Today we’d like to introduce you to Rena Graham.
Rena, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
GlitterGraham was created in October of 2019. I decided I wanted to make some extra money to help pay for my lovely destination wedding I had planned for July 2020! Which was postponed due to Covid. However, it allowed me more time to prefect my craft. My mom Angeline, and my grandmother Betty both are my creative inspirations that I look up to. I’ve always admired their work in their line of crafts. I knew they passed down those creative genes I just had to stop being passive about it and embrace it. Although I wanted extra income to save for my wedding, I also wanted to do something I loved that could possibly replace my 9-5 desk job. I began crafting and personalizing items for friends and family.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This road has had its ups and downs. Being an entrepreneur while working and maintaining a family is a challenge within itself. I would say one of my biggest struggles along the way has been balancing. When I began, I received a great amount of support from friends and family. It was a little challenging juggling everything. I had no real system in place nor a website to help me keep track of orders. Not only that but setting aside time to actually craft and complete orders was a struggle as well.
Thankfully everyone I worked with was understanding and supportive. One thing I learned in the beginning was that having a support system is very important while multitasking. Once my husband, mom and kids saw the amount of work and effort it took for me to be efficient, everyone began to chip in and assist. This was a major blessing!
GlitterGraham – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
GlitterGraham customize and personalize items catering to your needs. We like to help bring your vision to life, weather it be a gift for you or a gift for a love one. To me handmade items means a lot, especially when gifting them to someone because no one item is alike. They are all unique and customized differently with your particular vision. We started off creating personalized stainless steel tumblers but has since then branched into other items. The goal is to be your one-stop-shop for all of your personalized/custom items.
GlitterGraham is actually bigger than me. I’m a mom to five children so for them to be able to see their mom working diligently and consistently on a business that she believes in is very satisfying. My oldest daughter, age 11, has already taken a liking to the business and has begun to create her own line of keychains (Keychains by Riah). GlitterGraham has abruptly turned into a lovely family business. All of our items are unique and it takes patience and love to create them. This is what sets GlitterGraham apart from others.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success, for me, is being able to wake up every morning without feeling like I’m working. Being able to spend that quality time with my loved ones while also having financial freedom and flexibility to travel. I’m aware that being successful takes baby steps and can not be done over night. Success is a journey and you should learn to embrace every aspect of it the good, the bad and the ugly. It is something that takes consistency and dedication.
Stepping out of comfort zones is a must in order to get to where you are destined to be. I usually dwell in comfort zones but after embarking on this journey, I tend to look to be uncomfortable since that is the only way to grow. Adversities has been my best friend lately. The challenges and the way I choose to respond tends to help prepare me for the next level that I am seeking to reach. The journey itself is beautiful and has lots of hidden gems inside. I look forward to what GlitterGraham will become over the years to come.
Contact Info:
- Email: theglittergraham@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/glitter.graham/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/glittergrahamllc
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/GlitterGrahamLLC
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