Tell us about your shop and the idea behind it.
We started invite me! with the goal of matching couples with their dream wedding stationery — whether it’s a rocker couple throwing an over-the-top all-weekend concert affair or a traditional pair hosting a formal ceremony on a budget. Whether it’s two brides, two grooms, or a bride and a groom, everybody deserves invites that stand out from the crowd.
At first we focused mainly on wedding invitations, but we also love making invites for birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, baby showers, bachelorette parties, you name it! We also make paper products for other small businesses and Etsy shops, customized personal stationery, and party supplies. All of our products are completely customizable, and all of our designs are available in printed form, as printable files, or as do-it-yourself kits.
Tell us about your previous working situation/s and how you discovered Etsy.
Before we took the leap to making invitations full time, we were both middle school math teachers! That’s how we met, actually. We weren’t sure we even liked each other at first (Monique stole Emily’s nice desks and it was unclear whether there was room for two cute math teachers in the same building), but by winter break, we had become fast friends. We spent six years working together, collaborating on math quizzes, and wearing dorky shirts with the quadratic formula on them.
We both love teaching as a career. Working with kids is fun and rewarding, and in middle school, every day is full of surprises. But a few years ago our district made some changes that limited our ability to be creative in the classroom. It was hard to imagine not teaching, but at the same time, something was missing — so we had to make an escape plan. It looked something like this (but on a post-it):
1) Start a business
2) Get pregnant
3) Quit our jobs
4) Work from home in our pajamas while drinking coffee and raising our babies!
At the time, Monique was in full-blown wedding-planning mode. Emily made her own invitations, so we planned on making Monique’s together. As we brainstormed business ideas (which included algebra tutoring videos and teacher collaboration workshops), we couldn’t get our brains off of weddings. Thinking about something other than teaching math gave us a creative outlet again! One of Emily’s childhood friends saw what we were doing on Facebook and hired us to design her save the dates. The design process was such a blast, we were hooked and invite me! was born.
We’re not girls who take no for an answer, so of course everything had to work according to plan. We spent evenings and weekends growing our shop, filling orders, and grading papers. Then in November, we both got pregnant! We had summer babies, and took a leave of absence for the 2011-2012 school year. We’ve been living the dream this year: working at invite me! and raising our daughters full time. We love it so much, and we just submitted our letters of resignation!
What steps did you take to prepare for transitioning into full time Etsy selling?
We started by considering this as a business from the start. While it’s been super fun, this has never been just a hobby for us, and we knew we wanted to do it full time someday. We opened a business bank account early on, which made keeping track of finances much easier. We also registered our “doing business as” name and made sure we had all of our legal ducks in a row.
Then we banked all of our earnings until we stopped teaching. Whatever wasn’t being reinvested into the business for supplies and equipment sat in the bank. For the first year and a half we didn’t pay ourselves at all (okay, we bought ouselves a few cups of coffee). As we grew, we watched our bank account grow too. It was hard at times to work so much and leave that money in there, but it paid off when we stopped getting paychecks from school and were able to pay ourselves!
Monique’s the planner in the partnership, and Emily tends to fly by the seat of her pants and believe it will all work out. Monique’s ability to plan helped us set up safety nets like long-term disability insurance to cover our first month of maternity leave. Emily’s go-for-it attitude helped us trust ourselves to make leaps and take risks.
What is your favorite part of the process in designing invitations?
All of it! Okay, specifically, we love that magic moment when we have the sketchbook out to design something and the ideas start flowing. We go back and forth, saying, “And what if we added this? Or what if we tried that paper?” It’s this great synergy that’s really exciting. We always have better ideas together than either of us could come up with on our own.
We also love working on custom designs with customers. Some of our best designs started out as custom item requests. Being able to take a couple’s description of their wedding and their personalities and creating something tangible that captures their spirit is really amazing. Nothing’s better than getting that email that says, “Oh my gosh! That’s it! That invite is so… us!”
What are your best marketing tips?
We’re always asking ourselves how we can market ourselves better! We don’t think we’ve hit the ideal marketing formula, but here’s what’s worked for us so far:
- Start by creating a unique, high-quality product. The invites we have that are different from what’s out there are our best sellers because people can’t find them elsewhere. They also have worked their way up to the first page of Google results because there aren’t a ton of other places offering them.
- A big change for us was to stop calling this “our little business” and start saying, “we run a business making wedding invitations.” We had to start taking ourselves seriously so other people would take us seriously.
- We talk about our business wherever we go. Somebody’s always getting married or needs a cute, personalized gift. Our friends and family members were our first customers. And they have friends who need invitations so they tell them how great we are, then their friends ask where they got their cute invites and word spreads. And always carry your business card!
- Of course we’re on Facebook, Twitter, and have a blog. And we’re just starting to discover the wonder that is Pinterest. We don’t get a ton of new customers through social media, but it’s a great way to stay connected with customers. Just staying fresh in people’s minds reminds them that we’re their favorite paper girls and sometimes they come back for thank you cards, change of address postcards, and baby announcements!
- Learn your industry and what the on and off seasons are. After our first year on Etsy we realized that there are peak months and slow months for wedding planning, but the slow months are really just peak months for different products. In December, people are looking for gifts, not planning their weddings, so we ramp up our line of personalized stationery. By January, the brides are back! So we use the slower December to get our shop ready for them.
- We invest time and money into beautiful packaging. People spend a lot of money on their weddings. We want it to feel like they’re opening a gift when they receive their invitations.
- This has been said before, but it’s so true — there’s no substitute for providing impeccable customer service. We try to respond to convos as soon as possible, and we get our products out as quickly as we can. People like working with nice people, and when you love your job it shows. Whether we’re answering questions, brainstorming design ideas, or helping a couple find their ideal invitations within their budget, our customers are always a priority to us and that comes through in the way we communicate.
What’s been your most popular item or line to date?
Definitely our ticket invitations. Our concert ticket is the most popular item in our shop, between the digital version, the printed version, and the DIY kit, we sell more of that than anything. The design actually started as a custom request, and the bride ended up going in a different direction. But we printed it off in a few colors and listed it anyway and the response was overwhelming! That was a huge turning point for our shop. Months later, we did a custom baseball card for another couple. That idea led to several baseball-themed items and the baseball ticket invite is hugely popular. Just recently we decided to expand the ticket line to include scratch-off tickets and the first save the date we ever designed — a ski lift ticket!
What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
As cliché as it sounds, we try not to regret any decisions we make. We usually learn a lot more from our mistakes than from our successes. But we have made a few blunders we won’t repeat. We had a booth in a local bridal show that didn’t bring in as much business as we had hoped. It was good practice, though, and our giveaway winner became one of our favorite customers. It also gave us a lot of confidence as business owners to see that we could hold our own amongst wedding vendors who have been in the industry for years. Then we advertised in a local wedding workbook, which was not a successful use of our money. It inspired us to work harder on free marketing opportunities and to think twice (or three times) before forking out cash for advertising.
What is the biggest challenge you face during your daily schedule?
Aside from the everyday balancing act that comes along with working while raising babies? Prioritizing time to design, photograph, and list is a huge challenge for us. When we’re working, our customers are our first priority, so we often spend all of our time completing current orders and answering convos. But we read in one of our favorite Quit Your Day Job features, This Is It Creations, to try to work on the business every day, not just in it, and we love that philosophy and strive to do that. We’re trying to restructure our office hours to include weekly time to discuss marketing and new designs, while still leaving time every day to work on orders.
What’s the hardest part about running your own business?
Valuing ourselves and setting limits. It’s easy to forget how hard we’re really working because we are so grateful that we get to do this. Because we love what we do, because we want invite me! to succeed, and because we’re dedicated to our customers, it’s hard not to let the business take over our lives. Sometimes we have to leave paper on the table, turn off the computer, and spend time with our families. It’s hard to leave a late-night convo unanswered until morning, but we’re just people. We have to find some balance.
What do you enjoy most about not having a day job?
We are really good bosses! We set our own schedule. We appreciate each other and congratulate ourselves when we hit milestones. Staff meetings happen at Starbucks, or at least over coffee in Emily’s living room. We can wear spitup-stained yoga pants to work. We have the flexibility to nurse our babies when they need to be fed, put them down for naps when they need to sleep, and wear them when they need to cuddle. We get to be as creative as we want with no limits! When we were teaching we could only use the restroom between classes, but it wasn’t very close, so we really had to hold it for hours. It’s surprisingly liberating to be able to pee whenever we want!
What is the most exciting thing that has come out of selling your designs through Etsy?
Does being in this series count? When we first opened up shop we used to read these articles and dream about what we’d say if we ever got to be featured! Everything we’ve set out to do has become a reality, and that’s thrilling. We’re still pinching ourselves.
What advice would you give someone considering a similar path?
Go for it! If you have an idea, make it happen. It’s so easy to get stuck in the dream stage or the planning stage, but all it takes is one listing to get started. We’re no different from any other people out there who wish they could be entrepreneurs. We’re all just people with good ideas — the difference is we spent the $0.20 to put our idea out there.
What goals do you have in store for the future of your business?
We’d love to expand our line of DIY kits and someday even see them in stores! We’ve been working on launching “baby me!” as a division of invite me! that includes baby announcements, shower invites, and party supplies. Emily’s kind of obsessed with Nate Berkus, so she’d love to find a way to get us onto his show. And of course we dream of someday making invites for a celebrity couple!
Anything else you would like to share?
We have some people to thank! Our amazing spouses for believing in us and supporting us, even when we were working insane hours and not bringing in any money. Our parents for bragging about us to their friends and buying stuff from us even when they could go to Target. Our daughters for making us laugh and reminding us that we have to shut off the computer sometimes. And of course, our wonderful customers! They’re some of the greatest people we’ve met, and we obviously couldn’t do this without them.
As a thank you for reading this article, we’re offering free shipping on anything in our shop! Use coupon code DAYJOB when you check out! Also, thank you Etsy! You give so many artists opportunities we wouldn’t have otherwise.
Thanks for sharing your story, Emily and Monique. Check out their work in the Seller’s Items below.
118 comments
Add a commentYuliya Lyovochkina from jezek says:
so wonderful story!
91 days ago
Emily Clayton from SecondEditionJewelry says:
Awesome story and beautiful work. Congrats!
91 days ago
Icklebabe from Icklebabe says:
Such lovely work, and a fabulous *scaleable* business, I really do wish you every success! Well done x
91 days ago
WhatFaux from WhatFaux says:
Enjoyed the article.
91 days ago
Victoria Baker from LittleWrenPottery says:
Great interview! Congratulations on making your dream a reality, its interesting to read how the products in your shop have developed over time.
91 days ago
Jenna Frist from FristVintage says:
Absolutely beautiful & incredibly inspiring! I am motivated by your hard work and dedication - thank you for sharing and congratulations on all of your success!
91 days ago
Kristen May from KMayCreations says:
Great article! Quit Your Day Job is my favorite blog on Etsy, and your story is so inspiring! Keep up the good work, your products are beautiful!
91 days ago
goodbeads from goodbeads says:
Lovely kids!
91 days ago
Paul Sommers from sommerscoffeeco says:
Really enjoyed your post, especially " try to work on the business every day, not just in it" I needed to hear that!
91 days ago
GracieAndMeDesign from GracieAndMeDesign says:
Love this - such a great story! Down to earth, inspiring, and full of great advice. Congratulations Emily, Monique and invite me!
91 days ago
Celia from TheSlyFox says:
This may be my favorite QYDJ ever. So much good luck to you two!
91 days ago
SusiesBoutiqueTLC from SusiesBoutiqueTLC says:
Congratulations on your article. Beautiful work sweet babies.
91 days ago
Jennifer Juniper from PoleStar says:
Great interview! Your babies are adorable.
91 days ago
Suanne from PaperAffection says:
GREAT story! Beat of luck to you two!
91 days ago
Joyce Weaver from joyceweaver says:
Beautiful things in your shop! Congratulations on "Quit Your Day Job" and the best of luck for your future!
91 days ago
Linda from TheHickoryTree says:
Great Interview. I can really feel the energy you two bring to your shop by reading the post. Good luck to both of you and congratulations on being picked for QYDJ. Your kids are so sweet.
91 days ago
Matejka Max from mattyhandmadecrafts says:
Wonderful! Congrats!!!
91 days ago
Molly Green from TheInvintage says:
love the ticket invitations!
91 days ago
Terence from honngaijewelry says:
Great article!!
91 days ago
mireya from abeautyfulgirl says:
Awesome!!
91 days ago
Teea Shook from TheBrickHouseBakery says:
Great interview. Beautiful work. Very inspiring! Thank you for sharing.
91 days ago
Quality Handmade Items from WhisperingOak says:
What a great idea on your board to have not only the regular to do list but also to list your goals and aspirations
91 days ago
Kristin from CarriageOakCottage says:
You two are adorable!! And your kids are beyond words CUTE!! You will go very far together, wishing you lots of luck in your success!! Kudos!!
91 days ago
Amanda Kloster from BeatificBijoux says:
Congrats, and thanks for sharing your inspiring story! Wishing you continued success!
91 days ago
Michele from OneDecember says:
Such a wonderful, fun story!! You're so lucky to have found each other!! You are so inspirational!! Congratulations and thank you for sharing!!
91 days ago
Amanda Kloster from BeatificBijoux says:
My to-do list culminates in a summer spent doing a European fair tour sometime in the future when my kids are old enough to help (or at least take care of themselves for a while). Reach fo the stars, right? It's good to have dreams!
91 days ago
Joanna Otten from TwistedWhimsyDesigns says:
What a great story! Love your shop! It's very inspirational to read that you guys poured over these stories with the hope of being the focus of it one day - and your dream came true! Best wishes for future success.
91 days ago
Leah from gilbug1 says:
Great story and great product! Congrats on being featured!!
91 days ago
Alison Comfort from HouseOfMoss says:
What a dream come true! You have your own handmade business with a dear friend, an outlet for your creativity, and baby daughters of the same age! This just makes me smile.
91 days ago
Katrin mdmB from mdmButiik says:
Very inspiring! Wishing you all the best!
91 days ago
BreAnna Paulson from PeacoatsAndPlaid says:
So inspiring for those of us out there just starting out!
91 days ago
Catherine Denton from artworkbycatherine says:
This made me want to cry. I think because it's a Cinderella-Cinderella story. You've given me such beautiful inspiration and hope. Thanks for sharing your journey! Catherine Denton
91 days ago
Emilie St-Laurent from chicandtonic says:
Beautiful story! You are really inspiring girls :) All the best for you and family Emilie
91 days ago
Amanda Webster from Kinderling says:
This is so inspiring! Good luck to you both!
91 days ago
Jeananne Sizemore from ArtWhimsCrochet says:
Your interview is great! It was a pleasure to read! The best of luck to both of you in your business!
91 days ago
VaLon from thevicagirl says:
I love it. Your products are so cute, as are you guys. I love that the kids have a place in it as well. Very fun, and good luck!
91 days ago
Rachel Arcishewsky from HardlySimpleDesigns says:
Such an inspiring story! You ladies do amazing work. And the fortune "You will make a fortune with your friend", absolutely beautiful! Congrats!
91 days ago
Ashley of Pamplepluie from Pamplepluie says:
Congrats on being featured! Your designs are adorable, and so are those little girls! :)
91 days ago
Karen Fiorino from ClayLickCreekPottery says:
Very inspiring! You are upbeat and I totally agree with one of your points... A big change for us was to stop calling this “our little business” and start saying, “we run a business making wedding invitations.” We had to start taking ourselves seriously so other people would take us seriously. so true!
91 days ago
BanglewoodSupplies from BanglewoodSupplies says:
I love your story and your friendship. Thanks for the motivation! XO
91 days ago
Hayley from HarmonyGardenDesigns says:
what a wonderful story, how serendipitous! I loved the little peek of such positive goals on your vision board...super inspirational =c)
91 days ago
Ashlee from GiggledPink says:
I loved reading this! Your story is inspiring and insightful. Thank you for sharing! ps... I look forward to your Baby Me! line!
91 days ago
dana from lenalimestudio says:
An inspiring article! I love hearing from other moms who have to juggle life and kids as well as their dreams for a business. Thanks!
91 days ago
Gina Riggins from allforloveLOVE says:
lovely story!! congratulations on your success ladies, i hope for the same thing..very inspiring :)
91 days ago
Lynn Badamo from lynniebbridal says:
Love how you are working on your business and still 'doing life'!!! This is the hardest task of all..keeping it all going! Congratulations on the success of your business! Thanks for sharing your lives with us!
91 days ago
Rosita from pillowlink says:
So lovely and inspiring story..
91 days ago
missliz01 says:
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story! It's embarrassing for me to admit, but I've been stuck in that "dream phase" for a few years now. I finally set an ultimatum for myself and decided to open a shop this year. I am currently working on my shop design and feel so good about it. I wish you continued success in your business!
91 days ago
Ash from WildRoseHerbs says:
Aw, the fortune at the end. SO sweet!! Thanks for the great tips, that ticket invitation is genius!
91 days ago
MegansMenagerie from MegansMenagerie says:
Such a great story! Congrats!!!
91 days ago
Lynda Hall from myBeachWishes says:
Great story- I wish you continued success!
91 days ago
tina dorsey from SophistiFlops says:
Hooray for you brave girls!! I'm a retired teacher for just 9 months now and I've opened my shop just a month ago. (SophistiFlops). I am also loving the freedom to be creative. I can surely relate to every thing you described about your school destrict. I wish you continued success, fun and happiness.
91 days ago
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat says:
Entertaining & inspiring! Math's loss is Etsy's gain! :-) On a side note though... the first time a QYDJ seller included a money off coupon code I thought it was a genius marketing idea, but it would be a shame if everyone did it. It would be a real pity if getting featured by Etsy ended up costing sellers money they can ill afford. I know it's voluntary, but if everyone starts jumping on the bandwagon it will be seen as really penny-pinching if the featured seller chooses not to do it.
91 days ago
Eli Shebah from SimplyArt says:
Very inspiring interview, as a mom is hard to take decisions about time spent in our own business, I've been having issues with that as a mom of three little ones, but our courage to make things happen is what it counts. Thanks for sharing & I wish you a happy life. Keep on doing your beautiful work! Eli Shebah
91 days ago
Caroline Conroy from rivergrl says:
Ahh teachers!! This is where I'm at right now! Great advice! Thanks so much and best of luck!
91 days ago
Sarah-Jane Egan from sjegan says:
Congrats it's great to see other former teachers doing so well, and its great that you get to be there for your daughters, best of luck with it!
91 days ago
Elaine Nowak from buckeyepaperscissors says:
This was such an inspiring read! I love reading about other teachers. :) Thanks for sharing!
91 days ago
Rawkette from Rawkette says:
love love love you two! fabulous story - and like you I often find myself imagining what I will say when I GET featured in the QUIT YOUR DAY JOB article. <3 Peeing when you want is priceless. I concur. Thank you!
91 days ago
Azhara Shabazz from Kapriscli says:
wow that makes me think of the ventures that me and my sisters are trying to create(non stationary though)- were a bunch of teens -but that still gives us hope - we all Laughed out loud when we read the part that you had on your sticky notes !!! were dreamers and thats too awesome !!
91 days ago
Marcia Terry from BeMyBee says:
What inspiring moms! As a former teacher myself I can totally relate (so many schools are run like factories, sadly). So excited for you guys and inspired too. Wishing you much continued success!
91 days ago
HappyWhoos from HappyWhoos says:
What a wonderful interview. Love your planning board - very organized (I need to do that!). Thanks for the great tips! Congrats!
91 days ago
Lina Reyes says:
what a great story and inspiration!! you truly have beautiful products and wish you great success!
91 days ago
The Bosun and Sarita Li Johnson from TheLandlockedSailor says:
This has got to be my favorite QYDJ yet. I love the "Now and Later" board, and the joy of peeing whenever you want. Also: "We’re all just people with good ideas — the difference is we spent the $0.20 to put our idea out there." Inspiring! Thank you!
91 days ago
Janelle and Jason Ethridge from NomadCraftsEtc says:
What a great story!
91 days ago
mokabean3531 says:
Wow! This story not only makes me proud ( I'm Emily's mom), but it also inspires me to get going on my own Etsy store plan. My only step so far , beside the product idea,is to find out that the name I want to use is not yet taken. Guess I had better get on it. I love you girls!
91 days ago
Ana Matusevic from ene2rabe says:
Really super inspiring. Thank you for sharing. I added this to my favs, will read it few times for sure!
91 days ago
Kym from TheStylologist says:
Such adorable invites and a great story. Congrats on the success and best wishes to all on a similar path.
91 days ago
SilverRoseSewing from SilverRoseSewing says:
Great job you guys! You totally deserve it! World Domination, hoorah!
91 days ago
Nan from TheVelvetBranch says:
How wonderfully real!! These ladies feel like they are my neighbors or old friends. Great interview and so encouraging. Thank you soooooooo much. I needed this.
91 days ago
Carmen from MontanaGirl says:
Great story. I was inspired when you said to work ON the business every day, not just IN it!
90 days ago
Popsy from PopsyGreetingCards says:
As yet another former high school teacher (wow there are a lot of us on Etsy aren't there?!) , I just laughed so hard reading about scheduled bathroom breaks! Thank you both for this article and the really positive and practical advice. I really appreciated it.
90 days ago
Slavka from PureNaturalis says:
Very inspiring! Love the ticket invites.
90 days ago
Cashinghub says:
Designing anything online could earn you that much money which you never have expected. You can leave your day job and work at home. Many Thanks for this informative idea. http://cashinghub.com
90 days ago
sivacreations from sivacreations says:
I LOVED reading this! Being an at-home mama of two little ones is an inspiration for me to move forward toward my own goals of working for myself. Reading your adventure makes me believe it is possible - keep up the good work!
90 days ago
Hatsuna from Blingup1 says:
I LOVE the idea of waking up in the pajama and starts the day with a refreshing coffee then work!! No eyeing from boss already standing by their desk waiting for you 9 o'clock straight While you still in TRAFFIC with your sleepy head!! Very inspiring article, and congrats to your success!!
90 days ago
Karen DeMarte from KDemARTe says:
Congratulations on quitting your day job! Hooray for you both! I loved reading your story!
90 days ago
James Dorn from jamesdorn says:
OH MY Goodness! Those babies are too stinkin cute! Beautiful! And good job on the article and your business!
90 days ago
Catie Atkinson from catieatkinson says:
I love your To-Do system of "Now" and "Later" on post-its - totally copying it right now...
90 days ago
Lisa from Kookooed says:
Great article! It really inspired me to get my bum into gear and get organised! Your invites are really cute! x
90 days ago
NicoleNicoletta from NicoleNicoletta says:
congrats, it sounds like you both really enjoy what you do and took the time to plan it well. awesome shop!
90 days ago
caitlyn davey from discomedusa says:
wonderful story! math, babies, etsy...great stuff! congrats!
90 days ago
Mel from Cuteling says:
thank you so much for this article! you guys are soooooo positive and inspiring, I'm sitting here reading this late at night while my sick baby is finally asleep, and your inspiring words really uplifted my spirits and hopes for soon creating a little business of my own to truly become the owner of my life.
90 days ago
Sanchezz from Sanchezz says:
I have to admit that I really never read these blogs, but today I had one of those days at work... I'm also a teacher, and I have been doing it for almost 20 years. I really do love working with most kids, most of the time - is that too honest? (oh well) But I can def. relate to losing the room to be creative in the classroom as everyday we are micromanaged more and more by all the wonderful experts whose job it is to control, judge and decide what's best for those of us who actually work with the kids :( Oh well you get the pic. (enough belly aching) Anyway, I hope someday my shop takes off like yours has. Best of luck and plz wish me some in return! Take care, Leroy
89 days ago
PolClary from PolClary says:
Great story with lots of helpful tips. Way to go!
89 days ago
Debra Gilstrap from gilstrapdesigns says:
This was such a good and very inspiring interviews. You answered a lot of questions that we would probably want to ask you in person. It is so good to do what you love all day each and every day and of course be able to make a living at it.
89 days ago
Jennifer Macfarlan says:
First I have to say you have the sweetest looking baby girls! The pictures of your working right in the room with them brings tears to my eyes. Your story of goal setting and achieving is inspiring. We share the same goals, different product but same values. I am in the very early stages of putting together an Etsy shop that I hope to launch by the end of 2012, yes my New Years Resolution. Your story has inspired me more than any other QYDJ has yet. Thank you!!!!!
89 days ago
Parachute425 from Parachute425 says:
Great story. Best of luck to you both and enjoy every minute with those sweet babies.
89 days ago
Casey Sibley from CaseyDeeArt says:
This is such an inspiring story. I read the "Quit Your Day Job" posts regularly and fantasize about the day when I can do the same. Learning about the process from others who have succeeded is invaluable. Your product is very nice. Thanks for sharing!
89 days ago
Diana Bear says:
You ladies are amazing. What an inspiration. I am dreaming of starting my Etsy store too! Thank you for sharing from your heart (s)! I hope one day I can be as successful as you both. Congratulations on your mommy skills.
89 days ago
Suzanne Furtado from TheScarletSageTree says:
A wonderful wonderful inspiring tale, I loved reading your story Monique & Emily :) What a journey, from sharing maths to now sharing motherhood and a dream business - fabulous!! Wishing you continued success, inspiration and joy, and may your friendship bloom forever, it's a gift - hold on to each other tight :))) Warmly, Suzanne
88 days ago
Traci from ArtsyAlbums says:
Loved reading your feature! Great job! You two are very inspiring -- I am a newbie at Etsy and my business and reading your story reminds me to keep plugging on :)
88 days ago
Carrie from AlphabetCityStudio says:
Awesome interview and what a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing so many details and tips! Wishing you mucho success!
88 days ago
RatedStyle24 from RatedStyle says:
Love your first photo. It is too adorable. :) This was a great interview. Keep up the wonderful work♥
88 days ago
Wendy Roscoe from wroscoe says:
I loved reading this post! I am a teacher too and can really relate to the part about not getting bathroom breaks! It is so true! You two are great role models for me. Thank you for the inspiration!
88 days ago
Chris from agwagon says:
Very well organized article
87 days ago
Karen Swank from WoobieLove says:
Congrats! Your story inspires me to keep at it. Thanks
87 days ago
Isis Quesada from coldporcelainshop says:
Your story is inspiring! Thank you!
87 days ago
Jeremiah Johnson from jeremiahjohnson2 says:
I just started ETSY last week and it really seems like more than just an internet business... Your story truely is inspiring and I hope everything continues to expand... Best of luck ,Jeremiah Johnson
87 days ago
Kristy hodge from redbarncanvas says:
Oh, you guys are so lucky to have eachother! So inspiring - Im new to Etsy and love reading these stories...yours especially! Congrats and much luck to you in developing "Baby Me"
86 days ago
Shelli Worley from WorleysLighting says:
Quit your day job is my FAVORITE etsy blog... This story is so inspiring. I am SO close to being able to quit my day job so I can't get enough of these stories!
86 days ago
Claire from TinySasquatch says:
I love y'all!! So cute and witty! And the babies are dolls. Great Idea, syncopation at it's finest.
85 days ago
Jade from MadebyJadeF says:
LOVE this- I am seriously tearing up. Congratulations to you two, and thanks very much for the inspiration to shoot for the stars!!! Keep up the great work :) !
85 days ago
maribel marques says:
so inspiring! thanxs!
85 days ago
Pearl Springfield from ZoeGraceBlooms says:
I love to read stories like yours! As a new Etsy shop owner and current full time teacher, I can relate to your earlier career challenges, and am envious of your leap of faith leaving your teaching positions. Congratulations and best of luck to you! You inspire! :)
85 days ago
AdornmentsbyDebbie from AdornmentsbyDebbie says:
I enjoyed reading your story and how awesome is that to work with your friend! I love the baseball ticket wedding invitation and the variety that you offer--congrats to you both!
84 days ago
Larissa Darnaby Pruner from Ldarnaby says:
I LOVE this! So inspirational. Thank you for sharing :)
82 days ago
Jessica Kime from ASimpleKindOfFancy says:
Oh my goodness! I'm a math teacher and I would love to have this story someday. :) Well done!
81 days ago
Tina Martin from AcrosstheBoards says:
So inspiring! Love your shop, and congarats on your success!
80 days ago
Jacy Pulford from ThisWayUpGraphics says:
"We’re all just people with good ideas — the difference is we spent the $0.20 to put our idea out there." LOVE THIS!! Congrats ladies :)
80 days ago
Heather Davis from TheRuffledGiraffe says:
Oh my goodness, you guys crack me up! I felt like I was reading your article, and it was describing me. I, too, am a teacher but in middle school Language Arts. Our district is making big changes and we aren't the "small good-ole' boy" feel anymore. So it's not "fun" with all the changes and pressure. I dream of having my shop full-time! Thanks for the inspiration. Wish you guys would have been around when I got married... :) Good luck with your business.
76 days ago
Tara from littleleodesign says:
Brilliant ladies! I am a stay @ home mom, with my 6mo old baby girl and have always had the dream of doing so, and being a successful one, at that! So, it's only logical that I would want to do what I love (arts) and make a business out of it. So, thank you Etsy! And it's folks like you ladies that continue to be an inspiration to me. I am just getting started on Etsy and hope to be as big of a success as you both. I know I will, because I am so passionate about it all!! Love it Ladies!! Thanks 4 sharing!
69 days ago
Kaori from ORINewYork says:
thank you for sharing inspiring story! Doing business and raising a child is very hard to do. Everyday is a challenge for me!
68 days ago
Kelie from tadalyndesign says:
So very inspiring. With four kids (9, 7 and 2yo twins), it is quite hard to have an at home business. Quit your Day job, makes me believe more and more some day it will happen. Etsy allows "moms" and others to have that outlet and make some extra money! Thank you! PS: Love the peeing comment, too funny!
68 days ago
Sue from sueoffkilter says:
Loved reading your article, I am just getting started with Etsy and am soaking in all the words of wisdom from veterans like you! Good stuff!
62 days ago
Jusadreamin from Jusadreamin says:
LOVED your story LOVE your ideal BEAUTIFUL children hope you much sucess
62 days ago
Megan Hamer from KraftinMommy says:
So inspiring! I'm a teacher too and my fellow teacher friend and I have been talking about doing something like this for a while! We need to work on our plan now that I've seen it done with other teachers/moms
59 days ago
Debbie Browne says:
You two are so lovely and inspiring! I love your attitude and your gumption ;)
49 days ago
Emma Holton from CardsandCwtches says:
Very inspiring I hope that one day I can make a full time job out of selling cards.
40 days ago
Danae from DanaesCraftyDesigns says:
Wonderfully inspiring post! You twoo are as adorable as your babies :) I too dream of being interveiwed for QYDJ - and so far, nearly everything I have dreamed of, I have seen come to fruition in my life! I am only one year into selling here on ETSY - and I have been amazed at the success I have created in such a short time. I have a lot of big ideas for expansion this year. I am in the business of creatiing printable (read:AFFORDABLE!) Wall Art, Collages & Collage Sheets - and have just opened up a second shop Eclectic Alchemy to delve into my talent for reading Tarot Cards, Numerology & Astrology Readings....two very different avenues. I am always perusing the ETSY Blog, as well as other venues for tips and info for smalll businesses. Thank You for your inspiration, your story & your tips. Best of luck to you Ladies- and the rest of us ETSYians :) Danae
32 days ago