My Backstory

Are you struggling with a hobby that you love and want to turn it into a profitable small business but don’t know where to start?

I’ve been there too. In 2013 I took my handmade crafts to my first ever craft show. I had amazing sales but realized I had no idea what I was doing and was just making items to be busy making them. Nowadays I run an extremely profitable maker business and consistently have amazing sales and profits at each show I go to, have had our products featured on multiple metro news stations, received a wholesale order for my dream big box store and have had countless opportunities come my way and am able to pick and choose which of those opportunities will move my business forward instead of saying yes to everything that comes my way.

How I got started:

Back in the days when Instagram wasn’t a thing and Facebook was our only form of social media (sorry Myspace we loved you while you lasted) I started my own handmade business. At that point I was selling one product on my personal Facebook page and in person to family and friends who were extremely supportive (big shout out to all of my OG hootie hat customers, you know who you are!  If you don't know what a hootie hat is, it's a baby/children's hat that looks like an owl-hance the name). They helped affirm that I could make and sell things. What I didn’t know at that time was this was just the beginning of something greater.

I decided that it was time to sign up for my first craft show. So I naturally did what all hobbyists do when they sign up for their first event, I made made made until I couldn’t make anymore. I made things to make them with no direction, simply guessing what would sell best going off of what I had been already selling to family and friends. Now this worked out for me for that show because my extremely supportive group of family and friends showed up big time to that event and made it to this day one of my best events for sales(fun fact: it was also the weekend I got engaged so I have many fond memories of that weekend). But what I didn’t know was that the initial excitement and support would eventually wear off and I would need to continue to change and pivot to make my hobby-now turned-small businesses successful.

How I pivoted:

I quickly realized that my OG hootie hat would not carry me through to the mountain tops.  It was a great starting point and seller at the time, everyone loved that little owl hat but when I started to look at my numbers I really wasn’t making any money on them for the amount of time it took to make them and for what I was pricing them at.  I had to use my creative juices beyond a crochet hook and some yarn to figure out how to make a product and brand that people wanted consistently but in a way that was more efficient and profitable.  I also saw that if I wanted to be successful I had to switch my mindset from a crafter to a maker.  The Artisan Maker Movement was where I needed to be but how did I get there?  I knew I had a craft and skill but didn’t know how to change my product line to become an artisan maker.

I started to listen to what people were asking me to make, I looked for themes and products that were missing in the market. I didn't copy what people were already doing.  I took that information and created my new products that became a hit initially and many years later have continued to carry my successful biz simply because I listened and provided.

I went from crafter to maker:

I got clear on my branding, knowing my numbers inside and out, market selection, and goals.  By doing this I got my products into my dream store, Scheels, continue to have successful sales at markets and events with ease, and love everything there is to being a small business owner and being a part of the maker community.  I have multiple needle moving opportunities, and bright and shiny opportunities come my way each year and easily say yes and no to each one without feeling bad.

In Conclusion:

I see you; I feel you; I hear you. 

I have been there too and want you to know that you too can turn your hobby into a successful maker business.  It’s possible and I’m here to help you navigate these waters.  I’m here to share my mistakes so that you can avoid them.  I’m here to cheer you on and chase your biggest dreams!

If you’d love to get to know each other better, you can follow me over on IG @makeyourmarklabs