Meet Franschara “Monique” Lumpkin | Owner and Creator of SunKissed Creations by Monique, LLC and SunKissed Blanks by Monique, LLC.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Franschara “Monique” Lumpkin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Franschara “Monique”, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I can honestly say two things have contributed to my success. First, I am FOREVER learning. I see so many cool crafts that I want to do but I am intimidated by. I don’t allow that intimidation to deter me from at least trying it. My friends and family can attest to the fact that I am not afraid of a challenge. It may take me a minute to build up the courage to try it but I never want to go through life wondering “What if?” I apply this to my business also. I am always signing up for courses to either learn new crafts or to perfect my current ones. New things are always coming out so if I can incorporate new ideas and tools to help make me more efficient then I am all for it. You never know what you will accomplish if you don’t give it an honest try. If I don’t like it that fine but at least I can say I tried it. The second thing that I contribute to my success is I work EVERYDAY. I have a full time day job but when I come home at the end of my work day I devote at least two hours to my business (even if its doing mock ups, taking pictures, updating website, etc.)

When I officially started my business I vowed that I would never put more into my day job than I would my own business. I remind myself daily that I am using my day job to fund my business until my business can fund my freedom.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started off in crafts in 2015 making door wreaths and tutu’s. I began seriously crafting/designing in spring 2020 making Apple watch bands, charm bracelets, and charm bangles. As I began to incorporate more and try more I was hooked. Crafting gave me an opportunity to be creative and try new things. The more things that I tried the more I realized that this was something I liked to do but I actually enjoyed it. Since the start of my business venture I have added more crafts and currently learning and perfecting more to offer. I currently offer sublimation, vinyl, resin art, some party decor, clothing, custom travel gear, clothing, and shoes. I also offer custom jewelry, purses, home decor, wholesale blanks and much more.

When I had the idea of a business I was at one of the darkest places in my life (middle of a pandemic, isolated from my child and family, out of work, and battling COVID) but this new found passion helped keep me going and ultimately helped pull me out of that depression. Creating a business is far from easy but nothing worth having comes easy right? I make sure that no matter how tired I am that I am NEVER too tired to dedicate at least two hours to my business. My success is solely dependent on the time and effort that I put into my business. Hopefully my passion shows in every item that I create. I overcome challenges in my business by learning to pull away and take a break. When I have a mental or creative block I have learned to get up and walk away and do something else. I try not to be hard on myself but sometimes it can be frustrating when you have a vision in your head but you can’t quite get it to come across in your work. If i walk away and come back I typically blow my own mind every time. Too many times we push ourselves too hard and don’t give ourselves enough grace.

I truly enjoy what I do and I love pushing myself to the next level. I want people to know that in my 36 years I have never allowed anything to defeat me. I have always been an overcomer and if my mind is set on something I will get it done. When I look back over my life and my business I want to be able to smile in amazement at all I have accomplished despite the odds stacked against me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would start with breakfast at Gocha’s Breakfast bar, some day shopping at Cumberland, body massages at 3rd Massage Atl with Sean, and end the evening with a party bus and club hop between some Atl staples like Cheetah and Blue Flame.

Some other spots to visit would be King monument, Civil Rights Museum, High Museum, and Botanical Gardens. I like to go with the vibe and see where it leads us. I think the day is more exciting when you have no plans and just go.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to ShoutOut God for blessing me with a creative mind, my dad, Rick, for instilling in me to hustle like there is no tomorrow, my mom, Barbara, for always giving advice (I promise I was listening even if I didn’t want to), and last but not least my Sunshine, Ameer, you are the reason I choose to get out of bed everyday and try to go harder than the day before. You motivate me in ways I didn’t know possible until I became a mother.

Also a special thanks to Coach Cassy, GOLDDDDDDMIIIIINE (keep up the phenomenal work as a mentor and coach! Your dedication is appreciated.)

Website: www.creationsbysunkissed.com

Instagram: sunkissed_by_monique

Facebook: sunkissedcreationsbymonique

Image Credits
Ameer (my SUNshine) Barbara (Mama SunKissed)