13 Entrepreneurs Who Created Successful Journal Products [2024]
A journal is a newspaper or a magazine that covers a particular subject or a professional activity based on the author's thoughts and feelings. The beauty of journaling is there is no right or wrong way to start.
The approach depends on your personal experience and can take many forms.
Find a journaling habit that works for you and create a writing routine. Get creative and journal about anything that comes to mind, so long as it interests your target audience.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a journal brand:
1. MindJournal ($1.8M/year)
Ollie, the co-founder of MindJournal, came up with the idea for the brand after personally experiencing the power of journaling during therapy to recover from PTSD. After recommending journaling to a friend who struggled with how to use it effectively, Ollie realized he could solve this problem and create a journal that would help men navigate the challenges of everyday life. This led to the creation of MindJournal, which has helped over 3,000 guys improve their emotional well-being and life satisfaction.
How much they make: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 3
MindJournal is a journaling brand for guys that has helped over 3,000 men feel more in control of their emotions and improve their life satisfaction and self-worth.
2. Stone ($1.2M/year)
Stefan Johnson, co-founder of STONE, came up with the idea for their business while photographing a two-Michelin-star chef using a regular notebook that kept sliding on the kitchen surface. Together with his client Eliot, they brainstormed and came up with the concept for a chefs notebook with unique features, including stone paper, which led to the launch of their successful Kickstarter campaign and the creation of STONE.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
Current team size: 5
Cookbook designers, Stefan Johnson and Eliot Dudik launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2018 hitting its funding target in 24 hours, thus kickstarting the business that has 6 new products, a monthly revenue of around $40,000, and over 45,000 products sold with plans to double its turnover by 2020 by expanding product line and corporate offering.
So... can you actually make money with a journal brand?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Seph Crafts ($2.4K/year)
Sephora, the owner of Seph Crafts, started her business after struggling to find a planner that met her needs. Frustrated with using sticky notes that would fall out of her planner, she decided to create her own that prioritized goals, schedule, and motivation. Since launching during the pandemic, Seph Crafts has expanded its target audience beyond mothers and now serves teachers, event planners, college students, and entrepreneurs.
How much they make: $2.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 0
Sephora turned her hobby of designing planners into a full-time business during the pandemic, offering handmade and customizable planners and journals with a flagship design that encourages time management by aligning daily tasks with annual goals.
4. The Food Diary ($9K/year)
Laura, the founder of The Food Diary Co., came up with the idea for her business after her own struggles with chronic illnesses. Frustrated by the lack of food diaries designed for people with digestive and autoimmune issues, she created her own journal to track her symptoms and triggers. Seeing the positive impact it had on her health, she decided to create a beautiful diary for others facing similar challenges.
How much they make: $9K/year
Current team size: 0
The Food Diary Co. founder Laura created a beautifully designed food diary to help people with digestive and autoimmune disorders better understand their trigger foods, and has grown her business with organic marketing, influencer partnerships, and the goal of beefing up SEO, email newsletters, and affiliate marketing.
So... can you actually make money with a journal brand?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Cinquanta Cox-Smith ($120K/year)
Cinquanta Cox-Smith, a Multipreneur from South Carolina, stumbled upon the Print On Demand industry 12 years ago when she wanted to create a unique shirt and discovered Spreadshirt.com. Through her creativity and networking skills, she found success in designing and selling catchy, conversation-starting shirts. This eventually led her to create multiple POD brands on various platforms, generating an impressive $120k per year in revenue.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
6. Planner Peace ($270K/year)
Jess, the founder of Chasing Planner Peace, initially started her business on Etsy, selling planner inserts. As an avid planner user herself, she saw a gap in the market for colorful inserts, great quality paper, and a wide range of options in Australia. Over time, she expanded her product range to include dividers, notepads, and her own brand of planners. Through word of mouth and good reviews, she has been able to attract and retain a loyal customer base, with a 39.9% return customer rate.
How much they make: $270K/year
Current team size: 1
Chasing Planner Peace is a planner company that has expanded from selling planner inserts on Etsy, to offering a one-stop shop customizable planner experience with over 300 inserts, a planner line, and various other related products, gaining a monthly revenue of around $25,000 at its busiest time of year.
So... can you actually make money with a journal brand?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. PurposeCards ($3.6K/year)
Jared Gold, founder of PurposeCards, came up with the idea for his business while sitting at a coffee shop sketching out a new tab Chrome extension. After realizing he wanted something physical and easy to commit to, he created PurposeCards, daily micro-journaling cards that fit in your wallet and help make every day successful. With minimal marketing, the product has gained traction, and the Kickstarter campaign has raised $1,565 as of April 6th.
How much they make: $3.6K/year
Current team size: 0
PurposeCards, a daily micro-journaling card business founded by Jared Gold, has raised $1,565 since launching its Kickstarter campaign on March 24th, with its minimalist and credit card-sized design providing users with an easy, tangible way to track their daily focus and goals.
8. Saint Belford ($162K/year)
Tom and Alex, the co-founders of Saint Belford, came up with the idea for their planning diary business after experiencing burnout and struggling to find a planner that prioritized self-care. They saw an opportunity to create a unique planner that incorporated lifestyle tools and focused on wellness. In their first year, they achieved a revenue of 43k, and in their second year, they nearly quadrupled that amount, earning 160k in less than six months.
How much they make: $162K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 0
Saint Belford's Co-Founders share their journey of creating and launching a self-care and personal growth diary which made AU$160k in less than six months, with lessons on attracting and retaining customers.
9. Dreamfruit ($12K/year)
Elizabeth Russell, creator of the Dreamfruit Almanac for Earthlings, came up with the idea after closing the doors of her integrative arts and community event space. In a moment of inspiration, she created a prototype for a moon-based planner/journal hybrid that blended her concern for the world with her faith in human compassion. She collaborated with her partner, worked with a designer to create a new website, and launched her business, attracting customers through emails and in-person events.
How much they make: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
Current team size: 1
Dreamfruit Almanac for Earthlings is a unique moon-based planner and guided journal self-published by Elizabeth Russell which resulted in a successful crowdfunding campaign with over 100% community support, building a core of supportive people through live-events and community-focused marketing.
- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
