How Becoming More Authentic to Herself Made Jess’s Business Flourish

My name is Jess Capeling and I’m the creator and owner of Jess’s Paper Co, a modern boho paper shop. I design digital art that I make into cards, stickers, and prints for the everyday desert vibin’, plant lover. I sell my products on my own website and on Etsy. My business was launched in March 2019 and I have seen it grow tremendously since. A while back, however, my husband and I had a dream that changed the way I do business now. We purchased and self-converted a van over the past six months and are now living in it and traveling across Canada. Jess’ Paper Co. is on the move!  

 Many factors went into my decision to follow my dreams and start my own business. For one, I have always loved to create. In my second year of college, I realized that I was spending a lot of time making cards and art pieces for my friends and family. I just loved to see how much joy my designs could bring people. One day my husband suggested that I sell my art. I was surprised and timid. Me? Sell my art? I didn't feel professional enough or practiced enough to do that. I repeated these thoughts to myself every time he suggested I think bigger. It took me a while to come around to the idea and face my fears of rejection, judgment, and self-doubt, but eventually, I decided to try it. Turns out it was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

I started by selling hand-painted cards. That progressed into sticker sheets made at home with my Cricut machine, which then turned into investing in an iPad and evolving my style to be more digital. It took me about a year to solidify an aesthetic that I wanted my brand to follow. I wanted my business to represent who I was, what I stand for, and who I want to be: someone who encourages other women to follow their dreams, believe in themselves, and do whatever it is that sets their soul on fire. I love plants, people, my dog, travel, and all things “boho” which formulated the “aesthetic” of my shop and social media platforms. Once I solidified these things about my brand the next thing I knew it was a year later and I had made over 2,500 sales. As I look back to where I started, I feel proud of how I’ve grown as an artist. 

 Becoming more personally authentic

I think one of the biggest struggles of being a beginning artist and business owner is comparison. I have always struggled with this. Comparing my work to someone else's, my life to someone else's, my experiences to someone else's. All of which I believe is a product of fear and insecurity. Worrying that you will never be as good as that person who looks like they have it all together, the person getting 100 sales a day, seeming like they never have bumps in the road. What we must learn to understand is that everyone is on their own journey, no one is better than the other. There is something to be said for taking a deep look into your life, acknowledging where you are at, and loving yourself there.

It wasn't until I stopped comparing my growth that I was able to flourish professionally and personally. I was able to be authentic. My sales went up, my product quality went up, and I had more flow in my work. Being authentic to me means expressing myself naturally and genuinely. This required self-acceptance, mindfulness, and confidence. This will forever be an area of growth that I need to be conscious of, but I am proud to say that I have made steps in the right direction. 

Becoming professionally authentic

Once I started developing my shop in the way I wanted I was able to make changes in my business that were true to myself and my brand. My social media presence changed from feeling the pressure to post every single day and engage out of obligation, to posting only what brings me joy, with the understanding that some people may not like my content and that is okay. 

I started using my own photography as inspiration and being intentional about creating unique content. I try to make a strong effort to always be honest and genuine on my social media accounts by showing my true self and how I feel, as we all know Instagram can just be a giant highlight reel where people don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes truth. I believe this plays a part in why beginning business owners feel such a strong sense of comparison, such as myself. In this journey of becoming authentic in every area of my life, I needed to develop the confidence to say that my art, my prices, my work, and my time are valued and respected. Because when I focus too much on what others think of me, I am not able to create any art that I like. This leads me to feel pressured to follow the new “fad,” or create what others want me to create even if that is not what I desire for my business. 

In the small business world, I pride myself in valuing the community over competition. I truly believe there is more to gain from creating a community where you can all contribute and grow from each other's unique qualities as we all bring something different to the table. I have made wonderful connections with other artists where we cheer on each other's successes and encourage each other on the not-so-good days. 

 When you love what you do, and do it authentically, the rest comes easy. 

Summing it up

 My biggest piece of advice for other sellers is to give yourself room to grow. Don’t expect fast results and fast growth, as some of the most beautiful things take time. Authenticity is something that can come naturally if you let it, don’t be afraid to be yourself. Create what YOU want to create, live how YOU want to live because at the end of the day the only person it affects is you. 

 QUOTES FROM OTHER MAKERS

 “Jess’s authenticity is so refreshing in a space that can often feel like it demands perfection. Her openness allows people of all ages and all sorts of life stages to relate to her as a whole person, not just a person who has a shop. She makes you feel like you are not only friends even though you have never met in person, but also like you’ve been friends for years right off the bat!”

Kara, @karaeadscreates

 “Jess and I met through Instagram closer to the beginning of this year and though we only know each other through the internet, she has become a sweet friend of mine! She is always there with an answer to my questions and is an amazing supporter! You can tell how much love she puts into everything she does. From the design of a sticker, to building the dream life out of a van with her little family. She really proves that it's possible to be successful in a business and in life by simply being kind. Everything I have purchased from Jess' Paper Co, I intend to give away but always keep for myself, as everything is so well made! My Etsy and Instagram go-to, always!”

Clare, @claremitchelldesigns

“When I first stumbled upon Jess’ Paper Co I was drawn to her page. There was something about her work that was different than anything else I’d seen. After coming back and obsessing over her work (an embarrassing amount) I realized exactly what it was that I loved about it - it was absolutely, 100%, authentically an extension of her. She puts her soul into everything she does, from her marketing to her creations, and it shows. The uniqueness in her pieces comes straight from this style she’s cultivated, and that’s style is in everything that she does. She creates things she believes in, that ring true to her as a person. I think the most authentic thing a shop can do is just make their brand true to who they are, and you can see that. Everything Jess creates shows off exactly who she is and what she values, and that’s what keeps me so interested in her work.” 

Lauren, @sunflowersandsoul.co

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