Justine Kuran, Founder of Justine Kuran Designs
Name: Justine Kuran
Founder: Justine Kuran Designs
What's your elevator pitch? (Ie. In one sentence, what do you do?)
I am a commercial paper artist and a lifelong activist against antisemitism.
What's your story? Share how you got to where you are and WHY it is you do what you do.
I fell into art by chance a a way to reclaim my financial independence as a stay-at-home mum, only to discover in my 40's a latent passion for creating. I was 'lucky' that I was able to fill a void in the market and by channelling all the chutzpah I could, I found my way from creating small gifts to expansive works of art for everyone from private homes to movie stars, presidents and prime ministers. Now I create because when I wake up in the morning I can't wait to be in my studio. My art tells the story of my life, it's more than what I do, it's who I am.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
As a woman in business, I understand and believe in the power of collaboration and community. With infinite space for us all to succeed, I believe that another woman's success is not a threat to mine, so celebrating and sharing HER successes makes us all better. Donating time, money, gifts to causes, founding my own movement, supporting my friends in their charitable and business endeavors; that's what makes us FoundHERs.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I am regularly approached to mentor young artists, and I see this as a privilege. There is nothing I love more than sharing “my favorite things” and during sale times I love to highlight small, especially female-owned businesses. My community is made up of so many philanthropic women and I try never to say no if asked to donate art or prizes to support their cause.
Who is a female entrepreneur you look up to and why?
I deeply admire my friend Briony Kennedy, Founder of Adorn Cosmetics, not just for her incredible business success but for the values she lives by. I met Briony when she was running her startup from her living room, barely making ends meet and questioning the insanity of her passion. Today she is the FoundHER of a multimillion-dollar company, a sought-after speaker and the recent winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year at the Online Retailer awards. Her business is a true reflection of her values, campaigning sustainability and against animal cruelty.
What sets Briony apart for me is her empathy and courage. Over the past year, as I have faced challenges for being openly Jewish and a proud Zionist, Briony was the only one of my non-Jewish friends who stood with me a rally against antisemitism. Her unwavering support, both personally and professionally, makes her an inspiration in every sense of the word.
What are the first five things that you did when you were starting your business?
1. I created a distraction-free workspace in my home.
2. I was inspired by my local Jewish community to create artworks that I hoped they would connect to (which they did).
3. I approached a local cafe, owned by two Jewish women, and asked if I could sell my art in the cafe in return for giving them a commission of sales.
4. I found a way to balance my responsibilities of being a wife and mother to three young daughters, and a growing a business by doing what every successful person does - I worked hours I hadn't known existed.
5. I built an online business organically, by posting regularly, engaging with followers, offering incentives and occasional giveaways.
Who is someone who has helped change or shape your business for the better and what did they do to help you?
Aside from Jackie and Jodie, the owners of the cafe, who sold hundreds of my pieces without ever taking a cent in commission, the most influential person in my artistic journey was a school friend of my husband. Tony Gandel is a successful businessman, respected philanthropist and a passionate art collector. Tony was kind enough to sit with me a couple of years into my career and offer honest and invaluable advice. He told me that if I wanted to be taken seriously as an artist, I needed to move beyond creating small gifts for cafe patrons, take time to build a proper portfolio and seek gallery representation.
Tony used his influence to approach dozens of galleries on my behalf, and while those efforts did not bear fruit, I realized I needed to take matters into my own hands. With the blessing of my husband I took a year off to focus 100% on creating artworks fit for an exhibition. I applied and was given the opportunity to have a solo exhibition at my local council gallery—which was a huge success—and it (and Tony) gave me the confidence to approach galleries myself, which I did successfully.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
As I mentioned earlier, my art filled a gap in Judaic gift-giving and from the moment I put my first small artwork in Fress Cafe I never looked back. The decision was made for me; I was a full-time artist from that day on.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
I handle all my own social media. While I was very committed early on, I tend to fall in and out of my commitment to it recently. I do believe that the secret to an engaged following is building it organically - don't buy followers. In October '23 I had 55k followers across social media, then I started using my platform for advocating for Israel, for the hostages and for the Jewish people and within a week I had lost over 8000 followers. I don't regret speaking out, despite the personal and economic fallout, but I would ask anyone starting out whether they intend to be singularly focused on their brand (which I was,) and warn them of the cost/benefits of online activism.
How did you land your first client?
In that cafe.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
Given the fallout from my online activism I have really had to pivot from selling my original fine art creations to using images of my work to build an inventory of merchandise to sell in an online store.
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today? Please share the story behind it.
I've built my brand and expanded it to the wider, non-Jewish, community by doing art fairs and exhibitions where I would get commissions and sell large artworks, but since Oct 7 Jewish creatives have been shunned by the arts community. I'm now facing the very real challenge of finding new ways to build a business around a very small customer base.
What are three actionable tips you would give with other women who want to start a business or are just getting started?
1. First and foremost, find a mentor.
2. Grow your social media organically, don't buy followers.
3. KNOW YOUR VALUE from day one!
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