Meet JoJo | Owner

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

Hi JoJo, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of The Opening Day, would probably have to be staying true to the brand. The Opening Day was started to show that self-care can be a neutral thing and that people should not be shamed for enjoying to light a candle every once in a while to decompress or lighten the mood sometimes. What has helped continue to be the driving force behind my brand is the amount of support we have received over the past year.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is all about promoting self-care for everyone. I strive to keep my product labeling very neutral so that anyone who picks up an Opening Day candle, does not feel “embarrassed” to buy a candle. The branding behind my business stems from being a baseball player since I was the age of 6 until honestly, now. That is also the idea behind the majority of my candle names, it is a unique twist that I honestly did not see when I started my business 2 years ago. We also like to donate to local non-profits and travel ball organizations to aid offset some of the costs of tournament fees, etc because I remember what those fees were like for my parents when I played.

Honestly, the proudest moment I have to-date was my “Home Run” candle being broadcasted on live tv on Bally Sports West during the Angels versus Royals game during the 4th Inning. I honestly, had no clue because I was busy packaging and making candles and my phone, instagram, and Etsy were going off with constant notifications, it was pretty cool!

1 of the biggest lessons running my own business has taught me, was patience and effective communication skills.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, I have so many favorite places in the city! One of my favorite restaurants is Castaway in Burbank. If you want to show someone fine dining with amazing views, that it definitely the place to go. I would also recommend going to the Getty Center! Although I have only gone once, I definitely would recommend someone to go at least once if they are in the area. I would obviously have a baseball game on the itinerary, because, well you just have to haha. In the Orange County area, I love visiting the Orange Circle and Irvine Spectrum! There is just so many unique shops and fun eateries that you can spend all day at those locations; I can’t forgot, that I would take my friend to Attitcus Cafe in Anaheim, another small business owned restaurant and the food is amazing (my fave are the Chilaquiles).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Honestly, there are so many people in my life that have contributed to the success of my brand; it would honestly be unfair to throw outs names (with the fear of accidentally forgetting someone, haha). It has been loved ones, family, friends, amazing people that I have met at vendor markets, the list goes on.

Website: www.etsy.com/theopeningday

Instagram: www.instagram.com/theopeningday

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/theopeningday