50 - Papercraft Miracles with Janna Willoughby-Lohr

Life is a funny thing.  A collection of stressors and celebrations.  I have learned to appreciate them all - in their own little ways.  Appreciating everything not only makes it a little easier to manage the times that used to send me into a downward spiral, but it allows me to appreciate the peaceful times even more deeply.  

It is often darkest before the dawn.  When we so badly desire new results, we attract the challenges that make us worthy of reaping the rewards we have asked for.  For whatever reason, these challenges rarely show up how we expect.  We often reject them and think they keep us from getting what we want.  I wonder if we would treat them differently if we knew what was on the other side... that the challenges were the first part of the success we've been asking for...?  

What if we took the approach that every time something bad happened, that something good was about to happen right after?  Would that make the challenges easier to deal with? Would we be able to recover from the 'unexpected' more quickly?  What if our pain was part of our pleasure?  

Coach Nick and I are excited to share this week's conversation with our guest, Janna Willoughby-Lohr.  Janna has used the trauma she experienced in her 20's to create a business whose purpose is built into the very fabric of its existence.  

Her company, Papercraft Miracles, specializes in handcrafted paper art and gifts that bring meaning to people's lives.  

Janna founded Papercraft Miracles while still in college in 2003 and has been building the brand ever since. She was awarded a $25,000 Ignite Buffalo Small Business Grant in 2018 and was named 40 Under 40 for Stationery & Gifts from Stationery Trends Magazine in 2019.  Papercraft Miracles thrived in 2020, despite the pandemic and they have done custom projects for major brands such as Twitter and Capital One. In 2021, the comany landed a contract to create half a million seed bombs to be included in Lowe’s Spring Garden Giveaway event across the country.  

Janna is also very involved in the entrepreneurial space. She is a board member and chairs the membership committee of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Buffalo/Niagara Chapter and is a founding member of the chapter's Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, working to promote equity and representation for all women business owners.   

She is also the host of Reach the Stars Podcast-- a collection of conversations with cool people who do cool things. Each week, she brings inspiring stories of persistence, passion and purpose.  Be sure to check her out!  

And we hope you enjoy our #truthseekers conversation this week.  

Enjoy!  ~ Coach Josh

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