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Life & Work with Taylor Jezik of Gardner Kansas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Jezik. 

Hi Taylor, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers? 

My name is Taylor Jezik, I’m a mother of 2 and I own 3 successfully growing, and evolving businesses. I originally started CharlieHaze in 2011 while I was pregnant with my son, Charlie. While extremely sick I used resources around me to start a custom crafting business. I would sew baby items and make baby mobiles. As that business developed it went into the trendy direction of hair bows and vinyl creations. At that time, I found a cheaper way to access supplies and I started an import business; I was importing craft supplies for over 2k other business owners. I loved participating in vendor events and networking amongst other heavily motivated makers. I was encouraged to put together a few events myself after partnering with a local winery, Stone Pillar. Over the next 10 years, I have put on over 50 vendor events. Recently the event business (EventPlanning.TaylorJezik) was voted on by the KAW Valley Wine Trail to host their very first winery festival. This includes a total of 16 local wineries. We are excited and ready to take it on! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
During these founding years, I was hardly making ends meet and hardly surviving the very abusive relationship I was in with my son’s father. My son and I spent winters with no heat and summers with no electricity here and there. When I finally mustered the strength to leave the relationship, I found out I was pregnant with my second. It kept the relentless cycle going, I felt I couldn’t fully get my head above water and truly reach my full potential. After realizing I needed to teach my daughter better and have more self-worth, I left the toxic relationship. She was approximately 1.5 years old. After that, I decided to try and start working in the real world again. I accepted an offer working in a leasing office. It drained me and as many of you know, I wasn’t able to be as involved with school functions and cook as many healthy meals for the kids and I. Again, I felt like I still hadn’t found the right path to reach my full potential. The breakup was rough and full of so many battles. During that time. we would spend off days at the arboretum barefoot, coloring, painting, and reading to keep the children and I grounded. I also started reading affirmations daily and found inspiration to paint and create my own deck. It took me a year to finish this project. I then posted it to Etsy and so it all began! The new chapter and fresh start. 

Over the last 3 years, my CharlieHaze business grew and became successful! Covid hit and my herb and flower suppliers shut down. I had to branch out and import my own herbs and flowers, this wasn’t new to me. With importing you have to order in high volume. With that being said, welcome to the start of business number three! AhriaAnnelise, the fresh floral subscription, and delivery service. My motto is “it’s nice being nice” This was Ahrias favorite saying, while the world was shut down and we were finding more and more cases of depression within friends and family, and all-over social media. The kids and I decided to deliver flowers to people’s porches. We posted on Facebook, and people loved the concept. They started gifting tips and donations towards arrangements so I could leave them on strangers’ porches. With that, it grew into a complete business. I now consider this, my baby business. We have kept up with the no contact porch deliveries and it allows extra flowers to be dropped every other week at an affordable cost, to you, your best friends, mothers, etc doorstep. 

My journey has been very emotional and has felt like a constant fight or flight battle. In all honesty, I never thought in a million years I would be where I am now, but we did it. my children are happy and healthy, we have a nice home with a nice yard, we have 2 cats and 2 dogs. We have a healthy and loving household. I have a loving and supporting partner who has taken a fatherly role and supports all my business endeavors. He’s invested into the children more than I realized fathers could be. For that, I am grateful and filled with so much happiness. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I believe what sets me apart from the rest is the details wrapped in each smudge stick, each package wrapped and packed with so much love and intention. I strive to provide a unique and thoughtful product. I want you to open your package and have your expectations surpassed beyond words. I pride myself in the details I share and the personal touches I plant throughout your experience. 

I know being a vendor with two of the businesses sets me apart with the event business, I completely understand the amount of effort made by each vendor at each event. I know the amount of work involved, the sacrifices they make to be there on weekends. The sacrifice of time away from family, from sleep because so many also work full-time jobs and the amount of drive it takes to invest into yourself. I also can give grace to other event coordinators when I attend an event as a vendor, I know how much blood, sweat, and tears go into these events. I know all about last-minute cancellations, no-show entertainment, and food trucks, I know about rainy, cold, unbearable heat, ridiculous wind, and all sorts of weather. I have had to adjust to social media updates for marketing in middle of event seasons, I have kept events alive in the middle of a pandemic with Hope these small businesses can survive it. I can honestly say I can see all sides of this business. I can even say I get and understand the struggles of the venues, since Stone Pillars owners, despite blood, I would consider family. 

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I thrive off listing to an audiobook while making smudge sticks! I follow a few book clubs! Reese Witherspoon has a really good list! I also enjoy For the Love of two Hippies, podcast! 

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