I have to tell you a funny story that relates to this post. When I was at the breakfast event in Houston, I had the chance to speak with many women about how my business started and grew…how it’s dramatically exceeded every expectation I had. When I finished telling the story at one table, the woman I was sitting next to look at me with a puzzled face.
“So, when did you do the counter tops?”
“My counter tops?”
“No…the counter top business…”
It suddenly dawned on me what she was referring to and I started to howl. When I said my business started out as a “counter top business”, I meant that I was painting ornaments, using my kitchen counters as my work surface with little babies at my ankles. She thought I installed counter tops! So funny.
Anyway, so…where to begin when you’re beginning a business like mine. I get asked this a lot and I’ve written a lot of posts about it, but I’m not sure if I’ve written one like this. I did write some posts about the beginning or getting into the nitty-gritty details of taxes and things that aren’t fun, but this one is going to be about the creative side of the business. You have your tax ID and your EIN and fictitious name and web domain and now you’re ready to go. Now what?
Well, it depends a lot on the kind of person you are and the stage of life you’re in. When I started my business I didn’t have a nice lump sum to put into it. I had a 4 month old and a 20 month old. I couldn’t dive in head first. I had to do a little ankle-wading first. Since I have never started a business with a stash of cash, I’m writing this post for the ankle-waders like me.
1.) Start where you’re comfortable. I think starting a business sounds like a huge, overwhelming thing, but it doesn’t have to be. You can start small. I started with projects that were a minimal monetary investment and heavy on the time investment. I had time (well, some time), but I didn’t have money. I started out painting wooden ornaments and then started taking mural and decorative painting jobs.
I initially painted furniture that I already had, pieces my family and friends gave me or pieces purchased for less than $20. I painted pot lids, 1980’s furniture, thrift store lamps…whatever. If your dream is to own a shop, your first step doesn’t have to be signing a lease and buying $20k in inventory. Your first step should be exciting and low stress.
2.) Sell wherever you can. When I first started, I couldn’t even imagine having to pay monthly rent for a booth space in an antique mall. That seemed totally beyond me. I was very fortunate to find a woman who let me consign my stuff in her shop. I gave her 30% of my profit, but I didn’t have to stress about a monthly rent. If you can’t find a place to consign, here are some other options…
- Share a space with a friend. Rent is less stressful when you can split it with one or two other people. Just make sure it’s someone who shares your style and someone you work well with.
- Sell online. You can list your pieces on your local Craig’s List, on E-Bay or Etsy. Start a FaceBook page and list them there. Start a blog and list them there, too! You can sell a lot by just getting your pieces onto the world wide web.
- Rent a space at a flea market, antique fair or craft show. This is a one time investment and if it doesn’t work out, you don’t have to do it again. If it does work, you can sign up for more!
- Set up a sale in your own front yard if all else fails. That was my plan when it looked like I was going to be space-less after the consignment shop in Gettysburg closed. You can even collaborate with other antique dealers/furniture refinishers/crafters, etc. Advertise it as a “Tag Sale” and make sure things are priced, staged and professional-looking, so people know this isn’t an average yard sale. (Make sure you have a sales tax license if you’re hosting these regularly, though.)
3.) Give yourself time to grow. I am so glad I didn’t become a vendor at Lucketts in the first year of my business. I really needed time to grow, learn the market and nail down my “look.” Well, I knew my style and what I liked, but it took me a while to figure out that’s also what sold best. I painted a lot of things I would never have in my home before I learned that I could charge more if it was hard for me to sell because I loved it so much. You may have a “goal retail space”, but give yourself time to get there.
4.) Don’t allow small failures to discourage you. The first craft fair I did was a failure. I knew it wasn’t me right from the start. Imagine me setting up an 8′ table under florescent lights in an elementary school wedged between some guy who sold “crafts” mass-produced in China and a lady who made dolls out of clothes pins. I didn’t make money and it was a waste of time. I learned a lot, though, so I guess it wasn’t a total waste of time, but it felt like it! I felt like quitting, but my family encouraged me to find another place to sell.
5.) Don’t compare your business to another. I know that’s so hard to do, but you need to let your business be your business and the steps you take and the direction you go might be different from another business. You might arrive at the same place, but it takes you longer. You might take the same steps and end up in an entirely different place. I think this can discourage people more than anything else. They see all of the other people doing what they want to do and it feels overwhelming and impossible. Remember that they put lots of tears, sleepless nights, hard work, sacrifice and failures into where they are now. It may look like “overnight” to you, but it wasn’t for them.
So, if you have the dream to start a creative business, you can go for it. I started my business with no money and when my boys were very young. You just have to be okay with starting where you are and growing from there. And I had no idea when I was sleep-deprived, bent over my counter painting those ornaments, that I would be where I am today. NO IDEA. I just felt like it was the right thing to do and I took a step of faith…
84 Responses
Thank you. Thank you for posting this wonderfully insightful post today! I needed to read that to validate an idea that i have to a “cottage” industry. I have always had crafty, artistic projects and even an antique space several years that was a failure because i did #3 right from the start instead of growing small.
Thank you for letting us all grow and learn with and thru you.
Blessings,
Susan
I thought you meant you sold counter-tops too. So glad you clarified!
This post comes at the right time for me. It is so easy to get discouraged by lack of money, space and other obstacles. For me the shipping prices on etsy have gotten in the way of a sale so many times and I think I will have to come up with other options to sell as well like you mentioned. Thank you for the ideas!
This is such great advice Marian! I was so lucky to live in an area that has great vintage shows all Spring/Summer/Fall (thanks to The Farm Chicks Show) so I was able to start that way. It was perfect with small children and I wasn’t tied to a booth when I wasn’t ready. I think it’s a great idea to get women together in one area to put on these shows…that’s my goal now if I can just stop moving 🙁 It just feels like I have to keep starting over and I wonder how many tears, sleepless nights, and years of lugging furniture is worth it, but I know deep down that it’s my passion and that I’ll never stop.
Thank you for this inspiring post today. It is so important to start small and this is what I’m learning. Thank you for being such an inspiration and role model for all of us.
Great words of advice..
Have a great evening..
Thank you so much for updating how you began your business. I’m just ankle wading right now, but setting my own pace and love what I’m doing! It is a huge step of faith starting your own business, but God is good and I’ll just take small steps and follow His direction to see where He leads me! You have been such an inspiration to me and many others – thanks again for sharing your heart with us!
Thanks for the insights, especially now as I am starting to rent some space in a resort town 2 hours from my home! Hoping it will be worth my efforts…I also would like to start a blog, but have no idea how to start one! The internet just seems to be full of ones asking for all different prices…I am just so confused. Any suggestions would be so appreciated! Do I just jump into the first one listed under “how to start a blog”…I don’t know how you get the sidebars, what a button is, etc! Thanks so much!
Hi patti. For a very small fee you can start a blog with WordPress.com. I did that almost one year ago and have loved it. As you build the blog, you will figure things out: buttons, sidebars, etc. I am still learning so much and have a long way to go but I tend to feel that you don’t have to have everything figured out at the beginning. If you have the desire and feel as though the blog would help grow your biz, go for it.
Thanks so much! I appreciate all of your words of encouragement and am super excited to get started!
Hi Patti,
I was in the same position a few years ago. You can start a blog for FREE on Blogger. It’s very easy to use and even if you just get the bare bones going at first, you can change as you go along. You don’t have to have everything figured out in advance because that has a tendency (I speak from experience) to prevent you from doing anything at all.
I started out with space in a shop about 8 years ago. I’ve sold on ebay (quite a bit) and etsy (a little). Depending on what you intend to sell, you will hit your stride and figure what sells where. It’s matter of finding balance. Please feel free to email me and I will help you if I can.
The important thing is to do as Marian says. Start small and figure it out along the way. You CAN do it!
Maureen
Thanks so much for the help and words of encouragement! Sooo excited to get started!
thanks again
A friend of mine introduced me to Blogging with Amy (www.bloggingwithamy.com). She has fantastic step by step directions for starting your own blog. Highly recommend!
Thanks so much – headed there right now!
I’m going to put myself in the same place that lady you were sitting next to was. When I read “counter top business” in your book I wondered the same thing. I eventually determined that it was just a saying.
Thanks so much for all of your posts on your business ventures. I’ve read quite a few recently. It’s a scary step, but one I feel I’m supposed to make. It’s all in God’s hands as long as I allow Him to lead me.
Great post, excellent advice, thanks for sharing and have a great night.
Well said and always very encouraging, there are so many more options now to start in my day it had to bricks and mortar .
Excellent post and advice.Thank you for encouragement and inspiration. Need to take a leap of faith!
Encouraging words Marian! It is not easy to have a business.There are ups and downs.A friend of mine and her husband are self employed they have always been.They work hard but they enjoy what they do.They have many different businesses and they make it all work.They live in a beautiful home that I can never imagine living in….it’s huge! I believe you can be self employed and earn a living.My husband does have a job.I am a creative person trying to earn a living doing what I love.I know things will get better.I am sticking with it.I am thankful to have a loving and supportive family.Something that is very important if you want this to work.
xx
Anne
Your story about the “countertops” reminds me of the time I took my then 5 year old to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles for a children’s concert. We sat down in our seats and he immediately stood up and looked/searched all around the large theater….I asked him what he was looking for and he said, “I’m looking for Dorothy – where is she?” Some do take very literally the titles, names and descriptions we give things…sometimes resulting in a very innocent and charming memory.
Catt in Kentucky
Marian, I have to laugh at the timing of me reading this post. I just came up from my basement, where I was painting a small table on top of my washer and dryer lol. It is freezing outside and I am unable to paint in my small garage. And because we are renting for the next couple of months I worry about getting paint on the floor. I own the washer and dryer and that is where I paint in the winter.
I like you started just painting for myself, and now have a blog, and sell things online and in a consignment store. It is nice to read posts like yours because it encourages me to keep going. One day I hope to have a barn on my own property where I can host barn sales and invite other vendors.
Thank you for your inspiration and for sharing your stories of your journey. Your success has been amazing, but I know it took a lot of work and sacrifices to get where you are.
hugs Tobey
Thanks Marian,
This is a great article. I am nearing the end of my 2nd year in business and did many of the same things you did. I get very frustrated sometimes but I try to remember all of the new people that my business has exposed me to. I have made a ton of friends and connections. I have also made a little bit of money. 😉
The last tip is my favorite. It is hard not to compare yourself to others. However, I will try really hard this year to just focus on my style.
Thanks
Laura
Those painted wooden ornaments may not have worked at the craft fair, but it is what got you in the door at your first retailer a couple of weeks later. And you probably would not have done them if you had not signed up for the fair. It just did not work out like you thought. But the end result was even better. Hmmmmm :). He is in control :).
Love it! Mom is right- He is in control, and I need that reminder almost daily! Thanks, “mom!” 🙂
I remember when you first started at Lucketts! I had just had my third baby, and I thought to myself if she can do it with little ones, maybe I can to. God has always opened doors for me one step at a time!
Thanks for that encouragement….not starting a business but a next phase of life. Still applies; plant the seed, be positive, work toward the goal and know God is faithful. Have been hearing that confirmation lately and your post today was yet another reminder to put toes in the water first trusting He can part the sea. My prayer lately has been, ” I want to trust you Father, even when you are quiet!”. Thanks, Sarah
Thanks for the encouragement. I rent space in a shop, this is my second year and I can see things improving. Working full time doesn’t allow as much time to devote to this so I am forced to take small steps. I want to have an interesting and fun income when I retire, so I am working toward that. I love that you share so much with your readers. Thanks!
Marian, I needed this post today. I feel so behind and like I am doing so many things besides what I really WANT to be doing. And I have been rather discouraged lately with the low number of sales my etsy shop has had. I am feeling like maybe there just aren’t enough people out there who like my stuff enough to buy. Maybe it isn’t worth it. You’ve encouraged me to hang in there and keep working on finding what works!
Thanks so much!
MMS its like you are in my house. You blog what I am feeling when I am feeling it. I predict that you are destine to be a motivational speaker. Yes you make beautiful and fun items but it goes alot deeper than that. You always hit the core. I dont know how you do it but so many of us need you in our lives. Its sad you are leaving Lucketts but please stay with us thru your blog we really need you MMS.
Aw, thank you. Hugs! I am leaving Lucketts in order to pay more attention to my blog. I’ll still at the fair and will try to get something going online. 🙂
So encouraged to see that my story lines up almost verbatim with how you started small. Very encouraging to know that while starting small/slow is sometimes frustrating (because we could really use a real second income) I would probably be totally overwhelmed and ready to quit if I had started “bigger”.
On a side note, do you have any info about getting a booth at the LuckettsSpring Market you could pass on. I’m sure registration starts soon if it hasn’t already but I didn’t see any vendor info on their site. I’m thinking about doing it this year even though thinking about it already makes me feel a little queasy thinking about how hard it’s going to be to get ready and have enough items to fill a space!
Hi Jessica- my friend and I did Luckett’s Spring Market last May and will be doing it again this year. It was our first show and we loved it, learned a lot. To bring friends and family along on our journey to the Luckett’s Spring Market we started our blog on WordPress. If you want to read about our journey you can go to our blog- Semperstylish.wordpress.com and start at the beginning, I think it was February 2012. We talk about what we had to do to get the business going and how we acquired items. We now rent a small 10×10 room in a local shop. We are doing it the way Marian describes, one step at a time, only what we can handle at the moment. Slowly it is growing.
To answer your question on when registration opens I believe it will be in the beginning of February so keep looking back at their site. That’s how we got in.
If you want to contact us with any questions, we can be reached at semperstylish@gmail.com
Thank you for your generous and encouraging advice. As a mom with an almost 3 year old and a 10 month old at my ankles right now this is just what I needed to hear to keep going.
Thanks for this. I especially need to keep in mind not to compare. I am a 25yr old graduate student who works….I have to accept that things will progress slowly for me as I don’t have as much time to commit to my business. I see all the wonderful businesses and blogs that inspire me but need to remember that it is okay where I am. And enjoy my progress along the way because that is the reason I do it…because i love to create!
We aren’t vocal all the time, but since SYTYCD, the JunkFest girls and I have watched the inspirational trail you’ve been on as you’ve grown in your business. It’s always fun to hear of the new adventures that have come your way and your approach to it all. And best of all, is your ability to let us come along for the ride through your posts and photos. Thanks!
Missy~JunkFest
In the last sentence of your post, where you are talking about ” I just felt like it was the right thing to do, and I took a step of faith.” …..I was sitting there thinking of the verse of scripture that relates to a mustard seed, and remembering reading all your posts about how you got started, the way your business name was chosen….. and it truly fits you, MMS. There is no telling how many women who have been encouraged by YOU to have the faith to go after their dreams! I am always, always, always inspired by you, as well as encouraged to pursue my dreams. The more I pick up and reread your book, come to your blog…the closer I get to going after my dreams. Thanks for all of the giving and sharing you do, and that includes smiles, laughs, and occasional tears. I think with watching your tutorials one more time, I am going to give slip covering a try….I am so excited!
Thanks so much for this Marian!
Marian, what I love the most is that you never gave up. Even when you felt discouraged, you just got back up the next day and thought of a new way to reach for your dream.
You’re so wonderful. Thank you for sharing such helpful tips. I am going to start small and see where I end up…
Your best post ever. Thanks for being so giving with your advice and encouragement!
You are always so spot on…..twenty five years ago I started with a shared space with 2 gals, then I had my own booth, then 2 of my own and sharing the one….then after 10 years…I downsized…back to one space but opened up a booth at another mall…..about 4 years ago I slowly downsized to zero booths…I sold on Etsy for 3 years and still sell on Ebay….I love finding a bargain and passing it on….I used to love the “work ” of refinishing, but as I approach 60….not so much anymore…you really have to love what you do….I did, as I can tell you do…it is hard work…but if you love it….it doesn’t seem like work…I loved turning a piece of rickety old furniture into a useable treasure…I still go to auctions , I still change my furniture around too often to tell…it is truly in our blood….you are the first blog I check in the morning…you are such a hard worker…..Maybee’s Mom
It’s so cool to hear this story Marian… Sometimes when i’m trying to work and paint and, well you know… do all the stuff we do… i feel so overwhelmed, and think what the heck am i doing? But there is some part of me that has this feeling of faith… like i’m supposed to be doing this now, so I just keep going with that…
CIndy
What wonderful sound advice. Thank you for sharing! I’m standing on the edge of starting my own business to help my family and give myself a wider purpose beyond the traditional labels.
Thank you for posting this. (I feel like I am always writing this to you!) I can especially relate to #5 right now…. I am gearing up for a show that always seemed like a pie in the sky dream. I am finally a vendor there, but it is freaking me out, because I know the quality of vendors that will be there, and I hope I don’t look like I’m the lame-o “what is she doing here” person. : /
We all feel so compelled to be “there” in an instant- thanks for reminding us that it is a journey to be enjoyed through out the process!
It is Wonderful of you to share so much of your own experience with us. Thank you for this and how encouraged, fired up about painting, business and productivity that i in turn feel from reading what you write and seeing the beautiful photos. I am so happy that i found you.
Thanks so much for sharing your story. 🙂 You are an inspiration and I love following along with what you do. Megan
i enjoyed reading about your beginnings, as it brought to mind mine. i struggled for many years to find a niche, selling everything from embroidered pillows to apple head santas. and when i started designing rugs and selling patterns, i knew i found my direction. thank you for sharing, so happy you discovered your calling. i just used your waxes on my latest furniture project and LOVE them!
It is so great to have clarification about your business and the way it started out. You do the most amazing work and have an overabundance of talent for doing it. I may not always comment but I sure do enjoy your blog. We so often get so busy that we don’t take time to let others know we appreciate their hard work in making a blog post. So I want to take the opportunity to say Thank You for all you do so we can be better informed about DIY work. If you don’t see me in the comment group please know I did a quick read before heading on to the next one knowing I will never catch up with all the blogs I subscribe to. I value your expertise and file away those I am in need of working on. Hope your week goes well.
Thanks again, Marian – I am on the opposite side of life – Re-starting over after illness, loss of a dear friend, and job loss #2 after working for many years – It’s frightening to me and you and the Good Lord give me hope! Thanks again!
Let me tell you how far you have come. My husband took me on a 4 day getaway this weekend. I am caretaker for my dear mother in law (95 and declining) and needed this time away. We only went as far as across the Phoenix valley to Glendale, but stayed near the historic district. Old Town is full of antique stores around the city square park and many little cute businesses based in old houses. I have been an online follower of your story for quite some time and appreciate the talent God has given you – and the genuine way you share it with us/me. I was taken by surprise and completely DELIGHTED to discover MMS MilkPaint displayed in one of those sweet shops! I told the proprietor of the pleasure of my finding you there and he asked what made you different. I said, ” You can go online and find lots of people doing what Marian does. But if you compare photos of finished pieces, you can always tell which one is MMS. Her work is distinctive and of the best quality. And her manner of including us in her life is honest and refreshing.”
I came home with Lucketts green and a sample of Boxwood that I want to experiment with on a small armoire in our bedroom. Haven’t a clue when that will happen, but at least, I have it available. And it is something to look forward to.
So you started at a counter painting ornaments and now you are selling milkpaint products at “The Country Maiden” in Glendale, AZ. HOORAY for YOU!
P.S. I suggested he check out putting your book on his shelf also 🙂
You are the most generous blogger I’ve ever come across. I’m sure it will come back to you many times. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I guess we all love you because you are real. I know if I ever have the chance to meet you face to face you will be just as genuine as you are in your blog. I have almost finished your book, not rushing through it since I wanted to enjoy it. I feel like we are kindred spirits and it just makes me smile to see how far you have come. Wonder what 10 more years will bring?
Thanks for sharing so many details about starting your own business!!!!
Great post, you are an inspiration!!
Thank you I’ve set uo a business with my best friend in the UK and we go to horrible trade shows etc.
but we’ve realised we have to get back to basics make our own things e.g.. books
I have followed you for a couple of years and the transisition and changes that have happened are amazing
well done
Hi Marian … thanks for always being so encouraging. I have traveled the same paths as you are traveling and been happy … maybe not really successful as you are, but doing what I loved. Now at 81 years old, I am still doing the things that I love, but not in the antique business anymore. I still have friends that I made while in business that still buy from me when we have a Community Garage Sale. I love to shop for things to recycle and repurpose and as long as I am able, I will continue to do that.
Blessings … just keep being who you are.
Audrey Z.
Timeless Treasures
Thank you so much for this post today. I started my business…refinishing vintage furniture and sewing pillows and table runners, about three years ago. I took a job working full time from home as an online school teacher with a three year old and an infant. I HATED IT! I am happy to say, that with my husband’s support…I am home with our girls, and working towards my own shop someday. Right now I have an Etsy shop and am a vendor at shows in CA. I DREAM of my own shop and am working towards that…someday. It is hard witha four year old and a one year old to go full force…so, I am an ankle wader myself right now. I enjoy following you!!! You are an inspiration…when my head is swirling with ideas and I am in the middle of changing a diaper or having a tea party…I remind myself this is my job now! The rest will come some day…
~Julie
Great advice…..I’m in such a place of should I or shouldn’t I. {of opening a small shop} My kids are grown….etc etc. but now I think it would be a great creative outlet for me….but then I go back and forth about the time it will take….and I have grandbabies in other states….what to do….am I being a scare “d” pants or should I just jump right on in….
I’ve been taught that a stupor of thought….maybe means wait….back and forth what to do?
Did you feel that way?
Thanks
Teresa
Thank you for such a wonderfully informative post! I’ve read through the many comments, and am so happy to see I’m not the only one…who wants/desires but is afraid/not sure if we should stage! Your post is an inspiration as are you!
Thank you so much for this. You have this knack of writing just what I need to read. I have been postponing my business dreams far too long. You are so inspiring. Thanks again.
This is such good advice and I appreciate it as I work toward figuring out how to sell the furniture pieces and misc. garage sale re-do’s that I’m beginning to store up. I think I’ll join in a French Flea Market in the summer as my first test! Thanks much Marian. Patti
Thanks again for how honest you always are.Could you explain how to start a blog and how you know what company to go with. I feel really dumb in this area. Even after reading all the how to I still very confused
Linda, I just starred my first DIY blog on Jan. 1st and have already had almost 700 views! Far more than,y expectations… I visit a lot of blogs, make comments, and join link parties each week. I just take photos of my work and write about each project. Give it’s go. I don’t know everything yet, but most blog hosting sites have free tutorials you can read. Good luck!
You do not KNOW how this has helped me out with my hearts desire. I started my own interior decorating business a little over a year ago. It went well and I LEARNED so much in the first year of business. Things have been a bit slow for me starting mid December until now. Client’s that I had lined up for January and February called near the end of December and pushed the schedule dates back to February and March. You know the feeling of wanting something so terribly bad that it hurts. It felt just like when I really grasped things and became a little comfortable, things hit a halt. It has given me time to rethink things, start work with a designer on my web site, update and create new business cards and rack cards, set up meetings with other people who own their own businesses and learn how to grow my own and learn from them. Yes, currently I am in the state of “Am I doing the right thing” or did I totally miss the pathway God laid before me? I am slightly discouraged. However, I do keep hearing keep on keeping on. Others I know in the industry are a bit slow as well right now. I am receiving encouragement from others and my word of mouth advertising is really well, but the jobs are slow in coming in. It has been a wonderful evening reading your post, knowing that everyone seems to hit these bumps in the road. It is not the bump, but how you recover and proceed after the bump. Thank you for your words of encouragement and inspiration. May your business endeavors continue to lead you onward and upward. May your blessings be abundant.
Thank you dearly from East Tennessee… Lisa M. Cline with L M Cline’s Interior Decorating.
Great advice, from top to bottom. I’m on my way, but it sure does get annoying when it seems to take longer than I want it to. Patience is definitely a virtue. 🙂
Thank you for this! You have spoken words of life through this post. Thank you for your passion for the Lord and for being so sensitive to His leadership in the posts you write. Through this post, you have given me the encouragement to keep running the race and to keep my focus on whats in front of me! Thanks for being such a blessing…to me and to so many others.
I love this information and encouragement and the step of faith! Thanks Marian
Thanks for sharing. All your hard work certainly has paid off. I have a VERY small booth at an antique mall (4X4). It’s fun. I have it stocked with some collectibles I’m giving up such as McCoy, metal picnic baskets, linens, etc. I’m slowly painting a few small pieces and putting them in trying to ease that phase in not to feel too rushed. They carried ASCP which I invested in a few colors. That’s been fun. About 6 weeks ago they started carrying your milk paint! I look forward to trying it. Thanks for the encouraging words.
Oh wow, Marian. This was just what I needed to read tonight. I do get so frustrated! I think I must be lazy or not motivated because I have not achieved my business dreams… yet! I am a single mom working in a very brain-cell intensive career. I needed the reminder to just be where I am, doing what I can. That’s all I can do! I won’t give up and as time passes and circumstances change in my life, I may see things get a little “un-stuck”! Thanks for the encouragement. You are my hero.
My favorite line in this post:
“I painted a lot of things I would never have in my home before I learned that I could charge more if it was hard for me to sell because I loved it so much.”
Thanks for sharing. I just closed my booth, because working 10 hour days and trying to find just the right thing to paint on the weekend was taking to much time away from my family. My boys are all grown up, but I still enjoy spending time with them and will paint the things I have been meaning to get to around the house. I needed to take a step back and start slow. So far I have enjoyed working with my husband on the house and I am spending quality time with him. I enjoy your stories and paint. I have received so many great ideas just by you sharing.
What a great post. Thanks for taking the time to write all that down for us.
Liz @ Quirky Vistas
Thank you Marian! I have always been drawn to your blog precisely because I feel like you are so much like me in situation and circumstance and belief in the faith of a mustard seed. Thank you for your inspiration!! And living out the dream!
Alright…. I have to confess having the same misconception about countertops when I read your book. :). Than for clearing that one up for me!
Lora
I just found your blog and this post is extremely inspiring. I have only begun to look thru many of your postings, but I love the blog already. Thanks for putting this out there for us.
Pam
This is exactly what I needed to read today! You are very inspiring and it’s also comforting to read all the other posts from other women trying to make it.
Thanks for all the info! but honestly my favorite part about this post is how perfect your hair is among all the chaos 🙂 it’s just so pretty and shiny!
mayuyasrandoms
I have been just starting to get my toes wet in painting furniture. I may be ready to move forward. I have always been a artist but nothing so fantastic has come from it, but my paintings sure look nice on a piece of furniture so that is my new direction. Thank you for your blog I think I will have to read more.
Thank you for this fabulous heartfelt information! I needed some inspiration. All I have heard is negative words from everyone in my immediate surrounding circle–but God keeps inspiring me through others–outside my lil world. Grateful today for finding the encouragement to keep my dream alive!
Loved reading that and love your site! Your before and after pictures are amazing.
Hi Marion,
I started my business in 2006 by jumping in feet first by opening a small retail shop on a shoestring budget with the help of my husband. To say the least it has been a struggle from day one. The little shop was a difficult location so with stars in my eyes and dreams in my heart I moved to a larger store. I took out a loan. Big mistake. Two years later, broken hearted, I had to close my shop, due to high overhead, a tanked economy and lack of sales. For the past four years I have hopped around to different consignment shops and antique malls but nothing has been the right fit for me. I can’t tell you how many tantrums I have had, how many tears I have shed and how many times I have felt like giving up. I have had many pity parties, feeling like I STINK. I have wondered if I have somehow ended up on the wrong path, somewhere God just doesn’t want me to be. I have a difficult time digesting that though. God has given me a creative mind and an incessant love for decorating and painting just about anything I can get my hands on. Even as an adolescent I would spend hours rearranging my room. I found myself redecorating people’s homes in my mind when I visited them and decorating magazines always make me giddy. I have always had a passion for vintage items and living on a shoestring budget has made me a passionate upcycler.
Right now I am working from home after yet another retail space disaster over the summer. I am focusing mainly on my online shop and blog. I went back to school to become an Interior Decorator when I closed my store 4 years ago so I am focusing on that aspect of my business as well.
I am not where I want to be in my career yet and sometimes feel like a very small fish in a very big pond. It has not been an easy journey for me but I just can’t seem to give up, something inside me won’t let me. I know I have made progress since I opened that little shop all those years ago, I have learned so much along the way and know that I will get to where I am going eventually. Thanks so much for this post. I do hope to someday have my own retail space again but have been thinking about ways to sell my work locally. I love working on furniture but selling furniture online can be a pain. Tbe shipping alone can be stressful. I am currently looking at local craft shows and have thought about setting up shop in my own front yard one weekend. Reading this post has inspired me to keep moving forward.
Thanks so much!
Lisa
Good Morning Marion,
I was praying this morning for strength- my daughter and I just signed our first lease and truthfully I am terrified- also very excited ! I came across this post and it was very encouraging,and empowering. Thank you:)
As usual…an Awesome post! No matter when you write these, people read them just when they need it! I want to start a blog, and yours is great…do you mind saying if it’s wordpress and what host service you use…I read so many good/bad reviews over hosts that it scares me! Any suggestions? Thank you and Happy New Year!
Wonderful post!!!
I am currently working a full time job that is not the type of work I want to be doing. The work is the same thing every day and very slow. I work on furniture and other items in my spare time. My dream is to make this hobby a business but without time and money it seems almost impossible. My partner believes in me but also thinks every single aspect of every situation out (which is great..sometimes) but I am the opposite and just want to prove to him that I can do this. I really enjoy reading your blogs it helps me believe that with patients and time it WILL happen.
Thanks for the post. 🙂
Happy St. Patty’s Day,
Jo