We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Stokes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. However, the idea for my small business came about unintentionally. It was really a solution to the obstacles I was facing in my own sustainable journey. I became interested in sustainable living about six years ago and was struggling to find high quality, environmentally friendly products online. I was spending a lot of time researching and vetting products and really wished there was a one stop shop that provided a whole collection of eco friendly products in one place. Since I couldn’t find this type of business at the time, I decided to start my own! I knew there must be other people out there who could find the convenience and conscious curating of my own store to be useful.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Tiny Yellow Bungalow has been such an exciting project for me. It’s steadily grown over the past few years from a simple sustainable living blog to an online store carrying over 100 eco friendly products. While there are quite a few online eco shops out there, I pride myself in my strict vetting process for products to allow into my shop. It’s very important to me that all of the items I carry be good for humans, animals, and the planet. Everything you find in the Tiny Yellow Bungalow shop as been tried and tested by yours truly.

Another aspect of my little shop that really stands out from others is the vintage, secondhand section of my store! I honestly believe that the most sustainable choice is using what you already have or what already exists. It makes me so happy to be able to find new homes for secondhand items that I’ve found through thrifting in my town.

While I’ve really enjoyed running my small business, it certainly hasn’t always been easy. I’ve put a lot of time and energy in to Tiny Yellow Bungalow as the sole employee. I wear a lot of hats in my business from product tester, web designer, photographer, marketer, to order fulfiller– it’s a lot! I love being the decision maker in my business, but it’s definitely very energy intensive.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I know this may sound a little silly, but I’d really love to dedicate my shoutout to all of my fellow small town environmentalists. I’m constantly encouraged by other people who also believe that if we make simple, sustainable changes in our daily lives, we can make a significant impact together!

Website: www.tinyyellowbungalow.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tinyyellowbungalow

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tybungalow

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinyyellowbungalow

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.