Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Kastner – Friedlander.
Hi Jessica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my small shop during COVID. My husband was a frontline worker and I had developed pretty severe anxiety so I was really looking for something to keep me busy and my anxiety low. That turned into an online shop, which turned into doing local markets here in Fort Lauderdale, then turned into taking my small shop to Orlando and doing all the big markets up there. It’s also where I met my market family at Once Upon a Magic Market which is my home market now. We travel up to the area every month now to be a part of it and I am so grateful I did!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wouldn’t say a smooth road but more of a learning experience. We are about 3 – 3 1/2 hours south so traveling, packing and making sure we have everything we need and prepping early it’s a learning curve for sure but now we got it down pat!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve always been super crafty – even as a child. I started with making bows and hair accessories, that evolved to resin art – mostly shaker badge reels since my husband was in the medical field which then shifted to epoxy tumblers, then shifted to acrylic cups and then to Snowglobe Cups which I’m most known for now. I have an eye for color and design putting colors together is my favorite part of the whole process and I feel that’s what sets me apart from others in the same type of business.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
My business is named after my cats and my dad.
The first part of the name (KAT)
We basically run a small unintentional rescue lol – living in South Florida we unfortunately deal with a lot of stray cats that somehow wind up at my house so we currently have 14 and yes they’re all named after Disney characters.
The second part of the name (JACK)
Jack was my dad’s name. He was diagnosed with Cancer and passed 30 days later on 3/4/12. My dad was my hero, my biggest supporter and loosing him really rocked my entire world. I wanted to include him in my business name so his legacy will always live on and I get to tell people about him all the time which helps me deal with his loss.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Etsy.com/shop/katjackcreations
- Instagram: @katjackcreations
