10 Questions with Paula Wessells, Cofounder of Big Picture Scrapbooking

Paula Wessells is a cofounder of Big Picture Scrapbooking, along with cofounders Kayce Rehn and Stacy Julian. Big Picture Scrapbooking is a leading provider of online scrapbooking education for scrapbookers globally. Recently, Drex Davis, President of Scrapjazz.com, sat down with Paula for a "10 questions with" interview.

How did you come up with the idea to start Big Picture Scrapbooking?

It actually wasn't my idea at all - it was of course the one and only Stacy Julian. Did you know that she comes up with brilliant ideas about every hour? I keep a very secret notebook of her ideas; she hasn't even seen it and it's full of her ideas. Sometimes wacky - but that is my job, take the creative wackiness and make it reality. Then Kayce delivers it to everyone and makes it look cool and user friendly. Just wait for things to come at Big Picture Scrapbooking!

How did it come about that you and Stacy Julian (and Kayce Rehn) teamed up to launch it?

Snapshot: Stacy and I met at a store event at Scattered Pictures in Portland, Oregon. About a year later I was ready to make some changes in my life so I emailed my resume to Stacy, not knowing what the response would be, but she called a few months later with this BIG idea. We soldiered on for months, doing a business plan, trying to figure out if it was viable, getting a web designer...that is where Kayce comes in. We loved her so much and enjoyed working with her, we wanted her on as a partner. We actually make an amazing team, we really play off of each other and support one another very well.

Would you say that launching the company has been harder, easier, or about what you expected (and let us know, if so, how the reality differed from your expectations from it)?

For myself I would say it was exactly what I expected. Long hours, times of high fives combined with feelings of failure. Launching a company is like being on that huge wooden roller coaster in California, a lot of fun but scary!!! Reality vs. my expectations - I thought we could make everyone happy... in reality we can't, but we sure do try!

What is the best thing that has happened to you because of Big Picture Scrapbooking?

I have been able to gain my ‘me time' back. When I worked at an office before, I was attached at the hip to my clients 24/7. I could tell my health and well-being were deteriorating. By starting this business with Stacy and Kayce, we were all able to make good life adjustments and take time for ourselves. Don't get me wrong, we are still pulling longer-than-80-hour work weeks but we choose when, how, what and where.

What is the biggest challenge you face on a day-to-day basis?

Funny you ask this - it changes month to month, but right now my biggest challenge is responding to email. Right now I have around 264 emails in my inbox. And for someone who tries to be ultra organized, that is totally unacceptable and stresses me out. I usually only allow myself to have ten emails in my inbox on a Monday-thru-Friday basis, but by Friday it should be empty! That isn't happening this month. I think I need to re-read Julie Morgenstern's book, "Never Check Email in the Morning..."

What advice would you have for other people who are thinking about starting a scrapbooking-related business?

My advice to anyone is know what you want to do and have the confidence to follow through with it. And yes, you must do a business plan. There is no way around it - take the time and do the research. Believe me, it will pay off in the end.

What sort of education do you foresee as growing in importance in the coming years?

Process-based education - what we offer at Big Picture Scrapbooking. Scrapbookers are going to want to know how to integrate their ‘real' lives into scrapbooking. How do they make the time to scrapbook and when they make that time how do they make it count? We show them how to do this - to focus, we break it down for them over a four-week, six-week or even year-long class journey. It isn't about the ‘free' product that you get, it's the intention behind the end project.

Where do you see Big Picture Scrapbooking going over the next decade?

Wow Drex, the next decade? That's ten years...it will depend on all of our individual lives. Finding the capacity to balance a business with everything else is one of our daily hurdles. We are definitely not the kind of women who can do it all! I am not sure where we will be, but our vision is that we will still be around - on a much larger capacity, transforming the way scrapbookers see themselves and encouraging them.

What is the importance of scrapbooking to you, outside of it being your livelihood?

It is important to me because I don't have children, which means I have no one to pass down my legacy to or my memories. My hope is that my extended family can do this through my scrapbooks.

What are some of your favorite companies and products and why?

Some of my favorite scrapbook companies tend to be unique and innovative.

• Scenic Route - color combinations and design are amazing
• BasicGrey - colors and strong design form
• QuicKutz - just down-right innovative from the beginning. I love my little Revolution! Don't have to worry about plugging it in.
• American Crafts - cool design and incredible people that work there.
• We R Memory Keepers - the Crop-A-Dile makes my life so much easier and I am using all of those eyelets I bought five years ago
• Stone Creek Creations - no fluff totes, just what you need and not too many pockets. I will forget where I put something if there are too many options!

Photo of Paula Wessells appears courtesy of Allison Tyler Jones Photography.

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