Mandi Young experimented with several side gigs before finally launching her business, Juniper Gardens, in 2021. The Missouri-based mompreneur knew she wanted out of the corporate world, and through her business, she’s found a way to combine her loves of architecture, nature and helping others. In her first years of business, Young worked over time to provide the best possible experiences to her clients on their wedding days – eventually burning herself out in the process. She realized she needed to take a step back, and today, Young makes work-life balance a priority – especially as she gets Juniper Gardens’ second location up and running.
Here’s our lightly edited Q&A, from The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project.
Tell us about your biggest success so far.
Being able to expand our wedding venue into our second location, which offers both indoor and outdoor space. Our bookings were strong enough, and feedback was positive enough, that we could prove adequate demand for a second location, despite being in a highly competitive market. We have carved out our space,and worked with incredible couples in the process.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
Figuring out how to balance everything. I was regularly working 15-hour days, plus hours before and after couples’ wedding days to make sure they were taken care of. That was far beyond what couples were expecting and paying for, but I didn’t understand how to set those boundaries.
Eventually, I realized I couldn’t continue to operate at that pace. But it still took a while to figure out how to enforce boundaries while still offering great customer service. I’m still working on refining and improving in this regard, because it’s important for my mental health – especially making sure I have the mental space and time to spend time with my kids.
Have you experienced any significant personal situations that have affected your business decisions?
I was a single teen mom and started my adult life very early because of that. I set aside career aspirations and took the “tried and true” corporate path, both to offer my son stability and to get myself an education. As my self worth and self confidence grew throughout my 20s, I found it harder to accept corporate expectations and employee treatment – which led to exploring many side hustles. Ultimately, I opened my own wedding venue, which ignited in me a bigger passion for serving others, creating beautifully designed spaces, and connecting with other small business owners.
What is your biggest tip for other startup entrepreneurs?
Don’t worry about crafting the perfect logo, website, or branding strategy to start your business. That can come later, as you get a better handle on what your business is, and who comprises your audience. I see so many great potential business owners spending way too much time trying to get all of these details figured out first. Some just never start their business because they can’t get the right logo figured out.
It took me three years of running my business to finally design a logo – but it also took me those three years to refine how I talked about my business, to work out what I wanted my business to represent, and to map out how I saw it moving forward. If I had created a logo at the start of my business, I would have changed it anyway, and the original money spent would have been a waste.
How do you find inspiration on your darkest days?
I put on reruns of “Golden Girls,” or spend time outside in the garden, or take myself on a hike. I find that inspiration comes from giving myself the time and space to relax and immerse myself in the things that bring me comfort.
What is your go-to song to get motivated on tough days?
“The Man” by Taylor Swift.
Who is your most important role model?
Architect and interior designer Florence Knoll. ◼
Instagram: @JuniperGardens
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