We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liz Galvan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Liz, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

As a previous nurse, I worked with various ages and people with disabilities. I used to bring new boxes of crayons with coloring books and sheets with me to help my patients calm down, soothe, and oftentimes, break the ice. Unfortunately, regular crayons breaks easily from the hard grip, and even just by simply rolling off the table which certainly adds up after purchasing new boxes of crayons each week.

I’ve worked with a group of patients in the nursing facility and children at an outpatient clinics as well that received occupational therapy. I started bringing a bag of crayons I made from home that came with variety of fun shapes such as hearts, animals, sticks, and rock-shaped crayons, and everyone loved it! Therapist and patients started incorporating my rainbow crayons in their therapy sessions, and the fun shapes reinforces the tripod grip that is essential for promoting motor skills for kids and adults. A lot of my patients with sensory problems enjoy coloring with the crayons I made because of the different grooves and textures when they are holding each crayons, an experience you won’t get with regular crayons wrapped in papers, and are overjoyed with all the blended colors they get in every swipe! Families were asking if they can purchase from me and at that time, I made them as gifts after each visits or as parting gifts. That’s when I realized that this melting crayons hobby of mine could benefit a lot of people and that is how Krayonshop® started!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello! Im Liz, mom of four, veteran and veteran spouse. I am a craft enthusiast and I grew up in the Philippines. The art of melting crayons was taught to me by my late mother when I was in grade school. It started when I had a project due the next day and I left all of my art supplies at school. My mom collected all the broken pieces of crayons we had at home in the Philippines and she started melting them using a large baking mold that is a shape of a heart. The end result was amazing seeing all the fun and bright blended colors it came with and it became as one of my favorite hobbies ever since. Oh, I didn’t want to leave you hanging but I thought I’d share to you that I received an A and Outstanding in Art for that project! :)

I started selling rainbow crayons that is available in 10 different shapes in 2002 and sold them during the holiday season at local small market events. With over 300 shapes later including crayon letters to create your name, customized event and business logos in crayons, a part-time gig was turned into a full-time business in 2019. Now being stocked at thousands of boutiques and stores worldwide.

I love that I am able to create these fun crayons that can be gifted for all special occasions. Krayonshop® specializes in handcrafted rainbow crayons using non-toxic crayons and are thoughtfully designed to promote sensory learning, helps with motor skills and encourage creativity in all ages.

I am so delighted to share that our rainbow crayons have been a go-to favorite gifting items by top celebrities I worked with since starting this business and also recognized as Top Gift of Kids, Top Gift for Multicultural, Top Eco-friendly Gifts for Kids as seen in various publications over the years.

Turning a hobby to a six-figure income is amazing. However, there’s a certain level of fulfillment in me knowing that my handcrafted rainbow crayons empowers kids and adults by promoting confidence and helps them heal inside and out.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Being a full-time mom, having a full-time career and a military spouse comes with large amounts of challenges in life. Trying to balance career and parenting is already hard enough and there comes the relocation we have to go through every two or three years where I found myself submitting my resignation letter after getting promoted as a Chief of Staff in an Aerospace Engineering Firm for the same reason. I worked as a nurse previous to this career and while I find that line of work fulfilling, I wanted and needed something more. Relocating frequently certainly is stressful and you’ll find yourself having to start again each time. For those of you that are wondering how I was able to jump from Nursing field to Management, I have a degree in both Business Management and Healthcare Administration. I went to Nursing school and got my license after our third PCS, which is a military relocation and received another degree concentrating in Leadership and Project Management. Yet, after all these degrees, I still find myself unemployed every two or three years.

I realized that my problem is not the opportunity closing on me, but it is me having or needing to walk away from it. Eventually I mustered up a courage to create an opportunity for myself where I can start and build something from scratch and grow it in my own pace. Starting Krayonshop® as a small business thought me a lot and I was able to apply skills I already have. What’s great is that after starting this business, I met more people with same struggles I had and realized I was not alone. One great advise I can give as a small business owner is to not wait for an opportunity, create one. Surrounding myself with group of people with same mindset helps tremendously in growing my small business and as an individual.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

One of many amazing story about my business is how I started it and the most frequently asked question, how much did it cost me to start. Prepared to be amazed when I tell you that I started this business using $12. I bought few boxes of crayons and used the molds I already have in my home for baking (I stopped using them in baking food after using the molds with crayons), I made the packaging with the card stocks I already have in my art supplies and I used my phone and internet for marketing.

It is week from Christmas, I posted a listing on marketplace for my rainbow crayons, $12 all in, and sold worth over $200 in less than 24 hours. I spent half of what I made the same day buying more crayons and sold out again. I made over $14,000 in sales in five days that week just listing it on marketplace where we offer pick up and delivery. Fast forward to now, Krayonshop® offer wholesale, private events and online retail with six figure income. For someone that is starting a business, utilize what you already have because it is free.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://krayonshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krayonshop
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/krayonshop

Image Credits
Photos by Krayonshop® and BethannyKidPhotography