KLS presents "Together Talks" feature # 34: Jiggy Puzzles
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KLS presents "Together Talks" feature # 34: Jiggy Puzzles
Some Background on Jiggy Puzzles
Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the opportunity to interview Jiggy Puzzles and founder, Kaylin Marcotte. A Woman-Owned company that focuses on sustainability, mental health, community, and women. The message direct from their website, courtesy of Kaylin--
5 years ago, I was working around the clock at an early startup and fell in love with jigsaw puzzles as my nightly meditation. I was doing one every week and the stress relief was great, but the designs were outdated and uninspired. I started dreaming up a puzzle that would be beautiful for both the doing and the decorating, that would look good before, during and after completion. I knew I wanted to support and highlight the work of amazing female artists and after a year of curating the art and reimagining and designing the packaging, JIGGY was born.
I hope JIGGY inspires you to unplug and experience art in a whole new way, in pieces.
xx Kaylin
Here is the motto of the company:
Unknown start
The beginning seed idea started in 2014. Kaylin was working for a start-up media company after leaving corporate America. It was her first experience with the "start-up" grind, which she would take with her in due time. She told us as a kid she did puzzles, and during her grueling schedule she was looking for a way to calm her mind and get away from screens she was looking at all day. She would come home after a long stressful day and try to unwind. She gave puzzles another crack, this time as an adult. Lucky for her she had one lying around and she was amazed and the impact it had on her. It felt meditative and challenging enough that he was present, but also able to still her mind and body and relax with her thoughts. Being able to be in control rather than having her thoughts control her was a game changer.
Puzzles became a nightly ritual for Kaylin.
Over time this led her to question if there was something more here. Could I bring a unique spin, what is my ideal puzzle, how do I form a connection with the puzzle rather than putting it away after completion?
These questions were the foundation that would lead Kaylin to create her company.
Innovation and Purpose
Kaylin ventured out on her journey. The goal was to continue to provide an activity that would bring solitude, but also with her own spin. Her spin would include two differentiators to innovate the space.
1 - Create puzzles that you could display, when finished they would be home décor pieces.
To this day Jiggy is the first and only product that provides the product glue to keep the puzzle in place. The company also provides framing. Working towards a goal that is so beautiful that the desire to display the final product is a sense of pride and accomplishment. Kaylin knew the spin, the next hurdle was how would she find compelling enough ideas that consumers would want to display a puzzle?
2 - Partnering with Female Artists
This is what resonated with Kaylin. Finding, partnering, showcasing, and including fellow women. Her company was going to endorse and promote other women. She started by attending art fairs and shows, connecting with female illustrators and artists on Instagram and other platforms. Current day she said it is about a 50/50 split with artists reaching out to Jiggy and Jiggy reaching out to artists.
Shark Tank
Kaylin told us that the product was mainly ecommerce for a while. They then expanded on to Amazon for select designs. They also have had seasonal shelf space at Macy's, Barnes and Noble, and last year their first year at Nordstroms. One of the biggest moments in terms of brand awareness and growth was when Kaylin was featured on an episode of Shark Tank in 2022!
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The company started with pieces for adults, but due to high demand they introduced a kids version, "Jiggy Jr.", which are 100 piece kid puzzles!
Another aspect that makes Jiggy Puzzles unique and shows their values is their model is based on being partners with the artists.
Commitment
This is arguably the most important component to Kaylin. Beaming with pride throughout our chat, one thing she was eager to tell us how much she enjoyed was when she cuts checks to the artists. That is right...It is a profit-sharing model between Jiggy Puzzles and each and every female artist. Per Kaylin, "Every quarter we pay the artists, most are small businesses themselves. Every single time we get to distribute profit to them it is a really fulfilling feeling. Being able to create a product that brings people joy while also supporting other women is beautiful. I'm very grateful."
Jiggy Puzzles was the brainchild of a fun and playful name. Kaylin told us she was on a walk with a friend spitballing names when it came out and she instantly was drawn to it. Keeping the perspective of having fun is a great goal of the product. Kaylin told us this spills over into the team at Jiggy as well. While all work remote, there is an intense level of responsibility, compassion, and work ethic. All believe in the message of the company, but also don't take it too serious. They enjoy learning a lot, working hard, but overall enjoying it.
The Future and the Favorite
The company is very involved with not only the female artistic community but also giving back. They work month long collaborations with various organizations. For example in October, part of the proceeds went to Breast Cancer research. Similarly, May the same result for Mental Health. Recently one of the custom puzzles was part of the nonprofit, Michael J Fox Foundation, as the artists was living with Parkinson's Disease, and proceeds went to research. Kaylin told us they recently also did a Girl Scouts collaboration, which they had an open application depicting the values of the Girl Scouts until a winning piece was chosen.
2023, Jiggy Puzzles is poised for more growth. Kaylin told us they have created Jiggy Frames that pair with the artwork to further enhance the design of the finished product. The company has two new collections planned for spring/summer with six new curated designs. Also there is a winter/holiday collection in the works. The company also recently launched "Jiggy Puzzle Club" which is a membership subscription that sends a different 500 piece puzzle every month. Included is a studio tour, behind the scenes of the artist behind the artwork.
We asked Kaylin to explain to us what makes Jiggy Puzzles a worthwhile investment and she broke it down to the following:
That list encapsulated the favorite parts of the job Kaylin shared with us, "Launching new sizes and design, finding new artists, picking the next piece to produce. Being so closely tied with the community, fans, consumers, and artists. All of us are intertwined for the same goal. To see the impact it is having and knowing this is only the start, it gives me hope."
6 new designs were launched to begin the month of May, check them out here!
Also purchase from their website and use the coupon code "WELCOME10"for a 10% discount!
In Closing
KLS wants to thank Kaylin for sharing the story of Jiggy Puzzles for today's "Together Talks" feature. Keep up to date with Jiggy by following their blog on their website, check it out here. Follow along for the Jiggy journey with their social handles below!