Meet Jessica Perry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Perry. 

Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I got my start in the business world thanks to Covid-19. Before the pandemic, I worked for a vegan meal service company. I enjoyed my time as a chef but unfortunately was let go at the start of lockdown. During that time, I was able to explore my talents, one of which is arts and crafts. I’ve always been a fan of resin art so I finally decided to do the research and go from there. Once that was done, I looked into products, molds, glitters, etc., and slowly but surely started putting together my business plan. As a queer black parent of 3, I knew I had to find a way to support my family while doing something I truly enjoy. It hasn’t been easy and sometimes sales are slow but I continue to create because giving up just isn’t in the cards for me. I’ve met many creators, and supply sellers during these last 7-8 months and it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve had to cross many hurdles during this time from lack of support from family, to the fear of having to go back to a 9-5 style job, to thinking that maybe my art just isn’t good enough. But despite that I keep going; not only for myself but to show. My children that they can do anything they put their mind to and that anything worth doing is worth fighting for. Sweet Epoxy Dreamz is very important to me, not just as a means of survival and income but it’s the first time in my life that I’ve been completely in control of my destiny. I love creating and sharing my art and I hope that more people see what I do and want to own or work together and create something special with me. I’m one of many black, non-binary creators that exist in a world of talented, creative humans, I want to stand out and stand in front for others within the queer community to see that we can succeed, we can be celebrated and we can continue to change the world in so many ways. My dream is for Sweet Epoxy to be a household name in the years to come 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Unfortunately, it has not been a smooth road. Like mentioned before I have had many hurdles and some of the most prevalent, we’re lack of support from family and being told that I won’t survive without a 9-5 job. The lack of support was probably the most hurtful simply because I’ve always tried to make my family proud by doing things that I felt were true to myself and that I felt represented the kind of mark I want to leave on this world. Being told I wouldn’t survive without a 9-5 sucked because why should we have to resign to a world where creativity and hard work aren’t rewarded unless we’re giving our lives to some billion-dollar company. I want to show people like me who might have doubted themselves or ended up in a bad situation to see that they can survive, be happy and live our best lives without slaving away at a 9-5. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in accessories and home decor. I think I’m most proud of my purses/handbags because not a lot of people make them and all my designs are original ideas. I make a lot of jewelry, some based on popular anime, and most of it based off of my own ideas. I think what sets me apart is that I don’t follow a set program; I create based off inspo that I see on popular apps and my friends from social media. They’re really creative and always inspire me to create things that bring joy or spark conversation. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think the most important characteristic for my success is being personable/relatable. That’s something that I feel I strive at and has helped me get this far 

Contact Info:

• Email: sweetepoxydreamz@gmail.com
• Website: www.sweetepoxydreamz.co.
• Instagram: instagram.com/sweetepoxydreamz
• Facebook: facebook.com/sweetepoxydreamz
• Other: https://linktr.ee/SweEpoDre

Image Credits
Jessica Perry