“Write the Vision and Make it Plain”
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Brown children need to see themselves represented in a positive light. Perhaps no one believes that more than Amanda Wilson, founder of A+X Puzzles. Mother of two, Amanda set out to create a brand that highlights black and brown children going on exciting adventures via games and/or puzzles. Captivated and surely inspired, I sat down with the Puzzle Queen herself to learn how she began walking in God’s vision and became one of the Black-owned brands at Target.
Joy Cato: Why did you start A +X Puzzles?
Amanda Wilson: Well, if you look at the market right now, you will only see maybe 3 companies that prioritize puzzles and or games that have diversity in them. I couldn’t see any diversity in toys or games to build my babies’ registry.
JC: What was it like running A + X before Target got involved?
AW: Mm, I never get asked that. It was like balancing a full time job and a side hustle at the same time. Sometimes when you have a side hustle, that can become a full time job depending on the workload. So, it was about prioritizing and trying to build my customer base. It was new, fun and scary.
JC: How did you get A + X in Target?
AW: People don’t ask me that either. That’s a good one. One day, I was in Target and I saw their Black History Month display. I wondered if I could get my puzzles in there. I found the person who created the display via LinkedIn and he got me in contact with their supplier diversity person. She gave me great feedback on my brand like our design and price points. I implemented all of those changes. And 9 months later, we got the call from Target.
JC: Do you feel that God had a hand in A+X Puzzle’s success?
AW: Yes, 110 percent. That’s what this has to be, right? It has to be the vision that God gave me coming to life. It’s our duty to live out the mission. God gives me ideas and I implement them as much as I can. I stay prayerful on the things that I’m passionate about, even if it sounds silly.
The one scripture that I always quote, people are probably annoyed with on Instagram, is “Write the vision and make it plain.” I’m a big supporter of writing down what it is that you’re thinking about so it can come to pass.
JC: Speaking of giving those “silly ideas” a chance, there’s a pressure to create a product that appeals to the masses instead of the demographic God has placed on your heart. What would you say to someone who is feeling the weight of that pressure?
AW: I would say, we know that people are fickle. People can change their mind at the drop of a hat. If it’s something that He placed within you, it doesn’t matter if it isn’t trending. He gave it to you for a reason. I have a lot of people who say, “I don’t think my kid would be interested in puzzles.” I’m like “okay.” I’m still going to create them. So, you have to push past what you cannot see. God’s not going to give us the playbook. You have to stay consistent on what He told you to do. Try not to conform to what someone else is doing. That’s their recipe, not yours.
JC: How has A+X Puzzles helped you personally?
AW: I am a dreamer. So, to see something that you’ve dreamed about come to fruition is largely positive for my self-esteem and my faith. Being on a permanent career path that was bred out of passion is really motivating to me. It’s changed my life. I run my own business now. I make my own schedules…which is an adjustment.
The learning curve of it all is something I’ve been very transparent about. When you scale this fast, it’s scary. Going from selling 700 puzzles a month to now being in a major retail store and selling that amount of puzzles a week…is a lot. I had to learn quickly.
JC: What advice would you give to a black entrepreneur trying to get their business off the ground?
AW: Okay, so this is going to be a non-traditional answer. Most people say, “work really hard.” I’m not here to tell people to work harder. I’m sure you’re already doing that. I’m not here to tell people to get a planner. I’m sure you already have one. We have to find ways to get access to more capital. If that means going to the local university to find the resources or grants available, that’s what we really need to scale. We have all the other stuff. We know how to open a business. We know how to run it. We know how to hire people. We know how to work social media. Capital. That’s my final answer.
JC: What’s next for A+X puzzles?
AW: I want to create learning tools for children, like flashcards. In the future, bringing the characters to life in some type of animated way.
