Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Johnston.
Jen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
From an early age, I knew I wanted to have my own business. I used to play “store,” “hair salon,” “restaurant” – you name it. My favorite part was using my toy cash register. In high-school, we took a test to help us decide what profession would best match our interests. Mine came back as owning a “fur” store. Well, I’m not into furs, but I did finally get to be a store owner and I love it!
Since my teens, I’ve dabbled in small ventures from selling Avon to doing landscaping. What I loved most about all of them is that I could incorporate my creativity into my business. Being creative is my passion. Whether it’s with a marketing campaign, a store display, or leading a project, I’m where I belong when I’m able to use the gifts God gave me. As an avid home decorator, I took my first step towards owning a decor business by renting a booth at a local antique mall. It was scary and exciting at the same time. I quickly learned that I was a natural at picking merchandise customers wanted to buy and attractively displaying them. For ten years, my decor style evolved, my skills developed, and my desire to one day own my own shop grew.
After working for 20 years in corporate America and with the support of my husband, Eric, I left the office environment and took the biggest risk of my life and opened a boutique near my home. I’ve been driven since day one. To succeed. To earn more than I could have or would have in my corporate job. To make my husband proud. To do what God put me here to do. And to do what I love.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
During the six months prior to opening, there was more work done and more money spent than I ever imagined there would be. We had invested tens of thousands of dollars into legal fees, lease agreements, remodeling a retail space, and inventory, among other things. And we hadn’t even sold a single item yet. Due to delays with various parts of the process, we missed our goal of opening before the holidays. We finally opened the store in the middle of the slowest retail month of the year – January!
Business slowly gained momentum throughout our first year and ended stronger than we had anticipated. Looking ahead to 2020, our goal was to double our first year’s sales. We were performing well and in line with our goal when the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to our efforts. For a moment in time, my fears grew and my hope dwindled. But I knew two things. First, we had some cash to lean on since we put all of our profits from the holiday season back into the company rather than taking an income. Second, I wasn’t made to fail.
It was time to pull up those creativity bootstraps and get to work. From selling mystery boxes full of discounted products and donating a portion of the proceeds to charity to growing our online store by over 500 items (which had to be photographed, weighed, and measured), we did what we could to stay afloat. I personally faced a longtime fear and held a live shopping hour on Facebook. It was scary but worth every effort. We have now held five LIVE shopping hours and brought in nearly two thousand dollars in sales. Our marketing efforts on Facebook and Instagram have also gained us a lot of new followers.
Did we have to use some of that reserve to stay ahead of our expenses? Yes. Our sales were down 50% from the goal during March and April, but we are on track in May to meet or possibly exceed our goal of doubling last year’s numbers. It’s been humbling and gratifying to see our friends and customers, both new and old, supporting our small business as a member of their community. We are not out of the woods yet, but I still believe in our original goal of doubling our yearly sales.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mud Creek Market story. Tell us more about the business.
Our company, Mud Creek Market, is a cross between a gift shop and a home decor store with a local artisan market in the mix. We offer trending home decor goods and unique gifts that we source from small to mid-size businesses. Some of the businesses we support include only one person, wearing all the hats from maker to accountant. Many others are very small, with a handful of employees.
As an entrepreneur who sold my creations at craft shows and on Etsy for years, I can appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that artisans put into their individual businesses. As the owner and curator at Mud Creek Market, I strive to support other entrepreneurs as much as I am able to. In order to offer the right products that best represent the vision I have for our store, I look for quality, presentation, and marketability when considering bringing on a new artisan partner. There is much more than the idea that a product is made locally or handmade that goes into my decision to carry a product. Our goal at Mud Creek Market is to bring our customers quality products that have the same professional appearance as those in your large department stores but are not sold by mainstream retailers.
We even sell our own line of coffee. We’ve partnered with a roaster to bring our customers smooth blends of coffee that are unlike those found at their grocers. The locally made product lines we offer include candles, bath products, original art, jewelry, apparel and books. We pride ourselves on promoting local products. The local is the new black! And we’re wearing it proudly.
Many customers who visit our storefront have shared with me how the feel of our shop is different from others. We offer uplifting music, soft lighting, great scents from the many candles and bath products we carry, and a non-aggressive, yet friendly approach to each of our guests. As a borderline introvert, I have never appreciated aggressive sales tactics. When shopping, I personally like to be greeted, then left alone. When I do need assistance, I’m grateful for someone to step in, guide me, and in some cases, hold my hand (figuratively, of course) to help me with my purchase. Despite so many things I’ve read, my experience in corporate sales, and those who outline how and in which manner customers should be “sold,” most being of the more aggressive flavor, I am very proud that our conversational approach to customers has resulted in our success.
We set out to have a different kind of store than others around us. And I believe we have achieved that goal. From the environment we create to the unique products we carry, we provide our guests with an affordable alternative to mainstream retail shopping and they appreciate that we are a part of their community.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3451 Ernest W Barrett Parkway
Suite 150
Marietta, GA 30064 - Website: www.mudcreekmarket.com
- Phone: 770-799-8013
- Email: info@mudcreekmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mudcreekmarket/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mudcreekmarket/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mud-creek-market-marietta
Image Credit:
Sarah Graham Family Photography
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