Meet Tiffany Henry | Founder

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

Hi Tiffany, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“If it is to be, it is up to me” – William Johnsen

Let me take you on a quick trip back to the 90s.

The first time I heard that quote was when I was in elementary school. As I strolled into Ms. Camp’s art class on the first day of school, brimming with excitement and my Trapper Keeper tightly tucked under my left arm, I thought I had just entered into a typical art classroom. Boy, was I wrong.

At the beginning of class, Ms. Camp walked to the front of the room and looked at each of us. Then, she told us to repeat the quote that was written on the bright yellow banner in front of us. Afterwards, she told us that she believed in every one of us and as long as we remember those important words that we could do anything we put our minds to.

The words she asked us to repeat were – “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Simple, yet so powerful.

When thinking of that saying, what comes to mind is believing in yourself, going after your dreams/goals and making things happen. And I think about that saying all the time as an entrepreneur – because as an entrepreneur, I pave my own path. And I play the starring role in how successful my company is. The sky’s the limit and the amount of opportunities that are out there are limitless, but I have to be the one that pursues and goes after them. Mindset is everything, and that quote is a reminder about accountability, personal responsibility and pursuing one’s goals.

From the class that I thought I’d just spend time having fun coloring and sloshing paint around in, I learned something extremely valuable. And decades later, those words that my art teacher insisted we say every day are one of the things that I remember the most from my elementary school years. It wasn’t the tetherball tournaments, the trips to amusement parks or the fruit snacks that stick out the most. It’s the simple words “If it is to be, it is up to me”.

What should our readers know about your business?
Cool Crayations is a Dallas-based creative crayon company that’s shaking up the crayon world and creating a screen-free revolution! Simply put, we want to introduce kids to a cooler and more personalized coloring experience that also focuses on the element of screen-free play. We are encouraging kids to put down their tablets and video game controllers, log off YouTube for a bit and enjoy the joy of screen-free play.

As a screen time alternative, we provide a new, unique, personalized coloring experience. Kids no longer have to settle for just coloring with traditional stick crayons. Our fun shaped crayons enhance the coloring experience and physically bring some of the animals and shapes that kids love into the coloring experience with them! Now, dino lovers can color with a cool Tyrannosaurus-shaped crayon or unicorn fanatics can color with a magical unicorn-shaped crayon. We literally provide kids with physical, screen-free tools that unlock their creativity and imagination!

I love being an entrepreneur, and I’ve loved the journey. However, that’s not to say that it’s always been easy. It definitely comes with its challenges and hurdles. However, even at a young age, I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I feel like it’s literally in my DNA. So, any time that things may get hard or challenging, I think back to my “why” – why I started Cool Crayations. And I also remember my passion for wanting to be an entrepreneur and have my own business, and that helps to drive me and refuel my tank.

It’s been such a fun and colorful journey so far! And I have so many cool and exciting plans for Cool Crayations – so I invite you to follow my business on IG (@coolcrayations) and join me as I continue on this colorful journey!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a Dallas native, I love this question! Honestly, Dallas/the DFW metroplex has so many great places/areas and things to do.

So just FYI – by no means is this an inclusive list of all of my favorite places. But, I think this would be a fun itinerary:

Friday:
– I’d stop creating crayons early that day and we’d go to Perry’s and get their pork chop lunch special! (If you’ve never had their pork chop before, go and thank me later)
– I love games and arcades so we’d go to a fun spot like Puttery in the Colony (adults-only putt putt), Electric Shuffle in Dallas (a cool shuffleboard spot) or Activate in Plano (a new high-tech game spot).

Saturday:
– We’d peruse around town and visit and support a few local businesses – such as The Plant Project (shop among their selection of beautiful plants), Pan-African Connection Bookstore (grab a good book to read) and Kessler Bakery Studio or Cookie Society (both great places to grab a sweet treat)!
– Later that evening, we’d go to Leela’s Wine Bar; it’s a cute spot with a nice ambiance.

Sunday:
– Start the day with praise and worship – there are a ton of great churches in DFW, but we’d either go to One Community Church, OCBF or the Social Dallas!
– Brunch – the weekend isn’t complete without a good brunch, right?
– Attend a sports game – Dallas has all of the major sports teams. So if someone is in town, it’s only right that they experience at least one. And I’m a basketball-lover, and so are a lot of my friends, so my first pick would be to take someone to a Mavs game at the AAC! *Fingers crossed they’d be playing in town that weekend*

There’s definitely a lot more that we could do, but I think I’ll end the itinerary here for now!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost – God! Without Him, none of this would be possible and He deserves all the recognition!

Also – my parents! From helping me pack a 100 box order to assisting me with checking out shoppers at in-person artisan markets, my parents are so supportive. Honestly, they’re supposed to be on a beach somewhere enjoying their retirement, eating tacos and drinking out of a fresh pineapple. But instead, they are helping me build and grow my business. They believe in me and also the mission of my company – to spread joy to kids across the country, one fun-shaped crayon at a time! I am so thankful for them and all of their support; and I honestly can’t put into words just how very grateful I am!

Additionally – my friends, family and community of fellow local entrepreneurs! Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. However, I am so thankful that I have a really great support system that has supported and encouraged me every step of the way. It truly takes a village and I am so blessed to have such an amazing group of people around me encouraging, empowering and supporting me!

There have also been a lot of several organizations and programs, both nationally and locally (local ones in the DFW metroplex such as the Mavs Business Assist Program, The DEC Network and TWU’s AccelerateHER Program) that have poured into me and provided me and my business with resources, support and a wealth of knowledge! And there have also been a lot of businesses and individuals that have created opportunities for us/invited us to opportunities. And I’m truly thankful to each and every one of them.

To any aspiring entrepreneurs reading this – I’d encourage you to obtain some type of mentorship and build connection/community with other local entrepreneurs. And, also apply and participate in an accelerator or program that specifically provides resources and pours into entrepreneurs – they can be extremely helpful and possibly even change the trajectory of your business!

Lastly – I just want to give a shout out to everyone who has ever bought a box of fun-shaped crayons from us! And also if you have supported us by telling a friend about our crayons, sharing about us on social media or liking our IG posts – sincerely, thank you!

Website: coolcrayations.com

Instagram: instagram.com/coolcrayations

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanydhenry/