About Flippin' Fabulous

My name is Jessica Smith and I am the sole owner and operator of Flippin’ Fabulous LLC. I currently reside in the small town of Wind Lake, Wisconsin.  I am a mother, a wife, and a lover of life who designs and creates all things fabulous!  I love what I do and love sharing my creative talents with others.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a passion for decorating and art.  I always loved drawing and painting, and kept a stash of sketchbooks and paint supplies in my bedroom closet.  Doing crafts was therapeutic for me and I performed best when I was being creative.  As a young adult, I quickly learned that I had a passion for home décor and decorating.  I often received many compliments on how beautifully decorated my home was.

Before I decided to launch my business in 2016, I felt stuck in a vicious work cycle in corporate America. I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I was burnt out.  While talking with friends, family, and co-workers, I was oftentimes told that I had missed my calling.  I knew I was at a turning point in my life, and that God had something bigger planned for me. God gave me the gift of creativity.  After completing several months of research and self-reflection, I decided to quit my career of working 14+ years in the insurance industry to open my own business. I followed my dream of becoming an entrepreneur and starting my own company and thus, Flippin’ Fabulous LLC was born. I decided to pursue my dream of being a full time artist and owning my own small business. 

I started out by renting a small booth inside a local antique mall in Waterford, Wisconsin. My main focus was creating handmade wood signs from repurposed wood.  I started to learn the process of refinishing furniture, and my pieces moved quickly and I was addicted!  

My business was growing fast, so I decided to add a 2nd booth to the antique mall.

I decided to work with local artists on a consignment basis, and that helped my business grow and prosper. 

 I expanded into several other locations in southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois. 

I built my website from scratch starting in 2019. 

When Covid hit in early 2020, I had to pivot my business in order to stay afloat, despite many other small businesses being forced to shut down and close doors. I did a ton of research, worked with a business mentor (Jennifer Allwood), and worked diligently on my website to enter the world of e-commerce. I then launched my online shop.

In November of 2021 a terrible tragedy occurred during the annual Christmas parade in in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  Although I had no business ties to the community, I knew some people whose lives would be forever changed from the incident and wanted to help.  I designed a Christmas ornament in honor of the victims and donated 100% of the proceeds to the Waukesha Parade Memorial Fund. 

Fast forward to late spring of 2022, when I received the unfortunate news that the location I called home to for 6 years (Waterford Unique Antique Market) was for sale and the owners were closing the business.

I was not ready to close my business and knew I needed to pivot, yet again.  I looked at a few potential locations but nothing caught my eye, until I came across the charming downtown area of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Coincendentally, this was the same community that I had designed the ornament for as part of a fundraising effort for close to a year prior.

They say when one door closes another opens and this is exactly what happened in my case. In September of 2022, I opened my first brick-and-mortar storefront in Downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

I started working with local artisans and small businesses and accepting handcrafted items on a consignment basis and also offerred classes, workshops, and pop-up events.

Most products were handmade by select artisans located in Wisconsin and the USA. The first few months were very successful, but then the new year started and (per usual in teh 1st quarter in the retail industry) sales had slowed down significantly. I was feeling the pressure and getting discouraged.  In an effort to keep the business afloat during an unusally slow season, I decided to try something new and started offering classes, workshops, and hosting pop-up events with local vendors.  In March of 2023, I was nominated and presented with the "New Business Of The Year" award from the City of  Waukesha Chamber Of Commerce. 

After 2 years in Downtown Waukesha, I was craving change and realized that I was outgrowing the 900 square foot space I called home. When I intially started my search for a new location, I wasn't finding anything that caught my eye. As time had it, the owner of Waterford Unique Antique Market (where I initially started my storefront) just announced he would be reopening in a new location in May of 2024.  Without hesitation, I reached out to him and booth in their new location.

After deciding that I needed to move my business out of Waukesha due to business growth (and some other unfortunate circumstances), I made the decision to not renew my lease and close the doors to the Waukesha store at the end of my lease in July 2024. I wasnt ready to call it quits and I knew my story wasn't over.

In August of 2024 I relocated Flippin' Fabulous to Burlington, Wisconsin and expanded into a nearly 2,000 square foot space. I changed my business model and decided to collaborate with local artists, crafters, and small business owners. Product offerings include andmade home decor, refinished furniture, apparel, accessories, gifts, vintage & collectible items, and upcycled goods.