Family-owned footwear for all BYU–Hawaii alumna says time at BYUH as student and faculty member led her to start brand J-Slips BY CARLENE COOMBS
Graphics by Hannah Manalang
Inspired by business majors to start her own company, Martha Christensen, a previous academic advisor for the Faculty of Business & Government, began her journey towards creating her company J-Slips. Presently, J-slips offers students business internships as the company continues to spread across Polynesia. She said these student interns have brought great ideas and connections to the J-Slips family. According to Christensen, a BYUH alumna, J-Slips is a family-owned footwear shop located in Laie, which sells Hawaiianstyle sandals around the world. In addition to running her business, she also provides students with on-campus internships through BYUH. 16
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“I was an academic advisor in the Business Department for 10 years. All these students would come in with their ideas, but I had never done a business myself. I just majored in business and was around people who did business,” said Christensen. She said watching these students come in with their business dreams is what made her want to start her own company, and after her children had gotten older, she decided to do just that. “My kids had gotten older, and I kind of wanted to start something, but I didn’t know what to start. The only thing I could think of was jewelry ... You can make a lot of money
off of it, but it’s hard because there’s so much competition.” After attempting to sell jewelry and even Hawaiian food on Amazon, Christensen said she realized there was a high demand for Hawaiianstyle sandals, often referred to as jandals. “My son went to Utah … and he came back and said, ‘Mom, everyone is wearing these sandals in Utah, in the winter, with socks. Maybe we should sell some of those.’” After selling for another company, Christensen decided to begin her own brand, J-Slips. She currently sells on Amazon and to distributors on the mainland and throughout Polynesia.
