Meet Abigail Jenson | Business Owner

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

Hi Abigail, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Salt Lake City, Utah. Most associate Utah with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Which, I am a part of. I mention this because it has completely played a role in my development and identity. Growing up there was a lot of value placed on family relationships, serving in the community, and just living a Christ-centered life. I am the second oldest of 8 children, a family of 10 people. I developed my love for creating and giving from my mother. Growing up I watched my mom draw, cook, sew, bake, etc. and give those things to neighbors, friends, strangers, whoever. Although this sounds like a pretty good home to be in, I will be the first to tell you that we were/are not perfect. Mental illness and a variety of other issues resided in my childhood home and from these experiences I developed a great sense of awareness and empathy for other people suffering from mental illness. This has shaped the way I view and treat other people. As I said earlier, I started selling things because I initially wanted to make money… However, as I refined the business, I placed more of a focus on uplifting people through what I do. For instance, in April 2022 I released a campaign called “The Flowering Advocate”. It was all about raising awareness around eating disorders. I met with over 5 different people across the country to talk with them about their eating disorders. The interviews were compiled into a zine that promoted advocating for those struggling with eating disorders. Along with the zine, I produced a line of clothing, and held an event that gathered community members as advocates. It was amazing to see how many people found comfort in knowing they were not alone and could find support in other people suffering from similar issues. In addition to that, I have participated in suicide awareness and other mental health campaigns. A couple months ago, I also decided to give 50% of profits from How Do I Flower to The Klyn Foundation, a friend of mine from Ukraine runs this organization that provides direct aid to those suffering the effects of the war. So, overall having been in some dark places myself and coming out of them, plus growing up learning and living like Christ, is why I do the things I do with How Do I Flower. I hope to spread some of the light I’ve discovered to other people through the products I sell.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
An easy sewing project I’ve always enjoyed making are rice bags. These are 10×10” pieces of fabric sewn together with rice in them. You put them in the microwave for a couple minutes and they warm up your toes, alleviate aches and pains, whatever. December 2020, I sewed some rice bags to give as Christmas presents to my friends and neighbors. The thought occurred to me that I could make a few extra bucks if I sold these on my Instagram story. I did it, and it ended up being a crazy success! This experience was the beginning of my interest in seriously starting a business. At first my thought process behind starting a business was all about the money. As a busy college student, I needed a way to bring in more money. I already sewed as a hobby, so I thought why not make something of this that could potentially help me make money doing the things I’m already spending my time doing? A couple months later I developed a brand and deeper meaning to it. And side note- All while I was hoping to create a business, I was experiencing a lot of anxiety, depression, and overall mental decline… As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I prayed and prayed for relief or any sort of help. One day I saw a beautiful vase full of flowers in full bloom, and in my mind God spoke to me “I want you to flower”. In response I thought, “How do I flower”? This question would then become the foundation of my business. To flower means “to be in or reach of an optimum stage of development; to develop fully and richly”. My business How Do I Flower? came about as I discovered the answer to that question… I bloom and grow taller when I create, learn new skills, and make connections with people! Asking myself this simple question has improved my mental health and given me new light in my life that I hope to share with others.

I like to refer to How Do I Flower? as a project; it is an ongoing, evolving and meaningful journey taking different forms and exploring various topics around mental-health. Products and campaigns often reflect my personal flowering journey from sewing to video-editing, however the goal behind everything done at How Do I Flower? is to inspire others to begin and discover their own flowering journey.

I’ve asked friends and strangers what the most important factor behind How Do I Flower’s success is and I was surprised when they said “You”. I’ve thought about this quite a bit and have realized that what makes How Do I Flower successful is me. Being authentic to who I am and representing myself and my values in what I produce is what catches people’s attention. I have found that people spend money on and want to be a part of things they believe in. When I produced a line of clothing for the Flowering Advocate around eating disorders, people made purchases and got involved because they found meaning in the campaign and they found me interesting for doing it. They don’t necessarily buy my products because they are unique, the best price, etc. Rather they buy into the values I have that are represented in my business. Going along with this, I am very grateful for the people who have been drawn to How Do I Flower and asked to contribute to it. I’ve had people offer photography, graphic design, helping me sew, etc… Connecting with other people and inviting them to be a part of the brand has been a really successful way to organically reach more people. People are more likely to catch the vision as they are actually photographing my things, being interviewed for a project, or contributing their skills.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment to start. A perfect brand does not exist. If I was aiming for a flawless, perfectly branded business I would still be in the studio erasing and rewriting and rebranding… Although there is a level of quality I want in my brand, I have to tell myself to keep moving forward amidst the imperfections and gaps in my brand. This has really helped my business grow. Being young, not wealthy and still in school, I have often thought, “I can’t start a business now, I can’t do this or try that… Things aren’t ideal to do that. I should wait until I am out of school and am making X amount a year…” Chasing the perfect moment is exhausting. I learned a similar lesson while serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii… I met a man who had traveled all around the world and had lived a fascinating life. I asked him where his favorite place he’d been was and he said, “here”. I was like, “Hawaii?” He responded “No, just right here right now. This moment.” He went on to explain that he doesn’t spend his time wanting to be in the past or wishing for some future day but values and lives in the here and now. He said living in the present is the best because you have complete control to feel and enjoy and do the things you want. I hope that story isn’t too much of a stretch to relate it back to not waiting for the perfect moment to start… There really is no time quite like the present. I’m not saying I don’t plan or learn from past mistakes, but I really try not to wait for the perfect setting or resources to start to create. I work with what I have and make the most of the here and now.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jonathan Jenson my husband

Website: howdoiflower.com

Instagram: abigailruej

Image Credits
Lily Ballif