Meet Susan Connor, Founder/Designer of SusyJack*

Once and awhile we get a fresh perspective on Startup Princess that shakes things up a bit… a couple of months ago we got this one on the popular post How to Manufacture a Product Overseas from Susan Connor of SusyJack*: After helping many companies to produce their products overseas, I opted to produce my line here in the states. I had to ask myself…what is my business all about…and is producing overseas a choice I can live with?? Turns out, it’s not. I think it’s important to consider the effects of producing items overseas…effects that are less obvious than the dollar expense, potential profit and ease. We have to start asking ourselves what the ramifications are…to our economy, and also…maybe even more importantly, to our environment.

Name: Susan Connor

Hometown: Boston, MA

Current Residence (City, State): New York, NY

Education: BFA Painting SUNY New Paltz, Certificate in Graphic Design, Art Institute of Boston Professional Background (brief, please): Graphic Designer, Brand Consultant and eventually…Creative Director

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Artist or Designer

What you are: Artist and Designer Brief Summary of your Start Up:  I wanted to create a truly contemporary collection of paper goods that individuals would feel great using…something that was designed, rather than decorated.  I wanted to bring paper and stationery to a new place, and take it beyond what people had seen up until now, both in how it looks and how it’s used.

Company Website? www.susyjack.com

What inspired you? I am most inspired by trips to the hardware store. I love finding a new use for an everyday item, or celebrating the beauty hiding in even the most basic material. For me, all of the inspirations begin with the form factor of the product itself.

How long have you been in business? Almost 1.5 years

How did you fund it? I funded this project out-of-pocket, with my own money. I was resolved not to secure loans for startup costs; not only because I didn’t want to assume the risk; I just didn’t want the pressure. I felt it was important that I design for me. Having a loan, venture capital, or silent partner would have put excess pressure on my ideas… that were still growing. It was important for me to literally buy that time for myself to begin….unaffiliated.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? No, but I have many contacts remaining from my design and branding days. These people have been a great resource…emotionally supporting me and sometimes, even suggesting ideas for next steps.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? No… not yet. But I network a lot! And, I do much of my networking in the blog world. Since I offer a product that it’s easy to see online, I often reach out to people via their blogs, or, try to connect more deeply with people who have visited mine. I have made more friends and contacts (press, businesspeople in other fields, peers) doing things this way than I ever have at a face to face networking group. Since blogs are so full of content, it can be a great way to read up on a potential connection before reaching out– and to make sure your interests seem parallel.

Current Business Challenge? Being a solo entrepreneur. Although I am capable of filling the bulk of my business needs myself (pr, design, web design, photography, quoting, production, file prep…the list is long!) I only have 2 hands. Lately, I’m realizing that I have to draw a stronger line between my administrative time and my creative time. And, if need be, outsource the things that someone else can do as well as I can. What are you doing about it? Staying focused on the product I do have, and trying to schedule time where I work on new ideas. I tend to like to work on multiple things at a time…and sometimes, this can get tricky…because I distract myself.  For example…while of course it would be fun to just drop the press release I’m working on and go design a new set of mini notebooks, now I’m trying to remember that the press release for what I’m currently doing is just as important as new product. Favorite motivational quote:  A good idea today is better than a perfect idea tomorrow. (I interviewed at Blue Q a long time ago and this was on the back of every one of their B Cards)  and So often we substitute beauty for truth.

Family? 2 Parents. One Boyfriend, who I live with, and a bunch of longtime friends. I’m an only child…so I consider many of my best friends I’ve made to be like my extended family.

How do you balance family and business? I try and stop work at 5:30 or 6 every day. Evenings are spent with my boyfriend, calling my family, talking or going out with friends. Of course, this doesn’t always happen…but I try and make it a priority. Weekends, sometimes I bring on a bit of work– but, I always try and make time to head out and enjoy NYC.

Favorite book? The Grapes of Wrath, Cry the Beloved Country, Anna Karenina

What do you do to relax? I visit my parents. I go to the gym….getting outdoors is a big help when I’m stressed, going to Central Park, or even to another part of the city is like stepping into another country sometimes…and it provides great perspective and lots of inspiration.

What do you want to change most about your world?  I would like people, specifically Americans, to think more about what they are consuming and why, and what had to happen to get a product into their shopping bag…what happens when they throw it out, how far they had to drive to get it, all that.   There are plenty of times when as a culture, we don’t know why we are buying something, and shopping is a quick fix for things that we should really be concentrating or focusing on…our families, our health…our friends, even our society.  Although I’m offering a product for sale, and this would seem to be a conflict of interest, I’m trying to build that message of health, integrity and thoughtfulness into each design, and into the core message of my company, as a whole. I really believe we need to take the focus off of what we own, and put it back upon who we are.  As for *my* little world…maybe…hire an assistant.

What are you most proud of? Overall, I am really proud of working as a creative professional. Creativity, in general, is a hard thing to keep alive in this world…with the pace of life being so demanding, and business being so challenging. But, I believe that staying focused on what career/personal decisions are best for my creativity has been an achievement which I am fully realizing now. As of late, I am also proud that I found a way to create my collection in an eco-friendly way. Being eco is hard, because as a startup, it will probably incur more cost, and being truly eco is more than just recycling…it’s considering local production, considering what happens to the product when it’s thrown away, considering how an item is packaged, how far it’s shipped, etc etc.   For a moment, I almost backed down when a print broker I was working with came up with staggering price quotes for the simple print jobs I was trying to run. Encouraged by my boyfriend, I went in search of my OWN quotes…and dumped the broker, who I felt wasn’t being at all responsive to my needs as a new businessperson. On my own, I found a better priced, even better solution that my broker hadn’t even explored. When it came to my launch, all of the extra research paid off. I could meet potential buyers, talk about the collection, and overall, build my message and story, full knowing that I could truly stand behind the products.

What advice would you like to offer other Startup Princesses?

1. Don’t get too hung up on what the “competition” is doing. It will squelch your own creative energies.

2. Keep trying. Just because something is hard, doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Try not to get discouraged…if the price is too high, if someone tells you ‘no’, if you run up against something you haven’t done before. Take a deep breath and calm yourself, go back and think how you can get things to work out in your favor. Work at a comfortable pace towards your goal, and if you meet with setbacks along the way do NOT take them personally. Chip away at it.

3. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. There is nothing wrong with humble beginnings. Even if you don’t have your own office,  a professionally produced item…a team of pr agents or interns…even if you don’t feel like you look legit, remember, you’re starting something– and that is worth a LOT. You will get there. Be patient with yourself, be careful with your funds, be honest with people and yourself, and don’t put your budget into premature cosmetic investments. Eventually, you will put it somewhere that makes more sense as you grow…more sense than that hot pink designer desk chair. Wait and ask for that for your birthday.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Honestly, it’s snacks. I often find that I get working, and then I hit a wall. I have seen this with a lot of people in the design world…when we’re working on a deadline, or have to come up with a creative idea and get blocked…we hit a wall. The absolute BEST thing you can do for yourself at that point is to step away and give your mind room to breathe. I have an apple, a banana, a sandwich…a spoonful of peanut butter… and step away from my desk. I find that when I sit back down to keep going, I’m in a much better mood, and I can look at/keep going with the work in a more productive way.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Carnelians. When I was little, my Dad bought me a carnelian ring, and it was my first piece of jewelry. He loves those stones, and they remind me that, like the rest of my family, I’m an unconventional person…so, no diamonds and sparkle for me. Although there are days I wish I was more glamorous and more frilly…more perfect…that just isn’t me. I try and remember that I want real substance, power and meaning in my life, not just the appearance of it.

Thank you, Susan! Welcome to Startup Princess.