Close your eyes for a moment.
Imagine that you have a full-time job and two young children. You've been feeling a need to get out of the 9-5 so you have control over your time and can spend those precious hours with your family.
So you start your own business.
Fast-forward eight months, and you find yourself with over $100K in sales in this new business! What does that feel like?
Pretty amazing, right?!
This is EXACTLY what happened to Alexis Stoniea from Everyday Cozy Living, who reached her first $100K in under a year while raising a family AND working a full-time job! This is why I knew I had to bring her on today’s podcast. We talked about choosing that first product, pivoting when initial plans don't work, and driving traffic.
Our conversation was inspiring and filled with great ideas that you'll find helpful in reaching your first $100K!
Why (Alexis Stoniea Started Her Own Business)
Alexis Stoniea just started in February of 2020 after hearing my story of starting a business with my daughters. She also has a daughter and thought it would be a great way to learn something new together.
She didn't know if it would work or if her daughter would even be that interested, but she decided to take a leap of faith and try it anyway. I'm so glad she did!
Alexis also needed a business that would accommodate her lifestyle. As a full-time educator, she spends most of her days at work, training teachers and administrators in special education. When she gets home, she is intentional about spending quality time with her family and reserves a few hours at the end of the night to work on her business. Those are the same working hours for her manufacturers, and she's able to get focused work time in.
In order to balance both jobs and stay sane, Alexis makes sure she doesn’t spend time thinking about her business during her day job. She keeps the two very separate so that everything she does gets the attention it deserves.
How (Alexis Stoniea Picked A Product)
Alexis first started her business as a clothing boutique. It seemed like the most straightforward idea and what many women she followed online were also doing. At the time, she was also offering some home decor items that were doing really well. She joined our Next Level program, helping her recognize that it's okay and even good to pivot, so when she realized her true passion was in the home decor space, she decided to go all in!
When asked what she does with leftover items after pivoting or switching products, her answer was simple, “Everything will sell over time.” She moved her sample pieces from her older collections pretty seamlessly and was able to create the space for inventory she truly loved.
Where (Alexis Stoniea Drove Traffic)
Alexis Stoniea credits a lot of her traffic to what she learned from being a part of the “Because I Can” community and has used those lessons to find and keep her customers.
Most of her traffic is from her referral programs and return customers. Her emails are her ATM! She is able to track the coupon codes she offers, and most of the traffic she has built is through third-party platforms.
Her Best Advice For New Entrepreneurs
- Get out of your own head. Just start. It's easy to get caught up in the things we don't know how to do, and then we just freeze. Let go of perfectionism and just keep moving!
- Show up for your business every day. Put in the work. Even if it is something small, don’t go to bed at night until you have done something in your business.
- Be flexible and willing to pivot. Your first great idea may not be the one that sticks, and that's okay! Do what you are passionate about, but be open to the possibility that sometimes you won’t know what that is until you are further along the path. Don’t get so attached to a product or idea to where you aren’t willing to change.
Alexis was so kind to share a special discount with us! Go to Everyday Cozy Living and use the code: I Can. You'll receive 15% off a plush throw AND a free gift. How sweet is that?!
Top 5 Takeaways:
- Showing up every day for your business is key.
- Building a business is a great model for your kids.
- Learning to be flexible and pivot doesn't mean abandoning everything. It could just mean turning a little bit.
- Getting denied doesn't mean it's the end.
- Selling on other marketplaces allows you to test products out.
