About Donna and JoyShine, LLC

Hi! I'm Donna, and I do all the things for this business. This is the story of the creation of  JoyShine, LLC.

We all have core moments that define how we got to where we are, and I'm no exception. In Fall 2024, I was rocking along as Vice President of Education for a major trade association in Texas, where I'd worked for 18 years. Life was good. I had just bought a new (to me) house, my only daughter was healthy and happy, and I was having a great time experiencing life and spending time with friends. 

I started seeing a lot of short videos in my social media feeds that showed how to make earrings from polymer clay. I've always been pretty creative, and I LOVE sitting in the stands in my small hometown under those Friday night lights cheering on our high school football team. I lacked a key wardrobe element though. For years, I've been looking for fabulous earrings in our school colors to wear on Friday nights, and I hadn't been able to find the right ones. These short videos convinced me that I could make them myself. 

And you know what? After a little bit of trial and error, it worked! Except I literally am not capable of just making one pair of earrings. Before you know it, I had an enormous pile of earrings. More than one person could wear. So what the heck - let's try to sell them.

Selling those earrings awakened a long-dormant part of me that I'd forgotten even existed. I've secretly wanted to own my own business since high school, but that critical voice in my head always convinced me that the risk was too high so I never did it.

I felt so alive creating and selling my jewelry! The more I got into it, the more I wanted to have more time to focus on strategy and growth. I wasn't satisfied with this being a side hustle. 

See, life has given me a unique perspective. In Fall 2024, I was a few months away from a milestone birthday, and it's one that my mom and brother didn't live much past. Both of them died of cancer within two years of the milestone birthday that I'm about to have. 

Now don't misunderstand me. I'm healthy and happy. I do not have cancer or any other terminal disease. Losing them when they both still had so much life ahead of them makes me sharply aware that life is short, and none of us have an unlimited amount of time to hustle for our dreams. 

I spent a few sleepless nights and ultimately decided to resign from my job. Anything that brings me as much joy as this company does...I have to chase that. 

I don't know if this company will be profitable enough to support me, but I sure am proud of myself for trying. Today, that's enough to keep me running down the road chasing after my dream.