How we do Turkey Day

Thanksgiving can be bittersweet for many small business owners. It’s the eve of the biggest shopping weekend of the year. It’s the calm before the storm, as they say.

It’s no different for us at Juniper. Most Thanksgivings we host our extended family from Joshua’s side. Including kids, it totals about 25-30 people most years. It’s a great morning of good food, fellowship with people we love, and a house full of rowdy, rambunctious, fun-loving kids that don’t see their cousins nearly enough.

But as we’re preparing the turkey and peeling potatoes, our minds are fixated on the weekend ahead, including the subsequent weeks to Christmas. For us, the next few weeks account for about 40% of our total annual revenue. It’s a serious matter to make sure we have inventory, content, raw materials, help lined up, etc. We start preparing for the Christmas shopping season in September. But as it tends to happen, the big holiday shopping kickoff weekend always comes faster than we think.

What’s the mean for a maker? It means we work on Thanksgiving. Our morning started with hosting family, playing games, and watching some football. But after the house was empty of guests, our minds quickly transitioned back into business prep and content writing.

Running a small retail business isn’t for the faint of heart. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanksgiving is about being thankful, and every year, no matter how much we work, we can’t help but do it with a smile. Because without this business, we wouldn’t have you. And without you, we wouldn’t have this. And for this, we are thankful.

To all our amazing customers, we’re thankful to you. We’re thankful for our family who supports us on this crazy journey. We’re thankful to all the customers who show grace and understanding when our kids get a little wild in the store. Or when their package arrives with some crayon drawings on the side of the box.

We’re thankful for a challenging year as it makes us stronger. And thankful for all the provisions God provides through those challenges. Here’s to what we know will be a successful holiday shopping weekend and holiday season.

From the whole Juniper Family, cheers.