Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 21

alumni spotlight

Jonathan Simons (of Jonathan’s Spoons www.woodspoon.com), learning from
his 35+ years of experience designing and making spoons. I work out of a
studio attached to my home in Bryn Athyn. I have an online store through my
website (www.hannahsideasinwood.com), through Etsy, and I sell my work to
about 150 stores across the United States.
ALUMNI MAG: What is it like owning and running a business? What are some of the
challenges you face?

A lot of aspects of running my own business can be both a blessing
and a curse. I love being able to create my own schedule, but it also means I
have to keep motivated to get things done, and even if the clock says the day
is over, I may still have more work to do. There is always more that I can learn,
and more that I can do to help the business grow. I spend time researching
how to effectively manage social media for small businesses, how to create a
website, how to take better product photos, and the list keeps going. It keeps
things interesting, and I like working on all aspects of the business. It can
also be difficult to keep up with everything, and when things fall through the
cracks, it’s my responsibility to sort things out.

HANNAH:

ALUMNI MAG:

Are there any new or exciting plans for the business?

This past summer I actually moved into a larger studio
space in my very own house! It has allowed me to expand, and
run more efficiently. Being able to more consistently keep up
with the pace of orders means that I can begin to focus more
time and energy on new designs.

HANNAH:

ALUMNI MAG: How do you think BAC helped prepare you for what
you’re doing now? What was the most important thing you learned
while at BAC?
HANNAH: As a student I appreciated that the BAC community

encouraged students to think about who they wanted to be
as whole people, not just what job they want to do. I’ve always
loved the Swedenborgian teaching that religion is how you live
your life - not just what you believe. I like maintaining those
principles in my business. I do not have the personality to be a
lawyer or a doctor, but I can help create things that are ethically
made from start to finish, and add functional beauty to people’s
lives.

B RY N AT H Y N A LU M N I M AG A Z I N E

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