Jenn is the owner of Spark Journals offering a gratitude and growth mindset journal for kids called Heart of a Hero. Its designed with fun engaging activities just for kids, to help them build a resilience.
Do you have kids? If so how many & age? 3 kids, ages 3, 7 and 9
What's one thing people probably don't know about you? I used to work in sports, even though you'd never know it from my lack of sports knowledge
Are you a stay at home mom? yes, Spark Journals is my side hustle, the kids are the boss (especially during lockdown)
What is your favourite thing to do for yourself? I love to curl up with a hot tea/coffee and read a book, or do yoga.
What is your favourite date night activity? Date night?? I don't remember what those are like, its been over a year! But probably any nice dinner out where I don't have to cook or clean up dishes.
What's one thing you couldn't live without? Coffee.
Who's your IG inspiration? @heyitsbluish 's feed is both beautiful and meaningful. Her strength and resilience inspires me.
What advice would you give your younger self ? Stop worrying so much about what other people think. And go for whatever you want to do, even if you don't feel ready, because you figure things out and learn so much along the way.
Where is business located out of? Markham, Ontario. How did you choose the name for your business? I love the image of a spark of an idea, and that a spark is something small but can turn into a whole fire. How do you balance having kids & running a business? I'm not sure I have a good answer to this question. Lots of working in small bursts, whenever I can sneak a few minutes if the kids are entertained with something else. I'm getting better at asking for support from others, whether it's hiring something out for my business or asking my husband to take over something at home so I can work. I think this part is really challenging for a lot of moms. Where can people find your products? On my website www.sparkjournals.com
and a few independent brick & mortar shops in Ontario (and growing more locations!).
What advice can you give someone looking to start up their own business? Find a supportive community that you can bounce ideas off of, and ask advice from. Not your friends, or your partner but other people in business who are in the same business stage or slightly ahead of you so you can learn from their experiences.
What sets your business apart from others alike? As a mom of a boy & girls, under the age of 10 it was really important to me to create something that was visually appealing, really fun and graphically engaging for kids, and also gender neutral. The journal has been intentionally designed to be black & white inside so kids can express their creativity, and use whatever colours appeal to them! I also wanted to find ways to introduce these big topics of empathy, growth mindset and gratitude to kids in a way that would connect to their daily lives instead of asking them to journal about the same few questions day after day.
What is the most challenging part of running your business? The biggest challenge is finding the time to work on and grow the business. I started it in March of 2020 right as we went into lockdown for the first time, and the kids have been home with me full time since, so it's been a juggle for sure!
What does a typical day look like for you? Most days, I spend the morning helping the kids with online school and doing some preschool activities with my 3 year old, and then after lunch "recess" I try to carve out a bit of time to work on the business. After school ends, we play, prep dinner, and then now that the days are longer and the weather is getting nicer, we try to get out for a walk. Then its the usual bedtime madness, and I crash on the couch afterwards. Somewhere in there, I'll squeeze in some yoga, even if it's just a 10 minute practice. It was my new years resolution to do yoga every day for all of January, and now I'm on a 90+ day streak.
Favourite song: anything by Jack Johnson Dream Vacation: Hawaii Favourite Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Dream Job: pretty much this - writing, and working for myself Favourite Podcast: Unlocking Us by Brene Brown, or The Neurodiversity Podcast Dream Car: I don't really have one? cars aren't my thing. Favourite Smell: the ocean Dream meal: sushi Favourite item of clothing: I'm living that leggings life.
I was so excited when I learned of Spark Journals. With everything that's been going on this past year it's been hard to figure out how to navigate some of the big feelings are kids are having in age appropriate ways. But this journal has been a savour for us with our oldest daughter (4.5 years old).
Finding developmentally appropriate ways for our kids to engage in hard conversations about their emotions isn't easy. And I find with doing schooling at home with Lily the days can be tiring and she isn't in the mood to discuss other stuff. But what I love about this journal is it is fun and engaging. All of the pages are in black and white so Lily loves that she can colour in all of the pictures. It's been a great way for us to start conversations with her without it being too overwhelming for her. We chat while we colour and then if she feels like filling out the page along with it then we do, if not I just try to use the cutes on the page to discuss the topic with her.
This book would be great for any school age + child. It's a great way to talk about self-esteem, coping strategies, resiliency and so much more in a fun and engaging way.