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Quit Your Day Job: gorjuss


Story by marymary Published on March 9, 2009 in Spotlight	Photo by gorjuss

This week I'm bringing you an incredible twist on our regular Quit Your Day Job feature. The story below not only outlines the success Etsy helped bring Suzanne, the Scottish artist behind gorjuss, but it also focuses on the story of her husband, Grant. He was recently able to leave his day job to help with the growing success and management of Suzanne's newfound business. I think you'll be as touched as I was to read this inspiring story of a husband and wife team working together and finding success.

If you'd like to ask Grant questions of your own or listen in on his advice in real time, we invite you to join us in a follow-up Question and Answer session this Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 2:30pm EST in the Auditorium room of the Virtual Labs (the VL schedule is magically in your local time).

In Grant's words:

On October 6th, 2005 Suzanne followed a link from another artist's website that led her to Etsy, a chance discovery that made a huge difference in the marketing of her artwork. At the time, I had no idea that it would have any bearing on MY life or working day. I was a hardworking husband of an artist. I worked all hours to support her and our family to be able to live the life we wanted. Etsy was a step for Suzanne to change all our lives forever.

Etsy was new, exciting, and more importantly, the community was warm and welcoming. Suzanne's original artworks, prints and products sold quicker than she could make them, and it was clear that it deserved a lot more attention than we had the time to give.

We made changes to our way of working by getting a professional printer to produce the highest quality prints and products we could, and we have never settled for the cheapest options since. I became more involved in the printing and production process with my experience in IT from my day job. Yet I still had a lot of new skills to learn, as trimming is not as easy as it looks. Through hard work and necessity, I consider myself accomplished at what I do, which complements Suzanne's artwork. It grew until I had no choice but to make that leap of faith. Yes, I quit my day job!

When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?

At first, I was only really helping out when required, but due to some health issues with Suzanne, it was clear that I needed to be able to run the shop fully at a moment's notice. This was a great thing, as it meant we could share the running of the shop and I thought of it like a way to earn some extra funds for fun things. Fortunately, it did far more than that and things have changed so much since then.

How long had you been on Etsy before taking the plunge into selling full time? What made you decide to do so?

We had been on Etsy for a year, and things were getting busier and busier, but all the time my day job was getting more and more demanding. I would often find myself and Suzanne up past midnight printing and packaging the previous day's orders and getting ready for my next day's work. It was clear that something had to give or I would end up in hospital with exhaustion. With my day job becoming less and less enjoyable, I made the decision to quit while in a hotel in Ireland doing a thankless job for the company. It was the scariest moment. Once the letter was sent, the relief was unimaginable.

How did you originally get into making prints?

Quite simply put, we ordered batches of prints from all kinds of places. Some were good, others not so good. The end result was a pile of boxes, which held prints that never sold. We took the bold move to print to order, or as I like to say, we make all prints fresh and seal them at the time of printing so they reach you in their freshest form. (Not quite foil wrapped, but you get my meaning.) This meant we could send orders out within 24 hours and didn't have to worry about stock levels, and the quality was fully under our control.

I leave the design and arty bits to Suzanne, but I am developing an eye for her talent... I rather simplistically state that Suzanne does the coloring in, and I do the cutting out.

Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?

To be honest, this was the biggest sticking point of quitting the day job. We had no safety net at all, but all it takes is a leap of faith and the dedication to put the effort in. If you sit back, the sales drop and the panic begins, but when you put the hours in, the rewards are huge. The only guarantee you have is the one you make to yourself to work hard. "Self employed" does mean "self distracted" — as in, three months perfecting Guitar Hero — but it is also important to re-arrange the way you work so that you do have fun. The more you put in, the more you get back, but having fun is key.

What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?

The biggest marketing skill is to talk to people and show them what you have. If you believe in your products and are enthusiastic about them, people feel the same about you and your items. The more people that talk about you, the more potential sales you have. We also decided that quality and, what I call, "LOW RISK" purchases were the key to success. A LOW RISK purchase is the way that your customers can be sure than even when the worst situations arise (delivery issues or damages) that their investment is safe and that they are always guaranteed a replacement or refund. Also never be squeamish about promotional items...

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?

Paid advertising in magazines: it only seems to generate other magazines offering you more advertising, but frankly it gets your name out there to the public.

Walk us through what a typical workday might entail.

For me, it's gather the printed orders, head off to the printer.
Set it all and print them all off, they print on the roll, so they need trimming too!
Then I take them back to Suzanne for her to title and sign them.
I then bag them up, then package them, and print the stamps online (we use Royal Mail's Smartstamp, which is brilliant).
Then all the packages head off to the post office (it's on the same street as us ... so it's walking distance) and back to check on more orders.
I don't usually answer convo's/emails unless Suzanne is having a really bad day (she suffered a spine injury last year!).

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?

My day job was very much a field based role. I had very little contact with other work colleagues other than special occasions, so I don't miss much about the job. Now, I enjoy being able to do the RIGHT thing, rather than meeting some procedure. I love being in charge of my customers' experience.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself, knowing what you know now?

I would probably stop myself taking so long to get out of the day job!

What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?

We have lots of possible changes coming up, like becoming a ltd company. I hope to expand our product range further; the more choice, the better it is for customers.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you're thinking about quitting your day job in these times of economic chaos, just remember: unless you really upset yourself, you are guaranteed not to be made redundant. It's a pretty secure job. The harder you work, and the harder you focus on success, the sooner you realize that your living is very much within your own reach. My father always said, "Work to Live... Don't live to work."

Please join Grant for his follow-up Question and Answer session this Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 2:30pm EST in the Auditorium room of the Virtual Labs (the VL schedule is magically in your local time). See you there!

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

Tags	A Dude's Perspective, business, Etsy International, family, Glasgow, gorjuss, Grant, husbands, mens, quit your day job, Scotland, Scottish, sellers, selling, Smartstamp, Spotlight, success story, Suzanne, work, workflow, working

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203 comments Login to add your own!

March 9, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.

behappynow

wow! congratulations!!!

March 9, 2009 at 2:14 p.m.

Ryanplz

like always, very inspiring. thanks for sharing.
best of luck to you, Suzanne.

March 9, 2009 at 2:16 p.m.

SudsNSuch

I LOVE gorjuss's artwork! Congrats!

March 9, 2009 at 2:17 p.m.

AmandaSainsbury

I love gorjuss and brilliant interview :) Congratulations!

March 9, 2009 at 2:18 p.m.

heidiburton

Thank you for sharing, and congrats to both of you, inspiring article!

March 9, 2009 at 2:21 p.m.

papermichelle

Fantastic shop and lovely interview.

March 9, 2009 at 2:21 p.m.

BellyAntButton

Love the happy lazy fox inside the tote bags!!!...

March 9, 2009 at 2:21 p.m.

chainchainchained

cute stuff

March 9, 2009 at 2:22 p.m.

FirstLove

Really loved the honest way Grant shared his and Suzanne's story! I have often had doubts of whether I can make my etsy shop a profitable "full time" job along with homeschooling my 11 yr son...this article really has inspired me to keep up with it!! I've seen such wonderful growth in him just from involving him more with the jobs of doing the photography and promotional cards.
I wish Grant and Suzanne much success!!!

March 9, 2009 at 2:23 p.m.

gloilocksandbody

Yes, my favorite! I love reading these!

March 9, 2009 at 2:23 p.m.

mapetitepapeterie

hey !! that is great to read you there !

March 9, 2009 at 2:23 p.m.

punkybunny300

I've been an admirer of gorjuss artwork for awhile! It's great to hear their story! Thanks for sharing it!

March 9, 2009 at 2:28 p.m.

olliegraphic

Congrats and keep up the lovely work!

March 9, 2009 at 2:28 p.m.

SweetRayne

I've never seen the seller...but love em' now. Great article.

March 9, 2009 at 2:29 p.m.

rubywren29

Wow! I've loved Gorjuss since discovering her work on Deviant Art a few years ago...ironically it's through her work there how I discovered Etsy myself!

March 9, 2009 at 2:30 p.m.

ShySiren

Wow, how amazing - congratulations!!!

March 9, 2009 at 2:32 p.m.

18ontheAlley

very cool! nice article :D

March 9, 2009 at 2:33 p.m.

Leelinau

So inspiring!! I've admired her work for a while now, great to see her doing so well. ^__^

March 9, 2009 at 2:34 p.m.

PhineasandLou

This is an awesome story! Thanks for sharing :)

March 9, 2009 at 2:36 p.m.

emikokellerdesigns

Great story!
I love your design.

March 9, 2009 at 2:36 p.m.

malam

Great story! I have admired Gorjuss's artwork for ages!

March 9, 2009 at 2:39 p.m.

NanLawson

love gorjuss' work and i love this series. it is always so inspiring!

March 9, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.

bisbee25

Thanks for the great article- it was just what I needed after a bummer day at work! Thanks for the inspiration!

March 9, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.

VerreDesign

Great story! All the best:)

March 9, 2009 at 2:42 p.m.

lillyella

amazing! My fiance is counting down the days until he, too, can stay home and help with my business. I just can't get enough of these great articles - thanks and good luck to you!

March 9, 2009 at 2:43 p.m.

galit

Great article!
Grant- thank you for sharing!

March 9, 2009 at 2:43 p.m.

1000beautifulthings

lovely work. i will definitly be back to shop. just <3 your shop.

March 9, 2009 at 2:44 p.m.

redyellowandblueink

Great article!

March 9, 2009 at 2:45 p.m.

squareware

Positive and uplifting - just what's needed to offset the barrage of negativity in the media these days! And I loved the twist of the hubby answering the questions - good for you two, you must have a very solid relationship!

March 9, 2009 at 2:45 p.m.

petalandpink

what a great story. I have a new favorite!

March 9, 2009 at 2:47 p.m.

Retrogirlgypsyarcade

Congrats on all the success and thank you for the great story.

March 9, 2009 at 2:49 p.m.

mullishmuse

I LOVE GORJUSS!!!!

March 9, 2009 at 2:54 p.m.

StudioCherie

So lovely, thanks for sharing.

March 9, 2009 at 2:55 p.m.

jewelalchemy

huge success to them! love this series! almost quit my job this morning, I hope to be interviewed soon ;)

not even kidding!

March 9, 2009 at 2:56 p.m.

momochas

This is a great story, congrats for your success

March 9, 2009 at 2:59 p.m.

DuckySoaps

Great article and fabulous store, congrats!

March 9, 2009 at 3:06 p.m.

owlbotagain

What a great story! I hope my husband and I are in a similar situation someday! Love gorjuss' shop! :)

March 9, 2009 at 3:09 p.m.

MomNMiaQuilts

This has been my favorite article in this "Quit your Day Job" series, hands down. I love gorjuss, and this is a great article! Congrats & best wishes to you guys!!

March 9, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.

juicychristians

awesomeness!!!!

March 9, 2009 at 3:19 p.m.

therainbowroom

well done Suzanne & Grant : )
I totally love your work!!!!!!!!!!

March 9, 2009 at 3:24 p.m.

BabbidgePatch

Fabulous ~ congratulations on your successes and enjoyment of fulltime crafting!

March 9, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.

Jujie

Wuch a beautiful story and wonderful couple! Congrats on your success :)

March 9, 2009 at 3:36 p.m.

misohappi

It's so lovely to see a couple supporting
each other through art! Congratulations.

March 9, 2009 at 3:41 p.m.

baconsquarefarm

Oh what a beautiful story and a wonderful couple, congrats on your success and may it continue long into the future. Love your shop too~!

March 9, 2009 at 3:44 p.m.

laurabrownart

yay! wonderful, especially your positivity and encouragement about our current economic times. so good to hear, thank you!

March 9, 2009 at 3:48 p.m.

foldoutcards

thanks for the inspiration. it really keeps me going and I love hearing about your success. Cheers and all that :o)
Holly aka "foldoutcards"

March 9, 2009 at 3:51 p.m.

TheDizzyPixie

Wow, what a great story! I hope to get there some day. :-)

March 9, 2009 at 3:55 p.m.

suebeads

I've loved your stuff for so long - congratulations to you both!

March 9, 2009 at 3:56 p.m.

ooty

=0) best of luck for you two.

March 9, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.

BellaLuna76

Wow! I am inspired. There is nothing better than freedom. Congrats.

March 9, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.

sherrytruitt

Continued success to you both, it's just great, isn't it?

March 9, 2009 at 4:16 p.m.

RubyStudios

Thank you for sharing your side! Wonderful to see the support you have given and to still see people taking "leaps of faith". Bravo.

March 9, 2009 at 4:17 p.m.

PeppermintDaydreams

wonderful story and very cool prints!

March 9, 2009 at 4:21 p.m.

ishtarolivera

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! A DREAM COME TRUE!

March 9, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.

gorjuss

HI all,
Its Mr G here (thats my office name).

Thanks for reading my story and being so kind in your comments.

I really think I learned that when you depend on yourself to do work, you can't fail...

March 9, 2009 at 4:29 p.m.

ManoCelebrates

what a inspiration, one day may be I can do that too.
thanks for the article.

March 9, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.

intrinsicimagination

Thank you! Every one of these articles makes me take another step closer!

March 9, 2009 at 4:48 p.m.

odiliafu

Congrats!! Cute paintings! Wonderful story!

March 9, 2009 at 5:03 p.m.

SunflowerCreations

I LOVE your store and added it to my favorites!

March 9, 2009 at 5:27 p.m.

OriginalDesignUK

Brill story thanks for sharing and wish you continued success!

March 9, 2009 at 5:36 p.m.

ChelleT

Thanks again for such an inspiring article and love story. It's lovely to see how much Grant believed in his Suzanne that he would give up his day job to pursue her dream. just lovely!

March 9, 2009 at 5:39 p.m.

cleobelle

Beautiful beautiful work!! Thanks for sharing your story :)

March 9, 2009 at 5:51 p.m.

FlanneryO

Great to hear your story!
Hurrah for GLASGOW!!!!!!!!!!

March 9, 2009 at 5:51 p.m.

hypnoticjewels

great story and beautiful work.. best of luck!!
thanks again for sharing!!

March 9, 2009 at 5:59 p.m.

EJPcreations

Amazing story!!!

March 9, 2009 at 6:08 p.m.

aadeli

Grant, you are amazing! I love your site and Suzanne's art and our chats at blog etc. Bravo for taking this step! I am sure you are a great help to Suzanne. Hugs, Adeline

March 9, 2009 at 6:15 p.m.

belaluna

You two are super inspiring! I hope to follow in your shoes one day soon....Beautiful work!

March 9, 2009 at 6:23 p.m.

MGMart

Great story! Thank you for sharing with us :)

March 9, 2009 at 6:28 p.m.

metrostation

very inspiring!

March 9, 2009 at 6:29 p.m.

yaelfran

Wonderful story, LOVE your shop!!!!!!

March 9, 2009 at 6:44 p.m.

theclassicfarmhouse

These are always so inspiring! Thanks for the great tips and the shared story.

March 9, 2009 at 6:52 p.m.

ourteaparty

Gosh I love your prints! Lovely interview.

March 9, 2009 at 6:55 p.m.

HappyHappyDaisy

What a wonderful story about two amazing people! Thank you so much for sharing your story, Mr. G - it's so great to hear about all the work that goes into making Gorjuss Art so fantastic! You and Suzanne are 2 in a million!

March 9, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.

kunklebaby

I love that shop! Thanks for the inspiring article. Way to go!!

March 9, 2009 at 7:32 p.m.

shoproomstudio

best wishes to you both!

March 9, 2009 at 7:42 p.m.

pinkkiss

Thank you so much for the inspiration! I am in the procrss of quitting my day job and I really love reading these stories:)

March 9, 2009 at 7:50 p.m.

xtinavox

So inspiring --- thank you for the last sentence especially!

March 9, 2009 at 8:03 p.m.

ElkeHutchens

Thank you for sharing, I am a new member and any information is very helpful. Continued success and joy in your endeavors.
Elke

March 9, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.

gretchenmist

very happy story, and great products. congrats on making it to this stage, and good luck with the future :)

March 9, 2009 at 8:11 p.m.

DeborahVoizin

I just love her work!

March 9, 2009 at 8:15 p.m.

zombuki

So inspiring <3 <3

March 9, 2009 at 8:43 p.m.

IcingOnTheCupcake

I've admired your work for a long time! Congrats to both of you on your success!

March 9, 2009 at 8:53 p.m.

MyJunkyTrunk

I love it! Truly inspiring!

March 9, 2009 at 9:10 p.m.

fibreartey

Oh, thanks, I needed to hear that! I'm on the verge...actually have no day job 2 quit, but I could stop doing applications & sit down & do art in a heartbeat. Thing is, I'll do it anyway, the art, what's missing is the paid part. Etsy feel so cozy, I am not afraid, I am not afraid (lather, rinse, repeat!)

March 9, 2009 at 9:21 p.m.

judemcconkey

Your story and others like them really inspire me.. thanks for sharing it with us :)

March 9, 2009 at 9:32 p.m.

CheMadame

Wow! I love this story!

March 9, 2009 at 9:42 p.m.

christmaslover1

Grant, I think this is absolutly wonderful and wish you and Suzanne the best of luck in all you do!
thank you for sharing your experiance with etsy and a piece of you daily life
smiles
christy
Ü

March 9, 2009 at 10:49 p.m.

KarenHarries

Grant, well done! I have always loved your lovely wifes work and she has inspired me greatly, now you are too. Thank you and all the best!

Suzanne, hope you get through this injury quickly. I suffer with chronic fatigue so know what its like when you can't give your creativity your all. Every day is different, so live your best life each day as it comes. Take care, Karen Harries

March 9, 2009 at 10:56 p.m.

dragonhouseofyuen

very interesting indeed - especially from the hubbies point of view!!
and so good that etsy has been a success for you both, that is so nice that it keeps families together,
wishing you both even more success and more ideas and more customers!
best wishes, Annette (Edinburgh!)

March 9, 2009 at 11:14 p.m.

OceanGrrl

I love when couples quit their day jobs!!!

March 9, 2009 at 11:22 p.m.

jillian1984

Lovely article from one of my very favorite Etsians :)

March 9, 2009 at 11:32 p.m.

risabeads

Wow.

March 10, 2009 at 12:30 a.m.

SavageArtworks

Inspirational!
not to mention one of my favourite artists.

March 10, 2009 at 12:41 a.m.

7ravensChioke

Thanks for the great story! I'm just at the beginning of that journey myself. I'm on my own, so will have to do everything myself, but am still looking forward to working at home again. All the best to you both!

March 10, 2009 at 12:45 a.m.

MuZzMelon

Wow, that's amazing. It makes me happy! I'm really glad and pleasantly surprised that you could quit your day job to do something like this. ^^

March 10, 2009 at 12:46 a.m.

bhangtiez

so adorable, great products & a great story...

March 10, 2009 at 1:04 a.m.

IceCreamCandy

great art and great story!!

March 10, 2009 at 1:06 a.m.

rejenerate

What a great team and gorgeous art.

I hope my hubby doesn't read this or he will be pressuring me to sell more handbags so that he can spend the day playing guitar hero...I mean packing orders :)

March 10, 2009 at 1:51 a.m.

MuKee

I feel inspired. I don't have a job at the moment so I'm going all out to try and get this etsy thing to save me!

March 10, 2009 at 2:32 a.m.

reneeandriole

That was a great success story, very inspiring...thanks! I love the shop as well!

March 10, 2009 at 2:48 a.m.

vintagemaison

As a newbe, it's great for me to hear such a successful story - good luck to both of them!

March 10, 2009 at 3:05 a.m.

charmedbygorjuss

Congratulations, Mr. G! You're both an inspiration!

March 10, 2009 at 3:36 a.m.

bunnyboutique

I'm so inspired. So wonderful to see a whole family benifiting from etsy.

March 10, 2009 at 3:52 a.m.

marinataliera

Very inspiring story !
Wishin you all the best !
MT

March 10, 2009 at 3:55 a.m.

lilybugcrafts

this was truly inspiring! I hope to have such luck! :)

March 10, 2009 at 5:40 a.m.

gorjuss

Rejenerate, I am soo close to beating the hard level!!

Erm I mean I've just finished making todays orders... *cough cough*

March 10, 2009 at 6:40 a.m.

ClareBears

Such a great thing to hear about an artist in the UK. I shall have to keep on going, with the shop and Guitar Hero!

Wishing you all the best!

March 10, 2009 at 7:05 a.m.

pouch

I bought a Gorjuss print for my niece at Christmas, she loved it.
It's so nice to read the articles about the people behind the shop-front, a very inspiring story, best of luck to both of you :)

March 10, 2009 at 8:23 a.m.

bridgemanstudios

wishing you both continued happiness and success! thanks for sharing

March 10, 2009 at 9:18 a.m.

TheNebulousKingdom

congratulations you both, and warm hugs to Suzanne :)

March 10, 2009 at 9:39 a.m.

EpicBones

ooh!! i love gorjuss!

March 10, 2009 at 9:48 a.m.

PALEOLOCHIC

Thank you for sharing your story, there is so much love between lines! I love this section, it's so inspiring

March 10, 2009 at 10:06 a.m.

LindseysRetreat

Thank you for such an inspiring post. My husband is trying to start his own blacksmith job. This reminds me to believe it's possible.

March 10, 2009 at 10:14 a.m.

AliBaliJewellery

great to read about the success of a fellow Scot! I love Gorjuss's work!!

March 10, 2009 at 10:17 a.m.

gemheaven

I'm a huge fan and it was great to read the interview ~ very inspiring :))

March 10, 2009 at 10:48 a.m.

babyjewlz

Absolutely love your items!!! The drawings are adorable. This article is very inspirational. I will definitely keep plugging away on my own shop. Thank you very much for your useful tips.

March 10, 2009 at 11:14 a.m.

PoleStar

Love this interview!

March 10, 2009 at 11:19 a.m.

marysworkshop

Thanks for inspiring all of us!

March 10, 2009 at 11:34 a.m.

dolcebaci

Great story! Thanks for the inspiration!

March 10, 2009 at 12:01 p.m.

TheCraftyRagamuffin

I'm always so happy to hear of supportive husband and wife teams. I know I couldn't do what I'm doing without the encouragement (financially and emotionally) of my husband. Kudos to creative couples!

March 10, 2009 at 12:17 p.m.

Clairem75

urgh...wish i could quit my day job!
lovely story, well done you guys!

Awww i remember the oldie days pre Etsy (now i'm showing my age! lol)...you've come a long way baby ;)

March 10, 2009 at 12:52 p.m.

SkyDreams

Beautiful work and a great story!
Wish you continued success and happiness.
It is great to work together with the other half;)

March 10, 2009 at 1:11 p.m.

pinpinn

Three cheers for awesome peers!! You have some wisdom there ^_^ Best of luck and speedy recoveries all around.

March 10, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.

FluteTeacher

Great story! I love reading these. Thanks for the comments about hard work paying off...I'm encouraged.

March 10, 2009 at 1:22 p.m.

aprilfoss

VERY cute shop! Congratulations, I wish you continued success:)

March 10, 2009 at 1:34 p.m.

tunkel

nice story- my husband and are also both "quit your day job" stories and i love to hear of folks success in doing so- best of luck!

March 10, 2009 at 2:01 p.m.

edieart

I love Gorjuss' work!!! great story !

March 10, 2009 at 2:23 p.m.

ChristinaPerdue

Great interview, congrats to you both!

March 10, 2009 at 3:27 p.m.

Squier

Great story! Best wishes for continued success!

March 10, 2009 at 3:42 p.m.

elisasherejewelry

Love the story! This is definitely my favorite feature on Etsy.

March 10, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.

CyberMoon

It's really great to read such inspirational stories like this!

March 10, 2009 at 4:57 p.m.

jclange

What an awesome interview! I always love the "Quit your day job" articles!

March 10, 2009 at 5:12 p.m.

boltsandbots

Wow, bravo! Truly, this is one of the best QYDJ stories I've read. Wonderfully inspiring and just a touching story. =D Keep up the amazing work!

March 10, 2009 at 6:23 p.m.

Waterrose

Drats! I missed it! The article is so positive and inspiring.

March 10, 2009 at 6:27 p.m.

Jenifersfamilyjewels

This is such a wonderfully inspiring story!! Thank you marymary for sharing it with us!!!

March 10, 2009 at 6:39 p.m.

Piggy

Super article. Very inspiring :)

March 10, 2009 at 7:20 p.m.

amandasaurus

This was an awesome and inspiring artical. Hopefully my baby apparel store here on etsy will allow me to quit my day job some day!

March 10, 2009 at 9 p.m.

thestapeliacompany

Love this! And I love that store. I like hearing about successful folks on Etsy. :)

March 10, 2009 at 9:23 p.m.

fairchilddesigns

oh I love gorjuss's shop!!! It's awesome to read about the success that is following their shop and hard work. Congratulations!

March 10, 2009 at 9:53 p.m.

behjat

Great article...thanks so much and congratulations :)

March 10, 2009 at 10:05 p.m.

laralewis

this is my favorite feature, and this one definitely did not disappoint. beautiful story...thank you for sharing!!

March 10, 2009 at 10:48 p.m.

moonmum

gorjuss was the very first seller i hearted when i joined Etsy... so wonderful to read a little history and the success behind the art!

March 11, 2009 at 12:04 a.m.

BLSkerk

Its wonderful to see that you two are on the same page as a couple, supporting each other and creating a success together!

March 11, 2009 at 2:24 a.m.

LisaCoutts

So inspiring! Well done and all the best for your continued success.

March 11, 2009 at 6:02 a.m.

ilovehearts

Sweet success story. Very inspiring.

March 11, 2009 at 6:24 a.m.

2ReVert

great story, I love reading these! Thanks so much Mary for bringing us another great one! Congrats to Grant for taking the leap and loving in :)

March 11, 2009 at 6:47 a.m.

Thepaperboat

lovely and such an inspiring read!

March 11, 2009 at 8:09 a.m.

MyDearest

I think this was the most inpirational yet! Having lost his job recently, my hubby is able to focus on his freelance graphic design and I have to keep telling myself 'it's a good thing...don't panic' and reading this article really helped put things in perspective.
What a great story of a beautiful partnership! Thanks and congrats!

March 11, 2009 at 8:48 a.m.

citydetails

This truly was a great article and wonderful life story. And a love story as well. Best of luck to both of you!!

March 11, 2009 at 8:57 a.m.

NAKPUNAR

I very like your drawings! And thanks for sharing your story with us!

March 11, 2009 at 10:49 a.m.

Rhiannon228

That's awesome. I love your work, very unique.

March 11, 2009 at 11:13 a.m.

littlemoandfriends

awesome awesome story! congrats guys!

March 11, 2009 at 11:37 a.m.

skgart

Thank you so much for sharing. I wish you both health and success.

March 11, 2009 at 11:49 a.m.

xenya

Congratulations!!

March 11, 2009 at 1:08 p.m.

janicej

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

March 11, 2009 at 1:18 p.m.

icemelon

what an amazing story, contrats!

March 11, 2009 at 1:23 p.m.

StudioSeventySeven

I had to pause reading the article to take a look at Suzanne's work, and have to say I love it!
Congratulations to you both, a great story and as a newbie here it is great to see others succeed.

March 11, 2009 at 1:41 p.m.

tscrapper

Congrats! I love reading these, too.

March 11, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.

urbanbead

I love reading these! Wonderful, inspiring story, best of luck to you!

March 11, 2009 at 6:25 p.m.

moonangelnay

excellent story, thanks so much for sharing and inspiring!

March 11, 2009 at 7:25 p.m.

cthings

Congratulations to you both! What beauty in your designs!

March 11, 2009 at 8:49 p.m.

buffalosisters

I love the way that you are making something that resembles you so closely. She is beautiful.

March 11, 2009 at 9:46 p.m.

TetraChromaticShoes

That's way cool!!!!!

March 11, 2009 at 10:23 p.m.

BeeGracious

Great story ~ Thanks for sharing!!!

March 12, 2009 at 12:19 a.m.

HouseHoldWords

they are so darn adorable. Great job guys!

March 12, 2009 at 1:40 a.m.

Sahayer

i am really impressed and inspired
i always wanted to open a shop of my own and quit my current job, however i am afraid of taking the risk..

one day hopfuly i become like you :)

Best of luck!

March 12, 2009 at 4:06 a.m.

juneshin

What a great interview, and I've always loved your shop! Thanks for sharing!

March 12, 2009 at 4:20 a.m.

soapsrus

What an awesome job! I would quite my day job too...hehe
Your story was very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
Best of luck to you both... : )

March 12, 2009 at 1:01 p.m.

PrettyMuchArt

Great story! Congrats to you both, and beautiful art!

March 12, 2009 at 6:39 p.m.

realisationcreations

Fabulous story!

March 12, 2009 at 7:12 p.m.

percivalroad

i really enjoyed reading this!!

March 12, 2009 at 7:49 p.m.

acanthusjd

Great to see fellow Scots doing so well on Etsy.
I can't wait to appoint my husband as Postman and Head of IT department.
He's limbering up in the wings, but after only 18 sales, he may just have to keep working in the Corporate world for a tad longer!
Cheers from Scotland

March 12, 2009 at 11:12 p.m.

MetroGypsy

I love reading these....very inspiring!

March 13, 2009 at 12:22 a.m.

MarieTHarrisStudio

What a wonderful story. I just found Etsy and have just started putting my art on this site this month. So far, no one has found me, but I'm hoping they will so I will get a few hearts possted.

March 13, 2009 at 1:18 a.m.

quirkycreatures

Great story and very cute products. I sure hope my husband can quit his teaching job as well one day and commit himself to his amazing music and to helping
me with my overwhelming orders.So far though I haven't sold one thing.. I joined last Oct. I admit I didn't do much promotion ,so there's still hope to get better results
once I do. Thanks for all your tips and Cheers to your continued success on etsy and beyond.

March 13, 2009 at 5:56 a.m.

Artwolf

I've followed Suzannes progress since I joined Etsy as shes UK too, other end of it though : ). It was great to see her name, and read about how this great partnership is doing so well, and I really enjoyed this article, very inspiring, and helpful. Lindax

March 13, 2009 at 7:37 a.m.

fireapple

Great story and an inspiration! It was from following Suzannes work on Devaintart that also led me to set up shop here on Etsy..Good luck to you both

March 13, 2009 at 10:18 a.m.

adorebynat

Always fond of gorjuss. It's just adorable! Congrats on your success.

March 13, 2009 at 10:22 a.m.

yalipaz

This is such a great article! I learned so much, it is such an inspiration. Thank you so much and congratulations on your success.

March 13, 2009 at 11:11 a.m.

raynebair

This is the kind of success I dream of. Especially now that I have a child, because it would allow me more time to spend with her.

March 13, 2009 at 5:40 p.m.

chubbycheeksweaters

Inspirational!

March 13, 2009 at 6:31 p.m.

HandmadeByAlison

What a great story...I wish you both continuing success (and am more than a little envious - I am not ready to "take the plunge" yet, but you never know...)

March 13, 2009 at 8:11 p.m.