We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Baldwin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made?

In the creative sticker and planning business, it is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. It falls right in line with the adage of that people only show you what they want to show you on social media. This community is the same and when you are wanting to sell items, you look at what others are selling. While one could theoretically strike gold there, it wastes a lot of time and money but it also teaches you so much! Some people have a clear vision and know right where to go when they jump into this endeavor and some of us stumble along. I’ve made my fair share of good and bad investments but each one has taught me something different. The biggest takeaway is that a good investment doesn’t need to take a whole lot of time or money.

That is the number one thing I try to remember. Back in 2018, my business was about 2 years old. I hadn’t made any real traction. I was busy with young kids, homeschooling, a husband who was in another state for military obligations…needless to say my time to devote to my business was limited. Same with the resources and money. But somewhere deep down I knew that I had something to give and that I just needed to keep trying.

Then it struck me. I was thinking too much like others and not what had always worked for me. I’m not new to the planning world. I’ve had a planner for as long as I can remember. My mother worked for Franklin Quest (now known as Franklin Covey) and I remember her bringing me home different planners all the time. It made me feel important and that my schedule was important. So as my schedule got busier I implemented in something basic – color coding. I color coded everything! Science class, math class, dance classes, softball practice, chores; you name it and I color coded it!

So in the midst of the craziest time of my life and wanting to really plan with stickers I implemented a color coding system. It took a little time to figure out but I landed on a color for each member of my family. From there I decided on my favorite stickers to use and came up with an idea that each month the colors would change but the stickers would stay the same. I wouldn’t need to figure out how to implement new stickers into my planner, I could just change the colors. I poured my heart and soul into it and launched it as a subscription in July 2018 and it is still going strong today! It was not only a lifesaver for me, it was for others a well. Something so simple that worked within my limited budget and required very little time in the grand scheme of it all became just what my business needed.

Amanda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey there! I’m Amanda, the owner of Avalon and Ninth. A little about me – I am a United States Navy Veteran, Wife, Mother, and a lover of planners and stickers and all things stationery! I started this business after we had moved from Idaho to Texas many moons ago. My husband is also a Navy Veteran (it’s how we met!) and the moves we would make every few years were always something that I had to keep in mind for when I wanted to work. I am a busy body. I have been since I was born. I am always doing something so once my youngest was a little more self sufficient (a.k.a sleeping through the night) I knew it was my time to strike!

Armed with one computer, a hobby cutter, and a printer, in the corner of my bedroom, I set out to create something for me and if I made a little money on the side, even better. I was already purchasing stickers and planners from other people but didn’t always find exactly what I needed. So if I couldn’t find it, chances are others couldn’t either!

I stumbled along the first couple of years not knowing where I really belonged. I liked everything and that was part of the problem. It wasn’t until I honed in on being functional and specific to my needs that it all fell into place. As a purveyor and creator of items that are considered hobby/want purchases, but also knowing how planning can change a person’s life, I made sure to stick to my roots that we need to always have options that are budget friendly. I have been in your shoes where you know that planning will help you achieve your goals but that you don’t have an excess of money to spend. I also know that if you love something or in our case make it cute and colorful, you are more likely to follow through with the task at hand.

Knowing this brings it to us offering stickers and planners that you can use in a host of ways. Need function and boxes to keep you on the straight and narrow? We got you covered with our lined planners and functional line of stickers. Love to memory keep and tell a story in your planner? We got you covered with our bright and bold colors and patterns and art. Need minimalism or sarcastic, real life stickers? We’ve got your six on that with some washi and our character stickers. We aim to keep 3 things in mind: budget friendly options, high quality products, and great customer service.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I never dreamed that this endeavor would become a full time career. It all started from the corner of my bedroom with one computer, printer, and hobby cutter. I think I only had 100 sheets of sticker paper at the time and I thought that was a lot! Within 6 months of starting I knew it had to move to a place where I could control who came in and out. Little kids love to grab on to everything. We moved shortly thereafter and found a house that had a bigger nook area in our bedroom. It was easy to control the movement in and out and this really fostered the ability to expand. I went from one cutter to three then to five within a year. 2019 started to be the year I had to give a lot more time and energy to the business. It was no longer something I could do in the evening times or when the kids were asleep. As any business owner knows, when growth starts to happen, you adapt and that’s what I did!

By the end of 2019 I was in the business full time and had graduated to having 10 cutting machines, multiple printers, computers, and so much paper everywhere!. The joys about being a business owner is you get to make your own schedule and boy was that a blessing! I was able to work the hours I needed and wanted to and still got to stay at home with the kids. Then the pandemic hit in 2020. I was prepared for business to take a nosedive. It did the opposite! If I thought I was busy before, life revolved around that little nook in the bedroom. Before long stuff was flowing out of that nook and we knew this was getting real! In 2021, my husband joined on in his spare time to help and by 2022 he was working full time along side of me. All of our kids have also joined in on this. It has truly become a family business!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what has helped me build my reputation comes down to honesty and integrity. As my husband and I tell our kids, “mean what you say and say what you mean.” I keep that in mind with all of my customers. I’m not going to tell them one thing and deliver something else. My integrity and honesty is important and I would like to think that my customers can see that. I also believe in being respectful. Each person who contacts me will get the same service. It is one of the easiest things I can do to show that I am thankful for them spending their money with me. We also are very transparent. And I think that goes along with honesty. If I mess up, I own it. I won’t try to make excuses or not answer for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: shopavalonandninth.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/avalonandninth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AV9Squad
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AvalonandNinth