I’m really excited to introduce Jennifer, aka DaintieDesigns, MrsSupply and JewelsSoSweet to you all today.  She was recommended to us by a number of other Zibbeters as someone that is worthy of being our Featured Zibbeter for the week.  I must admit that I haven’t really had a chance to get to know her (yet!), but after reading her interview, I feel as if I’ve known her for years.

After you read this interview, I guarantee you’ll feel both uplifted and inspired.  Jennifer has a great attitude to life and it’s infectious!

Life’s good…enjoy the interview!!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

   My name is Jennifer Karen Corkrey O’Hara. I am 34 years old. I started to go blind on my honeymoon just 4 years ago, from a rare disease called Intracranial Hypertension (IH).  You can read more about it at www.jennohara.com.  My disease is very painful & very strange. I can see about 1-4 hours a day, I just don’t ever know when it will be and for how long at a time. It could be 15 minutes at one time, or all 4 hours in one time frame. The brain pain that I have to live with is horrific, but I am a fighter, a survivor! It’s very tough to live with, but I am a go getter kind of personality. I believe in the power of prayer & I believe if you want them, dreams come true. I am married to a wonderful man & we have 2 great cats. I am the 7th child born to 2 great parents! I love life! I am so happy to be alive & have a new chance each day!

2. Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?

   I love to garden.  I am learning how to do everything now with no eyesight, so it’s a little tricky, but I have the best teacher, Canaan, to teach me how to live this new life. So there is nothing that I can’t do that I did before. It is just done in a different manner. Like gardening, I feel with my hands so much more now; I love it. I get even dirtier. I love to learn new things. Right now I am working on my mobility so I can pass the test to get a guide dog. So most of my time if it isn’t crafting with 3 businesses, I am learning Braille, how to cross streets by myself, learn new computer tools to use blind,  I belong to the best blind support group in my home town that I go to & I love to listen to things on CD.  Oh yes & I am a mentor.

   

   My mentee comes over twice a week & we talk about boys, she helps me with my work, I teach her how to file, & we are great friends. I am a member of a community group that meets all the time & I find freedom & unity there. So my life is very full. I am learning something even when I just sit & be still as a newly blind person. Life is good.

3. What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?

   I am inspired by my disability. It motivates me to accomplish things, especially being the business owner of 3 online shops. I love it. It makes me push myself to places I have never been, or never thought I would ever be. If I can do it anyone can do it. Dreams come true, no matter what the dream, no how big or how small. Making a sale a day is a dream accomplished for me!

4. Do you look up to anyone? Who? Why?

   I look up to my Momma & Daddy! My mom passed away 6 years ago, but she still inspires me & I still look up to her in a big way. Her and my Dad had 7 children, were married for 50 years & had the up and downs of life & managed to carry a message of love, laughter and life to me. They both are the most amazing parents, but good people as well. They taught me to do the right thing even though it might be easier to do the less right thing. They taught me that I am capable of making the best decisions possible, that I have inside me to live life with no regrets, and that I have enough love in me to share with others.

   

   They not only taught me these things by telling me, but by guiding me and living by example. They truly are the most special people I know. I also look up to my husband, Brendan. He is so compassionate about life & people! He shows me how to have balance in my life. He truly is the man of my dreams and I look up to him so much. I love him with all my being.

5. What other passions do you have in your life?

   Being the 7th born in a family, you can’t help but have passion about family, friends, & people in general. I love people. I love my own & my husbands’ family. I adore my friends, especially my Zibbeter friends Mamasakio and AllAboutTheButtons. I love giving back to the community, I love being a mentor, and helping drug addicts who want to get clean. I would say that being a grandmother is a passion of mine.  Gardening, listening to music, and traveling are also my passions in life.

6. What do you like most about Zibbet?

   

   In one of my favorite books the first sentence is “Simplicity is the key.”  That is what I like most about Zibbet. They keep it simple for me, but give me fantastic results. For example, listing is simple, the amazing look Zibbet gives to my photos & advertises my items in my shop are awesome, but it all started simply. I also like how I feel like I belong to something so great. Being a Zibbeter is a wonderful thing. I love the new Zibbet Community as well. There are so many wonderful things about Zibbet. I love that I can be blind and still run a shop on Zibbet. I really enjoy the blogs. I love how I can search for things by color. I really enjoy how involved the creator of Zibbet is involved in the daily running of Zibbet. It is amazing to me & an inspiration!

7. What ‘new’ things would you like to see added to Zibbet?

   I would like to see a better way to communicate within Zibbet. I would like to be able to communicate with a Zibbeter about an item they sell, ask them a question about it, get an answer, & see what the item is that I was talking about, or at least have a link to their shop page so I can find it myself. I really think the communication part of Zibbet needs some attention. I did hear through the Zibbet Community that they are going to work on this. I hope this is true. It is a real important attribute for me not only as a seller, but as a buyer as well. I would also like to see the ability to have widgets on my shop that direct people to Zibbet. I would love to be able to post these on my blogs & on my websites.

8. How do you promote your work?

   When I think of promoting I think how I can best get my company name out there to get a sale at the least possible rate.  One of the simplest things I do is have an email signature that promotes my shops. I have also asked family and friends to add me to their signature and many of them have. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out thing either. Like my brother has – “Visit my sister at Zibbet.” Thanks Jim! Thanks Dad! You would not believe how word of mouth gets around & is one of the best marketing tools I believe & more importantly, the cheapest! Currently I spend money on the following advertising, Project Wonderful, Google Ads, and I have spent money on FaceBook Ads.  Project Wonderful is my favorite one that I spend money on. It’s the cheapest & it gives me the best results. I also get great results from Google Ads, but it costs a bit more. FaceBook Ads, cost a lot, the results were terrific to get fans (teenagers), but not to get items sold. I have a lot to learn about this & look forward to learning more about it by participating in the Zibbet Community Groups. There is a great one there called, “Loving to Learn & Remain Teachable.” There are also many other articles to read about this very topic.

9. How would you recommend other Zibbeters make the most of Zibbet.com?

   I recommend my fellow Zibbeters make the most of Zibbet.com by taking the time to read the wonderful verbiage that is on the site. There is so much great info in the new blogs that they have created with 2 fantastic women, Crissy Herron, and Erika Jurney.  Jonathan does a great job at blogging as well.  Have you seen the great inspire banner? I love it! I recommend exploring Zibbet as if you weren’t a Zibbeter. It really gives you a perspective that is essential to know what it’s like to shop on Zibbet, which helps you with your shop. I recommend making the most of your shop. You can do this by becoming a premium seller and changing your colors on your site to match your color scheme of your logo or banner. Something so simple really makes a difference. I recommend referring Zibbet to friends and family by adding it to your email signature. Just take advantage of all Zibbet has to offer. The brand new Zibbet Community is something I am huge fan of! Just Dive into Zibbet, use your time wisely, read, & share! Most of all have fun because it’s a lot of fun to be a Zibbeter!

10. In the future I’d like to be…

    I really do my best to have acceptance, surrender, and live for today. Since I became blind, I have really learned how critical living in the moment is to me.  I was an Operations Manager for a yarn wholesaler & I loved that job, but I really love being the owner of 3 little small shops online. I would like to continue to manage to maintain these 3 shops, www.daintiedesigns.com,  www.mrssupply.com, & www.jewelssosweet.com,  continue to be in love with my husband and really enjoy my time with him, as well as my dear daddio. I want to be an inspiration to my mentee, Claudia; I want to go to bed every night knowing I did the best I could for that day alive and free. I want to remain full of passion for life Just For Today!

Tags: Daintie Designs, DaintieDesigns, featured zibbeter