Ericka & William, Puzzles of Color- Putting the Process Together

Oct 6

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This week, I spoke to ErickaChambers and William Jones, Co-Founders of Puzzles of Color, a company that brings artists of color to thousands of homes through frameable jigsaw puzzles. The company’s mission is to provide tech-free entertainment for people of all ages. Their puzzles are interactive art pieces that create experiences and memories that last a lifetime.

Ericka got the inspiration for Puzzles of Color while she was pregnant. A co-worker of hers shared a nursery decor idea of having a puzzle hung over her baby’s bed. Being an avid puzzle lover, she was sold! Erika, William, and their parents did puzzles together while growing up. It facilitated family bonding and a fun, tech-free challenge. Armed with feelings of nostalgia, Ericka began the search for the perfect puzzle but was disappointed when she didn’t find anything that represented people of color.

A friend of William created a lovely painting for their mother, and Ericka decided that is exactly what she wanted for her baby’s nursery. She asked William to contact his friend and figure out how to convert the painting into a puzzle. However, William had a better idea; he suggested starting a business and changing the entire industry. After putting the business idea on the back burner for some time, Erickadecided to give it a shot. She read a book that gave her insight into the dynamics of starting a puzzle business and was ready to take off the following day.

Ericka and William credit the success of Puzzles of Color to the incredible support of their family and friends. In minimal time, the business was up and running. With a loan from their mom, they could purchase machinery and invest in other business needs. Erika’s project management background and William’s business branding experiences ensured that their business was off to a solid start.

“If you’re family, you are kind of in the business no matter what” - William

After an interview with the CBS This Morning Show, two of their five-year long-term goals became first-year milestones. Their goals were to be featured on television and to get a celebrity endorsement. They got more than they bargained for; Erickaand William sold out of puzzles before the episode aired in their city. And getting a celebrity endorsement from Drew Barrymore as a result of the interview was the icing on the cake.

This dynamic sibling duo shows us that family businesses can still work; there is no sibling rivalry here! They’ve mastered the art of honing each other’s unique skills, which has enabled them to sail through the highs and lows as a team. In today’s episode, Ericka and Willam share many vital lessons that have helped them pivot when things haven’t gone as planned. They stressed the importance of communicating openly with their customers about their challenges, setting deadlines for tasks, and having numerous backup plans at their disposal.

“If we don’t put a deadline, it’ll just be an idea forever” -Erika

In This Episode You Will Learn:

Pregnant and Puzzled - the journey begins (7:40)
Formalizing your business: protecting your intellectual property (13:50)
Collaborating with artists to create masterpieces (23:57)
A good problem, the opening of the floodgates (28:36)
Hurry up and wait: working with manufacturers (41:29)
Running a family-owned business (47:40)

Questions Answered:

What is the process for formalizing one’s business?
How did you decide on the structure for your business?
How did you find artists that were willing to collaborate with you?
What are some of the challenges that you encountered while scaling your business?
What are the key lessons from your first year in business?
What is it like working with family?

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