Café Bustelo with JC's Art Designs

In this interview, I talk with Jessenia Cosme, the owner of JC's Art Designs, a luxury signage and acrylic design studio in New Jersey, whose work has appeared in brand activations for Netflix, Sephora, and Coca-Cola. Jessenia and her team are trusted by their clients because they blend creativity and design with precision and impeccable execution. We talk about the importance of discipline, protecting your peace as a business owner, the reality of mom guilt, and the pressure women face to perform like they have it all figured out.

Go visit her website at https://jcsartdesigns.com/ and give her a follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jcsartdesigns

Thanks for listening!  Follow us on Instagram @champagnestars1 and check out our site at www.champagneandstarsdecor.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to And I Like Large Parties. Join me as I chat with amazing women business owners in the events industry, some that I've worked with and some that I can't wait to work with. We'll be tipping cocktails while discussing their passions, hurdles, and accomplishments. You're gonna love it. Thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

So I'm sitting down today with Justinia Cosme. She is the owner of JC's Art Design. How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_03 0:24

I'm good. Good morning. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:26

It's so cool to finally connect with you. Um before we started recording, I was, you know, telling her that an event stylist friend of mine started sharing your stuff with me. And I got to see all of your really cool creations. And I was telling Justinia how much I loved her vibe. And I just I definitely wanted to get her on the podcast. So again, I'm really thankful to have you here.

SPEAKER_03 0:48

Thank you. That really means so much. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

So I'm having orange juice today because it's like 10 o'clock in the morning. Um and so, you know, it's it's conversations and cocktails, but we're we're keeping it light since it's it's so early. Unfortunately, let's let's just say these days, I wouldn't even judge.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

I wouldn't even judge if you decided to throw a little vodka in that. I know, right? No judgment here. That's just the that's the way life is going lately. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Little mimosa. I should have prepared more. I could have had a little bit of a little mimosa.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

I wouldn't even judge. I wouldn't even judge. Me myself, I have I have water, but I also I have my coffee already. But I am Hispanic, I'm Puerto Rican. I have two small children, I'm running a business. So I also have a second cup already. It's 10 o'clock, but I'm already on my second cup of cafe bustelo. Um, because you know that's that's what us Hispanics call cracking a cup, and that's what gets me going. So cafe bustelo is my choice today. Nice. Some days are like that, right? Yeah, yeah. That's and it's we're entering high season right now. Okay. So that's it. We're we're in it. We we got the weddings, we got the baptisms and the and the graduations and all that jazz, all the fun stuff. But right, it's like sleep. What is that? That's just a distant memory. I have a four-year-old who we're trying to get out of our bed. We're trying to put her in her room. That in itself is like having a newborn all over again. Like middle of the night cries and talks and sleeping in her tiny less than a taller than a twin size bed. Yeah. So my back, I'm waking up looking like a dinosaur every every morning. I feel like a dinosaur, every bone in my body hurts, but that's yeah, that's where the cafe vusselo comes in. So perfect. You need it. You need it very badly.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

I remember those days. I remember those days.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

So uh Godspeed on that. Thank you. I feel like it's the hunger games, right? Like you put the sign up and you do the whistle. Like that's that's how I feel. It's just like either I meet you on the other side or I get eaten alive. So that's right. You know, it really all depends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

All right. So I'm going to um before we get into who you are and and you, you know, telling folks how they can find you, I'm going to pose the same question that I pose to all of my guests, which is if you had to create or think of a signature drink, it can be a cocktail or mocktail, something that embodies, you know, perhaps your business, your brand, or or just who you are and all that you bring to it. I want you to think about what that would be and also why. And I will revisit that question at the end of the episode and you can tell us all about it.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

Okay. Deal. Sounds like a deal.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

All right.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Now it's, I mean, now I want to drink, but okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

I know, I know. So I'm going to turn it over to you to tell us where we can find you. So, like your website, your socials, and then I want to hear about your journey. How did you get to where you are?

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Got it. Yeah. So I'm Jessenia Cosmi. I'm the owner and creative director of JC's Art Designs. Uh, you can find me on social media on the handle JCS Art Designs, or you can go on our website, which is JC's Artsdesigns.com. We basically specialize in custom event signage. So I do the fun details, I do the fun welcome sign, I do the big interactive seating chart, I do the backdrop cutouts, I do the prop cutouts of the giant, you know, characters that the kids love. I am now entering the corporate sector. I'm doing a lot of the brand activations. Um, so I'm working with big names such as um Harlem Fashion Row, The Gap. Um, we recently worked with Netflix and all that fun stuff. Um, so when it comes to those fun interactive experiences, that's where we come into play. Um, I started being a DIY bride. I got married back in 2017. And I I'm ashamed to say back then I thought wedding world was expensive, but looking at the prices these days, I got very lucky. It's a lot. It's a lot. I won't even lie. So, you know, my husband and I paid for our own wedding. We unfortunately didn't have that financial assistance, and I've always loved art. I come from a very artistic background. Growing up, my dad um always loved to draw, and my aunts and uncles always did, you know, arts and craft time with me and my cousins because this is you know pre-Youtube days, and you know, we actually did activities in person and human interaction. I miss those times. I actually was telling my kid about that this morning. He looked at me like, What? Huh? No screen time. That sounds awful. He thinks I'm from the dinosaur years, right? Um, so yeah, so I started making my own signage and I was good at it. And my friends took notice and they started asking me to help them out. And my husband, being the supportive person that he is, bought me my first little cricket. And funny enough, I was like, I don't want that. And I made him return it because I'm just that awful of a human being. I wanted a coach bag instead. Um, so he returned it, and I continued with designing on um, I just did digital design. I was too timid and too, too scared to get into actually physically making things. So he was noticing that I was doing things digitally and selling things on Etsy, and he's like, Listen, you gotta stop. Like, you can make this, you can literally make this. Just let me buy the cricket again. So I'm like, fine. So he buys the cricket again, and COVID happens, and now I'm forced at home to do this, right? So I start practicing, I'm learning, and that's how JC's art designs was born. And it started with the maths, and then the maths turned into, you know, obviously everyone was home and celebrating and having parties was obviously a big like no-no. So we were expressing celebrating things on our lawn. So I was doing custom lawn signs for graduation and thanking, you know, um, thanking the the workers that, you know, for the the police officers and then the nursing staff, and that just exploded, like exploded. Um before I knew it, I was in high demand, and I started looking into bigger machine machinery, and I bought a big laser, and that's when I started doing laser cut signs, and that blew up. And before I knew it, I blinked, my house turned into one big craft store. My husband couldn't take it anymore. I had just given birth to my daughter, and the fumes of the laser was like consuming the house. He's like, You gotta get out of here. I'm like, okay. So I ended up quitting corporate and I bought my first brick and mortar. And in a year, the brick and mortar grew so fast that I ended up getting even larger industrial machines, got an even bigger space, and it's just it just keeps growing that way. And it's just the word of mouth and networking and meeting people in the event industry that are connecting me to other people in the event industry, creating these bonds, um, meeting trusted, you know, clients and being part of these big events. It's just, I feel like I blinked seven years past, and I am living my dream. And I still can't believe it. I still tell my husband till this day, like, pinch me because I really cannot believe I am my own boss and I am doing what I love. It's just awesome. It's it's been so surreal, so surreal. And there's things that I haven't been able to announce yet that I will be announcing next month, which is tomorrow. Um, but I'm I'm just over the moon. I can't even believe the sentences that come out of my mouth sometimes. It's just like, did I did I just say that? Like, did I just say that is part of my itinerary this week? It's just it's crazy. And I just feel so blessed and so humbled. And even things like this, like a podcast that someone wants to hear me talk. I'm just like, me? Like, just it's just so crazy. It's really cool. It's really, really cool.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

I love that story and and I'm really happy for you and congratulations on all your success. Thank you. Thank you. Um, I know that you're in a lot of work. Yeah, yeah. I want to get into that, but I know your husband was um, you know, kind of pushing you and giving you that support. And I think it it sounds like he realized that this had gone from a creative outlet hobby to something much larger. When did that click for you? That, hey, this is not just a creative operation like or an outlet. This is like full-scale, like I'm doing this as a production.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

Yeah, yeah. Um, for sure. I I mean, when I realized that it just it was the main thing on my mind. It was the first thing that I had in my head when I woke up and the last thing when I went to bed, and it it brought happiness in my heart. Like I not a lot of people know this, but my branding is all pink, right? Um, people think that, oh, pink is her favorite color. No, actually, it's not my favorite color. Burgundy's my favorite color. But the story behind pink in my branding is all because of how I felt when JC Zart design was born. So part of my branding is also a flamingo. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the story of the flamingo. No? So they say that when flamingos have kids, well, kids, when flamingos give birth and they have babies, they lose their pink. They give all of their nutrients to the baby. Um, and when the baby starts growing and is able to be on their own without, you know, the the the flamingo giving it all its nutrients, they start to get their pink back. And I was just fresh off of um dealing with postpartum depression after having my son. Um, someone who I was very close to passed away unexpectedly. I was I was in a really bad hole. And then I gave birth to my daughter, my postpartum came right back. Um, and then COVID happened. It was just a really dark time for me. And then I was starting to work on JC's art designs. And I started to feel like I was turning into myself again. I was getting my pink back. So I said, you know what? This is gonna be part of my branding story, and I'm gonna include the flamingo and everything's gonna be pink because this is who I am. It's me in my true, this is this is what I was made for. This was what I was put on this earth to do. It's to bring happiness to people, it's to bring milestone celebrations to life. Um, and and that's the story behind all of it. And I think once I was feeling like I was getting my pink back, it was like, okay, this is my purpose. This this is what I'm supposed to do. Yeah. My husband was right. In the words every man loves to hear, my husband was. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

I love that. Um, talk to me about like a pricing mistake, maybe that you were making very early on when you started this business.

SPEAKER_03 11:58

So the pricing mistake I made was looking at everything as like I was the consumer, right? I I like I wear my heart in my sleeve. I am a very emotional person. And I just, it was hard for me to like charge what I should be charging because I always felt bad. Like, oh, this is a mom who wants this for her kid, and oh, well, that's too much. You know, can you do it for this price? Sure. Okay, no problem. And it was all to just appease the client, right? It was the mentality of you know, making the client happy. But then when I was looking at the financial aspect of it, it's like, okay, well, I'm not making me happy because I just lost a whole bunch of money on that sale. When you look at the material cost and the time, I think so many people make the mistake of just thinking material cost is all you have to take into consideration. No, time is money. Just imagine yourself paying yourself. What is your hourly scale? So if this took you three hours, okay, you you spent X amount of dollars in material, but what about your time? Are you taking that into consideration? Cost of overhead. My machines are not cheap. I have three huge mortgages sitting in my shop right now on top of my current like actual home mortgage. Um, material costs is through the roof, uh, PSC and G bills, like all of these little things that you don't take into account, you need to think about when you're working on the pricing aspect. Um, and then, you know, it's also becoming timid and thinking, okay, well, my work isn't worth that, you know, charging this much. No, it is. Like if you're in high demand and people like what you do, they're paying for quality. They're they're paying for getting a good product. Yeah, and anybody can make a sign. Anybody can buy a cricket and make a welcome sign. But can they UV print it? Can they do the 3D lettering? Are they using the proper materials? Are they doing it the right way? Like, I know that I have that expertise to give you a wow welcome sign as opposed to a, oh yeah, she's got vinyl on it and it's peeling off. And she got that from Amazon, like or Timu. That's like a new thing now. They're buying all their signage from Timu and it's very obviously cheap. So um, it's really a matter of just charging what you're worth. Some people will love it, and some people will say, sure, take my money. Other people say, Oh, that's too much. Well, then they're not your client. That's okay. You don't have to be for everybody. It's totally okay. You shouldn't take that personally. They can go somewhere else and not be as happy as they could have been with you. It's okay. We all we all make mistakes.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

Yeah. I love what you said about time. And I think that you really put that um uh just really poignantly. You know, you think about when we're working in a nine to five, that's all we're focused on is time. I got here at this time because I left it this time. And so I want to be compensated for the hours that I put in here. And I I feel like sometimes when you're doing um, you know, a job like this, when you run a business like this, you do lose sight of the time when it used to be so important. Now it goes out the window.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

And then it's even it what's crazy is that we lose sight of it, but it's even more important now than ever because now you're not doing a nine to five. Let's say, let's call it for what it is. Nine to five, those were the easier days because now you're just working 24-7, whether it be literally physically working on the item or sitting there thinking about okay, I gotta do this and I have to make sure that's just taken care of. Like it's just nonstop. Your brain never shuts off. So it's like, how come when you were working that corporate job, it was important? And now when it's literally consuming your mental being and taking time away from if you're a mom, taking time away from focusing on the kids, dinner time, you know, let's let's be real. There's times where it's bedtime, and instead of tucking my kids into bed, I'm answering emails. I literally did it last night. I spent so much time answering emails, sending mock-ups out so I can play the game of catch up that I totally miss bedtime. And my husband took care of it. I'm very appreciative of that, but that's time. That's time that I'm not gonna get back because my kids are gonna grow. There's no pause button, unfortunately. Why aren't we putting a monetary value to that? I mean, it honestly, in it's if there is no monetary value to it, but you're a you're just you deserve some sort of compensation compensation, right? So we need to be more mindful of that kind of stuff. You know, it's corporate corporate nine to fives shouldn't be the only thing that you're focused on. You should always be conscious of your time. And then that's where I make it very clear that I have very strict boundaries. And I think that gets blurred, that line gets blurred way too much in the entrepreneurial world. Um, people think, okay, well, I hired you, so I have access to you 24-7. No. Um, I think a lot of people learn very quickly with me. Um, I have very hard boundary lines. So the way you respect a nine to five, you know, working um company, that's the same case here. JC's Art Designs is open during the week from 10 to 5 p.m. After that, that's it. We're closed, and I'll answer you the next business day. That's it. I'm you should not expect me. I have people that actually text me at two in the morning and then follow up with me at six in the morning. Hey, I haven't heard back. What do you think? That I'm a vampire, that I'm I'm sleeping. Like it's it's crazy. And I blame social media. Social media is making these these generations think everything needs to be provided now. Like I need the answer now. Yeah. And that's just not, it's just not realistic. It's just not like I am a human being, I have a life, and you you have to wait. Like it's it's and if if you can't, I'm not the vendor for you. I'm just not. And I'm very blessed to be able to put myself in those positions where I tell clients that I'm not the vendor for you. Um, but that's just what it is. My mental health and my time is way more important to me. It just is. That's just what it is. Um, and listen, I I still don't have it downpacked. I, you know, I say a lot, but last night I was answering emails at eight o'clock at night. I still break my own rules and I have to do better at working at that. But I mean, I think everyone needs to just keep that in mind. I mean, your your time is everything, it's yours. It's yours. And if people are gonna have access to that, it should come at a cost. Like it's only right. It's only right. It's a service they need to pay for it. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

You just touched on one of the questions I was going to ask you, which is about boundaries. I wanted to hear about a boundary that you've set. And um you've definitely addressed that particular boundary where it comes to you know, your business hours, your time, because we were talking before, I I I think we had mentioned this before we started recording. Just being a mom and um a wife and having friends and being a daughter and just trying to sister and trying to be everything to everybody, plus a business owner. Yeah, it's it's not all glamorous and something something lacks, something that there's a sacrifice there.

SPEAKER_03 19:29

There's something is there, something's gonna suffer. And and uh like I like I told you before we we went live. And I have no problem saying it. And some people get upset when I say it, and other people appreciate it. But the truth of the matter is you can't have it all. I know there's a lot of people that that put that out there. You can have it all. You can you can be a mom. And uh, yes, you can have all of these roles, but the truth of the matter is somewhere, something is gonna suffer. It's just impossible to have the perfect balance. Um, there is such a thing as working on it. I know that there's programs out there that help you, and there's you know, people that you can hire that can assist in that, but there's only 24 hours in a day. There's only seven days in the week. And at the end of the day, there is gonna be a game that you might have to miss. There is gonna be an event you probably have to say no to because it overlaps with a game that your child has. Um, there's gonna be day nights that you wish you could have that you unfortunately can't have with your husband because you have to take care of something either with the business or the kids. Something has to be sacrificed at some point. There's no such thing as having it all. There just isn't. And I get really annoyed when people portray that because it gives a false sense of hope. And then that's when, you know, women like me or you start feeling some kind of way like you're a failure because, well, you know, this girl, you know, let's name her Sue, hypothetically. Sue has it all. Sue can figure it out. Why can't I figure it out?

SPEAKER_01 21:01

Look at what Sue is posting on social media.

SPEAKER_03 21:02

Look at what Sue's posting. Yeah, no, no, no, no. That's not the way it is. That's just not, it's just not true. And I won't ever do that. And if I start coming across that way, I'll catch myself and I'll say, okay, I'm posting too many wins. Let me post uh a L that I took today and I'll post, you know, how we totally messed up in order. Or there's a post I did recently where I had a huge build. I had to do a huge art gallery seating chart build 12 feet wide for a wedding. I didn't realize that it was on my calendar until the day before the wedding. It like totally, totally somehow fell through the cracks. That was it. I like full panic mode, dropped the ball, stood at the shop past midnight with the team, missed, missed bedtime, didn't see my husband all day, did barely talk to him that day. It was just, it was terrible. And I did a whole post about it because that's the truth of the matter. That's what happens. I am a human. I make mistakes. And that's that's just the truth of it. Like it's just it's not always roses and daisies. I mess up. That's it. Like I'm not gonna act like I am this perfect specimen on earth. It's just not the case. I make mistakes too. I am human. And if that happens to you, it's okay. Figure it out and you'll get through it. And if you have the proper team behind you and the proper support system, you'll be okay. Yeah. And if anything, like that would be the thing I would advocate. Just having the right support system because you will, you will have things that you will fail at. And there's nothing wrong with it. It's nothing, there's nothing wrong with it. You look at Victoria's Secret and these stick models walking the runway. It's not realistic. That's not the way it is. I have two kids. My body doesn't look the same way it did when I was 21. And that's okay. That's okay. So I make it my mission whenever I can to make sure that women out there like me know like I'm here. If you feel like you're in a dark place, I've been there too. We may not know each other. Feel free to reach out to me. I'll tell you, I don't know you from Adam, but I'll be like, listen, Ann, you got this girl. Like you got this. And if you need help, I'll try to help however I can. And if I personally can't, I'll direct you to someone that maybe can and build a network that way. It it's really all a support system. That's what it comes down to because no one's perfect. Then we can't have it all. We just can't. It's just it's just not realistic. It's a dream, it's a dream we could all have. We could strive for it as best as we can, but it's just life, and and there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

But definitely been there, and it it's comforting to hear your story. Yeah, I mean, there have been things that you know I've forgotten. And you're right, it's panic mode, and you pivot and you you get it done. But you know, it's it's I mean several hours.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

It's terrible. And the mom guilt, don't get me started on mom guilt. It consumes me in ways like the other day, my husband looked at me like I had seven heads because I'm looking at my daughter's feet and I start crying. And he's like, Why are you crying looking at her feet? And I'm like, Because I blinked and she's got these like toddler feet. I miss her little feet, and you know, she's my last baby. I don't plan on having anymore. So now I'm in my head and I'm I'm realizing how fast time is going. And I feel like I'm missing out on certain, you know, moments, like how big her feet are getting. Like it makes no sense. But if you're a parent, you can't get it. I get it. And it's like, oh my God, I feel terrible. And then, you know, school wants to throw all these added days at you. So, oh my God, it's wacky hair day. I I forgot to put her, you know, put her hair in crazy bows. And oh God, they were supposed to wear blue. And it's like, are you kidding me? Yep. I'm I'm literally, I feel sometimes like I'm in the ocean. And you know, when you see that big wave coming and it's like, oh my God, like I don't have a paddle boat, I don't have a surfboard. Do I go under? Do I try to jump over it? Like it's that panic. Like, what am I gonna do when this or is this wave gonna totally wipe me out? Like, I don't know, but I'm gonna do my best to figure it out. That's that's just my life. That's just when any anyone asks, how's life? Just imagine me in the ocean, yeah, waiting for each wave to come and figuring out how I'm gonna handle it. That's literally how I live right now. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

Yeah. And everything that you just described, you know, as supportive and as present and as hands-on and and as encouraging as you know, our our husbands are, yeah, the things that you just described, they they they they still have a command responsibility. Yeah, yeah. Knowing that it's like a day. Yeah, it's pizza day, it's this day. And so the mental labor, in addition to the mental labor of your business and the physical, you know, the physical labor of your business, it it's just a lot of labor all around.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

It never ends. It never ends. And listen, I give my husband all of the props that I could ever give that ever exists in this world because when I tell you this man holds it down, I mean he holds it down. If I can't handle the laundry, he handles the laundry. Yes. If I'm not home time for dinner, he handles dinner. He does homework with my son, he's on top of all the things that needs to be, you know, handled, he's he's on top of it. And if something gets lost in the cracks and he and he he's not on top of it, I do not fault him for it because it sometimes the truth of the matter is he is a single parent. Like high season's coming. He already knows it's gonna be crazy. Um, there's gonna be late nights, there's gonna be days where I really need to rely on him. Um, but I also need to realize on my end, this is where I really need to lay down the law with my boundaries because it's unfair to him to always have to adhere to those last-minute, you know, schedule changes. It's not fair. I have to at some point create time for him. If he wants to go out with his friends, if he wants to just be downstairs and play his Call of Duty, you know, worry free, I have to, I have to step in. So those are the times where people think, oh, there she goes, being annoying with her boundaries, but no, no, no. There's so much more to that. Like my husband was nonstop last week with work and handling the kids, so I can take care of your event. I'm sorry, I'm unavailable this week. It's just what it is. Like it just it that's just what it has to be. It's my family always comes first. That's that's like the number one thing that I make sure everyone knows. If your name is not Aiden, Ava, or Orlando, my family comes first. That's just that's just what it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

I want to talk to you about um skill and discipline. So how much of what you do? I don't want to say what you do, how much of your success do you think you attribute to skill or discipline or both? Like what's the magic combination? I guess what I'm what I'm getting at is I see some folks out here doing whatever it is in this, you know, event space, and they have the skill, but they don't have the discipline. And you definitely have that both. Yeah. So so talk to me about that. Like how do you approach that in your own business?

SPEAKER_03 28:24

Well, aside from this, I mean, yes, you have to have the discipline. You have to make sure. I think that was a big mistake I also made early on. I was a yes girl. I I wanted to please everyone. So let's say it's Thursday and the party's on Saturday. Oh my God, I really need XYZ. Can you make it happen? Yes. But now here I am at the shop, stressing at eight o'clock at night. I should have been home three hours ago. Like little things like that. It's like, okay, now you just look messy. You're adding stress to your mental load. You're most likely not charging accordingly. That's another thing. Like I charge rush fees. So in a situation like that, okay, if I can make it work, no problem. But I have to charge a rush fee. That is gonna take into account it's it's taking into consideration my time that now the extra time I have to put into this extra labor. Um, because this should have been handled a week ago or a week and a half ago. And the truth of the matter is that's event world, right? There's a lot of situations where last minute things come into play, but that's just what it is. Like I have a rush fee. That's that's just what it is. Um and I guess that's that's something that can also play into the discipline portion, right? Like, okay, I know JC's art designs charges rush fees. So I have to discipline myself to know I need to make sure that I have all my ducks in a row and my order is put in by this day and this time, otherwise it's gonna cost me. So it's all in it all ties into literally everything, into your budget, making sure that you're not overspending because your lack of discipline, your lack of, you know, managing your time wisely. Um, and skill definitely comes into play because, yeah, anyone can, like I said before, anyone can make a sign, anyone can blow up a balloon, but can they do it in the way that a skilled person who has put in the time, the effort, the hours to learn it that proper way, to just be able to give you the outcome that you want. It's not something that you can just do overnight. I've spent hundreds and thousands of dollars in classes to learn these specific programs on on design. I buy these machines, I don't know what the heck to do with it. I have to have, you know, someone come and teach me. And I have these courses, and it's it's just never-ending. It's never-ending knowledge that you have to learn. And I tell people, I'm not perfect. I am still learning. I am in this almost eight years now, and I am still learning. There are still things that I have not perfected. You know, I'll finish something and I'll I'll step back and you'll look at it and say, Oh my God, this is beautiful. Meanwhile, in my head, I hate it. I hate it because I see all the all the little errors that are bothering me because I have the skill, I know what it should look like. Yeah. Whereas the outside person thinks you nailed it. Sure. Um, but those are the things that come into play. It's those little things, those little details that make you, you know, want to strive to give perfection. And that also is the reason why you charge what you charge, because Justenia's not just gonna show up on site and throw a sign up and walk out and have it look like absolute and utter crap. Like she's gonna make sure that it's adhered the way it needs to be adhered and it's it looks the way it needs to look, and that the angle is in the perfect angle for you know, the perfect shot on the video or the photos, you know. It's all to make sure that your event is flawless and looks great, and it's just exactly what you want it. So it's definitely, it's definitely both. You need to have both the skill and the discipline.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

In order to execute, you're right.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

Yeah, yeah, there's no way. This and it's in event world, it's very easy for people to see right through you. You show up on site and you don't have your stuff together, they're gonna see that. They're gonna say, okay, she doesn't know what she's doing, she's not on time. You know, that's another thing that comes into play with discipline. You need to be on time, show up on site looking the part. You know, people show up in shorts and uh a crazy Nirvana shirt. No, no, no. We have to present ourselves in a professional way. You're on site. You don't know who your client is, who they work for, who their guests are. You need to look clean cut, you need to look the part, you need to look like the money that they paid, you know? That's right. It's it's all in ensuring that you just present yourself the way you want your brand to be. You want people to take your brand seriously, you need to show up and present yourself that way.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:51

Yeah, agreed.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Tell me about some of the things that you're producing most right now. Like what what are some of the um just like your top orders? Like I know that you make um acrylic signage. I was looking at, you know, just looking at your website a little bit, trying to get a sense, because I I I see you on Instagram, but I wanted to see your website and what you're offering. Yeah. So I know you do like the acrylic signage. There were some wood things, some foam. Like, talk to me about what right now, like what are the hot items that people are asking you to produce for them for events?

SPEAKER_03 33:23

My life is consumed by seating charts right now. I somehow have become the queen of seating charts. Okay. Self-proclaimed queen of seating charts because there's many out there that do a fantastic job. Um, but right now it's just creating something that's interactive. A lot of these brides love the interactive um aspect for their guests. We have a large bill that's the ring sip and be seated. So that they ring the bell and a hand comes down and gives them their drink, um, fun stuff like that. You know, they love the big giant mirrors where their client, you know, their guests take selfies. You know, we're in the age of selfies still and social media and hashtags, and they love that. That's that's it's all about having your guests show up at your event and just really having fun. It people are going beyond just the typical signage where you, you know, you get an escort card, you look at it, and you walk to your seat. No, they they want people to have an experience, which I love. I'm all about that. So, you know, right now, seating charts is where it's at. Um and and foam board, our foam board game is stepping up. We're creating large builds out of foam board. Um, it's more budget friendly because the cost of wood right now is not cheap. So we're we're making fun installs with foam board. Um, and it's it's been it's it's been really cool, man. I just I love what I do. And especially when we get a client that trusts our creative side, we just run with it. We run with it and we have so much fun. Um, so it's it's really hard to say that I hate going into work every day. I actually wake up and I can't wait to go into my shop and see my employees and and build really fun stuff for our clients. It's just there's nothing more rewarding when they come to pick up their order. They are over the moon. I have a camera in our hallway area, and we'll have times where we'll see the client come in to pick up and you just see their reaction. They're so excited, and they're taking selfies with the giant, you know, photo we blow, we blow up of them with their fiance. And they're just so over the moon. And it's just like, oh, that that just made that just made it all worth it. That made all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it. It's just as long as I see someone happy with their result, I just I couldn't ask for more. I couldn't ask for more.

SPEAKER_01 35:41

Tell me about your employees. How many do you have? Like, what was that journey like?

SPEAKER_03 35:45

Oh boy. So a big uh form of discipline that I needed to instill in myself was letting go. I am a Virgo, I am a control freak. And if I wasn't doing it, nobody else could do it. Like nobody can do it like me. That's that's the overall mindset, right? This is your baby, this is your business. No one will love it the way you do, right? But I was experiencing tremendous burnout. There was just no way that I could handle social media, handle the invoices, do the design, execute the the order, package it up. Like it just was impossible. And the more I grew, the more harder it was becoming. So I went out on a limb and said, I gotta hire someone. God was on my side, and this woman came in because she needed a print done. We hit it off. She tells me, Hey, if ever you need help, you know, I'm I'm here, I do design. Okay, took a chance on her. She took a chance on me because I don't know how to, I didn't know how to be a boss for nothing. Right. And little did I know she would become one of the biggest assets of my business. Um, her name is Danielle, and she's incredible. She's been in graphic design for over 20 years. She has just of a kooky mind as I do. We always think the same thing at the same time. She shares the vision, she shares the passion. And truth be told, it's not her business, but she treats it like it is. And that in itself is such a blessing. Like you just couldn't ask for more, right? Yeah. Um, it and it became a thing where it's like, I don't even have to ask anything of her. She just gets it. And it's like, okay, like the truth of the matter is, even though our hours are 10 to 5, it's like, okay, well, it's five o'clock and this seating chart still needs to get done. Like the seating chart can't wait. Like, I have to get it done. It's the wedding is this weekend. And it there's like no complaints with my team. It's like, okay, no problem. We're gonna stay till we get it done. And it's just like it, it just makes my heart burst because they can very easily say, no, I want to go home. I'm tired, you know? Um and then Alex came in maybe a year and a half, two years ago. Um, she always wanted to work with me, and I just never was ready. And one day I was like, you know what? We need additional help on the production floor. And she came in and she just fit like a glove. It was like she was the missing piece to our puzzle. She's our content girl, she's our floor production girl, she's she's the youngest in the group, so she keeps us, she keeps us young. Yeah, the three of us are in different life stages. Um, Danielle is is in the older stage, I'm in the middle-aged stage, and then Alex is the young, the young blood who will say things. And she's like, I don't know what that is. Saved by the bell, what show is that? And I'm like, oh my god, kill me now. Yeah. But it's just fun. We we just have, we click, we just click. Um, and every day is just a great day. We've become awesome friends, we look out for each other. Um, and then the team continues to grow because now we're starting to do on-site deliveries. So I hired two more people that handle that. So that way, if it's a Saturday and there's two events, we split the team in half. One team goes this way, other team goes that way. Yeah. And it's just been great. And I mean, we're still growing. And I I need to expand even more. But that's where, you know, that's where the overhead costs come in. And just praying that I can make ends meet without having to raise prices. But that's just what it is. So maybe I do have to raise prices. It's like the more you want to grow, the more you have to be realistic about these things. So it's it's all a process, a very stressful process. But at the end of the day, I'm so grateful to have a team by my side. Like it's not the way I look at things is they're not behind me. I don't like to say I have a squad behind me. No, I have a squad beside me because the truth of the matter is without them, I would not be here. I just wouldn't. And to say they're behind me, I just feel it's it's disrespectful and such a disservice for what you know to what they do for me. Sure. And no matter where I go, they're going with me. So we're all in this together. Like I they know like wherever Jess is going, like Jess's wins are our wins because I I I take them right along for the ride. That's awesome. Um, they they're branching out into their own little side gigs. Like Alex has her own content creation uh studio. So I put her name in rooms, and Danielle's working on a big project she'll she's launching soon. Um putting her name in in rooms too. It's just it's just how we look out for each other. So that's great. Yeah, I value my relationship with them very much. That's great.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

It sounds like you've got a wonderful team, and um they've they've you know, it sounds like they were very lucky too to uh land their positions with you as well. So it all works out.

SPEAKER_03 40:38

It's really nice. No, it works out, it works out. I mean, who uh they tell me all the time, like I I love coming to work, like that in itself as a boss from a boss's standpoint. Not everybody can say that. Not everybody can say it. Yeah, yeah. It's it's it makes me really proud because I have been in the corporate world and I know how crappy it is when you wake up and you're tired and you don't want to go to work. So to be able to create an environment where my employees love to come in, it's just it makes me very happy. It's like mission accomplished. I never want them to feel like my shop is a dreaded place to be in.

SPEAKER_01 41:14

Yeah. Um, a couple of times just in our conversation, we talked about, you know, uh clients and how one particular client might not be your client. One of the ways, at least for me, that I'm able to discern who is my client, who is not, um, pricing. That's a way that you can, you know, kind of get that sense that, okay, so here's where their budget is, here's where the price point is for what they want. We we we're just not meeting where it needs to be. So that's not, you know, a good fit. Right. Are there other things for you in business that indicate, hey, this might not be a good fit. You know, I'm not good for them. They might not be a good fit for me as a client. What are those things? A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03 42:02

My top thing aside from the price point is like the price point part is definitely a huge factor for me because there are certain clients that they try to negotiate with you. Yeah. And I and I don't think they do it with uh with a malicious intent, but as a business owner, you can't help but sometimes get a little offended. Like, listen, my price is my price. You're not walking into a big store like you know, Best Buy Target, you know, the Walmart and negotiate, you're not are you stepping into Macy's or Gucci for that thousand dollar purse and negotiating price? No, the price is the price. So please don't try to devalue my work. This is what it is, you know. Um, but another big, big thing for me is the respect aspect. Um, there are a lot of clients that come at you with these tones, like I don't even know how to explain it without sounding mean, but they're very, they're they they speak in a very condescending way. And it's like, again, like I said, I had someone texting me at two in the morning and then sending a follow-up at six in the morning. I guess you're too busy to answer me. I'm gonna go somewhere else. I'm sorry. What? You guess I'm too busy. First of all, when you send an email, an automatic, uh, automated response comes to you and it tells you our business hours, it tells you our turnaround time to respond. I'm I'm an open book. I try to be as honest as possible. In a perfect world, I can respond to you in less than 24 hours. That's just not the reality of it. We're super busy, we're working on orders for the upcoming week. Um right now, I don't have the staff capacity to do a less than 24 hour response time. Sometimes I do. Most times I don't. To actually sit there and tell me that I haven't responded to you between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m. Is a whole other level of I don't want to work with you like at all. Like to expect that of me, we're not a, we're not a good fit. And and truth be told, good luck finding someone who is a good fit. Because I can't think of anyone unless they are on an entirely separate time zone. I don't see how anyone would would like think that's okay. It's just there are so many people out there that think, or once they've booked with me, I'll be very transparent. I had a bride book her wedding with me. And her wedding wasn't until May. And let's say it was January, right? She's emailing me every day, every hour, like all this stuff. Mind you, I made it clear that we wouldn't start working on this until two weeks before the wedding because there's a lot of time that's gonna pass. You're gonna change your mind on a few things. You're gonna wanna update things. So let's just take the time for you to figure that out. Keep your own little journal, Pinterest board, whatever. And then when it's time for us to design to design together, you have a better idea of what you want, and then we we just make it happen, right? She's texting me all day, every day, every detail, all the time. She um then they start to, well, I can't pay you the remainder uh tomorrow. Can I pay it on this day instead? No, no, no. The contract states the remainder is due on this day. If you can't pay it, we have to cancel. And then they get really like mean and rude and well, well, you're not answering my emails. Listen, I don't think we're a right foot for each other. You're looking for someone that's gonna give you the attention all day, every day, respond to you ASAP, be lenient with the payment terms that you agreed to when you signed the contract. I don't think this is gonna work out respectfully. I think it's best that we cancel. I'll give you a full refund, and I can give you a list of recommended vendors that maybe can help you better. And that's just what it is. Like, again, anybody would look at me and be like, wow, you gave up that, you know, it wasn't a cheap package, but my mental health and my time means more to me than having this person literally drive me up the wall. Like I was finding myself immediately going into a bad mood when I saw her name pop up. And I was like, no, I I can't do this. This event is still five, six months away. I'm gonna be miserable and I'm not gonna give her the result that she wants because now I'm no longer interested in it. Like now I just want to get it over with, and I'm not gonna give her my all. And I don't think that's fair to her either. Makes sense. So it's just like we're just we're not for each other. And then, you know, you make the you make the statement, and then everything starts getting retracted. No, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. No, I know I'll know for for next time. No, no, no, no, no. I I just I don't have a good feeling. I I act on my gut feeling, and my gut tells me we're just not a good fit. And yeah, it's okay. It's it's no disrespect. I don't mean wish you ill will. I I still wish you the best event. And again, I'll do my best to help refer you to someone else that could probably do this for you, but I just it's just not for me. It's not for me.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

Yeah. Um, the the the part about trusting your gut and your instincts, I was just speaking to um a wedding planner, and we were kind of talking about this the same topic, and that's one of the things that she said that if it doesn't feel right, you know, if you start to get anxiety when you start thinking about that event, yeah, like that is your sign that this is the right.

SPEAKER_03 47:37

Yes. And I suffer again, I'm very open about my anxiety and depression. And I I I the second I feel just the slight feeling of it coming, I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no. I I can't. I can't do it. I can't and again, it's not only for me, right? It's also for you. I know that if I'm not in it, I'm not gonna give you the the the right outcome. I'm not gonna give you the the end result that you want. And I don't think that's fair to you either. If you're spending this amount of money on me, I need to be able to know that I'm gonna give you 100% of me. And if I'm feeling this anxiety and I'm feeling this disinterest and this distaste for the event, I gotta back out. It's I'm gonna do you a disservice, it's just best for both of us. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

Tell me about some of the corporate gigs that you've been doing. Like I saw that you mentioned the Netflix, I saw that on the social Sephora. I think I saw something about that.

SPEAKER_03 48:32

Yeah, oh girl, as that's another thing, right? Life is happening so fast that I'm not even stopping and soaking any of it in. So, like you just reminded me the Sephora, and I did something for Ulta, and it's just like, I forgot I did that. Yeah, I'm just taking each day as it comes, and it's like it's all just things that I have to get done, and I'm I need to do better at sitting in it, right? Like sitting in it and saying, I just did this for Sephora who partnered up with Ceremonia, who partnered up with Shark Beauty. I made a sign for their private class that they did in Soho, New York. Like, you know, it's like just like you did signage for a Netflix show and you dropped it off at Netflix headquarters. Like, and you had a private tour at Netflix headquarters. Like it's a pretty big deal. It's a really big deal. And like again, these are the things that like I'll have in conversation with my husband. Okay, this week Aiden has practice. We have the private tour at Netflix, and then we're gonna pass by the Lincoln Tunnel because we have a billboard up right above the Lincoln Tunnel that's all month. And and like I'm saying these things, and I'm like, I did those words really just come out of my mouth, and he just starts laughing. Like, this is crazy. Like, yeah, we were two, we're we're high school sweethearts, so we've known each other since we were 14. Okay, we come from very, very humble beginnings, like very humble beginnings, like like very humble beginnings, like sleeping with cockaroaches and mites kind of deal. Like not knowing if we could even afford McDonald's for dinner, type of type of humble beginnings. Yeah. And it's like, how did we get here? You know, it's just the coolest, most humbling experience. Um, but having these big brands reach out to me, like Harlem Fashion Row, I'm building an amazing relationship with them for all of their fashion events for Fashion Week, Sustainability Day. Um, I have a growing relationship with Baskin Lather, which is a big hair product line for um for ethnic women. I have people reaching out. I I the situation from Jersey Shore. I've worked a lot of his kids' birthday parties. I've done things for BET. Like it's just, and they reach out to me. They find me. Telemundo wanted me to do bar signs that they're, you know, in conjunction with Coca-Cola. Like it's just T-Mobile. And it's not like people are like, How are you getting these kids? They find me. Like, they find me. Roblox found me on TikTok and wanted me to do signage for their upcoming conference. It's like, wait a minute, I'm sorry. How do you know I exist? Oh my god, we've been following you. We love your social media. Like, I tell people all the time, the algorithm is just the worst thing on the planet. It's just the worst thing to ever exist. Keeping up with it, figuring it out, it sucks, right? I don't even understand it, admittedly. It just makes no sense. Like, and I've made I majored in marketing. Like, I make it my my my sole purpose to freaking study this damn algorithm and what's the latest trend. And it's like you can never figure it out, right? But I tell people just post, just post. You never know who's watching. Even though that post got 10 likes and like a hundred views, Roblox saw it. Like, I'm I'm over here. Like, what's the purpose of me even posting on TikTok? I probably got five likes on it. I don't have a lot of views, I don't even think it's worth it anymore. I'll just stick to Instagram. I think I do better better on Instagram. Roblox reaches out, I do the delivery, I tell them just like by curiosity, how did you find me? Oh, we saw we found you on TikTok. We we looked up, you know, local signage people in the in the um in the area and you popped up. I'm like, you mean that post that I thought nobody was seeing? Yeah, no, TikTok thought. So I tell people, just post. You never know. Just like I say, when you show up at an event, you never know who's in the room. So present yourself accordingly, dress accordingly. You never know who's in the room. And I had another brand that said, Oh, I actually was at an event that you did that big bad bunny casita. I loved it. I asked who did it. Meanwhile, they were at a regular Super Bowl party at their friend's house. And little did I know that they work for a big corporate brand and they reached out to me to do signage. So it's like you never know who your client is. Yep. They might have a regular schmegular name. You don't know who they know, you don't know where they work. Treat every client the same. Even if their order was a $50 order, do your best, give them your all. You never know how they're gonna receive it and whose name or who or what room they're gonna put your name in. Absolutely. Yeah, that like the same, the same love I give for that, you know, Sephora Sephora uh client, I give the same love to my bride. Like you never know. You never know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:19

Um, if somebody were going to start a similar business today, what separates you from someone else? And and as we've already said, there are folks doing similar things. I mean, even in my space with you know furniture rentals, so you're always going to have that. Um, but what makes your business different than someone else's? If they don't have me.

SPEAKER_03 53:45

I listen, if I come off sounding big-headed, then I'm big-headed. Whatever. I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01 53:50

Listen, if you don't love you and you are not your biggest fan, then who else is gonna love me, girl? That's what I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:57

What you get is what you get. And when you I look at my clients this way, right? Like, we're gonna have fun together. Oh, if you don't want to have fun, that's fine. You wanna just treat this as a transaction? Totally fine. Let's get it done. Here's your signage, Godspeed, right? Yeah, but I I like to have fun, I like to joke, I like to, you know, make the process as listen, every event, whether it's a wedding, a birthday party, whatever, it's stressful. It's just stressful. Like, no matter, which is ironic because the whole thing is meant to celebrate and celebration, but yeah. The planning process is one of the most stressful things you'll ever have to experience. So if I can make that as fun as I possibly can, I try my best, right? When the client comes to pick up, I'm like, hey, bro, I give them hugs and they're like all excited to see me. It's like when when I send you the invoice, I start it off by saying, Welcome to the JC's Art Designs family. Like we're family here. And the goal is if I'm doing your wedding, God willing, you decide to have a kid, you're gonna come back to me and say, Okay, time to do that baby shower. Okay, that first birthday party. Like I want it to feel like just like you don't give it a second thought. Like, oh my god, okay, the baby turned one, time to call Jess. Like, that's the way I try to do my atmosphere, right? It's it's a fun atmosphere, it's a relatable atmosphere. You know, Jess, I'm so stressed out. This damn baby's turning one, and she, I gotta do all this stuff. And I'll go right there with you. I'm like, girl, no judgment. That's damn baby. Like, even it's all in good fun, it's all in just making the process the least stressful it needs to be, you know, and that's that's what I take pride in when it comes to my brand. I just when you think of me, you think of fun. And I guess that's something we'll talk about when it's time for my drink. It's all about fun with me. That's just what it is.

SPEAKER_01 55:45

Yeah. You mentioned the hugging. Um, you know, I I remember telling my husband early on when I would get out of the car to like make a delivery or um, you know, interact with a client. They were immediately putting their arms out to hug me. And we've only talked, we've only talked on email. And you know, sometimes we text, it kind of depends on a larger job that demands a different kind of communication than just a contact and an invoice going back and forth. It's a little bit more intricate, that relationship. They're putting their arms out to me and I've never met them. Yeah, that that's so much. That's a sign. Like I'm so much I'm doing something right. I'm doing something right in these relationships. And that's continued, you know, even to today. I mean, that's it.

SPEAKER_03 56:35

It's all love here. It's just such a great, and then you know, who doesn't love a good hug? You know, you don't know every uh that's another thing I tell you, you don't know what anyone's going through, right? It's like someone could be having the worst damn day, and then that day they just happen to be picking something up from Ann, right? But Ann came and gave them a hug. They don't know Ann from Adam. They've only spoken to Ann via text and email, but Ann gave them that hug and they needed that hug and they just feel better, you know? It's like you never know. And that's that's what I try to do. I try to create something as simple as your pickup at my shop. I wanted to make it memorable. Like, and there's some times where we're so busy that we have orders in the hallway, we give access to the code for the door, you pick up and you don't get that experience, right? But there are other times where if I see you, we run into you during your pickup, we try to give that warm welcome because you don't know what they're going through. You know, again, I had, you know, there'll be moms fully pregnant, picking up their order for the baby shower. They're stressed the heck out. They can't wait for this damn baby to get out. And then they come and I give them a hug. And hey, girl, oh god, you know, it's just what we need sometimes. That's especially in today's climate where everywhere you turn, there's stress and worry and fear. It's like if my hug can just help just a little bit, it's fine. Totally fine. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:58

Yeah. Um, talk to me about some challenges that you're facing in your business. Everything is great. We've talked also, you know, also about some of the behind the scenes realities that you know um you try to show on your social media um because it's not all roses. What are some additional challenges that just as a woman in business you're facing today?

SPEAKER_03 58:22

It's the overall growing pains, right? Like there are so many great things happening, but the truth of the matter is I don't have enough money to make it all happen, right? So we're outgrowing our space in a perfect world. I can get into a bigger warehouse. I could buy the warehouse, but I don't have the capital. So it's now a matter of teaching myself, obtaining that knowledge, disciplining myself to make the time to learn, to meet with financial advisors, to see how I can figure out a way to be able to put myself in a financial position where I can expand my team, expand the space. Um, because cost of everything in life. Like I feel like even the cost of air, like air costs money. It's just, it's absurd. Um, so even though we have all this success, you look at the numbers and it's like, well, why do I still feel poor? Like, oh, that's why, because my cost of overhead is through the roof, you know? Yeah. It's just, it's insane. It just makes no sense. But that's just the truth of the matter. That's that's what it is, right? So it's just a matter of taking the proper avenues, teaching myself the proper things that I have to do, the proper verbiage and who I have to connect with and how that process goes, and having the trust to even go through that process, right? Oh, great, another loan, uh, you know, great, another bill. Like, okay, well, this is uh pro, you know, this is a good kind of bill because now you have working capital and it's all super scary and sounds like a whole different language, but it's something that as business owners, we need to learn more about because the more you grow and the more success you have, you need to have these things into you know in play. I I'm not contributing to a 401k right now. I left corporate and I stopped. Okay, so what's my retirement plan? You know, what's gonna happen? Am I gonna do this until the day I die? No, you know, I have two kids I have to put into college one day. It these are all the things that we're not thinking about that we have to start thinking about. Um, and that's my challenge right now. My challenge is figuring out the financial aspect of everything, short term and long term. Yeah. Because I'm just in such a hustle and bustle of now that it's like, okay, well, you got to think about the long-term goal here because one day you're gonna wake up and say, I don't want to do this anymore. I want to retire. I wanna, I wanna go, you know, in Puerto Rico and spend the rest of my life there. But are you doing the proper things to make that happen? So right now the answer is no for me. So I have to get more real with that. So gotcha. Yeah.

unknown 1:01:04

Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:06

All right. So I'm going to um revisit that question I asked you at the beginning about your signature drink. And you mentioned fun. So I'm I'm curious. What did you do?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:16

I need to be fun. I'm Puerto Rican, so it has to be a piña colada. Like it's just that's just what it has to be, and not like a piña colada in a in a in a cup or a glass. Like it needs to be in the pineapple. Okay. And like I'm immediately going to my favorite place on earth, which is Luquillo, Luquillo Beach in Puerto Rico. And there is a kiosco, which is a little hut, and they they sell them. They sell these large pineapples that are filled with the strongest piña colada you could ever imagine. And then they they drizzle it with whipped cream and chocolate, chocolate um syrup, with a cherry, and a very bright flower and umbrella. That's me. Just when if ever you go there and you order that, just think of JC's art design. That sounds that is a very fun brainstorming. Oh man, and I'll tell you right now, by the time you get to the bottom of that pineapple, yeah, don't go swimming, you'll end up drowning. You left out, you'll be three shets to the wind, and then it'll be fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:14

It'll be so worth it. That's great. Um, remind everybody how they can find you.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:20

Yes, you can find me on Instagram or TikTok. The handle is at JCS Art Designs, or you can go on my website, jcsartdesigns.com, and reach out and let's let's make magic happen. Let's have fun. Let's hug. Let's have a good time.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:34

I love it. So I know you mentioned you've got some great things on the horizon. And um, I saw that this morning on your social. So yeah, little people interested. Yeah, I'm interested to kind of keep an eye out for for all the good things that are coming.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:48

Um we're super excited.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:50

We're super excited. That's that's awesome. Um, I want to end the podcast with um a toast. So I'm gonna raise my arms juice and we'll just raise my my cafes of love with my family. And in the back, it says it says my reason. Very nice. All right, so let's drink to all of these wonderful things that you have going on um, you know, on the horizon. And um yeah, just just to cool, just to networking. I'm really glad that we did this today.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:22

The networking to nothing but love and success.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:27

Cheers, ma'am. Cheers.