Meet Jenna Wiegand | Wedding Stationery Designer, The Polka Dot Paper Shop

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

Hi Jenna, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I’m the mom to 3 children and my husband and I run this business together. Our oldest was the catalyst for me quitting my full time corporate job and deciding to run my business full time so I could be with her more, followed by my husband quitting his job when our second was born. Because of this, all 3 of our children were born while we were running the business full time, and have grown up in this industry.

Now 13, 11 & 6, my kids know more about business than any child their age likely ever would. They are clearly born entrepreneurs and are constantly starting their own little businesses – and seeing success, as well! They have raised money for charity, for trips, and to pad their own savings & education plans. They are mighty, intelligent and capable little beings.

Of course, there are times that we feel as though our children are negatively impacted by our decision to both be entrepreneurs. But for the most of it, our kids are extremely well-balanced, happy and behaved children. They always have a parent there to pick them up when the bell rings. They can participate in as many extra curricular activities as they want, since they always have a parent to take them there. And our office is intentionally based a block from their schools so we’re always available if there’s an emergency or they’re not feeling well.

As a parent, it’s easy to think you’re ruining everything for your children no matter what job you do. And to be honest, you’re probably going to ruin at least a few things for them – but that’s because we’re all human and cannot possibly be perfect. The most important thing you can do is own up to mistakes you made, make up for the times you let them down and be there for them consistently when they need you. I might work all the time, but they can also count on me, all the time.

I can tell you that this became very clear to me one evening after school when I had a crazy work emergency come up. Long story short, I had 15 minutes to fix an order of 60 menus that had been delivered incorrect (and late) by a supplier. I was alone caring for our 3 children, thinking about how I was going to cook dinner, get them to activities AND fix these stupid menus before the planner showed up to pick them up on her way to the airport. It came after a long, stressful day of non-stop emergencies and I think it was likely pretty clear from my face that this had been a hard day, and this was just the thing I needed to break me. Without saying anything, my children pulled up chairs to the dining room table, picked up a pair of scissors and started completing the job with me. I didn’t even have to ask them for their help. I thought I was completely alone in this moment, with the weight of the world on my shoulders. But my children swooped in to help ME without me even having to ask. We completed the task on time, I made dinner and we got to our activities just fine – all with my sanity intact. Because of them.

I think that because of my business, and because we have prioritised being there for each other, our children have grown to view themselves as vital, important and capable members of our family unit who all work together towards one common goal. Our family bond is strong, and I don’t feel it ever would have been this way had I stayed at my 9-5 corporate gig. They are proud to tell their friends about us and they LOVE getting to come to work with us whenever they’re given the opportunity. It’s a really fun business to be a part of – who wouldn’t want to have parents that work in parties?

Maybe one day, they’ll take over the family business. Or maybe one day, they’ll do their own thing. Whatever they do – it’ll be incredible, I know that for certain!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are a custom luxury stationery supplier for events and weddings. We do primarily invitations but we also do day of stationery such as large seating chart installations, menus, table numbers, etc.

It certainly was not easy to get to where I was. But for some reason, I could not see any other options. I knew where I wanted to be and sometimes I plowed through my challenges, other times I had to slowly pick away at them until I got to the other side. But perseverance, smart business decisions and always doing right by my customer has been the recipe for our success.

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?
It depends if this were the first trip or second for my friend. I think on your first trip out you really have to do the primaries… see the Beverly Hills sign, have a bite to eat at the Beverly Hills hotel, some shopping on Rodeo, you know the drill. But because I’m also a nerd, and all my friends are nerds (lol), we’d probably go to the Griffith Observatory and some other museums for a tour.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband. When everyone else around me saw me as unpredictable, chaotic and unreasonable – he recognised strength, creativity and entrepreneurship. He has always supported me, full stop. No matter what crazy idea I come up with next, his response is almost always “well, you haven’t failed something yet, so if you think it’s a good idea, let’s do it!” I couldn’t have done this without him, and I’d likely be stuck at a dead-end corporate gig right now if it weren’t for him throwing in all his chips and believing in me, and believing in us.

Website: www.thepolkadotpapershop.com

Instagram: @polkadotpapershop

Other: TikTok: @polkadotpapershop

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