Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorie Cannon.
Hi Dorie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I began canning in 1996 when my husband and I moved to a house in the country in a small town in Illinois. There were woods on both sides of us and cornfields surrounding us. Our land and the woods were filled with wild fruits, like blackberries, black raspberries, mulberries, and apples, and then we put in a garden with strawberries and vegetables. So, this city girl bought a “Ball Canning Book” and taught herself how to can! For the next 24 years, I just gave my jams and jellies as gifts to friends and family. They raved about my creations and said I should sell them, but I dismissed them. I was too busy, and this was just a hobby. I retired from a wonderful 40-year career in education in 2019. I had so much time on my hands and lots to do, so I was never bored. I began experimenting and making brand-new jam flavors and recipes. Creatively, I was satisfied. However, I truly felt I was missing something: the human connection. My friends and family urged me to sell my jams and jellies at local fairs. They said it would be an opportunity to get out into the world again and connect with people. I finally gave in and signed up for my first fair in the spring of 2020. I had to devise a catchy name that would “dance” off your tongue when you said it. “Dorie’s Jams, Jellies & Jingles” was cute and memorable!
PS – The “jingles” part of my name refers to the handmade craft items I offer – Creating them makes my heart “jingle”, makes me happy! I hope whoever buys them gets a little “jingle” of happiness in their hearts! I know it sounds corny, but I think we need a little more corny in this world! I was shocked that people – strangers – actually liked my jams and bought them. I sold about 75 jars at that first fair. I was hooked! So far, the greatest blessings of my four-year business journey have been my new friendships and reconnecting with former students and old friends. I have followers I know by name and who stop by to talk with me at the fairs (and, of course, to buy a few jars of jam or to pick up a gift for that special someone in their lives!) Life is good!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
From the beginning, I have called this “My Retirement Hobby.” I do not have to do this to survive. I do it because I love it. When I commit to something, I give it 100+ percent. So, I promised myself that I would have balance in my life and would not let canning and crafting consume all my time. Finding that balance can be a challenge. So, when the last craft fair is done in December, I hang up my apron and put away all my supplies until spring. If you don’t take time to get rejuvenated, you will burn out! The beginning of this journey hit some bumps with the outbreak of Covid. Fortunately, I was allowed to have my tasting station as long as I wore gloves, spooned out the samples, and gave the spoons to the patrons. But after that spring, there were no more craft fairs for a year, So I had time to develop more jam flavors and make more craft items. That’s when my inventory expanded. The most challenging decision for me has been pricing my items. I didn’t set out to make tons of money, just a little profit that I could tuck into a vacation fund. I knew my jam flavors were unique, ones you would never find in a store, and I knew my gift items were one-of-a-kind creations. I needed to make my products affordable, yet profitable. I still struggle with that, but I rely on the insight and advice of a few of my friends and my husband in setting prices.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have loved creating things and giving them as gifts all my life. Even as a little girl, I made Christmas presents for my family. I am a creative person. Even in my teaching, I never taught a lesson precisely according to the directions; I embellished it and made it my own. What sets me apart from others is my passion for life! I am a positive-minded person. I love inspirational quotes. I love to smile, laugh, sing, dance, dress up like a princess, and go to Renaissance fairs with my husband. I care about people. I love life!
All of my products are made to feed my creative soul and bring a smile to the faces and hearts of others. For example:
- I get some of the ideas for jam flavors from people I know. My husband’s favorite dessert is pineapple upside-down cake, so I looked at what’s in that cake and just put it in a jar! The same thing happened with my blueberry muffin jam; my hairstylist’s favorite sweet. I now have 40+ jam flavors and am cooking up more for this next craft fair season.
- My Jars of Encouragement and Baby’s Butterfly Kisses Boxes are gifts with inspirational quotes written on folded papers. If you need a little boost, reach in and pull out a paper, read the message, and let the words set you on a more positive path!
- To promote just having fun, I offer Wine Jelly Flights and Ugly Christmas Sweater Necklaces and Earrings.
When you come to my booth, I want it to be an experience – From the yummy tasting of all my 40+ jam flavors to the welcoming smiles and conversations we’re sure to have!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is doing something you love so much that even if you didn’t get paid, you’d do it anyway! I believe that you choose the kind of day you will have. If you start your day focusing on the negative, waiting for someone or something to bring you down, you are guaranteed to have a bad day. In contrast, if you focus on the positive and seek opportunities to succeed and see the good around you, your day will be brighter. That doesn’t mean that everything you experience will be perfect, but focusing on the positive will give you the strength to face roadblocks you encounter and the perspective to handle each situation – to look at it objectively and deal with it accordingly. I have three framed quotes that used to hang in my classroom and now in my house. They are my daily mantra:
- “I think I’ll just be happy today.”
- “Start each day with a grateful heart.”
- “What can I do better today than I did yesterday?”
If you want to succeed in anything, you have to give it your all, stop and evaluate your progress, continue the practices that are going well, and then be willing to make the changes necessary for that success to continue. You have to be flexible, open-minded and passionate!
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doriec13/
Image Credits
Just Keep Jamming! Caricature print was made by Aiden Willier https://www.facebook.com/PrismaticOasisDesigns https://www.facebook.com/setsaledaiden
