Fearless Faithful Female: Q&A with Jordana Paige

{This post is a part of the Fearless Faithful Female series — a series dedicated to sharing the stories and missions of Christian female entrepreneurs.} 

1) Tell us a little about yourself and background.

I was born and raised in California, where I’ve lived for all 31 years of my life until recently moving to Michigan. When I was a freshman in college studying business and marketing, I started my handbag business, Jordana Paige.

I had an idea for a handbag designed specifically for knitters. As a knitter myself, I couldn’t find a functional knitting bag that was also attractive. I set out to bring that bag to market.

I designed the bag to have clean lines and look like a handbag, not a knitting bag. The inside featured pockets and details to organize knitting tools, a project and daily purse items. Since this original bag 13 years ago, I’ve designed many bags. All have stayed consistent with my original idea of a clean aesthetic with a highly functional interior.

Recently I’ve started to shift away from knitting bags to handbags for all women. Women frequently mistook the knitting bags for handbags, so I figured it was time to grow the business. Most bags on the market have very few pockets. I’ve continued to design pocket-centric bags that help a woman stay organized.

2) What’s your vision for your company, and how has your faith played a role in shaping that vision?

Jordana Paige is a handbag company. It was started because I had an idea for a specific type of handbag. As my faith and understanding of God’s word has grown, so has my vision for Jordana Paige. It’s gone from a one-dimensional company to one with a greater purpose.

Life isn’t about the clothes we wear or the handbag we accessorize with. It is about our obedience to God and how we show that obedience through the ways we interact with and love other people. Running Jordana Paige has given me a platform to do more than sell handbags.

When I started the company I was able to make donations to charities based on a small percentage of sales. Over the years, I’ve recognized opportunities to donate school bags to foster kids, handbags to women’s shelters for job interviews and hold huge flash sales, donating all the revenue to non-profits. I’m always on alert for the next opportunity God will present me with to serve. Sometimes I don’t realize the opportunity I was led into until I’m immersed in it.

3) Does your faith ever clash with your need to make money and grow your company?

Absolutely! It has from the very beginning. I observe Saturday as the Sabbath. This means I don’t work from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, nor do I have people work for me (Gen. 20:8-11). Many tradeshows I would like to exhibit at are on the weekend. One show has allowed me to close my booth on Saturday and still exhibit on the other days, but many won’t allow me at the show if I close my booth. It’s frustrating because I don’t ask for a discounted price and even suggest they tuck me back in a corner, but they don’t budge.

I could sit and think, “look at all the sales I’ve missed out on,” but I sincerely believe God has blessed my business because I’ve made the choice to not exhibit. When people ask me why I’m not at a show or closed my booth on a Saturday, I love that it’s my opportunity to share my faith by my example.

It’s also pushed me to think creatively in other, non-traditional ways that I can reach my customers. Some of those ideas have flopped and some have brought more business than a tradeshow could.

4) How do you balance running a business with your spiritual/personal life?

This is a daily challenge. There’s always work to be done. A small business owner is never off duty. Placing my relationship with God, family and friends above my business is essential to staying balanced.

One aspect of being a business owner is that I’m so grateful for is the autonomy it gives me with my schedule and where I choose to invest my time. This doesn’t mean I drop everything to go shopping with a girlfriend. It means that when a loved one needs me, I can make the decision to delay getting orders out by a day so I can give my friend the support she needs. It helps me stay focused on what is really important.

Staying convicted in my beliefs also keeps me balanced. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in making the next sale, creating a desirable image to get people to buy and generating engagement on social media. It’s an empty pursuit that I can easily sink into. It takes prayer, study and worship to make sure these aren’t the things I’m pursuing.

5) Did you have any doubts before starting a company? How did your faith help you overcome those doubts?

When I started the company I was an 18-year old determined and eager to get her business going. I had big goals and good dose of naiveté. I think this mindset came from growing up in a home where building confidence was nurtured and talents recognized. I was taught that God gives everyone talents and we are all capable of doing great things. We shouldn’t let those talents be wasted, rather develop them to their fullest potential.

6) Do you have any general advice for creative female entrepreneurs looking to start a business?

I always encourage women to start a business if that is what they want to do, but I like to give a glimpse of reality so their outlook isn’t too rose-colored. Growing a business takes time, perseverance and dedication.  Day and night, it will be everything you think about and everything you do. Even after putting your heart into it and endless hours, you’ll still not have much to show of the business you’re trying to create. It’s a humbling place to be.

Keep your focus on God through it all. In the highs when business is booming, give God the glory. In those difficult times when nothing is going right, lean on Him and trust that He is taking care of you. I guarantee that both of these situations will happen. Remember that your character is being developed in both situations. Make the conscious decision for that development to be one that is pleasing to God.

Thank you for checking out the latest installment of Fearless Faithful Female. Be sure to check back next Tuesday for another inspiring feature, and let me know what you thought of today’s interview in the comments below!

If you’re intersted in a handbag featured in this post, use code DD815 on Jordanapaige.com to get 15% off your purchase.

Linking up with: Titus 2 Tuesdays // Word Filled Wednesdays // Wise Woman Linkup // Testimony Tuesday // Faith-Filled Friday