Today we’d like to introduce you to Summer Belnap Robertson
Hi Summer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in St. George Utah and knew from a young age I wanted to be a professional dancer. I had learning disabilities, and dance seemed to be the one thing that I could really excel in. I put all my focus into training and went to one of the best art conservatories in the country (North Carolina School of the Arts) and then moved to New York City where I lived for 8 years. I went to hundreds of auditions, some of which were successful. I had the opportunity to work with very creative people and dance on many stages. Dance is a fleeting art form, and you peak as a performer at a young age. Because of my awareness of this fact, I decided to earn my master’s in education from Columbia University all while performing at various venues.
I had my first baby at 29, and I realized I needed to pivot and find a new passion. So, I put all my focus and energy into choreography and founded the St George Dance Company and Red Rock Dance Festival. The St. George Dance Company provides adult dancers the opportunity to train and perform and produces concerts and events like the Red Rock Dance Festival in southern Utah. This led me to be invited to serve on various boards like the St. George Arts Commission and the RAP Tax Commission.
I found a lot of joy building and managing the dance company. Then, after 11 years, I burned out. Running an arts organization takes a lot of love and sacrifice, and I finally had to step down because I was doing it all. I am so happy with the new administration and the way they have carried on with the original vision.
After a break, I started researching what was next for me. I knew I wanted to do something completely different and grow. I thought about another degree or working an administrative job for the City or County or maybe use the degree I had to teach. In the end, I decided to start my own company. Last year, my husband and I researched various businesses and ultimately decided that a packing and shipping store was needed in Washington City, Utah. I had no experience in this industry, but I was ready for the challenge and to learn something new.
Pack It Ship It opened November 2024, and it’s been going really well. We’re a professional packing business, and we ship almost anything to almost anywhere in the world. Pack It Ship It is an authorized shipping outlet for FedEx, UPS and USPS. We rent private mailboxes, which allow our customers to receive large and small packages from all carriers. We also provide various services including gift wrapping, printing, copying, notary etc., and we sell boxes, office supplies and shipping supplies.
At Pack It Ship It, I’m finding ways to connect with the community in how I respond to each customer and staff member. I’ve found ways to be creative in marketing and build this business to be something beyond me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are more technical challenges than I realized in running a mail store. Every country has its own rules with regards to customs and each shipping provider (UPS, FedEx, USPS) has their own rules and restrictions as well. Most recently, I shipped a bag of golf clubs to Hawaii for a guy that was traveling there for vacation. He wanted his clubs to arrive ahead of him. USPS claimed the clubs would arrive ahead of his arrival. But, they didn’t. In fact, they were delayed by over a week. He was extremely understanding and didn’t hold us responsible, but I still felt responsible and did everything I could to track his package and stay in communication with him. So, the challenge is learning which carrier is best for each situation and help customers understand the cost vs risk with each.
Another challenge of a more personal nature is that I still identify as a performing artist. I devoted 100% of myself to dance for over 20 years. Combine this with an overachiever mindset, and I find myself at times fighting the urge to feel ashamed or embarrassed that I am doing something other than what I set out to do in my childhood. But I have experienced enough emotional growth to realize that our goals and dreams shift and change across different seasons of our lives, and that is ok! There are, of course, more aspects to me than dance. After concentrating for so long on that part of me, it’s liberating to change the focus.
As you know, we’re big fans of Pack It Ship It. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Learning about the shipping industry and completing training went smoothly. Setting up our retail store and branding it has been a lot of fun, and we are pleased with the outcome.
Now that I’m in business and working with customers every day, I face a new challenge. People bring different items to ship, some items are regulated and have laws around them. Each carrier has different rules and regulations and if you ship internationally, it takes time to research because each country has policies and requires packages to go through customs. This business is a lot more complex than I anticipated. It has a lot of layers, and I am in the thick of it plunged into learning them all.
The biggest discovery I’ve made about myself is that WHAT I’m doing isn’t what matters most. It’s HOW I do it. I’m happiest when I’m learning, growing and being creative. With Pack it Ship It, I’m definitely learning, growing and finding various ways to be creative and making people feel something unique and positive when they stop in. Most people that visit Pack It Ship It for the first time comment that our store feels clean, refreshing and welcoming, and they appreciate our sincere and friendly staff. Unfortunately, this isn’t common in the shipping industry.
If you need to mail, ship with UPS, FEDEX or USPS, pack, notarize, fax, copy, print or rent a mailbox, come visit me!
Pack It Ship It | 875 West Red Cliffs Drive Ste. 9 Washington UT 84780 | (435) 574-9997 | PACKITSHIPIT.COM
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.packitshipit.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/packitshipit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PackItShipItUSA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PackItShipIt
