Today we’d like to introduce you to Norkiris Concepcion.
Norkiris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Planter Bibles started from just a simple idea. I wondered if I could use resin to make beautiful bibles that resembled glass; something that no one had ever seen before. I originally made a prototype of my idea and I hated it, it was a design inspired by the verse psalm 148:3 “If the stars were made to worship, so will I. A galaxy filled with hand drawn stars and a hand drawn title. It was hard to make, and it was not very good. I sort of gave up working on bringing the idea to life, but it remained in the back of my mind. Several years later I was given the opportunity to start working on my idea again. Hesitantly, I shared my idea with a family friend and walked out with an investment and renewed courage to try again. Amidst postgrad unemployment I had tons of time to dedicate to my craft. There was much work to be done. Eventually, I felt led to move to Nashville, my experiences here catalyzed the beginning of something new in the business. I decided to rebrand and pour my all into it. What was once called Faith inspired became Planter Bibles- a business based in a movement. My hope is not just to make one of a kind Bibles that express people’s individuality but to inspire young adults to root themselves in God’s word and spark revival.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A few months into working on the business I found myself unemployed, living at home and discouraged. I remember confiding in a friend about how hard I was working and how little progress I felt that I was making. From the beginning I have managed all the workload by myself. I produce the designs, I create the product, I manage finances, customer service, marketing and media and everything in between. I felt a bit burnt out trying to navigate this new world of business and not seeing sales, it honestly made me feel a bit like a failure. Thankfully, I had a friend who encouraged me to not give up. I’m really thankful for the people in my life that have supported me. As a small business, business is not always booming but their encouragement and reminder of God’s call on my life feels how the Bible describes as “sweet to the soul” it truly nourishes my soul and motivates me to keep going.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I hand customize Bibles using resin and paint. I am really proud of the uniqueness of my business, my products are one of a kind, there is currently nothing on the market like my items. I typically make the cover art out of resin and use the back as a canvas for art work that ties the design back to the Bible. Sometimes it’s just a verse other times it’s an image, but it’s always hand painted. It’s important to me to keep this homemade element on each of my Bibles because I think that’s another thing that sets my designs apart; the heart behind them. It sounds cliche but I really make my products with so much love, and I want that to be evident that its not just a factory made design or an order coming through, it’s for a real person with real purpose, loved and known by God. I regularly pray for the recipients of my Bibles, that they would open it, experience God on their own and that God would use them too. I organize and ship orders out by name and not number, this serves as another subtle reminder that these are not just customers but God’s children.
What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been a bit ambitious, entrepreneurial, and artsy. Growing up, I crafted miniature figurines out of polymer clay. I really enjoyed it and would spend hours making “charms” with my hands. I made an instagram page, not to sell my work, but just to be apart of the community of polymer clay artists and share my creations with the world. Eventually, I started selling them to my friends at school, opening up my first business at eleven years old.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://PlanterBibles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planterbibles/
