Quit Your Day Job: 2ReVert

marymary

Story by marymary

Published on Dec 15, 2008 in Shop

Photo by 2ReVert

Jann and Jeff of 2ReVert never expected their side project of recycling skateboards into jewelry and accessories would turn into a full time business, allowing Jeff to quit his regular day job. They work together on the business; Jann organizes orders while Jeff works in the studio and makes trips to the post office. Keep reading to find out what they think their most successful promotion has been to date.

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
Although we like to believe in ourselves, and Jann usually dreams big, we would have to admit that neither of us thought 2ReVert would grow to the point of one of us being able to quit our day job.

How long were you selling on Etsy before you took the plunge into selling full time?
It was 6 months from the time we started selling on Etsy until Jeff was able to give his notice to quit his full time job (of 14 years).

What was the deciding factor resulting in pursuing Etsy as your full time job?
We believed in being able to sleep at some point… and with both of us working full time jobs and 2ReVert piled on top, we just never had any free time for anything (even our sleeping hours where being cut back).


Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
Prior to Jeff giving his notice, we did many things.

  • We played with the budget and looked at our money many times over.
  • We had our business set up (license, bank account, etc.).
  • We spoke with our banker and then we quickly sold our first home, and bought a new one (that we would be happy in forever).
  • Once we were in our new house, we then dove into the deep end and Jeff gave his two weeks notice. We were both a ball a nerves but had never felt so alive.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What’s your best marketing tip?
First off, Etsy is amazing, and landing a spot in a treasury or on the front page is a huge boost for sales. Blogs are so great, as you get such positive feedback not only from the writer, but their readers as well. We have also been so lucky to have been featured in TransWorld Skateboarding magazine, our local newspaper, and we even had the experience of doing a national TV interview.


What have you found to be unsuccessful promotion?
We’ve been fortunate enough so far that we haven’t had many mistakes.

Would you walk us through what a typical workday might entail?
Jann goes to work and reports to another boss (oh!).  Jeff’s days as solely self-employed go like this:

  • Up at 7am with Jann
  • Watch a Tivo’d show (The Hour) during breakfast.
  • Out in the shop by 9am.
  • Check the orders that Jann set up for him and then turn on the Sirius radio and get to work.
  • He takes an hour for lunch, walks to the mailbox with Gabrielle (our baby, a Shih Tzu cutie pie pup), then back to the shop for the afternoon.
  • Leaving the shop at 5pm, give or take.
  • We sometimes work on the weekends, and it’s usually a couple more hours in the evening, doing the packaging and computer work.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
Being able to create and make a living off it is a great feeling, but because Jeff isn’t used to being alone all day he becomes quite chatty when Jann returns.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?
We feel we planned pretty well for the day Jeff quit and could only wish that it happened earlier. Jeff used to work shift work, and we didn’t realize how hard it was on his body and sleeping patterns until after the plunge.

What advice would you give someone else thinking about taking the plunge?
Make sure you figure out the financials. Order loads of supplies prior to taking the plunge, talk to as many people as you can about it and sock away some cash.


What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year?
We plan on doing a couple craft shows and hope to continue to grow our business.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
We want to say a huge thanks to Etsy and all our supportive customers. Having customers return again and again is so thrilling, we are very grateful for their support of our recycled goods

Thanks to Jann and Jeff for sharing their story and business with us! Check out the related items below to see some more of their work.

You can find some of our previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.

Discuss: 124 comments

Related Items

124 comments

Sign in to add your own