I’m 54 yrs old. Recently I found a box of paper in my basement. Two papers stood out.
On a scrap of paper, written in my early 20’s in blue cursive ink, a list of business ideas I wanted to start. Stuffed animals. Candles. Lip Balm. Soap. Socks.
Another paper, took me back 36 years, to my senior year in high school. My mom drove me two hours from Sacramento to meet with Marty Nemko, a San Francisco area career counselor.
After the meeting, Marty mailed his recommendations typed on a typewriter. Go to college. Get a business degree. Apprentice at an import company. Gain skills and experience. Travel the world. Start your own import company.
I traveled 4 years. Living in Costa Rica, New Zealand, England, Israel, Egypt, Italy, and South Africa. Collecting unique pens. Useful. Easy to pack. Not exciting to import.
Returning to the US, I worked with large corporations like Target, Best Buy, General Mills, and Pepperidge Farm.
Bought a house. Got married. Got kids. A dog. A cat.
I buried my dream. For income stability.
For the last 5 years I’ve sold small plush animals, dollhouse miniatures, and fairy garden animals on Etsy.
My annual sales hover around $50,000 a year. I yearn to make $100,000.
By learning from small handmade and gift businesses, I aspire to gain confidence and fulfill my dream.
And build a community of curious business owners seeking to fulfill their dreams.
Stories about handmade and gift business owners and retailers.
This is Handmade To 100K.
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