Today we’d like to introduce you to Jax Ball.
Hi Jax, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Bali Jax was created after I moved to Bali in 2018 with my 3 kids and husband as we started our journey as a nomadic family. While living in Bali, I fell in love with the interior design aesthetics of the cafes and businesses and the handmade artisan goods created from sustainable and natural materials. At that time, I was designing and building a home from the ground up in Mount Pleasant, SC, as a build-to-sell project. I wanted to bring back the design aesthetics from Bali to my build project in SC and figure out how to import items in shipping containers back to the States.
As I started shopping for my project in Bali, I started vlogging about the process on social media, leading many people in the local Charleston area to view my page. I’d vlog about light fixtures I was buying for my project, and followers would say, “Hey, can I buy one of those too?” So many people were interested in what I was doing and how things were being made, and I fell in love with the items I was creating for my project. Soon, followers started asking me if I would also consider bringing back items for them in my container. Before I knew it, I had filled my container of home goods and furnishings from Bali for my design project and a 20 ft container for other people in the local Charleston area who wanted me to bring unique items back for their own houses. The evolution of Bali Jax happened so organically and quickly that I hadn’t even branded the company back then.
As a designer and creative director, I have always had an eye for design, so I knew I could grow this into something special with a little time, and I did! Soon after my first container was imported in 2018, Bali Jax was formed, and I started designing my own furniture and decor collections and creating production teams in Bali. I ramped up posting on social media after I branded my company. Within the last few years, I have expanded my service delivery area to 7 states and multiple Caribbean islands (and counting), with over 25k IG followers on my @balijaxliving page.
I have a unique business model in that I do not have a storefront, I don’t stock inventory anywhere, and I don’t sell collection pieces throughout the year. I curate and produce limited quantity Bali Import Collections just 2-3 times a year for the public, with deliveries happening only after container arrivals. There are only a few times a year that buyers can receive items delivered to their homes. My customers not only follow my business page but most are invested in my personal life as a mother and nomadic expat family of 5. Most customers also follow my personal Instagram page @chameleoncouple, where I share my full-time travel vlogging and what inspires me creatively during my global travels and life abroad. Here, they can also get behind-the-scenes looks and watch video clips of my production team in Bali and what life is like there.
I only return to the States when my containers arrive at the Charleston port and physically unload them with my husband. Each collection contains a few hundred pieces of furniture, which is typically a mix of my designs and customers who collaborate with me on their design ideas and choose to have custom pieces created. Because I am not a mass producer of goods, buyers preorder pieces to reserve them through Instagram DM after they see me post what will be available on Instagram for an upcoming Collection. After 5+ years in business, my Collections now almost always completely pre-sell out before container arrivals, as I do nearly as much custom design work as I do with regular production.
Buyers know to watch my IG page for Collection drop news to be updated in real-time. I also heavily document the importation process from unloading containers to truck packing to my 7-state delivery route on IG and every stop I make, which I do with my husband. Followers call me ‘Santa Jax’ during delivery route schedules as they watch my IG stories and compare watching me to watching the Santa Tracker.
Bali Jax now designs and delivers home furnishings and decor Collection pieces to commercial businesses and the general public. Whether a customer is looking for individual pieces for a particular space, needs a full house of furnishings, or a restaurant or hotel/commercial space wants to do custom pieces with me, Bali Jax Imports is there to help. Bali Jax is the brand that becomes your muse.
– Jax Ball
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has taken me years to get the talented production teams I now have. I went through many production crews in my early years that didn’t meet my quality standards and expectations so it took me a few years to form the production team I now have which are made up of expert level carpenters, weavers, finishers and a QC team in Bali. The quality I produce now is on level with Restoration Hardware furniture.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
This is my first time seeing another business model like mine anywhere. I pride myself on the fact that I have built my business in a way that works for my family and me, not based on how much money I can make, which drives most other businesses. Of course, I want my brand to be successful, but Bali Jax is about something other than growing bigger and scaling to the point where it’s that huge. The financial success of my company isn’t what drives me; it’s the creative process and the flexibility to create when it flows naturally, not because I’m obligated. I will never have a storefront, and I like producing limited-quantity collections because it makes the pieces that much more special for those purchasing from me. I have created pieces for high-end hotels and commercial spaces just as I have created custom pieces for regular families looking to install something unique in their homes from Bali. I like working with residential and commercial projects on small and large budgets; it keeps it diverse and exciting for me. The other biggest thing that sets me apart is that I unload my containers, pack my dozen delivery trucks, and hand deliver furniture straight to my customers along with my husband. I don’t outsource that part, and customers love being able to meet me on delivery day. It’s grueling work when containers arrive, but it’s an extraordinary part of my business.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned, not just in this business but in all the businesses I’ve started, is that there’s never a good time to invest in yourself and your business. Things will sometimes align differently, and data only takes you so far when studying whether something will work or not regarding investment and returns. At some point, you must take the leap of faith and believe in yourself, manifest your vision, believe it’s already successful, and drive straight forward into the unknown with complete confidence. It was a scary move for me to import more than one container at a time the first time I did that. I had to invest 6 figures of my savings and hope I would sell out my collection. There was no guarantee, and I didn’t have a place to put anything if it didn’t sell out, so it was a massive gamble. Because I believed in myself, manifested my reality, and dug my heels in, it ultimately allowed my business to scale across 7 states. You must be brave in business, or you will fail; that’s just reality.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @BaliJaxLiving
- Personal IG page: @chameleoncouple
