Be the Vibe! - Janel McCray

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Janel McCray, owner of Vibes Visuals Vibrations, located in Glen Burnie, MD, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Vibes Visuals Vibrations is a black-women-owned small business that specializes in customizable epoxy resin home decor. Our customer's value is having hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind home decor pieces of art that are conversation starters! My clients want their homes to be filled with functional pieces that uniquely fit their vibe and ambiance. We specialize in all types of home decor pieces, such as coasters, decorative trays, canvases, ashtrays, etc.

Tell us about yourself

I am a self-taught artist that has been extremely creative ever since I was very young. I always enjoyed making things, whether that was making my mom a jewelry box out of a recycled cigar box to making my childhood friend's friendship bracelets!

Around 2017, I started really getting into painting as a way to decompress and relieve stress after dealing with the break up of a long-term relationship. I stayed consistent with painting for a few years and did a few commission pieces, but deep down inside, I always felt like I wanted to tap more into my artistic abilities. I tapped into epoxy resin art during the peak of the pandemic when my nine-year-old niece at the time recommended that I try it out after she discovered it on TikTok. After a few hours of looking at TikTok and YouTube videos, I got the courage the buy the materials and made my first set of coasters in my apartment on my kitchen table! I decided to film the process and posted it on my social media, and the rest is history! Within the first two months of posting my videos, my following and orders started to skyrocket, and my videos of my process began to get a lot of attention and praise!

I love my business because my art helps me channel my energy into creating something beautiful yet functional in my client's homes. Everything about the process is therapeutic, from the mixing of the epoxy resin to selecting the colors to the pour. It brings me peace and relieves any sense of anxiety or fear that I may have had that day. I absolutely love seeing the finished products and also seeing the responses I get from my clients and followers. My art truly feels like my purpose, and that brings me so much joy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is that in my first year of business, I made over 100+ pieces that are in homes all over the country! I never thought that art that I created would be displayed in the homes of people that I had never met before. It still surprises me to this day, and I am forever grateful that God has taken me down this path.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is finding balance in managing the tasks associated with running a successful business while also having to balance all of the unknown challenges that life brings you. I am everything for my business, from the marketing manager, photographer, accountant, social media manager, and the list goes on. Even with all of that, I am also in a leadership role at my full-time job! Being able to balance my 9 to 5, owning a small business, and having a personal life can be challenging at times, and boundary setting and prioritization have been skills that I have had to learn fast.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. If you have an idea that brings you joy, don't sleep on it. JUST DO IT! We often sleep on our own potential because of fear of the unknown. Instead of thinking about it all of the time, we just need to take the risk and do the dag-on thing!
2. Proper planning prevents poor performance. Being a business owner requires planning and execution. It is important to plan and think ahead so that you can set yourself up for success and also not overload yourself.
3. QUALITY IS KEY! When you go the extra mile to make sure your brand has quality, your customers appreciate that, and they want to get more. Quality can be measured in all different aspects, from the way you communicate with your customers all the way to the packaging. Everything will not always be perfect, and when it isn't, take the feedback, learn from it, and apply the lessons learned.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.vibesvisualsvibrations.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vibesvisualsvibrations
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vibesvisualsvibrations/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janel-mccray-m-s-10530a89/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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