Meet Trailblazer Janel McElwain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janel McElwain.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Janel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m a military brat who moved to Chandler after college. I graduated from LIM College in NYC in 2010 with a Bachelors in Marketing. I pursued a career as an e-commerce manager but decided to move to Chandler to be closer to family. I married my high school sweetheart and together we have two boys. In 2017, after being a stay at home mama for a couple of months, I felt like something was missing. I always felt in my heart that I wanted to own my own business and I felt inclined to pursue something new and channel my crafting energy into a small shop for moms, kids, and families. Bub and Jax were named after my two boys and was created during nap time on my kitchen table. I opened an Etsy shop in January 2018. Since opening the shop, I have met so many new friends who have been the most amazing supporters of my little business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I opened my shop knowing nothing about Etsy, but I knew it was a platform for crafters. I am self-taught in my craft and that in itself was its own struggle. It was just a hobby that I thought, hey this is fun and I can have some purpose. I think every business comes with struggles and those probably will never go away because as a small business, you are always growing and learning. I would say that if you are passionate about something, that you let that drive you. And when you have hard days, just remember what ignites you and to always enjoy your craft.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bub and Jax Creations – what should we know?
My shop focuses on custom t-shirts, gifts, and vinyl decals. When I first started out, I wanted to focus on a cute T-shirt for mamas and kiddos to match because I love matching with my littles. I found that a lot of small shops were pricey, so I wanted to have a valuable price point for mamas who wanted to say a custom birthday shirt or a fun mama and my shirt. To this day, I find the most enjoyment in making this one of a kind personalized items for such special occasions.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I grew up with a drill instructor father and I think everything I have accomplished is due in fact to my father being a Marine. My parents were both native New Yorkers from the Bronx. I always admired how hard both of my parents worked. I was raised mostly in California and after high school, I decided to pursue my degree 3000 miles away in New York City. My parents raised me to have thick skin, and when you’re a business owner, you definitely need a bit of thick skin. If you want something, you have to jump all the way in because it’s not going to land in your lap, that’s why I moved all the way across the country. Things don’t happen overnight and take constant work every day and that’s ok- something I still tell myself when growing my shop.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.etsy.com/shop/bubandjaxcreations
• Email: bubandjaxcreations@gmail.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/bubandjaxcreations
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/bubandjaxcreations
• Other: Www.pinterest.com/bubandjax

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