We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Gardner and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’m 2016 I started an event planning/event styling company called MaJesstic Occasions. During that time I frequently found myself fabricating custom event decor & personalized apparel for the guests of honor. Considering the event industry came to a halt during the pandemic, I decided to expand our offerings by way of MaJesstic Designs. It was an opportunity to continue to curate creative & innovative designs, that our clients have grown accustomed to.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The road to entrepreneurship was definitely not an easy one. There were many road blocks & obstacles in my way, but my resilience & perseverance wouldn’t let me quit. As a Workforce Development Professional with over 17 years of executive human service experience, I was at the peak of my career. I was bringing home a 6-figure salary, respected by colleagues, & admired by the participants I served. My career was on the trajectory to becoming the next AVP or VP of a prominent nonprofit organization, however I was feeling unfulfilled. I was working full time & operating my first business MaJesstic Occasions, a full service event planning company. Although I was financially stable & had a true passion for event planning/styling, I found my self gravitating to the more creative aspect of event styling. As opposed to outsourcing custom event decor & personalized apparel for my customers and their guests, I was experiencing so much joy creating them myself. That was when the idea of MaJesstic Designs was born. I decided to expand my brand & services with the expectation to become a one stop shop for my clients as well as providing custom products to the masses. I was extremely reluctant to take on another opportunity with everything I had on my plate, but then the pandemic hit and created the time, space, & opportunity for me to execute my vision. In October of 2020, I decided to take a leap of faith & relocate my family to Georgia. I was fortunate enough to continue to work remotely, but the balancing of a household, family life, a full time job and two business was becoming too much to bear. Therefore May of 2021, I made the decision to focus on my businesses full time & cultivate theses businesses to become my primary source of income. It was the scariest, most invigorating & empowering decision I had ever had to make. This journey has tested my endurance & tenacity, but my unwavering faith gave me the reassurance that I needed to stand tall in my decision & fulfill the calling on my life. I became a full time entrepreneur, a single mother of two, and a custom apparel designer all within a year span by the grace of God.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Considering all of my family lives in NY, when they come to visit they are always looking for some good old fashion soul food, so I’d typically take them to Southern Fire Kitchen yo satisfy their cravings. Since we are Afro Latino’s, by was of Costa Rica, we love our Latin & Caribbean food, so we might hit up LaParilla Mexican Restaurant for a quick lunch, or head over to Spice House for some hood Caribbean food & drinks. Their brunch is also a vibe in an of itself with great music, mimosas & hookahs. I absolutely love seafood so no trip to the A would complete without taking my fam to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen or Juicy Crab.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother has always been my biggest supporter. She not only encouraged me to take a leap of & become an entrepreneur, but she has always been most loyal customer. On days that I second guess myself & feel like I need to go back to a 9-5, she always empowers me to press on by leaning into my faith.
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Website: www.majessticdesigns.com
Instagram: @Majessticdesigns @Majessticoccasions @Iamsomajesstic
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-gardner-789838186
Facebook: Facebook.com/majessticdesingsllc Facebook.com/majessticoccasions