Scholar Athlete

from InMiddlebury Magazine December2020

New Commit

NORTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

CARTER STOLTZFUS

My name is Carter Stoltzfus. My parents’ names are Chad and Eliza Stoltzfus. I am a senior at Northridge. The past three years I was in two sports, basketball and soccer. This year, my senior year, I decided to also try kicking for the football team. So I now play three sports, Basketball, Soccer, and Football (Kicking). There are a couple things I enjoy a lot about playing for Northridge. I really enjoy competing with my friends and representing the community of Middlebury. I also really appreciate the support the community gives to not just me, but all the athletes here at Northridge! My future plans are to play college basketball, and I am also leaning towards majoring in sports management.

Elite

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Joyfully Said Signs

Investing in Joy

Article by Chris Wheeler Photos by Linnea Wheeler

Chelsea Gorsuch (Haarer) was born and raised in Middlebury, and spent her summers on entrepreneurial endeavors, such as a handmade bracelet business or a sprawling backyard library complete with individual library cards for every neighbor. She would go on to bring this enterprising spirit into a variety of ventures as an adult, until five years ago, when she began the adventure that would eventually become Joyfully Said Signs.

The space they occupy now has grown to two floors in the old popcorn mill on East Warren toward Shipshewana, shared with the Mustard Seed Marketplace and Objects Antiques. In just five short years, co-owners Chelsea and her husband Wes have gone from renting out a small section in the east corner to taking over a majority of the building. Their vision for the future is like their business: bursting at the seams.

On average, the Gorsuches and their growing team of over 17 employees (six of whom are full-time) ship out 200-250 packages a week - and that number ramps up significantly during the holidays. During sales, it can climb to 700 shipments per week. The team at Joyfully Said Signs design, paint, stencil, and frame all of their signs in-house; they also sell their favorites in home decor and unique gifts from local artisans. A visit to their workshop is like entering a cozy home, flowing naturally from exquisite displays of pottery, furnishings, art, and high-detail wooden photo signs into a workshop where you can watch the signs being made and framed.

And all of this began with a few signs for their own home and a social media post.

“It was the perfect combination - I loved decorating our home, and the power of words. The words that you see get planted inside of you, and you have the ability to surround yourself in your home with words that mean something to you.”

Chelsea grew up in Highland Hills, and Wes grew up outside of the township of Wawaka, near Ligonier. They met through a mutual friend at an anatomy class at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, where Chelsea was studying psychology and Wes studying nursing. Wes recalls: “I was not the most studious person, and I was questioning whether or not we would have an anatomy final. We ended up studying together. I still remember that night in the student center, seeing an angel...” Before he waxes too eloquent, Chelsea laughs and redirects him, “There was an instant connection. The rest is history!”

For those readers who may doubt the value of anatomy class, consider that this encounter sparked many future study dates and culminated in a wedding, 16 years of

marriage in January, and three children (Claire, 10; Millie, 8; and Corban, 4). Chelsea went on to get her masters in school counseling, while Wes worked nights in critical care at Berrien General. Eventually their path led them back to Middlebury, where Chelsea worked as a school counselor at the middle school for 8 years.

About five years ago, the Gorsuches were preparing to welcome Corban to their family when the seed of Joyfully Said Signs was planted. Chelsea began dabbling in making signs for her own home, and shared a few on social media. People started asking her to make signs for them, and she soon opened an Etsy shop and within six months moved the operation into the location on East Warren. Wes was a constant support, eventually transitioning into part-time at his nursing job and helping out framing the signs two days a week.

“At the one-year mark, she was trying to make the decision to go back or make a go at the sign business, and I said, let’s just go for it and see what happens! I’m a dreamer, and I know she can do anything she puts her mind to.”

As demand began to skyrocket, he transitioned into fulltime at the shop, driving loads of signs around to customers, framing, and generally taking care of anything extra that needed to be done. Chelsea would make the signs (with invaluable help from friends and family) in addition to marketing through social media, email, and connecting with influencers. Their most exciting challenge has been scaling up their operations to keep up with the demand, whether by inventing a sliding laser tool to ensure their stencils were level, or transitioning from recycled Pumpkinvine Cyclery boxes for shipping to custom packaging from Welch in Elkhart. They’ve collaborated with designers and influencers to create unique products, and curated seasonal collections called Joy Boxes, complete with style guides and favorite gifts from local artists. And they visit Varns and Hoover three times a week for paint.

As they’ve grown, Chelsea has been able to work less on the day-to-day aspects and more on hiring, marketing, and building the business. Wes now focuses on general operations and helping to develop their growing staff, finding time to do three hours of sign-painting a day, run the forklift, and help manage the property. Both of them can’t say enough about how wonderful their people are. “We couldn’t do what we’re doing at all without our dedicated and talented team!”

From the beginning, Joyfully Said Signs has been a community effort. Both sides of the Gorsuch family have been

available from the start to help stencil, stain frames, and market products. The kids come in to stain and trim signs, and help make up shipping packets. Both sets of parents are retired and live a mile in either direction, and often stop by to help out with staining, tending the plants in the window boxes, and arranging the seasonal displays.

This sense of hospitality and community is core to the Gorsuches vision for Joyfully Said Signs, and is one of the reasons Middlebury is a perfect fit for them.

“We both love the small-town atmosphere and community. There’s not a focus on the grind or hustle and bustle. It’s a slower pace of life; a beautiful place to live and work. It’s a place worthy of people coming in and investing. We’re excited to add to that.”

The Gorsuches have a long-term vision for making the Mill into a community-driven space, hosting events like their summer artisan market, which (pre-COVID) hosted up to 1000 people, and Christmas at the Mill (check out their schedule at www.joyfullysaidsigns.com for the latest events). They hope to expand the farmer’s market, spark more collaborations with local artisans, and host live music events with local talent like Julia James and Sam Brown in the acoustic-friendly amphitheater the grain bins create.

The Gorsuches’ focus on home-grown values and investing in Middlebury has served them well, as evidenced by a return customer rate well above normal industry standards and continually escalating demand, just shy of Joyfully Said’s fifth anniversary in February. The Gorsuches have rooted themselves in their community, determined to serve it, grow with it, and make products worthy of it.

“We want to encourage people when they come in and help them find a sign that will make their home feel more like a refuge, a place where they can find rest. We want to inspire a life well-lived through the mediums of visual art and reminders that you can choose joy, you can be happy despite what’s going on. Our mission is to tend things well here and take care of our community.”