Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Cabrera.
Judy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up my mom collected just about everything…. from every wedding, baby shower, birthday party, debut, you name it, she had a souvenir from it, she can tell you a story about each party and how that trinket she took home reminded her of fun times – It never occurred to me how something so insignificant can mean so much to someone… until I grew up and was surrounded by those same feelings. It wasn’t until my daughter’s 18th birthday party when I realized it should be more than just another milestone in her life, where creativity and her personality meet… it was then I knew I wanted to build lasting memories for all, that’s when I was inspired to start JI Creations (Judy and Ian) – That’s my hubby, my biggest supporter! We nervously went all in and invested in a commercial Laser Cutter, as time went by, I wanted to add more personalized details to our product line-up, we added a Sandblaster to our inventory for projects that require deep sand carving designs, really allowing our clients to make it their own!
We are so grateful for the wonderful opportunities and the amazing people we’ve met along the way.
Our brand was inspired from the love of celebrating joyous occasions with family and friends and the memories captured by small personalized mementos that told the story of each event.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe every startup has several obstacles to overcome…one being just not enough time in the day. Many late nights were spent learning and trying to produce products I can be proud of after working 40+ hours. Trying to balance family life and trying to run and operate my own business, learning the pitfalls and hurdles that come with ownership. There were many times that self-doubt came into play, questions about my ability to create something new and exciting, thoughts of how I can become successful and fit-in with an industry that I was unfamiliar with, however with the help of family, friends and a group of social media support I was able to take the positive outlook and collaborate with some amazing partners.
JI Creations – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We create and produce laser cut dessert toppers, sign details and engraving for life’s celebrations. Each sign detail is uniquely suited and customized, we strive to make it fun, creative and memorable for any celebration. There is something to be said when customers refer their family and friends to us, it is truly a compliment to know how happy our products made them feel. We continue to partner with different organizations to donate our time and detailed signs to help create a special moment for those in need.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Having spent most of my career in wireless and project management I was able to teach myself a new skill in graphic design and took the leap of faith to start a small business, It wasn’t an easy decision to take myself out of what I was most comfortable with and begin something completely new, but it was a creative outlet for me that’s brought me a sense of fulfillment and joy that I can bring to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ji-creations.com
- Email: hellojicreations@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jicreations
Image Credit:
Mary Rose Richards, Brenda Rodriguez
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