Trade Tales Podcast Summary

Episode: For Jean Stoffer and Grace Start, starting slow is the key to growing big ideas

Host: Kaitlin Petersen, Business of Home
Guests: Jean Stoffer (Founder) & Grace Stoffer (Co-owner), Jean Stoffer Design
Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the mother-daughter design duo, Jean and Grace Stoffer, who built Jean Stoffer Design into a multifaceted business offering design services, custom cabinetry, a home store, and more—including a Magnolia Network show. Host Kaitlin Petersen explores how Jean and Grace nurtured their creativity, navigated fast growth, cultivated a healthy family-business relationship, and discovered their own vision of success, all while staying true to their core values.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humble Beginnings and Organic Growth

• Jean’s Early Career: Jean started as an admin for an interior designer (03:02). After starting her family, she shifted focus towards kitchen design in 1991, pioneering British-style kitchens in Chicago.
• Grace’s Perspective: Grace grew up surrounded by design but didn’t immediately aspire to join the business (04:10). Her own journey began after buying and renovating her first home.
• Business Relaunch in Michigan: Jean’s move from Chicago to Michigan was uncertain—her client base was in Chicago, and she felt she might lose her business (04:52).

2. Working Together: Establishing the Partnership

• Grace Joins the Business: Grace asked to join Jean part-time, bringing a fresh set of interests—especially full home interiors (05:32).
• First Big Projects: Within weeks, they landed two large projects—one in Michigan, one in Chicago—providing a holistic approach from kitchen to furnishings (06:54).

“It was huge learning experience for us. And they were really running simultaneously.” (Jean, 07:53)

3. Rapid Exposure & Social Media Impact

• Instagram’s Role: Their story mirrors the rise of Instagram in the design world (08:36). Jean adapted her Instagram strategy, and with Grace’s brother’s photography skills, their work gained viral traction.

“It was kind of the perfect storm… And my brother is an extremely good interior photographer…” (Grace, 09:28)

• Unplanned Acceleration: The dramatic uptick in attention was unplanned. Growth was not the original goal; their aspirations focused on flexibility and passion for design (10:22).

“It was not like that at all. It was like, oh, my gosh, what’s happening? How did this happen? …It was never our aspiration.” (Jean, 10:22)

4. Navigating the Growth: Building the Team & Systems

• Growing Pains: Early on, Jean and Grace handled everything from accounting to procurement: “We had to figure it out… we were doing all of our own accounting, taxes, ordering, legal, everything.” (Jean, 12:14)
• Deliberate Team Building: Despite increased demand, they intentionally kept the design team small (six members) to preserve intimacy and quality of service (12:52).
• Stoffer Home Cabinetry: Parallel to the design team, they built out a remote cabinetry specialist team (eight members) partnering with designers nationwide (14:20).

5. Expanding the Business: Retail & Product Lines

• Venturing into Retail: Retail was new. They started the store for practical reasons: stocking privileges, better pricing, and styling their projects (16:16).
• Smart Pivot: Retail strategy shifted to focus on selling their own unique products online (lighting, scent line, vanities), rather than time-intensive widely available accessories (18:42).

“We’re making a huge pivot to increase what we have that’s offered that we produce and decrease the stuff that we are importing.” (Grace, 18:42)

• Value of Uniqueness: Jean stresses that this increases the brick-and-mortar value and makes the online store easier to navigate (19:30).

6. Product Innovation: Cabinetry and Vanities

• Cabinetry Line Origins: Their custom cabinetry line was inspired by a wave of kitchen requests; the online/direct-to-consumer model took off during COVID-19 with greater client comfort in remote work (21:53-23:48).
• Quality First: Jean credits success to deep relationships and uncompromising construction standards (26:41).

“You really have to know what you want and not settle for a single thing less.” (Jean, 26:41)

7. Leadership Transitions: Bringing in a CEO

• Stepping Back to Grow: Filming a TV show necessitated hiring a CEO—Lori—a process that was ultimately freeing and vital for business health (28:01, 29:55).

“It was a massive relief.” (Jean, 29:55)
“You just keep treading water, and you don’t even know that help is exactly what you need.” (Grace, 29:57)

• Succession Planning: Lori’s upcoming retirement is an inflection point, carefully managed to maintain stability and culture (31:06).

8. Family, Collaboration & the Creative Spark

• Family Contributions: Multiple family members contribute—each brings unique skills and perspectives; respect and a willingness to listen keep things harmonious (40:38).
• Collaboration Style: Both Jean and Grace maintain flexible, collaborative roles—no static desks, working side by side with all teams (36:00).
• Creativity Sustained by Gratitude:
  • Grace: “When I am thankful for the opportunities… then there’s room to have joy in creating more… gratitude and thankfulness are the spark of joy and creativity.” (Grace, 42:36)
  • Personal projects and faith (Bible reading) help keep them inspired.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Getting Help:

  “Everything was going so fast paced that there was really not even time to come up to the surface and say I need help. You just keep treading water, and you don’t even know that help is exactly what you need.”
  — Grace (00:02, echoed at 29:57)

• The Importance of Values in Hiring:

  “Find a person who you respect them as a person and your values align… If they’re a talented leader, they can adapt to any type of business.”
  — Jean (33:05)

• On Working with Family:

  “A secret is they’re worth listening to because some of the very best ideas that we’ve ever had…have germinated from the kids.”
  — Jean (40:38)

• Defining Success:

  “Success looks like every day, waking up and choosing to do…the right thing in each circumstance that you’re presented…Success would look like trending in the right direction every day.”
  — Grace (46:32)

  “Being a humble servant of God and blessing people with good design, with integrity.”
  — Jean (46:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jean’s origin story & early years: 03:02 – 04:00
• Grace’s introduction to the business: 04:10 – 05:32
• Organic business growth & Instagram: 08:36 – 10:05
• Growing the team, learning on the fly: 11:05 – 12:33
• Deliberate team size & focus: 12:52 – 14:33
• Venturing into retail & pivoting product focus: 16:16 – 20:12
• Launching cabinetry & vanities: 21:53 – 26:32
• Bringing in a CEO, the relief of finding help: 28:01 – 29:55
• Org chart & leadership transition: 38:05 – 39:59
• The secret to family business harmony: 40:19 – 42:30
• Sustaining creativity through gratitude & faith: 42:36 – 44:13
• Their evolving definition of success: 46:14 – 47:28

Flow and Tone

The episode is candid, warm, and grounded in humility—reflecting Jean and Grace’s family-centered and faith-driven approach. The interplay between mother and daughter is affectionate and mutually respectful, with humor and vulnerability woven throughout.

For Listeners: Key Takeaways

• Slow and steady growth, rooted in values and relationship-building, can yield a wide-reaching, sustainable business.
• Adaptability, humility, and collaboration, especially within a family, are critical for navigating both challenges and opportunities.
• Recognizing when to seek help—and trusting others with leadership—can be transformational for creative entrepreneurs.
• Staying creative requires carving out time for personal projects, gratitude practices, and ongoing inspiration from both the industry and personal life.
• Success isn’t about scale alone—it’s about integrity, service, and daily choices that build toward long-term fulfillment for oneself and the wider team.