Meet Justin Harden | The Shoebox guy

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

Hi Justin, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
You have to stay disciplined to own a business. Money management is important in order to be Steve Jobs. The process is going to take time you have to trust the process.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from the competition is my originality and creativity, which is something you don’t see in many small firms. Boxesbuyjp is more of a home decor store. There are many small businesses that sell shoeboxes, but I needed something different, so I chose to look beyond the box. Something different about boxesbyjp is that our shoeboxes come in various colors. We offer boxes in red, blue, clear, blue and red bandanna, etc. What I’m doing could be the beginning of a trend that many small businesses will follow.

Being an entrepreneur is exciting, but it comes with so much self-doubt. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to sell my product, but thanks to the strong alumni support from Southwest Dekalb, I was able to expand my clientele. It’s all about staying disciplined and never losing faith. We also had to network to gain more exposure. And even though we are still growing I got to where I am now in business by believing in myself and trusting my method.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting for a week, the first place I would take them is Ponce City Market. There are lots of good restaurants and various small businesses that sell books, clothes, shoes, etc. So, this is definitely where I would start a visiting friend’s time in ATL. I think next I would take them roller skating at Cascade Family Skating. I used to go there a lot with friends and with family. It was always fun even if you can’t skate. Also, their wings are amazing. To end the week, I’d try to take my friend to Stone Mountain Park for the laser show. I haven’t been there in a while because of Covid, but I remember being there on hot Saturdays and it was always cool. It’d be nice to watch it again with a friend.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people I would like to dedicate this shoutout to. Like my friend Jordan. His brand playaclub has helped me with countless deliveries. Another person who deserves some recognition is LoftP, my uncle Steve. He’s helped to spread the word and advertise my product. I have to shout out my mom. From the very beginning, she’s helped me with so much. Her encouragement and support helped me to keep going when it felt like this was something I could not do. And lastly, I have to recognize Ms. Synthe who helped me to make the mold for the candles. Without her help, who knows what would’ve happened.

So many other people have helped me get where I am. Anyone who reposted my content. Anyone who told their friends about boxesbyjp. And especially, anyone who bought a box or a candle. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Instagram: Boxesbuyjp