CINCINNATI — The pandemic has opened the door to many opportunities for entrepreneurs, young and old. That’s especially the case for Jakob Sidney, 19, who is turning a personalized card business into something special.
Sidney is the Cards by Jakob artist. With each card he likes to get creative and add different things like, “giraffes and rainbows, clouds and smiley faces,” said Sidney.
Sidney’s mother, Jenn Jordan, has been helping out along the way. She said Sidney’s passion for designing cards was the inspiration behind it all.
“I don’t even remember how the idea hit me, but I’m like, let’s design some Valentine’s Day cards, and he made six of them,” said Jordan. “I took one look at them and I’m like there is something really special about these,” said Jordan.
So Jordan posted them on Etsy and within two hours, 200 of them were sold.
“I ordered 500 more and those sold out in two days, so I think that other people see just how special they are,” she said.
And now Cards by Jakob has officially sold 2,000 cards. Jordan said she’s not only impressed with sales, but with how far Sidney has come in his journey with autism.
“If you were to ever ask me when he was 3- or 4- or 6- or 10-years-old if we would be doing this today, I would have been like I sure hope so, but we got a ways to go,” she said. “It’s just really inspiring to know that so many things are possible.”
In the future, Jordan said she would love to see the business blossom and employ others with disabilities.
“The thought of this potentially turning into something that could be a business for him and a successful enough business where maybe we can employ some of his friends and create job opportunities for other adults like him, that just tickles me as much as I can be tickled,” she said.
