My Side Hustle

Note:  I was a Close To My Heart Maker 2001-2024. When they closed, I became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator (as did many others).

How to start a side hustle without taking on a second job. 

Decades ago I was new to scrapbooking, had recently moved to a new state, and knew very few people.  My husband was working weekend night shift and I was feeling like a single parent to our 7 and 11 year old boys.  I had been looking for a part-time job, just to get out of the house and do some adulting but my first day of the latest attempt was 9-11-2001. 

I had never had a home-based business of my own.  I had never been in business for myself.  All the MLM consultants I knew were outgoing and confident, neither which applied to me. 

I was at a large crop with my only friend when people commented and asked about the Close To My Heart products I was using.  Many said they didn't have a CTMH Maker.  At that time, the only way to access CTMH was through personal contact.  The catalogs weren't online. I don't even know if the corporate office had a public webpage. Some people didn't realize that DOTS had been re-branded to CTMH.  A few mentioned that they had lost their Maker because she quit or moved away.

Shortly after joining my upline told me about convention and said I should go.  I roomed with three of my sideline whom I had never met.  (It was stressful sharing a bed with a stranger!)  I felt like there was a high expectation for everyone because they were giving awards to high sellers and trip earners. It was very overwhelming in general but when they announced major changes to the product line I was distraught and wanted to leave and go home early.  I was concerned that my new business needed to start over when it had barely even started.

I thought about quitting. I often felt like I just couldn't do this. Who was I going to sell to when I barely knew anyone and was thousands of miles away from family?  I didn't even have very many products and wasn't sure how to make the fabulous artwork I saw from other Makers. Plus, I did not have the "cheerleader" personality I saw from the top sellers.

Finally I found my groove, figured out how to make a card in less than four hours, and learned how to schedule my time while working at home and raising the boys.  I let go of my perfectionism and found out my "good enough" was really "good" in the eyes of others. I met new people, established friendships, and got to know neighbors better than I would have. I made enough money to pay for my supplies and scrapbooks, as well as to attend yearly conventions and other CTMH events. 

To turn your girl-time breaks into a side hustle, click here.