Subscribe Now For A Free Five Step Tutorial
Get a free five-part email course that shows you how to find, validate, and launch your side hustle idea — no experience required.
Rustic Wall Hangings Rack Up Worthwhile Profits
Only four months into starting, today's side hustler transitioned her project into a full-time income. She did this by following a different approach than we usually recommend. In her words, she "jumped off the cliff," closing off her other sources of income so that she would be hyper-focused in making this new business venture work.
In Spokane, Washington, CJ Morrison runs her own business hand-crafting unique items made from wood. She builds her pieces in her garage—typically wooden wall art, geometric shelving, and tables—then sells them online and through wholesale accounts.
Before starting this side hustle, CJ and her former partner Joe were working on other projects, including reselling vintage furniture. While meeting up with people and selling out of her car was fun, it was also unpredictable. CJ craved something more reliable. She also didn't want to just be a reseller; she wanted to make something.
Drawing on their vintage furniture arbitrage exploits, CJ and Joe started thinking about ways to use their creative capacities to enhance people's homes. The idea sprang to life after visiting a friend who had a handmade geometric inlay coffee table. They bought a couple of saws and converted their one-car garage into a wood shop.
CJ had zero experience with woodworking outside watching her dad work with tools when she was younger. Together, they learned to use tools as CJ jumped right in drawing and creating designs—basically learning on the fly.
Serendipity arrived when a woman who owned a gallery came to buy vintage side tables and noticed CJ's collection of wooden wall art panels. This led to their work being displayed at the gallery in the very first month—key exposure early on.
They participated in their first craft fair about a month after and made $1,000. CJ said they didn't know how to price their work and discovered they were underpricing, but it felt huge for them at the time.
They called the business Roaming Roots Woodworks. It cost a grand total of $700 to get off the ground—mostly the cost of tools and materials, in addition to setting up a first website.
They traveled to art festivals and craft fairs across the state and neighboring states. They also posted daily on Instagram. They also started selling wholesale to retail stores, local markets, and coffee shops, which got their work seen by even more people.
CJ's work has been featured in several magazines as well as being named the "4th Best Maker" in a 2017 USA Today poll.
CJ transitioned her part-time hustle into her full-time hustle after only four months. She ended her remaining financial obligations and "jumped off the cliff," so she would be hyper-focused in making this new business venture work.
Inspiration is good, but inspiration combined with action is so much better.
