Today we’d like to introduce you to Joyrdan Williams.
Joyrdan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From what I was told, I have always been creative and wanted my own business since I was younger. From cooking to sewing to creating shirts, I just loved creating things I envisioned in my head. If there was something I wanted to know or learn, I took the initiative to research it and find out how to do it. Part of that was probably because my parents always told me I need to have a plan and research whatever it is I’m interested in doing. My Nana taught me how to sew starting with a needle and some tissue. We created my first pillow by stuffing a few sheets of tissue with balled up tissue and sewing each sheet together to create the pillow.
My parents then enrolled me in a sewing class Hobby Lobby was offering. I later wanted to learn how to knit, so I did my research and taught myself how to knit using skewers my mom had in the kitchen and following along with some YouTube videos. I went from knitting to crocheting with the help of my great grandmother. My mom always had my brother and me in the kitchen with her while we were growing up, so when I expressed interest in baking, my parents got me a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas. No matter what I was interested in, my parents would support me and buy the tools or equipment I needed or put me in a position to be successful in my future endeavors. Once I became interested in t-shirts, one of my church members, Mrs. Diane, just happened to ask my mom if she thinks I would be interested in her old cricut because she was upgrading and wanted to bless me with it.
I started with her machine, then one of my high school teachers Mrs.Anderson would let me weed and press some of the school store shirts so I asked for a newer one for Christmas once I started getting the hang of it. The moment Mrs.Anderson let me pick up that weeding tool, I knew making shirts was something I was really interested in. I had to convince my parents that this wasn’t something I was just picking up today and putting down tomorrow because I was in high school at this point. After doing the research, I discussed my plan with them and they invested in both my cricut and my heat press. Things started out pretty slow, but once I started promoting what I was “now” doing I got so much buy in from students. I had already created a customer base because I would bake brownies and cookies and sell them at school to make extra money. Once I started making money, my parents taught me to start reinvesting in my own business.
Although I can be a little stubborn, I always sought the advice of my parents because I knew if no one else supported me, they would. I originally wanted to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), but one day I became interested in Kennesaw State University and I never fully considered another school. Once I came to school, I was able to continue providing services to my customers back home during my first year. I decided to work on building my customer base in Kennesaw and in other states during the COVID shut down. Now, business is really booming for me and I’m so grateful to God, my parents, and all of those who have invested in me by either buying things I need, mentoring me, or simply buying my products. This is where I am now, but there are so many great things in store for me that I know things will only continue to go up for me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh my God, it has definitely been a struggle at times. People look at my life and think I’ve just always been great at everything and had everything handed to me on a silver platter. One of my biggest struggles was myself and getting in my own way. I expect a lot out of myself and I want things to happen the way I envision them, when things don’t go the way I planned them I get upset and feel like I’ve failed. I learned that things don’t always go as planned and adjusted my sails accordingly. Another struggle was continuing to push and build my business when people who once supported me wanted to start doing what I was doing. My mom continuously encouraged me and told me to keep doing what I’m doing because the discipline and consistency I was pouring into my business would pay off after a while.
She told me that the foundation matters, so don’t jump from one thing to another because I feel threatened by my competition. If my business is built on a firm foundation, then no matter what comes my She also reminded me that some people will support you because of who you are and some people will not support you because of who you are, so I focused on my supporters and continued to create quality products that increased my repeat business sales. Repeat business and word of mouth has helped me tremendously in building my empire. This is definitely not the last struggle, but I could go on and on so I’ll end it with this. I underestimated myself with my prices because people would say I was charging too much, but I was and still am in the mindset that you don’t lower your value for those who don’t see it.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Joyful Customs – what should we know?
When coming up with my company name, I knew I wanted the word “Joy” in it because it’s included in my real name, JOYrdan, and encompasses who I am at my core. I’m just a really joyful person and want the joy within me to radiate to those around me. Because the options are endless when it comes to the items I make, I added customs since each order is custom made. So that’s how the name Joyful Customs was birthed. “Creating” isn’t just a business, it’s also a stress reliever for me. I will isolate myself, put my phone on do not disturb, turn on Netflix, and start crocheting something to give away or create designs on my cricut that I don’t plan to sell. Although it’s important to me to make money, it’s equally important for me to give back to my community and those who are less fortunate. I am proud of the fact that my hard work is paying off. I started all of this in high school, so now I’m seeing the vision I had way back then come into fruition now.
Because I built a great customer base then, I don’t have to do a whole lot of marketing because my name and products speak for themselves. My customers do a great job of promoting my business. As I said before, I have a great deal of repeat business. I don’t know if this sets me apart from others, but I hope that my character and heart for what I do encourages others to shop with me. I try to stay up-to-date on the latest trends because my niche market is teens and young adults. However, I’m very aware that I serve a broader audience as well, so I try to offer a variety of products that will get the attention of my niche market as well as my more mature customers. I can make just about anything with my machine. I’ve made car decals, glass albums, budget books, and other things but I’m best known for my custom shirts and stacked leggings.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mom, Tiffany Williams, and dad, Dontay Williams, have definitely played the biggest role in my success. My dad believed in me and my vision so he bought all the expensive equipment when I couldn’t afford it. He also gave me business advice along the way because he wanted me to learn from his mistakes. As for my mom, she has always been a huge help when it comes to customer service and marketing skills. She taught me how to properly interact with people and what kind of products will get their attention. She’s also honest with me about my products so if something doesn’t look right she’s going to tell me before I put it out to sell. There have been other people that played a role but because there’s so many, I don’t want to name them all, but they know who they are and I am forever grateful for them. As for my parents, I know they will always support me in everything I do. They instilled in me the confidence I have today to keep going and reaching for my goals until I achieve them. Because of them, I know that the sky is the limit.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3021 Hidden Forest Court Marietta, GA
But I’m occasionally in Statesboro, GA - Phone: 912-515-6415
- Email: joyfulcustoms1@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyful.customs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Joyfulcustoms
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