting as she helped finalize the final look and feel. When she finally received it, she was so excited she worried she wouldn't be able to wait until the graduation party to give it to her! She promised to snap a photo of her friend opening the gift and send it to us so we could share that moment. How cool is that?

Right now we're working on another project for a teacher who ordered the Notebook Paper Graphic baby onesie and burp cloth set. She is customizing lettering on it to use it as a way to announce her pregnancy to her co-workers and fellow teachers the last week of school! These kind of very personal and intimate interactions with our customers are exciting and we feel honored to be trusted and included in these special moments.

There have been many such experiences and we expect there will be many more. Knowing we have a quality product and that people appreciate it is enough for us to get excited and motivated to work every day. But being trusted to create lifetime memories for our customers is truly a great responsibility, and we will always approach this with respect and humility.

Right product, right place, right time. Add some hard work and excitement about what we do, willingness to adapt and change as needed, and above all, respect for our customers and their needs. It works. We are SO lucky.  : )

Kathryn and Jeff

Just Wish Update - April, 2014

 

So ... our business is growing in leaps and bounds. We're keeping up with the orders, but our lives have become a lot busier in a very short period of time. That's a good thing.  : )

 

As Kathryn mentioned earlier, we're now being featured in a variety of different places all over the web. More and more sites and people are seeing our shop and we continue to make more sales and outperform in every statistic. It's crazy!

 

We've doubled our sales again this month -- and we still have two weeks to go. In less than three weeks this month, we've notched as many unique views and favorites as we did for ALL OF LAST YEAR. Think about that for a moment. Yesterday was our largest single day of sales since inception and today we might very well top that. The orders keep coming in and we're so far beyond our most optimistic projections that we're now in uncharted territory.

 

It became apparent after a few months that we'd cracked a secret code into the world of inner geeks, nerdy types and professional folks that hadn't been exploited much. But now, with so many sales coming in, a few more things seem clear:  (1) that market is vastly bigger than we imagined and (2) a lot of folks who might not meet that description also love our creations and are buying our products.

 

Here's another interesting insight we discussed last night while trying to keep up with all the orders -- it seems that an unusually high number of our customers are buying items for someone other than themselves. The custom phrases people place on the items they give to friends and loved ones are sometimes funny, always creative, occasionally suggestive, and even touching and heartwarming. We love their enthusiasm and excitement as we communicate back and forth while making their custom orders!

 

Coming up next month, we're going to be featured on the front page of 9th&elm, a large national and very popular clothing website, for an entire week. We have stock on hand and have arranged with one of our suppliers to gather more inventory as needed on a next day basis. We will then remain on their website indefinitely afterwards as well. Preparing for that event has led us to push back the launch of our independent website another month so we can focus on getting product out the door and keep our 48 hour turnaround promise. We can do this, but we are going to be VERY busy and consumed with the business for a few weeks while that plays out.

 

Looking at our current sales trend, considering the increase in sales with the national promotion next month and exposure that will generate, then following up with the new website launch ... it's just amazing how successful Just Wish has become in such a short period of time. Our margins are ridiculously generous and it reminds us of an episode on Shark Tank where Kevin O'Leary commented to one of the presenters (who had similar margins) by saying, "... I don't know whether to congratulate you or call the police! ..."

 

We just feel so blessed and fortunate. It is true that hard work, good research, and tenacity pay huge dividends. But it almost seems like some kind of divine intervention has taken place. It may also be true that some of our success, I suppose, is dumb luck in that we seem to be positioned in the market at exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Whatever it is, we feel humbled and grateful.

 

Kathryn is now officially a member of the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). I am so proud of her! She is really the driving force behind everything that's happening with our company. It's all I can do to manage the accounting and marketing end of this juggernaut she's created. We've also now been recognized as members of the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NVOBA) and that will open even more doors for us. It seems that every day more opportunities present themselves and we now find ourselves in the position of picking and choosing instead of hoping and wondering.

 

We continue to develop new prototypes and will introduce several new lines in the near future for market testing. This is becoming easier as our reach expands and we can more quickly make decisions about what will sell and what won't. On the business side, we have a solid formula for pricing that maximizes profit and keeps the price reasonable and affordable for our customers. We believe in the axiom of "Do one thing, and do it well" ... and we will keep that standard going forward. If it 'aint broke, don't fix it. We have our niche and we are doing well.  : )

 

And now, back to the delicious grind of making profit and growing the business. I'm going to give my gorgeous wife a hug and big kiss and thank my lucky stars for another awesome day that's so good, I just might have to hire someone to help me enjoy it. Thanks to everyone -- we appreciate your support and just know that you've all contributed to our amazing success.

Quality beach time with the love of my life in Caseville, Michigan. 

- Kathryn