Meet Jourdan!

Welcome to our newest adventure, Articles by The Mill District. We’ve been dreaming of this project for quite some time now and we are thrilled to finally get to share it with you! Meet Jourdan: co-owner of The Mill District and founder of Articles.

Jourdan Thomson

Co-owner of The Mill District, wedding extraordinaire, event planner/coordinator.

Less known traits: cleaning lady, gardener, wife, aunt, sister, daughter, retail stylist.

We asked Jourdan all about her— her favorite things, how she got into this industry, and more!

Where are you from?

J: Born and raised in Angola, IN! I graduated from Angola High School in 2014 and moved to Indianapolis. I went to culinary school at Ivy Tech, which started out as baking and pastry arts. I moved on to get my degree in Hospitality Administration.

How did you get started in this industry?

J: I was a nanny while in school and loved how personal it was. From there, I went on to become a personal assistant/house manager. I did that for three years and loved it! The pandemic hit and I really wanted to move home. During COVID, I came to help out with the family businesses in Angola and James was very busy with truck driving. I saw the farmhouse for sale that we live in now and found out that we could purchase the entire property, as well. They were listed separately, but we put in an offer on the whole thing.

When we looked at the property, it was an established business called The Old Mill Village. James and I knew that the property could be so much more. We acquired a book of upcoming weddings and closed on the property in January of 2021.

I always knew I was going to be a business owner. We grew up with family businesses, so it’s always been a dream of mine. I truly believe that small businesses make the world go ‘round! When it was brought to our attention that the house could include the whole property, we knew we wanted to take up this endeavor.

How old were you when you bought The Mill District?

J: I had just turned 25. James was 30. We went to look at the property on my birthday weekend.

How did you meet James?

J: …Tinder. I hate telling that story!

When and where did you get married?

J: On New Year’s Eve, 2017! We were married in Angola at the Trine Furth Center. We had our reception at the Steuben County Event Center. I did all the planning and decorating myself, with a little help from my mom. We had almost 300 guests!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

J: Travel, shop… What would be considered free time? (a foreign concept to her) I have the occasional spa day. I also enjoy a night in with James and our dogs when he’s home. Maybe a dip in the hot tub.

What made you want to purchase The Mill?

J: The uniqueness of the property. The possibilities seem endless to me. James told me that this was the perfect thing to buy because he doesn’t think I can “out-project” it. The list of things to do is endless!

What is your favorite building on the property? Why?

J: I think The Watermill, only because it can be so many different things. It’s a really nice, small, intimate event space. It also acts as our rehearsal dinner space on wedding weekends. During the holidays, it acts as The Holiday Store. There’s always a variety of things happening in The Watermill.

How many people do you have working for you?

J: In total, we have about 10 staff.

How did you select the people you chose to work at The Mill District?

J: I do choose mainly women to work here. I feel that the women here understand what I am looking to accomplish and can take initiative to be a leader in their specific role. Our team members are driven, creative, typically high-energy, and have talents specific to their job here. Our group of women here is solid. I was always around women in the workforce. I probably have too strong of a personality to work with men!

What is your favorite piece of history here on the property?

J: I think it is so interesting that the Post Office was an operating post office until it was moved here. When we first bought the property, our mailman told us that he used to deliver mail to that this post office in Ray until it was moved.

What is your favorite part about your job here?

J: There is a lot that goes into it, but I would say definitely the customer service and client relationships. We are in the “people business” and have met a lot of friends working here. We love getting together with our brides and grooms outside of wedding planning. We’ve met people traveling across the country that stay in our Airbnbs. You just don’t meet these kinds of people at a regular job.

How many weddings have you hosted?

J: 79 since we’ve owned TMD!

What do you think sets YOU apart from others in this industry?

J: Hmm. I think the way I establish relationships with people here is truly special. I create a whole experience here at TMD that is completely personal and I frequently make customers return-customers. People like the small town feel and this place is so special to me since I grew up in the area. I am able to use my creativity and vision to come up with anything on the spot. Serving people is what I do and you will never meet someone with more energy. Every fine detail matters to me and I like things to be perfect— a healthy dose of perfectionism. You’ll never see a cobweb on this property! I run a tight ship.

What is your favorite project you have done here?

J: The white Post Office and the rebrand of The Mill District. It used to be The Old Mill Village, but we changed it.