It’s Inventora’s pleasure to introduce you to Marquia Jisonna, the owner and creator of Maddi and Joan. Based in Connecticut, Maddi and Joan is a handmade business that specializes in sustainable, eco-friendly materials. Marquia handcrafts each piece of her bohemian and plant home decor that she sells through her business.
Her business started in 2019 when she woke up in the middle of the night and felt in her heart she needed to start something new. Marquia knew she was being called to do something creative, so that same evening, she opened her computer and searched “DIY Crafts”. She came across macrame hangings and was intrigued. The next morning she went to the craft store to buy macrame materials and immediately began to teach herself how to tie knots, thus starting her business out of her new found hobby.
We were surprised to learn that you also work full-time on top of running Maddi and Joan, how do you find the time to continue growing and managing your business?
It truly takes a lot of prioritizing your weeks and trying to plan ahead. I set things in my calendar that are priority, in and outside of my business, months at a time. Then usually on Sundays I write out a list of things I want and need to accomplish for that week. I’ve learned to batch like minded activities together on certain days so I’m not trying to do 5 different tasks once I get home from my day job. Emails one day, social media posts another day, shipping days, etc. Sometimes I have to miss out on the brunch date with friends or that weeknight turns into a night of ordering in for dinner, but I also make sure to give myself grace and take those days for myself so I don’t get completely burnt out from it all.
What are your future plans for Maddi and Joan? Where would you like to take your business someday?
My hopes for Maddi and Joan are to become a brand that is known for providing sustainable, artisan-made home and plant decor. Eventually, expanding into working with some of the beautiful textiles and materials I love from places like Morocco, Ghana, and Spain. Being a female ran business, I have a huge desire to connect and create with fellow female artisans from around the world. There is so much beauty in home decor that’s created by amazing women globally. I want Maddi and Joan to create a space (online, and eventually in person) that can share their work and stories all while supporting quality jobs for their craft.
What are your favorite tools and resources to use as a business owner?
Canva: I use it weekly to help me design different graphics. My instagram posts, emails, as well as most of my shipping materials.
Later: This app helps me schedule out my social media posts so I don’t have to think about it on a day to day basis. Such a time and stress saver.
Inventora: I have always been a bit on again, off again with my inventory tracking because the system I was using was so clunky. But a business friend of mine mentioned Inventora one day and I feel like I finally have a handle on it all. Organized and laid out in a clear format, I can keep track of all the little things and the big things I need to smoothly run my business. It’s totally helping me get prepped and ready for the holiday season and beyond.
As a user of Inventora, we’re dying to know – what’s your favorite feature of the system?
My favorite feature is seeing the breakdown of my cost of materials and the cost of each product. Having a clear picture of the cost of goods is super helpful. Plus, now with Shopify, I love that I can integrate the systems together and have everything all in one place. It really is so user-friendly. I’m part of an amazing business group and if anyone asks about recommendations for inventory management, I will always recommend Inventora from now on. Truly a great tool for any product based business.
Where to find more of Marquia’s journey and business:
