Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Solar.
Hi Josh, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Jenny & I are high school sweethearts & serial entrepreneurs here in the Kansas City area. We’ve been wedding & portrait photographers, boutique owners, breathwork teachers & currently run Stellar Gifts & Goods which we started when we were burnt out and bored during covid. Neither of us had ever made earrings before or ran laser cutters, but we decided to take the plunge and bought a glowforge. Within a month we added a second glowforge & that grew into running a storefront for 3 years while selling our goods all over town in Made in KC locations, Shop Local, the Kansas City Airport as well as popup events throughout the city over the last few years.
To cut costs we closed our retail space in Raymore and built a workshop on our property which has allowed us to simplify the business while keeping our various booths around town stocked.
We love what we do. We love working together & wouldn’t have it any other way. Jenny is the boss, runs all the marketing & provides the hustle that has gotten us to where we are today, while I do most of the design work and runs the lasers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We grew really fast and hired full time help when we needed it. And we tried to launch a bath & body care line as well. Both of those things stretched us too thin. Currently our staff is just Jenny & I and we realized the bath & body care needed more time to run than we had to offer. Cutting back and reigning in costs has increased profitability and allowed us to weather the storms that come with inconsistent sales throughout the various seasons of the year.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Jenny & I are pretty much opposites. When we took the 16 personalities test, Jenny was an ESTJ and I was an INFP. She’s a major extrovert who thrives in social situations. She’s very driven, smart. I am a creative through and through and live my life through feelings and my gut. We started a photography business and realized we work really well as a team. Jenny in charge, me in the background able to do my creative stuff. We love working with people. We love fostering connections and providing products that help people feel connected to others. We live to encourage and support as we know that life isn’t always a cakewalk.
Back in 2014 I was battling a pretty deep depression. Jenny’s twin brother had passed away & I was struggling to support her through her grief. I eventually found cold plunging & breathwork as tools to help me work through difficult emotions & be able to show up for her the way she needed me to. I got trained in a few different breathwork methods and have led breathwork all over the country. As a man, I find it’s helpful in these spaces, and life ultimately, to dwell with the compassionate energies of the feminine, as well as the strong support energy of the masculine. I’m proud of the way that I can hold space for difficult conversations, and be a part of people’s healing journey. It’s not easy to be vulnerable with others, but when we do, we can all learn, grow and heal.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That we have shot major ad campaigns for Disney & Alamo rental car company. One of the jobs we did for Disney took us to Norway and they still use the photos we took for them. It was a surreal moment when I found myself in the Voss river in an 8mm thick wetsuit taking pictures of families kayaking down the river. That was quite an experience & one that surprises others.
Pricing:
- Earrings range from $13-$24
- Tank tops, shirts and hoodies range from $34-$58
- Stickers: $4.50
- Ornaments: $20
- Keychains: $12
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stellargiftsandgoods.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellargiftsgoods
