Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Appleberry.
Hi Jen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Back in 2012 my husband went on a 4 day hunting trip. I was pregnant with our 3rd baby and our first two kiddos got hand foot and mouth disease. It was an awful 4 days! lol When my hubby got home he suggested I take a day to myself…. I was either super pissed or super pregnant because I began to sob, I didn’t know what to do with a day to myself, I felt guilty like I should catch up on laundry or make a lasagna and freeze it for when baby got here! I got so invested in being the best wife and mom I could be, I felt like I was losing bits of me! – Instead of doing nothing, I pulled myself together and decided to invite a few girlfriends over to create and connect! They paid me for supplies and I taught them how to make a craft or diy project for their home! It was lovely and it took off and we started to get together every month. We joked we were the “Oprah Book Clue of Crafting!” Soon friends started inviting their Moms and Sisters and when my best friends sister invited her neighbor…. It was the first “stranger” that came into my home and paid me money to teach her how to create a craft! It was a light bulb moment for me! We started running craft nights out of our home every month! We’d launch 40 spots on our facebook page and they’d sell out in minutes! Eventually we grew out of our home and moved craft nights to my moms house! We could do 80 people over 2 nights! Then we out grew that and we moved to my grandparents basement where I could get 120 people over 2 nights! After a year of that, the best thing happened…. the cops got called on me! I was running a business out of my home and 60 cars were filling up a residential street.
At that moment, I thought we would have to shut it down! But my incredible husband reminded me I had built a community, I had women counting on me and I had found my calling! So in 2017 we set out to find a brick and mortar location to test the idea of a “Craft Studio.” We moved into the basement of a local brewery and started running classes, private parties and open workshop days! The idea took off and we knew within a few years we needed to look for a bigger more permanent location. So in 2020 we moved into the location we are in now…. a beautiful spot right on Main Street in downtown Anoka!
God is so good and I can not believe where we are today and that I get to do this for a living!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart! There are constant challenges to working for yourself! The economy and rising costs are not fun! Going through a world wide pandemic was honestly 1o stages past awful! I still look back on that time and think it must have been a bad dream! But honestly, all of the struggles, even the pandemic was a forced opportunity to dig deep and get creative! I pushed me to dig deep and keep fighting for something I saw value in!
I joke that every time struggles come or the cops get called on me…. it’s happend twice now….. that God has a BIG opportunity right around the corner for me!!!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Appleberry’s Attic we believe in Creativity & Connection! If an idea hits those 2 points, you better bet I’m going to look into it! We do Craft Classes where we teach a project or skill, we also do Walk In Workshops where people just walk in, pick a project, pay and then sit in our open studio and create! We also do private parties, kids birthday parties, kids camps, womens retreats and off site events for companies and churches!
I would say I am most proud of staying true to myself and not changing myself to fit business…. my business is me and I am my business! I have always kept my head down and done me…. meaning I’ve never really looked or cared much into what others like me are doing…. because for so long there was nothing like me! I had to forge my own ideas and I am so incredibly proud of the authenticity Appleberry’s Attic brings to the creative space!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Oh goodness! I love gobbling up anything on faith, marriage, parenting and leadership! I have never been one to consume a lot of fiction…. and as a creative I know that doesn’t fit the mold! But I believe when YOU get better…. your faith gets deeper, your marriage gets stronger and your kids get healthier! When I invest in me I am better as an entrepreneur!
Pricing:
- Classes range from $30 – $75
- Walk In Workshop Projects range from $15 – $40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.appleberrysatticcrafts.com
- Instagram: Appleberry’s Attic
- Facebook: Appleberry’s Attic
