By Jennifer Colosimo
Dunwoody entrepreneur, mom and yoga instructor Jany Brown founded Belated Goods on the idea that a meaningful gesture carries joy no matter when (read: how late) it arrives. Fellow busy and best-intentioned gifters everywhere, rejoice! Because giving is her love language, Brown curated Belated Goods with artisan-made items from around the world, offering 12 gifting personas—the spa enthusiast, the
adventurer and more—or a unique mix-and-match gift. Each
makes a tardy expression of gratitude a great experience instead of something stressful.
What do you believe makes gift-giving so magical?
Jany Brown: There is so much science around the positive side effects of expressing gratitude. Genuine gratitude strengthens bonds between people, and evidence shows that those connections improve our emotional well-being and even our longevity. Showing someone you care about them is the gift, no matter if it happens on time or not.
How have you seen Belated Goods make an impact in your community?
JB: I am constantly seeking out makers and artists who are shaping their communities for the better. We are proud to partner with Rubyzaar, a fair-trade business that works with tailors and weavers in Southeast Asia to create beautiful textiles and bags, and Buzzee, an Atlanta-based, female-led company that makes compact towels using recycled plastic. Part of our mission is to give a portion of our profits back to the communities we serve.
What advice would you give young entrepreneurs?
JB: Never stop learning. And never be afraid to fail. Failure is how we learn, and success is often just a series of failures. As Thomas Edison famously said, ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome since launching Belated Goods?
JB: Knowing where to start was the hardest part. Beautiful gifts and art are all around us, but I wanted Belated Goods to be a special experience from the moment it landed on someone’s doorstep. Creating the signature Belated Goods box took over a year. Understanding the manufacturing and design process was new territory. None of this would have happened without surrounding myself with great people whom I trusted and who believed in what I wanted to create.
“I started Chili for the Children, a charity chili cook-off, 20 years ago, and for the past several years, David Abes and the Dash Hospitality team have donated their space at Bar{n} booze {n} bites to host the event. We’ve raised over $150,000 together for Make-A-Wish Georgia, so I’m a big fan of the Funwoody restaurant group.”
Brown’s Favorite Goods:
Favorite Burger: Village Burger
Favorite Shopping: Village Threads
Favorite Outdoor Experience: Brook Run Park and Dunwoody Nature Center
