Notes from Chris

Episode 737

Kristin Verhorevoort grew up wearing scrunchies. Her mom made them for her when she was a kid in the eighties, and she had one to match every outfit. But, fashions come and go, and every child eventually grows up. Scrunchies faded into history as a fad, like bell bottoms, moon boots, and velcro shoes before them. For Kristin, growing up meant taking on responsibilities. A partner, dogs, and of course, working a full-time job.

The year of 2018 began with Kristin being happily employed as a coordinator for a community college. It was her responsibility to aid students enrolling in continuing education courses.

Like most day jobs, the work was fine but also not the greatest passion of her life. Meanwhile, what Kristin really loved was anything to do with craftwork. She would hand make items like crocheted scarves, blankets, and candles—among other things. Occasionally she’d earn a small amount of money selling an item to a friend or family member.

Kristin dreamed of focusing on craftwork full-time one day. Her part-time crafting simply didn’t earn enough to pay the bills. What it did do, however, was build a reputation among her friends. When it came to sewing, she could do anything! In July 2018, that reputation was about to thread with the scrunchies of her past to stitch a new side hustle.

At her job she interacted with a lot of young people that were in touch with the latest trends—they type that are the first to know what’s ‘in’ or what the latest celebrity is wearing. Kristin learned that scrunchies were making a big comeback. One of her friends knew she was a whizz with a sewing machine, and that friend asked if she could make a few retro scrunchies.

Never one to turn down a craft project, Kristin agreed and sewed up a batch of scrunchies using fabrics from her own personal stash. The friend loved the scrunchies, wore them constantly and even paid her a few dollars for the privilege.

Kristin loved making the scrunchies so much, that she decided to make a few more. She had dozens of different types of unique fabric patterns and used the best ones for her new creations. A few more sales from other friends and colleagues followed.

But the scrunchie revolution was just beginning and Kristin started to pay close attention. It was a little like a cross stitch pattern: the more she sewed, the more the picture became clear. In just a couple of months, she’d already sold more scrunchies than anything else she’d made in the past. It was time to test the waters and see if there were other scrunchie lovers out there beyond her personal network.

Kristin created both an Etsy store and Instagram account for this new venture. She used her middle name, Brynn, and called the project Brynnbands. She opted for the word ‘bands’ over ‘scrunchies’ because it would allow more flexibility in the future if she decided to sell other types of products.

In the last month, she sold almost $4,000 worth of scrunchies, which is crazy considering each one is priced between just three and six dollars. That’s almost 1,000 scrunchies purchased, packed and shipped from Kirstin’s home. Made all the more impressive because BrynnBands is still a side hustle, Kristin is still working full-time as well.

That last fact may not be the case much longer if the plan for Brynnbands comes to fruition. This month, she is launching a line of headbands and hopes to have a baby headwear line before the end of 2019. It’s all coming together, one stitch at a time.

 

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  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Brynnbands: If you're looking to add some scrunchies to your daily routine, head on over to Kristin's Etsy page!

SEE ALSO:

• Mental Health Counselor By Day, Headband Artist by Night: A mental health counselor gets a head start with a side hustle that brings in $3,000 a month
• Crafter’s Shop for Dreadlock Wearers Unlocks $3,500/Month: A product manager uses skills as a crafter to design accessories for people who wear dreadlocks, generating $3,500-4,000/month in product sales
• Woman Sells Hair Grips to Orthodox Jews & Drag Queens: It begins as a product for Orthodox Jewish women. It goes on to serve cancer patients, Broadway performers, and drag queens, earning “fringe benefits” and $4,000/month

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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