Padma Jonnavithula with Snuggly Blanket Company

Intro: [00:00:07] Coming to you live from the Business RadioX studio in Woodstock, Georgia. This is fearless formula with Sharon Cline.

Sharon Cline: [00:00:17] And welcome to Fearless Formula on Business Radio X, where we talk about the ups and downs in the business world and offer words of wisdom for business success. I’m your host, Sharon Cline. And today on the show, we have a former banker, full time banker, who turned her side hustle into her main hustle. And she’s the owner of the Snuggly Blanket Company. Welcome, Padma, to the show.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:00:40] Thank you, Sharon. Great to be here.

Sharon Cline: [00:00:42] Thank you. I really appreciate you spending time with me today.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:00:44] Thank you for having me.

Sharon Cline: [00:00:45] Sure. And I love your story because so many people have little side hustles and you never know what it’s going to amount to. But here you are, full time banker Wells Fargo in the corporate world. But then you have this creative side that you really like. Can you tell me about how you got started?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:01:00] Sure. So yeah, it’s actually in the midst of the pandemic. I was working with the bank full time and, you know, unfortunately, I had some work permit issues and, you know, I had to get separated from my full time job and I had a lot of time on hand. And, you know, this was in the middle of the pandemic. And I was like, you know, what do I do? I can’t step out anywhere. Is there any hobby I can cultivate or, you know, is there any classes that I can take? So there have been a couple of, you know, stuff that I wanted to do pottery, I did candle making and I did join a class to actually learn how to make these chunky blankets. And, you know, I probably was the only, you know, a customer that they had. And I have at least taken about five or six different classes with them because I wanted to try out to see what is it that I’m going to enjoy. And the moment I took the chunky blanket class and when I came back home, I was like, you know, really in love with that, you know, the magic that you could do without any prior or, you know, experience in crocheting or knitting. And at the end of 2 hours, you had this beautiful blanket in front of you. And I was like, Wow, this is awesome. You know, I would want to try this and, you know, do some more. So, yeah, I mean, it just started like that. And I remember that Thanksgiving I made chunky blankets as presents to my friends, family. Everybody got one. And, you know, and I knew that, you know, I’m on a different journey now and, you know, I’m really going to enjoy doing this.

Sharon Cline: [00:02:25] What I love, too, is it’s very meditative.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:02:28] It is very therapeutic. I was very, very calming. I mean, most of the time on, you know, at home, you would find me watching Netflix and quietly knitting away. And it’s it’s really calmed my nerves because I’m somebody who is very hyper, who is very, you know, anxious. But it’s really brought a lot of calm and a lot of I really find it very therapeutic.

Sharon Cline: [00:02:50] And you get at the end, you get to give these gifts to people that they love. You know what I mean? Who doesn’t love a snuggling? Playing like it just sounds amazing.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:02:57] I have one in each room of my house.

Sharon Cline: [00:03:00] Well, it’s cool too, because there’s no technology that’s needed. You don’t have to have a degree. You can just figure out like the basic stitching and you do it over and over. Right?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:03:08] Exactly. I mean, I think that’s the whole idea of it. And I tell them that anybody can knit. Knitting doesn’t have to be I mean, you know, just to take that fear out of people like, oh, you I’m not creative. I don’t know how to handle the hooks and the needles. And I’ve never done any sewing in my life. And I would say, then this is the perfect thing for you to do, because this doesn’t require any prior knowledge. You don’t have to be. I mean, I’ve never done any knitting in my life, and all you need is just your two hands, you know, just the finger knitting. You don’t have any tools that you need and know at the end of it, you create something so beautiful out of it that, you know, I think that’s one reason why people love to come to my workshop because, you know, I mean, it’s a make and take blanket. So you come here, you make it, and then you take it with you when you go back.

Sharon Cline: [00:03:53] There’s one of the questions I had for you is I saw on your website that you have workshops. Can you tell me about them?

Speaker3: [00:03:57] Sure.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:03:59] You know, it’s it’s very interesting how I got into doing workshops. I did mention that, you know, I was enjoying making these chunky blankets and I thought, okay, now that I’ve made so many, let me see if anybody would buy it. You know, let’s see if I can kind of, you know, turn it into a business. And I made a post on Facebook saying, okay, I can make chunky blankets. And I put a couple of photos and there’s one lady who approached me and she said, Your blankets are beautiful, but would you even mind teaching me because I think I would want to make my own as well, you know, unless I mean, if it’s very complicated, then that’s fine. But otherwise, it’s something that I can learn. I would love to come and learn. And that was like, you know, it just instantly sparked this idea that why not? I mean, you know, just the way I enjoy doing it. I’m sure there are so many ladies out there who would love it. So I said, Yeah, sure, I don’t have any location, but you are welcome to come to my house. So she was very first customer. She just didn’t knock. The door, came into my house and we both were sitting on my, you know, across my dining table and she made a beautiful blanket and she was like, you know, it’s again, it’s like a word of mouth spread. And then she brought her friends over. And, you know, now I do workshops at least. You know, 2 to 3 times a month. And most of my customers are from our favorite Cherokee County. The Woodstock and Canton ladies, they just seem to love this. The moment I advertise it, it gets sold out so fast.

Sharon Cline: [00:05:19] It’s funny because when you think about the old days, they used to have these sewing circles, you know, and the people who would do quilting together. And there is something. So bonding about spending that time together, Do you find that the case for you? You get to know these ladies?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:05:31] Definitely. I think you know what? If you ask me what I love the most about my business, do I make blankets and sell? And I probably make more money there. But what I really enjoy doing is the workshops because, you know, it gives me the opportunity to meet so many amazing ladies, form such lovely friendships. And now with me not working full time, you know, I miss that connect, you know, of talking to people. And I think this is an excellent way. I’ve made some amazing friends and, you know, also the like nice little knitting community. We still exchange pictures of what they are knitting. They keep coming back to me with questions. You know, we formed a beautiful community. And I think that’s that’s the beauty of this entire workshop thing.

Sharon Cline: [00:06:11] It’s so cool because it was just an inspiration for you, you know, something that you were trying to figure out what felt so good to you to do, you know, for yourself, candle making or whatever. So this is what kind of sparked your interest. And now, look, it’s kind of affected a lot of people’s lives. It’s really kind of a cool story.

Speaker3: [00:06:27] Yeah.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:06:27] And, you know, to be to be honest, I just started off last January, so it’s kind of a year since I really went into, you know, doing this commercially. So and I think I’ve come a long way in the last one year. And, you know, there are so many different things, plans that I have for the coming years.

Sharon Cline: [00:06:46] So. So you also do private events.

Speaker3: [00:06:48] I saw. Oh, yes, I do.

Sharon Cline: [00:06:50] What are your private events that you do?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:06:52] So I do corporate workshops, team building workshops. And so, you know, I think you probably must have known that a lot of companies these days, you know, want to do a cooking class as a team, you know, So anything to bring their entire team together outside the work environment for them to bond over an activity. And I think a blanket making is perfect for any season, not just the winter, because, you know, these are greatest presents to be given away. So I’ve done a lot of corporate workshops and I also do a lot of private events in the sense that, you know, you have your own friends group, you know, you have a girls night and you have about seven or eight friends that are staying over and you’re looking for an activity that you all can do at home. So I call my private workshops the the Chardonnay and Chanel. So it’s like a sip and knit kind of thing.

Speaker3: [00:07:39] So you have a glass of chardonnay and then you have the shiny lion and you know, before you know it, you, you end up making a blanket. So that’s fun.

Speaker3: [00:07:50] As long as you don’t have you don’t have too much chardonnay.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:07:54] You might end up missing a few.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:07:57] Nonsense lives here.

Sharon Cline: [00:07:58] And it’s all good.

Sharon Cline: [00:07:59] It’s all very mature stuff. Oh, that’s funny. You also have do it yourself kits, which are kind of cool, because if someone maybe can’t come to one, maybe they could be able to do it at home. So you tell me about that.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:08:09] Yes, I think, again, the idea for the DIY kits has come from one of my customers, you know, so I think that’s you know, it’s very important when you’re in a business to kind of listen to what your clients are saying because you know, most of your ideas, the idea for your next product could be coming from them.

Sharon Cline: [00:08:24] Because they just ask, Do you have this? And you’re like, wait, yes, I do now.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:08:29] So this lady asked me, okay, we want to do this. But you know, my mom, she cannot come to the workshop. So is there something that, you know, she can just sit at home and do? Do you have a video or something? And I said, Wow, that’s a great idea, because if you have asked for this, I’m sure that there’s some many more ladies out there who would want to do the same. So that’s, you know, kind of gave rise to the DIY kits. So when you order a DIY kit from me, it has everything that you need to make a blanket. So it has the yarn, it has, you know, the scissors and you know, all the tools that you would need are measuring tape. And you also get a link to a full video tutorial which tells you how to knit the blankets step by step. So everything that you want is in the kit. So all you need is just buy the kit that told me you need a computer and an internet connection and you can, you know, in 2 hours you could make a blanket.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:23] That’s really amazing, isn’t it?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:25] Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:25] And it’s a skill that you don’t even have to always get a new kit. You can go and find your own yarn or whatever. It. Exactly. It’s a skill that you’re learning.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:31] Exactly. Yep. Yep.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:33] So is it crocheting or is it knitting?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:36] It’s knitting.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:37] It’s knitting.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:38] It’s knitting.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:39] And it’s a knitting with no tools.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:43] Just your finger. Yes. But crocheting it’s the difficult part of crocheting is that it’s probably not for everybody because and also, number two, it is not something you could learn in one class.

Sharon Cline: [00:09:53] And I would agree on that. Yeah. You know, so you have complicated.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:09:57] Exactly. So you should first know how to hold the hooks. And, you know, it’s a series of classes before you can actually see the end product. Whereas with these chunky blanket. I would say it’s more like an instant gratification. You know, you just learn it then, and when you’re going out of the class, you’re going out with something that you have made, you know, So that makes it very special.

Sharon Cline: [00:10:16] And I’m just going to say, do you find that that people are super proud of themselves for having made something? You know, physically? It’s like when you go to the painting classes and they have like a little I don’t know, was it like a painting thing where you sip wine and then you go home with, like, your artwork? Yeah, it’s something that you can say that you made. So I’m imagining that, you know, people would be really proud of.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:10:37] I think that’s the most rewarding part of doing the workshops is when you when you see these happy faces of people who come into my workshop very nervous thinking, Oh, is this something that I can do? Maybe it’s not for me, you know, And when they enter the workshop and they’re going back, you know, with the blanket that they made and the happiness in their faces, I think that’s very rewarding for me.

Sharon Cline: [00:11:00] Would you say that’s the most rewarding part? Is that that’s awesome. Yes. Yes. Well, let’s talk a little bit about the fact that you started this business. So did you go through the standard way, like make an LLC or a DBA? Figured all of that out. And how did you do that? Did you do like I did, which is Google everything?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:11:17] Actually, I should give credit for all that to my husband. So he I mean, I, I somehow, you know, I can’t get my head around those things. So he’s the one who he said, if you want to do it, let’s just do it, you know, the right way. So we’ve got an LLC established and it’s called the Club Nirvana Resorts, because we also have a holiday resort kind of a business. And the Snuggly Blanket company is doing business.

Sharon Cline: [00:11:46] Yes. So it’s it’s amazing.

Sharon Cline: [00:11:48] Well, I mean, a lot of people have ideas about how they would like a company to to come to fruition. And so having someone say this is kind of my path, how I did it, it makes it less scary because when you look at it, it’s like, what? I’m going to make a whole company. How do you do that? You know? But it’s nice that there are resources and it’s also wonderful. We always talk about this on the show, having the right amount of people around you or the people that have knowledge to help you and support.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:12:10] Exactly. I think now more than anything now, you know, if you want to start something on your own, there is no shortage of resources.

Sharon Cline: [00:12:18] I would agree with that.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:12:18] And you only have to ask because there’s so many groups, you know, women’s entrepreneur groups out there who are more than willing to help you with any question that you might have and at no cost. I mean, these are ladies who just want to you know, it could be on a Facebook group, it could be your next door, it could be on any of these apps that you use regularly. So, you know, if you have the determination and you have the, you know, the dream to do something, now is the time. Because, you know, you have everything that you need at your fingertips.

Sharon Cline: [00:12:50] It’s so smart. Do you also go to networking meetings like we have some of our networking here?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:12:54] I actually I’ve been kind of, you know, not going avoiding, I would say, because I’m not a very extrovert kind of person. I like to keep.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:04] To myself, Oh, you’re doing so.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:05] Great right.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:13:06] Now. But you know what? Having said that, tomorrow I’m going for my very first networking.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:11] Are you really? I’m clapping for you off camera or.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:14] Off the mike? Yeah, I think that’s amazing because.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:13:17] Because I’m like, you know, I should get out of my comfort zone and, you know, go and meet other people and, you know, so yes. So tomorrow I’m doing this.

Sharon Cline: [00:13:24] Amazing. I really feel like you you maybe underestimate, like, how engaging you are. And, you know, people like to hear other people’s stories, you know, And so be fascinating for you to tell yours that way. And I think it’s really cool, especially here in Woodstock. We have a lot of support of business owners, and it’s just so nice how you feel, like someone’s really interested in your little journey and what you can provide for them and you feel the same for them. And it’s just like it becomes a little family.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:13:49] Exactly. I think so. That’s why I’m just taking my first step. And that’s one of the, you know, goals I have for this year that I should go out, you know, join these networking groups. I’ve also recently signed up for the Atlanta Entrepreneur Women, so I’m kind of a part of that group as well. So I’m slowly kind of, you know, spreading my wings and kind of getting into these networking groups.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:13] Would you ever have thought, like a year and a half ago that you would be doing all of these things? Is that crazy?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:14:19] You know, as they say, when life throws lemons at you, you make a lemonade.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:25] For sure. You make blankets.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:14:26] Yeah. You make blankets. Yes.

Sharon Cline: [00:14:29] What are some surprises that you’ve encountered as you’ve kind of grown your business? Are there some big surprises, things you didn’t expect?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:14:37] Oh, I think one of the biggest surprise is I never knew that there were so many women out there who would want to learn a skill like this as a hobby. You know, when I started, I thought, okay, people would want to buy a blanket, but, you know, I never knew that there was so much interest in people. You know, it’s easy for anybody to just buy a retail product. But the interest that people have in gifting somebody their own handmade one, I think that’s. It might not be the perfect blanket, but it’s something that they have made. So I think, you know, that interest kind of just took me by surprise. You know, when I first announced my workshop, I thought, Oh, I don’t think anybody is going to even come and attend it. And, you know, within a week it kind of got filled up and I was like, Wow, okay. I thought I was the only one who wanted to try something. But, you know, there’s so many women out there and, you know, I think it’s that’s the big surprise element, I would say.

Sharon Cline: [00:15:32] Do you ever have men want to come or has it been predominantly women?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:15:35] It’s been predominantly women. Having said that, I did have, I think probably in the last one year, at least about ten men, which is not about. Yeah. And, you know, once I had a couple who came on a date.

Sharon Cline: [00:15:48] Oh, you’re kidding. Sweet as that. It was.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:15:52] Extremely sweet. I mean, I you know, you wouldn’t believe the man. Actually, he finished knitting the blanket much Before his girlfriend did. He was, you know, good with his hands. Exactly.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:16:03] And he was like a man on a mission, you know? He was like, okay. The moment I explained to him how to do it, he got the hang of it and he was quietly sitting there and this lady was trying to make a conversation because obviously they were on a date. But he was like, No, let me finish this. I’m really enjoying doing this.

Speaker3: [00:16:21] So, yeah, I mean.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:16:23] It was fun and I have a lot of, you know, I had a mom and still her teenage son who.

Speaker3: [00:16:27] Came, Oh, wow.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:16:29] You know, which is very surprising and very beautiful because honestly, I have a 20 year old and I can’t get him to, you know, come and try his hand at knitting.

Sharon Cline: [00:16:38] So it’s like, No, no, thanks, Mom.

Speaker3: [00:16:41] That’s cute.

Sharon Cline: [00:16:44] Well, have you had any along this journey? Have you had any. This is always a tough question that I asked. But like, have there been any sort of mistakes that you’re sort of like, dang, I wish I knew before I got started this, you know, something that you wish you could tell yourself before you got started?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:16:59] I think it’s a bit too soon for me. It’s it’s just been a year, so I’ve not had any. Major mistakes other than probably just one, which was, you know, I mean, I as a small business owner, I mean, you probably know that we don’t have a huge budget for marketing and advertising. Yes. Yeah. So I rely rely heavily on Facebook. So to, you know, Facebook groups. And one a lesson that I learned the hard way is that you cannot use Facebook groups too much.

Speaker3: [00:17:28] You know. Yeah.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:17:30] I mean that’s the lesson that I’ve heard the hard way. And you know, my my account got disabled ones and, you know, that was like a nightmare experience.

Sharon Cline: [00:17:40] Well, if you’re just joining us, we’re speaking to Padma of the Snuggly Blanket Company. We just talked a little bit before the show started about what it’s like for you on social media, because I follow you on Instagram and I see posts like a couple of times a day sometimes, and I think this is amazing. It’s like, this is such effort for you to be able to advertise and you’re doing this yourself. So what is that like?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:18:04] Yeah.

Speaker3: [00:18:05] I think, you know.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:18:08] That’s the one part of owning your own business which, which I personally am not a big fan of, which is, you know, running the social media. I wish a day comes very soon when I can afford somebody to do it for me.

Sharon Cline: [00:18:21] I know the right person to point you to for sure. But yeah, because it’s 2407, right?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:18:26] You know, you’re constantly thinking of what content to put out there and you know, how many reels, what is trending, what is the trending audio? You know, it’s not just the reels. You got to post those, you know, the stories and the posts. I mean, there’s so many different things. And I think the landscape of social media is changing so rapidly and it’s just not Instagram. You should have presence on TikTok and Twitter and everything. You know, it’s it’s a it’s a full time job for somebody. I mean, right now I think I’ll probably, you know, doing it, doing a good job, I would say. But yeah, I mean, I don’t see managing my own social media for a long.

Speaker3: [00:19:04] Time.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:19:06] Because I think it takes up too much time. And, you know, I would rather use that to grow my business.

Sharon Cline: [00:19:12] I know even I need to hire someone so they can do it for me and you because I don’t like doing it either. And I don’t, which is not good for me. I need to work on that for sure.

Speaker3: [00:19:21] I mean, it’s.

Sharon Cline: [00:19:22] It’s a challenge, I think. Like you were saying, you took a picture before the show started. You’re like, I got to get content. But that means that your brain is constantly looking at content.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:19:30] Exactly. I mean, you know. Yeah, that’s a top thought on my head all the time. Like before I even got into the car, I just made a small video clip saying that, okay, I’m heading out to, you know, to meet Sharon. So, you know, this thought that, you know, you have to keep churning the content out every time. So that’s on top of your mind. So you’re kind of looking for where can you find content?

Sharon Cline: [00:19:51] Yeah, what picture can I. Exactly. Nice or video what looks nice, you know? Oh, my goodness, I’m lazy, I think. But if you want to compete, I imagine the more you put into it, the more.

Speaker3: [00:20:02] Exactly.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:03] And I think that’s how I found you actually is because I saw something on Facebook and I was like, Oh, this this looks like a really interesting business, you know, And that it was fairly new. And I was like, I got to ask her about it.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:20:15] I think the Cherokee Connect a Facebook group, I think that’s that’s being an excellent, you know, I would say a blessing in disguise because that’s a fabulous group. And I think the person who manages the.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:26] Yes. Josh Josh.

Speaker3: [00:20:27] Bagby.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:20:28] Yeah, he’s great. And, you know, I mean, I think I’ve had a lot of response for my workshops from the advertising that I do on the Facebook groups.

Sharon Cline: [00:20:38] Have you found that you have competition? Who is your competition? Do you even look at other people who do blanket making or anything like that?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:20:44] There are a lot of people who do it or, you know, in and around Atlanta, but I’m not sure if there’s anybody doing that in the Cherokee County.

Speaker3: [00:20:53] Look at you.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:20:54] So I’m like, you know, this is my county.

Speaker3: [00:20:57] You know, congratulations. You are the don’t ask.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:21:03] Don’t don’t you ever think of.

Speaker3: [00:21:04] Coming to Cherokee? I don’t want any competition. Yeah, of course not.

Sharon Cline: [00:21:09] But it’s funny because seriously, I love the notion that you’re really helping so many people kind of in this county in particular, really enjoy something like this. So I don’t know. I mean, I’m inspired by it.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:21:21] I think it’s the one great good thing is, you know, a lot of people say, I’m just alone. Can I come by myself and sign up? I’m saying I tell them, please do, because, you know, they come alone. But when they go out of my workshop, they have made a friend, you know? So it’s beautiful. It’s a place where you’re like minded. People can come so you don’t always have to sign up a workshop with a friend, with your mom, with your daughter. No. I mean, if you’re just be yourself and you have a Saturday morning free, you just come by and meet new people, you know, learn a new skill. And I keep telling them, you know, this will very soon become your favorite hobby. And it’s happened for so many people. They keep coming back with pictures of what they’ve made. And, you know, as a teacher, it makes me very proud that they just didn’t make one black. And forget all about it. But they still keep in touch with me. And a lot of people have made so many other things which I haven’t. I just taught them to make one blanket, but they’ve taken that craft ahead and made a lot of fabulous things.

Sharon Cline: [00:22:18] So if you look back over the year, you know, we talk about on fearless Formula, the things that people kind of tend to not do because they do have maybe they’re trepidatious about something or, you know, don’t know that they have enough skill to make their own company. Are there some ups and downs that you’ve experienced or is it still fairly new?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:22:36] I think it’s really fairly new still, I would say. But I think there are a couple of challenges, as any new business owner, I think is, you know, managing your website and, you know, the technology, the search engine optimization. So those are the things that I still struggle with. And, you know, a lot of this I kind of do a lot of self-learning and I try to do it myself. I mean, I’ve built my entire website from scratch by myself.

Speaker3: [00:23:01] It’s beautiful.

Sharon Cline: [00:23:02] I really love how you you made it look lovely. I was actually admiring it. Yeah, That’s.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:23:07] Impressive. Yeah. I think, you know, the website optimization and stuff like that. I think that’s a bit of a challenge that I still have, and I think that’s probably with a lot of people out there wanting to start their own thing.

Sharon Cline: [00:23:20] Yeah, but you know, there are, like you said, there are resources in order to help you figure it out. So you don’t really need to have a big degree in.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:23:28] Know, you.

Sharon Cline: [00:23:28] Know, marketing and advertising or even hire someone.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:23:31] I think all you need is that a time and the willingness to learn and you know you could it’s not something and you know probably about five six years ago it might have been a different thing. But now, you know, you have resources everywhere. You have the time, you have the determination, you have the inclination to do it yourself. You can self learn and do it. It’s not rocket science, definitely.

Sharon Cline: [00:23:51] I love that because I do believe there are a lot of people that have dreams out there that are just a little intimidated by the notion, like just don’t even know where to start.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:23:59] Oh, no. I mean, if I can do it, anybody can do it.

Speaker3: [00:24:02] You’re not special. No, because you.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:24:04] Know, somebody like me, I was always into a corporate job. And, you know, I never thought myself as a creative person. And starting something on my own was like the farthest thing from my mind. So, you know, it’s not impossible if if you’re on the fence thinking about, should I do it or should I not do it, I would say just jump in and just dive in and do it. You can look and learn, figure it out as you go along.

Sharon Cline: [00:24:26] Well, what would you like to see your company? Well, first of all, you do blankets, but do you do any other kind of patterns or is it just blankets now?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:24:32] Oh, there are a couple of things I do like. Yeah, I’m predominantly I make and sell blankets. I teach people how to make and I do the scarves, not just blankets. I do scarves as well. And I I’m going to start making the pet beds, you know, cute cat beds and dog beds as well.

Speaker3: [00:24:50] Really? Yes.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:24:51] So I’m going to be launching them this year. And I’ve got a new product that I’m kind of launching next month. So these are hand crocheted items. So, you know, one course that’s always been dear to me is the women empowerment. So I’m, you know, kind of working with a few ladies back home in India. So we teach these women come from a very rural, you know, backward community in India. And, you know, we teach these women how to do knitting and crocheting, sew, and they make these beautiful items. And, you know, I’m bringing that here to kind of give them a bigger platform. And this kind of helps these women send their kids to school, you know, and it puts their food on the table. I mean, and, you know, to be I’m extremely surprised at the kind of skill that these women have, you know, and the products that they are kind of, you know, with very little training that I provide. You know, they make these beautiful things. And, you know, it’s it’s it helps them a lot. You know, it’s you know, it’s helping them send their kids to school. They have the house over their head. So I think it’s it’s a great thing. And I’m kind of, you know, starting marketing and selling those products from next month. So that’s something new that I’m you know, it’s a very dear project to me because, you know, not not, not all women are fortunate, and especially when you come from very rural parts of India, I think it’s it’s a great opportunity to bring their work, give it a bigger platform. You know.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:24] That’s very sweet, you know, And it must be near and dear. You’re almost you’re almost paying it forward in some way.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:26:30] Exactly. Exactly.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:31] Oh, not everybody does that. I’m impressed that you do that.

Speaker3: [00:26:34] That’s very cool. Yeah, I said forward. Yeah, forward.

Sharon Cline: [00:26:38] Yeah, yeah. But, you know, it’s funny. I think it’s important to highlight the fact that not everybody like you said, not every woman is born in a fortunate situation. And I think I can tend to have the blinders on and assume everyone lives like I do. But how important it is to share a skill that you have that can make someone else’s life better.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:26:56] Yeah, and I think it’s giving back to the country where I come from because, you know, I know not not all women there are, especially from a very backward community. This means a lot to them.

Speaker3: [00:27:07] Wow.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:27:07] So, you know, and these women are so sweet. They’re so willing to learn. You know, they’re very willing to learn what’s coming and, you know, and creating such beautiful pieces. And I’ve been kind of, you know, dropping some hints on my story and on my reels about the upcoming products. And people have been loving it so far. So I just can’t wait to launch this.

Sharon Cline: [00:27:30] Well, where do you see if you were going to imagine yourself five years from now? Where would you like your company to be? Do you have a kind of idea?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:27:38] You know what, To be very honest, Sharon, I’m not somebody who thinks that very long term. I just want to take it each day as it comes and see what’s my next move going to be. What else can I offer? I think five years probably is a long time. But yes, I mean, I definitely want to grow the business. And I don’t know if I will ever go back to a 9 to 5 job again. I still have this thing at the back of my mind. Oh, maybe I should attend some interviews and, you know, maybe I should take up a full time job. But then, you know, I’m enjoying doing this so much that I probably will never go back to full time working. So, yes, I mean, I definitely want to grow my business and, you know, and, you know, increase my offerings and see what else I can bring to my customers.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:27] That’s great. I am the same. I don’t really think that far.

Speaker3: [00:28:29] Yeah.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:30] I don’t know if that’s a good thing for me or bad, but I tend to be in this moment. It’s fine right now.

Speaker3: [00:28:35] Exactly.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:28:36] I take one day at a.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:37] Time for sure. Gosh, I had another question in my mind and I just lost. Oh, I got it. Where do you get all of your supplies for your yarn and things?

Speaker3: [00:28:48] Yes. Do you.

Sharon Cline: [00:28:49] Wholesale.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:28:49] Wholesale them? Yes. I also sell the yarn. So, you know, the people who attend my workshop, once they finish and they want to go back and make some more so they can buy yarn from my website. I initially I used to buy locally from the craft stores around here and I noticed that, you know, they don’t have all the colors that I need and the quality is also not up to the mark. Like after all these blankets are washable. But you know, the quality I notice sometimes is it kind of just snaps after a wash. So now I’m having my own brand of yarn. So if you want, I have about 21 colors that I sell. So this is an extremely, you know, soft and 100% polyester nylon. So and available in over 21 colors. So yeah, I mean, if you want to try your hand, please watch some yarn and you’ll fall in love with the touch and feel of the yarn because you know, it’s, it’s extremely soft.

Sharon Cline: [00:29:47] I saw that you did a blanket. I think it had Georgia colors. Is that right? Oh, yes.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:29:51] Yeah, those are my the college theme blankets are very, very popular. You know, especially was it two weeks ago when Georgia won.

Speaker3: [00:30:00] Yeah. You go to the blanket.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:30:03] Exactly. And my son goes to Georgia as well, so.

Speaker3: [00:30:06] Oh, wow. Yeah, he’s.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:30:07] A sophomore there. So. Yeah, I mean, I made a lot of blankets Georgia Tech. And, you know, now I think if you go to my site, I probably have more than 15 or 20 college blankets.

Sharon Cline: [00:30:18] It’s really smart. People are so passionate about that here in this. Oh, yes. Well, the Southeast, I guess. Yeah, Well, all over, I imagine. But in particular here, especially right now.

Speaker3: [00:30:26] Exactly. Yeah. Well, if people.

Sharon Cline: [00:30:28] Wanted to get in touch with you, what would be the best way that they could find you?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:30:32] Oh, you could find me on Instagram. You know, my Instagram handle is snuggly blanket co. That’s snug l y, b l a and k e or snugly blanket co. And I go by the same name on Facebook as well and TikTok as well. It’s the same. So you know, snuggly blanket CO those are the best ways. Or you could email me my email address is also on my website. It’s info, it’s snuggly blanket COCOM and I’m usually very prompt with my responses.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:05] So that’s great because you’re doing it all.

Speaker3: [00:31:07] Yes, I know.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:31:09] What are we? I’m never I mean, from my mobile.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:11] It must be difficult to really balance that out though. If you’re doing all of this on your own. Do you have any trouble kind of balancing or putting boundaries around your work time and family time?

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:31:21] I struggle with that.

Sharon Cline: [00:31:23] You know, people do, yes.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:31:24] Because, you know, as your own small business owner, especially since you’re just starting off, you know, you cannot restrict yourself to a certain timing. And especially I’m somebody I’ve been a workaholic all my life. You know, you get me when I get into something, I get into it, I take a full dive into it and I do it go all out for me. It’s either all out or, you know, I don’t get into.

Speaker3: [00:31:47] It at all. Go big or go home. They say, Yeah, yeah.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:31:50] But luckily I don’t have any small, you know, toddlers or babies at home. I have a 20 year old and I have a 11 year old going to be 12. So, yeah, I mean, I do have the entire time during the day and in the evening when he comes back, I spend a couple of hours with him. And once I put him to sleep and again, you know, I get back into.

Speaker3: [00:32:09] My.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:32:09] Last reel for the day.

Speaker3: [00:32:12] And then Netflix and Blanket making. Oh, yes.

Sharon Cline: [00:32:16] Well, Padma, I’m so glad you came by the studio and I really appreciate your sharing your story. And I’m hoping people out there inspired by the fact that the pandemic came and it could have been something really devastating, but you turned it into something really beautiful. And it extends not just to Cherokee County, but even over into India.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:32:31] Yes.

Sharon Cline: [00:32:32] Very cool. You’re welcome.

Padma Jonnavithula: [00:32:33] Thank you, Shannon, I think. Thanks a lot for having me. And I think it’s been a great experience speaking to you and sharing my experiences with the Cherokee County.

Speaker3: [00:32:41] Yay.

Sharon Cline: [00:32:42] Well, all of you out there, thank you for listening to Fearless Formula. I’m Business RadioX and this is Sharon Cline reminding you that with knowledge and understanding, we can all have our own fearless formula. Have a great day.