Hey there! Today on the show I have Jaime Jennings, the founder of Fancy Tiger Crafts, a gorgeous Colorado shop full of yarn, fabric and craft supplies. She and her partner have been in business for 11 years, quite a feat! We have a great conversation about getting outdoors and the effect that has on her work, as well as the good stuff that can come out of hard things and how her mom set one amazing biz lady example. I think you’re gonna enjoy this, so let’s get to it!

I hope you enjoyed this convo, it’s easy to hear in the interview that Jaime is someone I really look up to in our industry. She’s been able to stay in business and not just that – truly thrive and grow. Many of the things she spoke about are things I knew already but I needed to hear again – and hopefully you did too. She talked about the role she plays now in the business as the person who’s planning events and making sure the whole team has the larger goals in mind. She course corrects when needed. We all know this is important but it's worth being reminded about, are we working towards our goals or are we just answering emails all day long?! Can we bring a little more of that birds eye view into our own lives.  

I LOVE this idea of being in nature as a way to grow and help keep us sane in work/family/whatever(!!!). She says she notices how different and how much better she feels after time outside for herself. Being outside makes us slow down a little doesn’t it?  Watching and listening to the beauty around me, always makes me feel grateful even if I’m feeling overwhelmed or bad. It always seems to put things in perspective. 

Lastly, I love how real Jaime is about the tough times she’s faced running her business. Darn, those sounded like some seriously stressful times. One thing I’ve been thinking about a ton lately is how getting through rough patches like a jerk in line at the post office, or whatever it is - how important this skill is. There’s always something, a fire you didn’t know about the day before and then bam there it is. How do you keep an even keel and move forward? Jaime found running and that helps her cope now, those experiences led her to running and undoubetly she learned a ton too. I will end with one quote from the book I mentioned in the podcast, the Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday, that ties into this idea. It's helps me think about the person I want to be in the face of hardships.

"Everything that happens is a chance to move forward, even if it is on a bearing that you did not anticipate. We must try to be objective, to control your emotions and keep an even keel, to choose to see the good in a situation, to steady your nerves, to place things in perspective, to revert to the present moment, to focus on what you can control. This is how you see the opportunity within the obstacle."

Alright that is it for today! Find Jaime at Fancy Tiger Crafts and on Instagram @fancyjaime and @fancytigercrafts A few pics below of her and her business partner Amber, as well as their work and stunning shop.