Meet Two of Our IDA Marketplace Vendors
Tabitha Jones, owner of Collective Textures, is a pyrography, mixed media textured artist. She creates personalized and one-of-a-kind pyrography pieces of artwork. From coasters, ornaments, initials for stockings, to wall art. She also creates textured art pieces on wood canvas to regular canvas, as well as abstract paintings.
What do you think the greatest obstacles are for entrepreneurs starting their first business in Oregon?
I think the greatest obstacles for entrepreneurs starting their first business in Oregon are funding and time. For myself starting out as a new business owner, funding and time are the biggest obstacles. I work full-time as a single mom while creating pieces of art for my business. It is a tough balance between being a mom, supporting my family, and developing a business I deeply feel passionate about and believe in. My full-time work helps pay my bills and support my family, but my hopes and dreams, and my passion, is that one day it will help support my family, as well as bring something special and unique to others' homes.
What was your experience of working with the IDA program?
My experience working with the IDA program has been such an amazing opportunity and such a benefit in my life. I am so passionate about it that I joined members at the capitol to help raise awareness for more funding. There is no program like it out there! Helping people achieve their goals while training them to succeed, giving them the skills they will need in the future! This program is not just some "handout of money" it is an amazing program that has taught me homeownership skills, which I have used at my house. I saved for my home and for getting new windows, which saved a huge cost for me in heating and cooling. I took the class that was provided through the IDA program, and from what I learned I was able to do repairs on my home, like taking out a bathroom fan and putting in a new one!
The theme for this year’s RE:Conference is “Renewal.” What do you do to renew yourself after a challenge or setback?
What I do for renewal with a setback is get outside, pray, and meditate on what I can do and be okay with what I can't do. This year for the first time in my life the internal thought of what is happening right now in my life, whether good or bad is only a drop in time in my life, if it's good enjoy it, and if it’s negative, to just remember it won't last forever; it's just a "drop in time."
Located at in the foothills of the coast range at the north end of the Willamette valley, Golden Tradition Saffron offers high grade saffron threads, finishing sugars and salts, simple syrup, culinary extract, and medicinal tincture, with more delightful products to come!
Tanya Golden, owner of Golden Tradition Saffron, shared some reflections with us:
What do you think the greatest obstacles are for entrepreneurs starting their first business in Oregon?
I think some of the greatest obstacles new entrepreneurs face are learning the ropes. Learning what needs to be done and finding the resources to learn. Fortunately, here in the metro area, once a person plugs in to one of the organizations that support small biz, they can have that access fairly easily. Another obstacle, and this is from a personal perspective, is financial resources. Having started my business while in a place of poverty, it’s extremely difficult to not only save up enough for substantial purchases, but to also have the time to invest in learning and progressing a business concept to fruition. Let’s be honest, there’s an intersection between perceived value of time and financial state in our dominant culture.
What was your experience of working with the IDA program?
My experience with the IDA program has been incredible!!! I absolutely would not be in the position I am now, if it wasn’t for both the educational, financial, and moral support. I am so grateful for the opportunities that have opened solely because of this program, I have traveled to Salem to advocate, and am also now sitting on the advisory council. I can’t speak well enough of the support they offered.
The theme for this year’s RE:Conference is “Renewal.” What do you do to renew yourself after a challenge or setback?
Renewal….I eat tacos and sleep. Just kidding, sorta. Well, honestly, I get pretty down, I’ve been known to cry and have felt like giving up at times. But I’m tough, so, regroup and work harder. I remind myself that once I really get this business up and where it needs to be to be bringing in a positive amount of $, I will be able to better serve my family, friends, and community than I would if I went back to work poisoning people as a bartender, or slinging shitty coffee from a company whose moral and ethical values absolutely suck. How do I want to invest my life energy? And I’ve gotten this far, I can’t give up now. This is for my kids' future, and hopefully, if I do this right, for our collective future. Even if it’s not enough to notice directly, every little bit helps.
