Meet Janice the mama and maker behind Jaxed Jeans. Janice makes hand distressed denim for children. She upcycles most of her custom pieces (which she is very proud of and loves doing!) unless she cannot source it for some reason. She does this because she is passionate about the slow clothing movement. Some of her products are purchased new from suppliers which she indicates on her NEW Etsy page! One thing you will for sure appreciate about Janice is her transparency with her customers. Janice is also dabbling in adult denim as well. She believes that we deserve to treat ourselves every now and then too! You must head over to her page @jaxedjeans and check out the denim jacket she made for the blushing babes society!
I want to take a minute to talk about Janice! I met Janice when I started brand repping for @alifesheloves_ From the get go, Janice was easy to talk to and always willing to help you out. Brand repping was something new to me and I knew that Janice had a lot of experience with it. She was willing to offer advice and help however she could. Just like in her business, Janice truly takes the time to engage with her followers and is passionate about supporting others. I have followed Jaxed Jeans from the beginning and really enjoyed watching her company continue to grow. You won't regret following Janice or @jaxedjeans on Instagram. Her kids Jacqui and Avery are just too cute!
Do you have kids? If so how many & age?
I have two girls, Jacqui who is 4 1/2 and Avery who will be 2 on Christmas day.
What's one thing people probably don't know about you? I was a model and pageant child! Even won Miss Sunburst for all of CANADA when I was 4 and got invited to compete at the international level. We also do brand rep work on Instagram on my personal account and you can tell the model gene runs strong.
Are you a stay at home mom?
Yes and no, I do work outside of the home once or twice a week and really just consider it a break from working at home. Being a mom is a 24/7 job in itself.
What is your favourite thing to do for yourself?
Any self care is great, alone time, maybe a pedicure. But truly I love to get together with my mom friends to decompress and have someone to listen to and hear their problems. Because reality is they are mostly the same and we can validate each others feelings. Being a stay at home mom can be very lonely.
What is your favourite date night activity?
What's that?! In all seriousness, it has been WAY too long since my partner and I have been out alone together.
What's one thing you couldn't live without?
Food - peanut butter
Drink - coffee
Clothing - pockets (I feel lost without pockets)
Who's your IG inspiration?
I adore Jillian Harris (who doesn't) and love the real and raw side to her, Leo is adorable and cannot wait for her little girls arrival. She has an amazing team behind her and I even saw her once in Banff at a hotel I worked at but I was too afraid to go say hi plus she was on a girls retreat and didn't want to interrupt the laughter.
Jamie Scrimgeour is an acquaintance from back in the day in Grand Bend and I love how she is helping blended families. Life isn't always perfect and Instagram and the way it is used is not always about fashion and the perfect photo.
The Birds Papaya
I love watching her stories and her body positive views and even how she engages with her followers is an inspiration. Dang girl, let me make you a Jaxed jean Jacket!!
Where is business located out of?
My home, every room in the house gets utilized. Probably not a great thing to stay organized and my goal by Christmas is to have the spare room changed into my office.
How did you choose the name for your business?
My first born is Jacquilyn and I had made a few pairs of jeans and jean shorts for her, when I couldn't find something I loved at other distressed denim shops I decided to do it myself. As brand reps our product photos are shared over social media and I began getting lots of questions where the jeans were from! The inspiration was Jacqui and she goes mostly by Jax... Jeans by Jax? Jaxed, can I use that like a verb - to jax them up? Jaxed Jeans? Kinda sounded like a verb of Jaxing the jeans and making them better and cooler.
DONE! That night I had made an Instagram and Facebook page, made a logo, graphics and ordered business cards!
How do you balance having kids & running a business?
You just do, even if I was working outside of the home 40 hours a week there would be juggling. Lists, prioritising, learning to embrace the chaos and loving the time you get to spend with your kids.
Where can people find your products?
I am proud to say we just opened our Etsy page at the beginning of September!
Locally, I can say we are working on a few boutique stores where you can find a selection of our products AND we will be in our first ever vendor event, The London Handmade Christmas Craft Sale at Centennial Hall November 18th and couldn't be more excited!
What advice can you give someone looking to start up their own business?
Go for it! But it is a business and it doesn't always come easy, there will be hiccups, keep your head high and do your own thing. It is very hard work but there is so much joy when you are tagged in photos and people love your creations.
What sets your business apart from others alike?
ME! Shop owners and customer service can make or break a shop. Genuine interaction and engagement help so much as I feel like purchasing from small shops is also creating a relationship. There are so many distressed denim shops out there, especially US based. I do my own thing and put my energy in to engaging with my customers and creating the relationship with them. I love seeing their little ones grow and being tagged in photos, seriously warms my heart to be included in things like baby announcements, trips to the apple orchards, family photos and even everyday hanging out.
What is the most challenging part of running your business?
Right now, picking brand reps! I am moving into having brand reps because my little models aren't with me all the time (Jacqui just started JK) and it is hard work to take photos of toddlers. Being on the other side of a small shop and being reps, I know how it is to apply and be disappointed because I truly love the shop. It is never a popularity contest or who's kid is the cutest... It's business as I need help with photos for my feed and spreading the Jaxed Jeans love. As a small shop owner I can say that we see you! We see the people who are interactive and help share sales and new products and tag us. There is lots of work to be a brand rep so choosing is hard for me.
Coffee or tea? Coffee all day and if its been a rough night I love a good tea
Neutral or colourful? Depends on my mood and the season. I have everything in my wardrobe.
Morning or night? Night, I despise mornings until 2 coffees.
Wine or beer? Wine when I do have a drink, I have my level 1 sommolier certification
Starbucks or Tim Hortons? Tims for everyday coffee but I enjoy treating myself to Starbucks here and there.
Online shopping or in store? Online but I enjoy actual shopping, like thrifting my custom denim at places like Talize, Value Village and even Once Upon A Child. The thrill of the hunt for the hidden gems and not 'pick your size out of the pile" kind of shopping. Instagram or Facebook? I love both social platforms but I enjoy Instagram more as I feel you can have a very professional and beautiful feed but still be able to share fun stuff and the face behind the brand on instastories.
Text or phone call? Even my grandparents text me! No one calls my phone and typically screen phone calls as its usually telemarketers anyways. We are big facetime users with most family living far enough away that its more fun for the kids to see their grandparents that way. Plus with two kids there isn't quiet time where I can talk on the phone anyways, I am lucky if I can get a 15 second instastory done without an interruption. Mom life...
Facebook: Jaxed Jeans
Instagram: @jaxedjeans
@Camara.Crew Stamp of Approval
So are you not in love with Janice and @jaxedjeans yet? After reading Janice's thoughtful answers she was even more relatable to me and I hope you feel the same. This is one of the reasons why I love supporting small shops and @jaxedjeans. Because not only are they passionate about what they do, they are passionate about getting to know their customers and making them happy. There isn't a time where I have received an item from Janice that I haven't loved. I purchased Lily's first pair of ripped jeans when she was much smaller and we loved them. I've also purchased a bleached skirt for Lily which I LOVE! Unfortunately she doesn't let me put it on often and take cute pictures so you'll just have to trust me on this one. These pink shreddies are our latest pair from @jaxedjeans and my favourite pair of jeans on Lily. We get so many compliments on them whenever she wears them. And come on, how cute do they look in pictures! They were the perfect pair of jeans for Mason's newborn photoshoot and they matched her @alifesheloves_ shirt perfectly! I will definitely be purchased Mason a pair of black shreddies when he is a bit older! Oh come on who am I kidding, I will be purchasing Lily and Mason matching shreddies and maybe even a pair for momma too! Cause just like Janice said, we deserve to treat ourselves every now and then!
USE CODE CAMARA10 FOR A DISCOUNT! EXPIRES JANUARY 1ST!
