Emmanuel College Junior, Jamie Siracusa, shared some insight about her new website and brand with me this past week. Read more to find out how she’s accomplished so much while following her faith and inspiring others.
Major: Business Management
Minor: Religious Studies
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Celebrity Role Model: Jenn Johnson
HCE: Congrats on the launch of your very own website, qhandbags.com! What exactly does your site sell and stand for?
Jamie Siracusa: Quote Handbags, Apparel, & Accessories™ sells customizable handbags, quote patches, t-shirts, and canvas totes. “Q” is a Christian based company that believes heavily in helping others. We will donate one Canvas Tote for every leather “Q” Tote purchased to an organization that supports women to get back on their feet. We want our inspirational Quote bags to encourage women everywhere, while spreading the love of God. Quote Handbags Apparel and Accessories™ started with the idea that handbags should be relatable – something every woman could connect with. We were greatly inspired by the idea that every women could live by a quote. Expressing unique style and personality are the basic principles we want our customers to fulfill through our products. We look forward to seeing a revolutionized industry where women are proud and confident to wear their Quote Handbags, Apparel & Accessories™.
HCE: It’s pretty ambitious to start something of this magnitude while you’re still in college. What made you want to create this site & why now?
JS: I thought of the idea for this company before entering my freshman year at Emmanuel. Initially the idea was very vague, but it has been adapted due to personal experiences and encounters. Since I am so busy with school, I have worked on it slowly over the years. Now in my junior year, I felt really good about the brand I had created and knew it was time to launch. Focusing on school was always a priority for me and still is. While the launch is fairly recent, as of now I am managing them both very nicely! I will focus my attention in the summer completely on Q though!
HCE: What are your hopes that follow the launch of your website?
JS: As I hope to sell many of my products, my main goal is to inspire individuals. I want to do this through selling my products, but also by connecting with local ministries and churches. I hope to sell my entire initial inventory by the end of the summer and see it around the Boston area. I am looking to participate in the Boston Open Markets to do so. Being a Christian, my main goal is to spread the word of God while doing service and selling our merchandise!
HCE: What’s one of your favorite products that you sell?
JS: My favorite product, by far, is the “Quote Tote.” This is the leather tote I spent two years designing and I have fallen in love with it. I wanted to design a very organic feeling yet functional bag that had a simple look. With the raw cut inside, hanging pocket, and of course the Quote Patch, it came out exactly how I wanted it to. Although the look is something I love, the Quote Patch is definitely the most important part! These 3×4 inch patches on the outside of the bag features a Quote that you choose and snaps right on! Now people can wear something everyday that contains some inspiration pertaining to them!
HCE: What was one of the most challenging aspects about this entire process?
JS: Since this company contains so many of the aspects of life that I love, I had a hard time running into problems. Any little problem I faced seemed so minimal since I was doing God’s work. Going into ministry, I knew I was going to see many social injustices as well as people going through difficult trials in their own lives. While this is hard to see, in a sense it is also the greatest thing I see too. I have a very strong passion for witnessing people being brought to Christ, and to then see their healing. This is the main reason I decided to continue on with this company and launch, and I hope to see a lot more of this, no matter how hard it is.
HCE: Who would you say helped you the most in accomplishing the creation of your brand?
JS: My Dad has definitely been my biggest supporter in this process. He not only is my investor, but he is my mentor and right hand! He gave me the reassurance and confidence to go for all of my new ideas, and was all about helping me in whatever I wanted. From a young age I always wanted to create a business, but I wasn’t quite sure what it would be. He has seen this desire from the begging and is so excited to help in anyway he can. My dad is also a very successful and honorable businessman, so his advice resonates with me very deeply.
HCE: Where did your inspiration come from to create Quote?
JS: From a young age I knew I wanted to create something, but I wasn’t quite sure what “something” was. I have always had a passion to help others and I love using my creativity. Over time, I realized Quote was going to allow me to do both. Through some hardships in my own life and many others around me, I saw a need for inspiration. Becoming a Christian in 2014 was my ultimate epiphany for the company. I knew I not only needed to help others, but also needed to spread the love of God. I wanted to use Quote as the platform for this.
HCE: If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring successful young women, like yourself, what would you say?
JS: From a young age my dad always told me that if I created a business that helped others, I would never be unsuccessful. While many people may measure success based on the money they make, I like to focus on the numbers in a different category. Such as the numbers representing how many people you are able to help. Or the numbers that measure to what degree you love what you are doing? I think it’s important for young entrepreneurs to include their passion in everything they do regarding their business and define their success in that.
Thank you so much for talking to us Jamie. I wish you the best of luck in your journey and future success! Be sure to check out Quote’s Instagram too!