Meet Jae Jerrols | Creative and Owner, Pretty Productivity

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jae Jerrols and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jae, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
At the inception of my business my thought process was “let me turn something I’m good at and love to do into a side hustle that can generate some extra cash flow”. Now I can say the reason I (actively) started my business was for my mental health. It was the best choice for me to start fresh and heal from an abundance of turbulence in my life and my mental state. I used to say “I don’t ever want to be a “full on” entrepreneur” because I thought it was an all encompassing life I wasn’t willing to commit to, but after a plethora of perspective shifting experiences and my amazing therapist, I realized I was already living one; it just didn’t serve me anymore. So after an eight year career in education, I reluctantly jumped off the diving board into my healing and found entrepreneurship at it’s depth, then used it push me back into myself FOR myself; and that’s how Pretty Productivity was reborn into the small business it is today.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Pretty Productivity is a small business that offers custom gifting, greeting cards and productivity services. My most popular services are themed gifts/favors, customized apparel and our Gifting Concierge service. What sets me apart is my love for themes and puns. I enjoy taking a theme to the limit with intricate details and intentional design.

My business is where it is now because of my support system. Not only do they help me mentally, but they help me professionally by assisting me with and recommending clients. Word of mouth is how my business grows and reaches the community. I can also say that my business is now where it is because of my mindset. I had to change my fixed mindset about being an entrepreneur in order for my business to grow and inevitably evolve. This was challenging because I didn’t think my business was something people “really needed” so I wouldn’t market myself nor tell people I had even started a business. It wasn’t until I looked at it from a different perspective that I found my products and services more valuable. I realized that the peace and joy I get from the act of creating is transferred into what I create; and the world will never need less peace and joy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man…how do you insert a link to a document for this one? Let’s see. On the way from the airport we’d get pizza from Collina’s in the Heights and a few bottles of wine to spend the night in our jammies/loungewear running down our agenda of “in-person” conversations. We’d have to hit up some essential spots throughout the week for various occasions like Water Creature Wednesday at BB’s Tex-Orleans for crawfish and drinks, happy hour at Soma Sushi on Washington Ave, Som Sunday at The Camerata on Westheimer for wine and charcuterie. We’d go to the immersive Van Gogh experience at MFA Houston after a cup of coffee from The Tipping Point, visit Brazos Book Store and swing in the hammocks at Axelrad Beer Garden before finding a new adventure since there is always something going on around town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shout out to my support system. First is my gracious and eternally patient mother, Glenda. She always encouraged me to explore my talents and supported me throughout all of my endeavors. Next would be my sisters, The Jerrols Girls, who are my biggest cheerleaders. My sister Candice, oral cancer survivor and owner of Tresor Cache Boutique, inspires me to go boldly with faith in the direction of your dreams and teaches me the value of my worth both personally and professionally. My closest friends (V, Lauren and Stacy) keep my spirits lifted, help me to find my center and drown out the negative self talk and anxious ruminations (shout out to my therapist too). Lastly, I’d also like to dedicate this shout out to my late “Uncle Bishop” who taught me how to sow seeds of faith to develop an everlasting relationship with God and invaluable principles about the power of manifestation. Without these people, my story would be different. They held me up when I couldn’t muster up the strength to, encouraged me to turn this hobby into a business, and remind me to keep going.

Website: prettyprod.com

Instagram: @prettyprod @itzjustjae