Julie Schecter

Julie Schechter is the founder of Small Packages - a care package start-up that helps busy people stay close to the women they love.

Julie created Small Packages to make connection easier. To be able to show up in a personal way when you can’t be there in person. To say, “I see you. I’m with you.” She wanted to make sending love a lot easier - and that’s exactly what she’s done.

Julie grew up in LA, she was a dance major at UC Irvine, studied at Harvard Law School, and worked as a corporate attorney in New York City. Her friends were spread across the country, and she realized that she’s always far from someone she loves. She was always missing something important.

Our friends are everything - they know our wildest hopes and dreams, and Julie’s friends have been there when things haven’t been so glamorous, too. She would do anything to be present for them when they're reeling from a disastrous breakup or celebrating a huge career win. But sometimes it's just impossible. Sometimes money and time just can’t stretch far enough.

Enter Small Packages. You can send the care package to anyone - from your friends, sisters, mothers, aunts, even yourself! They do all of the customization for you, all that you have to do is pick a type of box and a price point, and they’ll send a pre-curated box to the person of your choice. You can see what goes in each care package by clicking the drop-down menu next to each box price point (how cool is that?!)

It’s been so wonderful to connect with Julie and learn more about her her journey and small packages, and I’m so excited for you guys to connect with her, order your small package, and follow along!

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

I'm Julie Schechter. I'm the founder of Small Packages, a care package start-up that helps busy people stay close to the women they love.

How did you get started?

I actually started out in law! I practiced at an international corporate law firm before leaving to start an entrepreneurial career. In starting Small Packages, I launched on iFundWomen. It's such a great crowdfunding site, run by people who truly understand what it takes to get over the capital hump that all new product businesses face. I think crowdfunding is a really great way to test product-market fit, and to get a sense of how the company is going to be received, before you actually go live.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

I have friends spread across the country, and I always felt like I was missing something: meeting a new baby, being there to help a friend through a break-up, whatever was going on. I'd absolutely fly back and forth for everything, but time and money just don't work that way (at least, not yet). I wanted to put together care packages to send in my place, because I felt like sending something tangible was so much more powerful than just calling or texting. But it took forever to put the packages together myself, and when I looked at what was available in the online ready-to-send space, I couldn't find anything that was both beautiful and under a zillion dollars. So, I figured if I needed this, other people probably did, too!

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

I do! I think my passion is creativity, being able to put things out into the world that can bring people joy. Running a company is a lot of other work beyond the creative (taxes, supply chain, etc), but that underlying knowledge that I'm making something is enough passion to carry everything else through.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

Connection. I think we all crave connection with others, and the way our society is structured, it's often hard to come by. When I have the chance to sit down and just talk with my best friends--no phones, no distractions--and hear what they're thinking about, what they're dreaming about...it fulfills me on the deepest level.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

I try to wake up pretty early in order to work out in the morning before the rest of the day gets started. As a former dancer, it always feels crazy to me not to be doing more physical activity, but the hour that I do carve out makes an enormous difference. I also try to read as much fiction as I possibly can. It feels helpful to enter other worlds in order to shake up my brain space, because otherwise it's so easy to get into the kind of tunnel vision where I just don't have any new ideas.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

She'd be thrilled about Small Packages, for sure. I didn't grow up necessarily wanting to work for myself, but I've always been really interested in cultivating as much independence as possible. Being an entrepreneur comes with an incredibly taxing schedule, but it's a schedule that I own and create (for the most part).

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." We all feel trepidation when we put ourselves out there, but wading through that fear is the only way to get to the end goal. I find that fear usually isn't a sign that I'm doing something wrong, but just something different.

What is your biggest dream?

To build a company that actually solves a problem for women. I would be incredibly happy if Small Packages became our generation's go-to answer for sending gifts, especially if it meant people felt a stronger connection to each other. I think we're all searching for tools to make our lives easier, and to build community, and my dream is to create that through what I'm building now.

To learn more about Julie and Small Packages you can connect with her on her website www.smallpackages.co and on Instagram @small_packages_co

Joy Corner is a new interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here

Julie Schechter - Small Packages