Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Washington.
Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Crazy Nurse Crafts started July 2020 during the pandemic. I currently work in the healthcare field and I love being able to add personalization to my scrubs. With most hospitals, certain colors are prescribed for certain roles. For example, nurses wear navy blue scrubs. With this profession, we wear badge reels, aka ID badge holders. I love wearing unique ones to stand out from my scrubs. I usually try to pick something that goes with my personality or with the area I work in.
Well, I noticed that every time I would look for one, it was not always what I wanted. Something was missing that I was looking for. So, during the pandemic, I decided to learn how to make them. Once I learned, it became an obsession. I quickly learned how to incorporate other things to make it stand out from others. I started selling them to co-workers and quickly realized that I needed to expand. I originally created my own website, but I have transitioned to selling on ETSY. It has become easier because of how many people shop on ETSY.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has somewhat been a smooth road. Some of the struggles I have a had to face were pricing, inventory and advertising. You want to be competitive, but you also don’t want to be overpriced or underpriced. I have changed my prices several times, but I finally figured it out. With inventory, it was a matter of making sure I had enough supplies/materials to make custom requests from customers. I soon learned how to balance and how to make sure enough inventory was readily available for me.
You would think advertising would be easy now because of social media, but I have run into challenges with it. When I first started and created my own website, I ran a scratch-off for discounts for customers to apply to their cart. When I ran this ad on Facebook, I had a couple of people think it was a scam and soon after that, I saw a decline visits to my website. Now, if I run an ad on Facebook or Instagram, I make sure that it does not look like a scam.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Registered Nurse and I work on a Cardiac Progressive Care Unit. I have been a nurse for six years, worked in healthcare for nine years. I started out as a Patient Care Technician while I was in nursing school. Now, I am known for making cute badge reels at work. It does give me a good feeling when other people enjoy the crafts you make and it brings a smile to their face.
I am most proud of becoming a nurse. I did not attend school the traditional way and obtained my degree at a later point in my life. Life gives you obstacles all the time, but how you handle them matters. I try to see the positive in every situation. I believe that what you put in the atmosphere will happen. Being positive brings positivity.
What’s next?
For Crazy Nurse Crafts, my plan is to get my products out to stores that sell badge reels/ID, badge holders. I also want to start selling different craft items such as keychains, candles, etc. I have not decided what route to go yet, but my goal is to start within the next year.
Contact Info:
- Email: crazynursecrafts@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrazyNurseCraftsShop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazynursecrafts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazynursecraft
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazynursecrafts
