Member Spotlight: Suhmr Giboney of Polly Ann Collection
Hey ladies! Welcome to another Member Spotlight, featuring our members — influencers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and girl bosses alike!
Next up: Sumhr Giboney, Founder of Polly Ann Collection. If you’ve been to practically any Instagram-worthy event (including ours!), you’ve most likely seen her handmade, one of a kind wood signs!
Read on to learn about how Sumhr got started, how she balances her side hustle and more!
Q: Tell us a little bit about you, girl!
A: Hey Hey! I’m Sumhr Giboney - a Chicago girl who’s living and loving life in Atlanta! I live on the Westside with my husband and three extremely energetic boys. When I’m not working my full time job or creating fabulous custom wood signs, you can find me running on the beltline, eating ice cream at Jeni’s or brunching around the city!
Q: What inspired you to turn your passion into a business?
A: My love for transforming raw wood into art developed from a need to have a creative outlet. My FT job in sales and operations in a male-dominated construction industry simply doesn’t afford me the opportunity to be colorful and creative. The more time I spent creating, I quickly discovered that I was happier, more productive and more fulfilled. I also realized that my gift inspired and encouraged others and I wanted to spend as much time as possible in that beautiful space!
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: Watching my customers unbox their signs! OMG! It is by far the most rewarding and reassuring experience. It’s always nice to see your logo on a website or business card but there is something unique about holding your brand in your hands that creates a sense of pride. Seeing that pride on my customer’s faces keeps me grounded and inspires me to continue delivering quality products and experiences.
Q: What advice do you have for women wanting to start their own business?
A: As a mother of three small children, I spent a lot of time wondering when was the right time to start my business, when would I have time to do the work, how was I going to build community when it’s challenging to attend evening and weekend events, etc. I didn’t know a lot of people who had startup businesses and full time jobs who understood exactly how I was feeling, so I made my own rules. I knew that time was my greatest challenge so I started by mapping out my daily/weekly schedule and finding idle blocks of time.
After I identified those blocks, I made a calendar and filled the blocks with production, education opportunities, content scheduling, connecting with others, etc. My schedule varies each week but there IS a schedule and I stick to it so that I can maximize my time and stay on task. If you are on the fence about starting your biz or don’t know if you have the time for it, ask yourself how important it is to you. If it’s important, find the time. When you make your passion a priority, you will be fulfilled!
Q: What's it like juggling your side-hustle with your daytime job and raising 3 boys?
A: Beautiful chaos! Without our house calendar, our lives would be in shambles. My husband and I both have FT jobs that require travel so our scheduling rule is “first come, first serve.” Our goal is for one of us to be home at all times. We meet weekly to discuss the current and upcoming weeks so we can keep things organized. Do we still forget to add events to the calendar and accidentally double book? YES! Do we sometimes decide to cancel everything because we don’t want to overwhelm ourselves? YES! Our sanity has become more of a priority than being everywhere and doing everything. Aside from that, almost all things PAC happen when I’m off the corporate clock. Batch working is life. Sticking to my schedule is paramount because I don’t have 8 hours/day to work on signs…yet!
Q: Why is it important for you to support other local businesses?
A: I’ve been fortunate to have always had a strong support system. I wouldn’t be who I am without it and it’s my responsibility to pay it forward. Whether it’s sharing a new app that I discovered or a new IG hack, or a simple “you go girl!” we all need that reassurance and that extra nudge to keep pushing through the hard times and to help celebrate the great times. No one on their entrepreneurship journey should feel alone - there are too many of us in the community to not show love every day!
Q: So, what’s next for you and those instagrammable signs?
A: In addition to continuing to serve my girl bosses, I will be expanding into the baby market! I will be a vendor at two baby expos this fall - Swaddle and Swoon (Sept. 8 at The Factory) and Atlanta Baby and Beyond Expo (Nov 2-3 at The Hotel at Avalon). If you or a loved one’s family is growing, come see me and build your custom sign on site!
THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES
A little peek into Sumhr’s journey. We are so inspired by her constant hustle, dedication and the kindness + love she shares in our community through it all.
Be sure to follow along with Sumhr + Polly Ann Collection on Instagram. Plus, if you’re in need of a custom sign, now you know she’s your girl! Check out her website here.
Who should we spotlight next?! Leave a comment below!
