Today we’d like to introduce you to Michel Janse Smith.
Hi Michel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A little over a year ago, I quit my restaurant job to jump into content creation full-time. (I always avoid the term “YouTuber” because it feels like it carries a connotation. In fact, I don’t even tell most older adults I work in content-creation; I just say marketing.) Ever since pursuing this as my primary income source, my love for it grew. I, like almost everyone else my age, moved to LA to further my acting career. I realized creating my own content not only brought me a steadier income stream but also felt more sustainable mentally and emotionally. I had control over my schedule; no more drop-of-the-hat and learn-two-scenes-in-the-car-ride-there auditions. After being repped for over 14 years in the acting world, I decided to step away. I have felt so much more at peace ever since focusing on building my own path via content creation and YouTube.
Of course, the first question I am always asked is “what if YouTube goes down like Vine?” or “what if someone just hacks your account? Then what? Your whole business is gone”. That thought has always terrified me. I feel like a recurring theme throughout people who do similar work is, “how do we diversify our income as much as possible as a safety net?”
I tried loungewear. I was truly SO proud of the products I was producing. Everything was made in LA, made from recycled materials and shipped in biodegradable packaging. I spared NO expense which was my downfall. My profit margins were razor thin (or RE: in the negatives because I felt too guilty retailing a t-shirt for $90). This year I decided I needed to change course. Clothing is HARD. People want to exchange or return for other sizing, which costs a huge financial burden on the business.
This month, I launched a whole new venture, completely rebranded. Summer Mornings is an online boutique of intentional goods. Think beautiful homeware, gifts + niceties. Our first launch consisted of handmade mugs, handmade matcha bowls that come with a bamboo whisk and linen tea towels. The mugs and bowls sold out in 15 minutes, which was beyond shocking. Our full first launch sold out in less than 2 hours. We are trying to drop a restock as soon as possible because we were truly not expecting that response. I feel so encouraged and hopeful about this new direction. Hopefully, this can be an avenue that will provide me some safety and stability in the ever-changing world of social media. Only time will tell.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I realized that my primary flaw was that I brought my own internal people-pleasing tendencies into business. If you try to please everyone all of the time, you will surely fail. I sure did. I went out of my way to cater to every individual (which added cost upon cost to the creation of my loungewear) and then wanted to still please people with the retail price. I was essentially losing money on every sale. That is business 101: if you are LOSING money on each sale, you are probably doing something wrong.
Summer Mornings has a few key goals: beautiful, quality, accessible. Instead of trying to make everything in LA (one of the most expensive cities in the…. anywhere) I sourced handmade products from a family-owned business in China and brought them here to custom brand. Some people might not like that. Some people will. That’s life. It’s a mental hurdle I must get over if I ever want to be successful in this!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My channel is still relatively small compared to the huge world of content creators. But I love the little online community (I call them online friends) that has been built around my content. I feel so blessed to have them in my life, in my corner, where we all genuinely cheer each other on. It is rare to have an online community full of good intentions, and my heart bursts thinking about it.
Any big plans?
I have a lot of big plans and ideas, but I am trying to be more in the present. My future-oriented brain can steal the joy of where I am at. I am excited to see how Summer Mornings can grow with little expectations or stresses attached to the hope. I am looking forward to deepening my relationships with my online community. And most importantly, I am excited to continue to hire out creatives to assist with the process so I can continue to focus on being present in my marriage, friendships + life.
Pricing:
- Handmade Mug – $16
- Handmade Matcha Bowl + Whisk – $36
- Linen Tea Towel – $12
Contact Info:
- Website: www.summer-mornings.com, www.micheljansesmith.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/michel_janse_smith, www.instagram.com/summer.mornings.co
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/micheljanse
Image Credits:
Jessie Jean Photography
