Building a Bookish Business (While Still Working Full-Time)
Hey Friends!
There’s something I’ve been quietly building behind the scenes…
About a month ago, my family and I started a stationery business.
But not just any stationery business.
A reader’s stationery business.
How It Started
At first, we thought we were going to create everything—
sticky notes, planners, notepads… all the things.
But the more we explored, the more we realized something important:
We’re readers.
And it just made sense to build something for people like us.
So we narrowed our focus.
Bookmarks.
Kindle inserts.
(And soon… Kindle accessories + blind date with a Kindle 👀)
And honestly? That decision changed everything.
When Things Started to Click
We started with what I’d call our “simple” bookmarks.
Clean. Minimal. Pretty.
But when we leaned into designs that felt more intentional—especially designs that centered Black women—that’s when something shifted.
It became easier to create.
Easier to connect.
Easier to see the vision.
That’s when it stopped feeling like “we’re trying to start a business”
…and started feeling like we’re building something that’s ours.
A Family Business (For Real)
It’s the four of us—me and my three boys.
Two of them are incredibly talented artists (we’re going to tap into that soon 👀), but right now we’re working with:
Digital clip art
AI-generated designs
Commercial-use assets from platforms like Etsy & Creative Market
And then we bring it all together in a way that feels like us.
That part?
That’s been really fun.
The Hard Part No One Talks About
If I’m being honest…
The hardest part hasn’t been learning how to make bookmarks.
Or figuring out listings.
Or even building the store.
It’s been this:
Keeping my eyes on my own paper.
Because it’s really easy to look around and see:
People with orders coming in daily
Shops that look “more established”
Businesses that seem so far ahead
Meanwhile…
We’re still working full-time jobs.
We’re still building this in the margins of our lives.
We’re still figuring things out.
And if I’m not careful, my brain will start saying:
“This has already been done.”
“Who’s going to buy bookmarks?”
“You’re behind.”
The 3/5 Manifesting Generator Reality
Here’s the thing about how I’m built (3/5 MG):
I’m designed to respond to what I see in the world.
But that also means…
If I’m not grounded, I can turn inspiration into comparison.
And comparison into doubt.
So I’ve had to learn this in real-time:
👉🏽 I can look at what others are doing
👉🏽 Without making it mean something about me
I can let it inspire me
Without letting it shrink me
That’s what “keeping my eyes on my own paper” really means.
Floral Muse Collection
Pick Two bookmarks, free shipping
Browse the collection >
🎧 Also… If You Love Audiobooks
Let me say this clearly:
If you listen to audiobooks…
You are still a reader.
Period.
This space is for you too.
What We’re Building
Sugar & Sable Co. is becoming a home for:
Readers who love physical books
Readers who love Kindle
Readers who listen to audiobooks
Readers who want something that feels aesthetic and personal
And we’re just getting started.
🛍️ Come Shop With Us
If you’ve been following along—or if you’re just finding us—
We’d love for you to take a look at what we’ve created so far.
✨ Browse the collection
✨ Pick your favorites
✨ Support a family-built business
And if you have questions?
Drop them in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.
Here’s to living the life of your dreams (in or out of a book)-
Aja and the Fam
Hi. I’m Aja and along with my family, we run a small shop designing reader accessories for bookish humans.
