Today we’d like to introduce you to Jauquinea Shropshire.
Hi Jauquinea, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a child, I enjoyed making candy using candy molds, I’ve always been a crafty and creative person since a child, I also loved loved writing and reading. I discovered soap-making back in 2014, and I fell in love with it. I didn’t give it a try until 2015, and I was homeless living in a hotel room in Pensacola, Florida with my family. I was so nervous, but I needed the extra income, and I had a few extra dollars to spare to get started. I made my first orders to begging soaping and it was the most exciting thing I had ever experienced because I knew I wanted to do this and not just for the money. I made my first products and lip balms and decided to post up in the hotel parking lot with my products laid nicely on my car in 90-degree Florida weather. It was blazing hot, so hot that most of my products had began to melt. I had no idea what the heat could do to these precious items, I felt like I was kicked all the way back down to the bottom because I wasn’t able to make any more money. I decided to just give everything that was left to different people that had impacted me or my family in positive ways. Someone could say hello to me or compliment me or my family, etc., and I’d give them one of my soaps. I’d never forget that time in my life. It was rough with 4 kids ling in a small hotel room with everything we owned in there which wasn’t much. I continued to make different things and giving just about all of it away for free, may I add that the smiles and thank you’s I would receive from those people were better than money even though I needed it; it felt good to know that I was able to make other people feel good. In 2021 I was able to come up with my brand design soaps for feminine hygiene. They were so pretty that almost everyone I sold to told me they were so nice they didn’t want to use them lol. Did I mention that I also suffered from severe anxiety/social anxiety, but for some reason when it comes to business, I’m so confident in my products that you couldn’t tell if you were speaking with me. I did lots of yard sales and came across lots of beautiful people. I tried to set up a large tent in a large parking lot to make sales, but that time of the year it was a bit nippy, so my entire rent had actually flown away before I could get everything set up, it ripped, and everything, not to mention it was on a busy street, the embarrassment. But I kept going. I create my own marketing social media posters and they are like no other. I’m always about unity as a people in general, and I connect to my customers emotionally, I’m a very very empathetic person, a bit of a people pleaser, but I like to look at it as me just loving to make others happy because it makes me happy. So here I am today, still creating, still pushing hoping for my big break one day, and looking to have a kiosk in the mall to reach a bigger customer base. I battled homelessness with children, depression, anxiety, and even agoraphobia. But when it comes to creating, I am at my best and wouldn’t change it for nothing! If I can make it today years later doing what I love with those many hardships, then I know that I am able to be bigger one day!
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?
Homelessness, self-doubt, severe depression, anxiety/social anxiety, agoraphobia, and just mental health issues all around the board. I’ve always refused to take meds for my issues because I was afraid I’d get addicted. I have close family members that had battled medication addiction, so it’s really a pet peeve for me. My problem was lack of stability. Had I been able to be grounded and stable throughout the years, I’m SURE I’d be much further than where I am today. But then again, I also believe that I’m right where I’m supposed to be, otherwise, things would be different.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I enjoy housekeeping even though I was quite the disorganized and messy type. I loved cleaning the rooms of the elderly in nursing homes. Omg, I enjoyed cleaning their areas to make them feel good and comfortable. He would treat me nice and talk to me. I grew a major majors liking to older people. I had two of them that were my best friends. One of them was in a wheelchair, and both their names were Barbara, my younger sister’s name who had previously passed away. I loved those people so much! So much so that soon I’m going to be able to visit the elderly just to keep them company and have arts and crafts with them and clean their areas. What sets me apart from others is the love I invest into the people I meet. I don’t have to know you to leave love and kindness for you. I love making people happy, I have always been the listener because I am able to sympathize with others and sometimes feel what they feel or truly understand the things they are going through. I am a very strong creative person; I can actually be a bit cocky within that area, but never to the point where I’d make anyone feel any less of the great crested they are as well.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to having my business in Summit Mall, possibly a kiosk actually. Then one day owning my own shed that I can turn into a small physical personal shopping store where my customers could come to shop in a small beautiful, and comfortable place. The big changes that are happening right now is being more involved in community pop-ups and farmers’ markets and things as such.
Pricing:
- $11.00
- 9.00
- $6.00
- 12.000
- $75.00
Contact Info:
- Website: Buttterup.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/buttterup
Image Credits
Jauquinea Shropshire
