 |
|
|
Story by
marymary
Published on August 24, 2009 in Spotlight |
Photo by |
Lori and Starbuck, the mom and pop behind happyfamily, decided to take the plunge into selling on Etsy full time after a school of dolphins made quite a fuss one day on the beach while the couple was talking about Etsy. With much success, Lori and Starbuck have been able to successfully band together to quit their previous day jobs in graphic design and engineering in order to support themselves and their two children through their Etsy sales. They both agree being their own boss, spending the day together with their children, and having the freedom to take each day one at a time were worth the jump; however, they advise others who are considering the same decision to be mindful that organization and helping hands are key.
How did you originally get into the business of making things?
Before we were happyfamily, Lori was slinging pixels as a graphic designer in London while Starbuck worked as an engineer in Paris. We soon returned to the U.S., got hitched in Vegas, and suddenly found ourselves really, really bored at work. After taking a community screen printing class, we learned that we could make really cool designs come to life on fabric. We spent many hours designing and printing every scrap of fabric we could get our hands on.
When you first started selling on Etsy, did you have dreams or goals of eventually quitting your day job?
No, we didn't know it was possible. Actually, we think a group of dolphins knew before we did! We were at the beach, talking about Etsy with a friend. Suddenly a school of dolphins started jumping around on the horizon. Our wise friend told us that dolphins are a sign of big changes ahead. In that moment we decided selling our tees online would be our "big change." Sounds kooky but it's true!
Did you do anything to prepare ahead of time?
Not really. We've owned a retail store in New Orleans for five years and spent many 18-hour days making t-shirts. This taught us how to keep up with customer demand. We are both firm believers that you just can't prepare for everything in life. We tend to follow our gut instinct in most things we do and somehow everything always works out.
What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
- Twitter has been great (@happyfamilyshop, if you would like to be our friend!).
- Blogs are fantastic exposure as well. All of those mentions add up and you can build your business one happy customer at a time.
- We also have lots of word of mouth business, especially from people seeing our birthday shirts at birthday parties and wanting one for their child's birthday.
- Etsy itself gives us a 24-hour worldwide audience that has taken us in a whole new direction.
What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion?
We haven't found much to be unsuccessful. You never know who might see what and when. All promotion is good promotion!
Walk us through your typical workday.
- As the sun comes up, our alarm clock (a.k.a Owen, our 3-year-old) runs in our room and jumps on the bed. Once his 15-month-old brother Evan hears us, our day officially begins! Breakfast is usually waffles or French toast as we check convos and respond to emails.
- Then it's a walk to the playground, building train stations, or maybe just chasing each other in circles around the house. Our boys are perfectly content doing any of these activities 7 days a week.
- Next comes work for one of us. The actual work can be filling orders, cleaning shop, ordering inventory, making phone calls or just about anything that needs to be done.
- We have a quick lunch (cheese plate al fresco on the patio is a favorite!), then get the boys ready for an afternoon siesta.
- Naptime brings several hours of uninterrupted work time for both of us. It's usually spent printing tees and packaging.
- After naps we visit the local farmers' market for dinner supplies.
- At dinner we all talk about our day. Afterward there's usually one last adventure before bath time, book time, and bedtime.
- After tucking in Evan with his glow worm and Owen with his frogs, it is back to work for the rest of this happyfamily. We work, work, and work some more and finally call it a night around 1 or 2 a.m. Our days and nights are very, very long — but very fun too — and we wouldn't want it any other way.
What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? Is there anything you miss?
Being able to make our own hours and hang out with each other and our kids all day is wonderful. We also appreciate that the sky is the limit for what we can do with our business. We miss employer sponsored health insurance! Private insurance isn't for the faint at heart and it's something you should plan for before you quit your day job.
What's the hardest part about running your own business?
Parenting and working at the same time is a tough combination. We are a true mom and pop shop.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? What advice would you give someone else?
Organization is very important. You need proper accounting and good records of everything you sell. Advice for someone else — if anyone offers to help, take it. At first we tried to do everything ourselves but learned quickly that a little help can go a long way in making more time for your business.
What goals do you wish to accomplish in the coming year for your Etsy business?
We are working on redoing our business website and starting a blog. We want to pay it forward (and backward) by featuring others who make and sell their own products, as well as keep better track of our own lives for our kids to look back on one day.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
"Be the change you want to see in the world." — Ghandi
Thanks to Lori and Starbuck for sharing their story. Have your own questions to ask? Come on by and chat with them on Wednesday, August 26 at 7 p.m. ET in Etsy's Virtual Labs.
You can see some of happyfamily's beautiful work in the Related Items. Check out previous Quit Your Day Job posts here.
| Tags | Accessories, Bags and Purses, Clothing, full-time, happyfamily, Quit Your Day Job, screenprinting, sellers, selling, Spotlight, SPOTLIGHT, t-shirts, workflow, working |
|---|
191 comments Login to add your own!
stitchknitsew
nestings
LuLusWoobies
Inspiring success story! Very hard to read the article with those adorable kids everywhere :)
ChloesRuffleButt
MyNaturesArt
Good on you folks! My own dream of being a quit your day job feature will come soon!
jodieflowers
Krystyna81
wonderful...how nice to see a family that gets to enjoy their time together! Best of luck to you always :) (beautiful children!)
mireillemanuel
Krystyna81
OMG - just saw your shirt on Sheldon - my fav TV character of all time...and you are my neighbor! Hello from woodstock, GA!
LuminousDreamDesigns
BeauAndStella
Its the metro3 people! I used to live in New Orleans and LOVE that shop! It was my go-to for any gifts I needed for out-of-towners. Love it! Congrats on your success!
Artulia
lovely prints & truly inspirational Etsy story- thanks for sharing!
gloilocksandbody
Oh my goodness! What an adorable family! Wonderful story too, I love reading these :D
foamywader
EJPcreations
MeghanT
Gorgeous work guys, and a wonderful story! I think it's awesome that dolphins were the catalyst for your big life change. How awesome! I'm going to look out for signs now when I'm ready for things to shift.
We were on a boat in the Caribbean 2 years ago and we had a whole bunch of dolphins (although they called them something else) following us and leaping infront of the boat. It was awe inspiring. Maybe they were trying to deliver a message to someone on board! I'll never watch dolphins without thinking about your story and wondering what the future is about to bring.
Congrats - and here's to continued success on etsy!
ElfiePins
GreenTease
jessiemccann
heidiburton
lovelygifts
NanLawson
sherrytruitt
spacejam
HarrietsHaven
BTW, I saw the episode of Big Bang Theory with your t-rex shirt. Awesome, Awesome!!!
hudsonhawke
SewnNatural
love your stuff, great to know more about you and your business. congrats.
BabbidgePatch
Contrats to happyfamily! great success and thanks for sharing :)
SusanFaye
Best wished for continued success! Nothing like a great product and a lot of determination (and a few dolphin messengers)!
HoneyThistle
SimpleTraditions
We have two little boys with the same age difference. Thanks so much for sharing your story, it gives me and my husband hope that we can do it too!
postroadvintage
Love these stories and yours was no exception :) Congrats! It's no small feat raising a family AND running a business and I admire anyone who is able to do both!
formandfunktion
Very inspiring - thanks for all the great tips! You have a great no-nonsense approach.
odiliafu
1AEON
PipocaHandmade
paramountvintage
great advice. i couldn't manage paramount vintage without my business partner (and boyfriend). helping hands are definitely the key to success!
Morado
Very inspiring! Best wishes :o) and i must say...such adorable kids
http://twitter.com/MoradoShop
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Morado/...
Fairyfolk
Very inspirational... I love to see success stories about families following their dreams!
Blessings and magic.
NinaReneeDesigns
I love reading about parents juggling work around the kids :-) Congrats!
kleja
What a great story and so inspirational. I wish we could all just listen to our instincts like that.
stubborndog
MeowBarkArt
Lovely story!! I'm truly inspired by this interview. Thanks for the reminder that we ALL need to be looking for the 'dolphins' in our lives. Best wishes for your family & your Etsy shop.
MyMoms
Nomsa
RAGGEDedgeGear
lamixx
SimpleJoysPaperie
lalala08
thebestvintage
KIMMSMITH
katsummers
artbymags
always loved Metro Three (the shop)... so glad to see y'all are having a successful go of it online on Etsy. still love all your designs! i wish you continued success!
moonovermaize
I love it! How wonderful for both of you to be able to be at home with the kids :)
MinceCo
I love these inspirational stories and I adore the catalyst for starting after the dolphin sighting
edgyapparel
Wearing one of your tees as I read this article. Good for you to have sold so many tees. Best of luck.
UglyBaby
What an inspiring story -- and how great to be able to spend such quality time with your family. AwwwwwhhhhhH!
clothpaperstitches
thelooseleaf
BlackStar
SweetPeaFabrications
accessoryalamode
I really enjoyed reading this article! It is so inspiring. I hear them with the juggle between parenting and business. I am so happy to see their success!
creationsnthings
You Rock!! Great job, great story. I use to do screen printing. It's not as easy as someone may think.
As for working from home and spending more time with your kids...it will pay you back a thousand fold.
Keep up the hard work! And good luck to you!!
signsofmylife
awww, i LOVE happyfamily - such a great story & inspiration!
InformalElegance
How courageous! I love to hear inspiring success stories. Congrats & keep up the good work!
warmnfuzzies
AugustEve
cthings
Congratulations and what a wonderful family!! Wishing your success keeps escalating!
ThatSomething
aprilmist
wonderful story! The quit your day job series is always so inspirational and these experts offer such good advice from their experiences. Thanks happyfamily for sharing!
birdshaveflowers
JUST WHAT I NEEDED! Our family is also looking to do this same thing, with a new baby it might be slow going! VERY COOL ITEMS AND VERY INSPIRING STORY !
bananaicecream
Great story! This is one of the first shops that I saw on Etsy! Best of luck in the future!
slumptown
Thanks happyfamily for sharing your wonderful story. The quit your day job series is always a good morale booster, thanks.
vivikas
deetsy
what a wonderful story! i, too, have been making a go of being an artist and staying at home with my kids (now aged 7 and almost 4). it's really hard work, and it's tough to get things done, but i still wouldn't want it any other way.
thanks for sharing your success with us!
zoetropa
Aww, they are so sweet. Congratulations to them and all their success as a happy family. :)
CustomCoffey
whiletangerinedreams
So inspiring, and what a cute family! Plus, Starbuck is the coolest name ever!!
ReedmorJewelry
Congrats!
I am wondering how long did it take from the class to quit your day job?
jbeaudet
I wish a pod of dolphins would jump and splash as a sign off my future!
jpulliam30
Your day sounds like mine. I have 2 boys as well. And your shop is awesome!
VintageJamie
candy4me
Wow... amazing shop!!! I am sort of a newbie and your shop is the biggest I have seen on etsy... Good luck! Caroline
VixVintage
Very cool shop and such an inspiring story, thanks for sharing.
TheArtOfJoy
Elizabethxoxo
congratulations on quitting your day jobs! Love you shop, and your boys are so cute!
Tumus
TheSeed
I've got 2 kids and a business at home too (and private insurance!) and I agree that it can be a long day but it's so worth it!
instantcrimson
great story... your success brings me much hope for the future of my own little business and family - thank you :)
JBirdHome
I love this article- inspiring and helpful. My family wears our happyfamily gear proudly and have given it as gifts as well-- fantastic stuff!
Milkshakebaby
I have given one of their bags as a gift and plan to give more items! LOVE the store and this story as inspired me!
amber84
woah... what's the deal with the comment above me? It looks like a spammer.
ANYHOW In regards to this article... I love their shop - it's been a favorite of mine for a while now. :) Congrats!
pinkytoeclothing
cozyblue
great article. happyfamily is living the (my) dream!
best of luck, and thanks, etsy for featuring such an inspiring story.
thecluelesscrafter
It's so inspiring when a husband and wife team show how meaningful work can be when done together. Etsy, please more stories like this!
zeropumpkin
Berlinski
I LOVE this story! What a lovely team! This is definitely a dream of mine so it's nice to see that it is actually possible! Very inspirational!
TuscanBlooms
This is so cool! I hope my shop takes off like yours did!!! http://www.tuscanblooms.etsy.com and im on twitter too, I think it does help sales... http://www.twitter.com/tuscanblooms
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK HAPPY FAMILY!!!
blueberryshoes
BesemNaturalScents
Love, love, love these stories--so inspiring! Enjoy your boys and your business!
Iammie
AmazingBeading
FluteTeacher
BrazanDesign
I love my GROW YOUR OWN FOOD shirt! Good wishes are headed your way!
sarahderagon
HoneyBoo
PookieLovesOlives
wearthou
Nice article!! Very inspiring!!
What's with the big chunk of comment above???
SHOWNPRIDE
I love hearing how well others are doing, very nice story. Positive!!!!!
QuiteContrary2
'GoodMorningEveryone' - will you please stop tarnishing our lovely Etsy with your commercial rubbish and leave it to the lovely people who've actually got handmade things to sell?
Gorgeous story happyFamilies - made me hope and pray that someday this may be me!
evihan
SnowdropsAndDaisies
Lovely story, what a life... bet it's hard work too though.
Wonderful t's BTW.
(it is a bit spam-tastic today huh?)
craftaria
ForYouDesigns
Super inspiring !! As Mum to two - aged 11 & 7 - it's great to read about how others manage a business and family life. Thanks for sharing :)
Cheers,
Tasha
candaradesign
Great read.
We have always had a home based business so we could stay at home with the kids.
I am hoping that my etsy shops will provide us all with work now the girls are older and needing work. We are working hard on them and reading about someone elses success is very inspiring and helps us to keep going when sales are slow.
Thanks.
G xx
SewBeans
Momo71
What an incredible story! Great job happyfamily! I love your products.
cbartist
MartiArtStudio
I love your story!! What a beautiful life to be able to really raise your kids and be together all the time. I would love to work with my husband, maybe one day!
Thanks for all the great advice and for inspiring me!!
bijougirldesigns
Great article! I love seeing other families out there doing similar stuff to mine. It's inspiring and encouraging - sharing your story helps other persevere! So, thanks, and best wishes. I hope you sell the snot out of some t-shirts!
breadandroses
Wonderful seller feature, beautiful family. Congratulations! The dolphin story is priceless.
amysfunkyfibers
So glad to hear that you have time to enjoy your kids and have french toast while doing something that you love!
klacustomcreations
wishing you continued success, I think I may have to snag the 4 T for my son!
LittleStudioJewels
Fabulous, inspiring story, I wish them all the successes they can get :D
TreeHuggerStudio
Thank you for sharing your story I love these articles,and your stuff is awesome. Now I need to go to the beach to see if any dolphins give me a sign to bad I live in Indiana maybe I could go down to the river and subsitute catfish.LOL. Wishing you continued luck on your etsy journey.Keep on Keepin on.
girltuesdayjewelry
RubyStudios
What a nice, happy family. Thanks for the peek into your lives and best wishes!! You've got your priorities straight.
SandrasInnovations
photosnotforgotten
SugarPineBoutique
Super! Love the prints, what an awesome thing to be able to work at what you love! ; ) Kudos!
Baggavond
charmschooldesign
amazing!! you guys have come such a long way and been such an inspiration for me over the years :)
japonicas
nothing is better than this! :) truely enjoying crafting and family life! :)
Sunsetgirl
RegalCottage
Lovely article! Thanks for the inspiration. I will be following you on twitter for more inspiration.
KayeAtelier
emmieloustudios
PhineasandLou
Love this story and the totally positive energy!! Thanks :)
GarageInc
i learn so much with you guys, i hope some day be like you and give up my day job, good luck.
OldSchoolPhotoArt
LilBlossoms
You two are so inspiring, if only I could get my husband to pitch in! He is so talented making custom furniture for friends... one day :)
LisaFerinDesigns
Wonderful story, cool items, adorable kids. All the best!
starvingartistbazaar
heavenlybathsalts
Wonderful story, lovely pics of your family, and beautiful designs! Best wishes!!
fatcrowpress
Very inspiring! I am carving and printing like a mad woman building up inventory for shows in the hopes that I will be a quit your day job artist!
artwithallie
Fantastic story guys!!
I don't doubt for 1 minute that you're life would be hectic and hard at times especially with the little sleep you get with young kids. Then one day you will wake up and realise you're kids have grown into teenagers, you won't know where the time went but you will both be so proud and grateful that not only did you get to spend that time at home with them but you got paid to do so!!
Keep living that happyfamily life...there's truly nothing better!!
StudioMo
Really enjoyed ready your article and I love all your designs. I wish you lots of continued luck. Melissa.
underoakstudios
monichelledesigns
What a wonderful, inspiring, sweet story! Thanks for sharing!
JammyART
PippiHepburn
Wow, what a lovely article. Thank you for telling the truth. So many of these etsians featured in the storque say they work 9-4, then a little again at night. Most of us are like you guys. We work, work, work, and then work a little more. You are a wonderful family.
perebags
MrTom
Great article ~ as somebody famous said "It's never too late to be what you might have been" an inspiration to us all
MySolCreations
joyceweaver
I've seen the messenger bags before & now I gotta get one! Great story & good luck to you!
shopgoodgrace
oh my! love the story behind these great designs. What a lovely family affair. :)
folkheirloomsbypaige
themefragrance
Lambsears
It's amazing! So many times we want others to just flock to our stores without really working hard for it. This couple works hard and it shows in their sales. Good inspiration! Time to get back to work! :-)
bluebirdart
FernBlossomStudio
amoronia
sweetirie
BratBoutique
AzitasSurprises
EcoInspired
Thanks for sharing your story. It's a lovely read. I'm at the very start of my journey into the world of screen-printing and etsy. Feeling inspired and ready for some hard work.
Design4u
Love this story. Wonderful little family. It's a great upbringing for their boys. Best wishes to them! Thanks for sharing.
soapychica
This is lovely to see- very inspiring family living the good life!
2TrickPony
And why shouldn't dolphins determine one's destiny? They are very smart, and they all quit their day jobs, too:)
wildcubs
bittybambu
I am amazed that you two can juggle work, kids, home, life together side by side. Truly inspiring. I your shop and your story.
cwrightartgallery
andtherainfell
theenchantedcupboard
dsenyo
Thanks for sharing your story. I just committed to blogging once a week. It's already helped me get myself organized and connect with people in cyber space. http://www.dsenyo.com/blogs/marissa
SimonandRuby
Uniqueartglass
TheAntiquePalette
alectonyx
this is inspirational! i hope you still have success for many many years to come. your kids are so cute!!!
darcyarts
jennifermagnesi
So inspiring! I am showing this to my husband right now :)
Yayahandicraft
Wow, to many things to do. Good luck for your beautiful family
janeheller
smilingbluedog
Wow, that's such an inspiring story and gives
me hope. I love the dolphins' input :)
Wishing you guys all the best.
jillaphillips
I have purchased a few shirts and keep coming back. Today I purchased a shirt for my son's second birthday. He was sporting one of their "1" shirts on his first birthday. It's a new tradition! Love the shirts, the shop, the sellers and now, the story!
muzie5
Great article! I love the birthday shirt idea!
http://www.wildernesslane.com - For All Your Baby Needs!
MyPatternedMind
tcbempowered
Great story. Very inspirational. Hope to visit your NO shop soon.
Previous Page
Lovely! I have free international shipping going on this weekend ...
by kittyd
on Etsy Finds: Free Shi...
HOLIDAY WEEKEND SALE! Buy one print (any size) and get ...
by ThisYearsGirl
on Paint it Black: Shop...
Hey everyone, I am having a 25% off sale, including ...
by TurquoiseSkyDesigns
on Etsy Finds: Free Shi...
Thank You to everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!
by RubberStampPress
on Thank You, Etsy Comm...
CHIHUAHUA WINS!
by NingNingGong
on Etsy Snout Off: Pug ...
Love the selections! I'm offering free shipping this weekend on ...
by FlowerPot
on Etsy Finds: Free Shi...
To second aemcdraw's suggestion above, pretty please give us a ...
by thedoghouse
on From Etsy's Merchand...