We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mallory Oliverson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mallory, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
I had the most magical childhood. I believe that a magical childhood=a creative adult. My mom gave me every chance to create and make things despite all the messes that accompanied it. She built a foundation of confidence in my creativity that I still lean on as an adult. And my Dad was a very hard working small business owner himself his entire life which 100% helped me fall in love with the idea of starting my own thing. I used to love the special dad days where he would take me into work with him, and I’d get to color on sticky notes and print receipts in his office and chat with everyone around the office. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was molding and preparing me to pursue my own dreams one day myself.
Mallory, 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?
In 2017 I was working full time but didn’t feel like I was being fulfilled creatively. I had always loved making things, but didn’t know it was possible to make a living at it. I’d done all the right things-graduated with a bachelors degree, landed a great job, and there really was no reason for me to change career paths at that point in my life. So I just dipped my toes in, and started a little shop online selling vintage and wholesale home decor on the side, and called it, “Blossom”. I’d work markets on the weekends with my husband’s help, and run the online side after work in the evenings. I loved it and fell in love with having a small business. A year later, we had our first baby, and it rocked my world! I quit my full time job to be home full time, which I also fell in love with being a mother (minus the poopy diapers and sleepless nights haha). I believe strongly in “seasons” and this was a season of life for me to focus on my babies. I let the business take a rest, and am very grateful I did. A few months after having my second, a quite voice whispered to me, “It’s time to start Blossom again” and I very quickly shut that down. Two kids was a big adjustment for me, and I didn’t see a way it could work. Time after time, the quite nudging returned, and a few months later I started my shop back up on Etsy selling 100% handmade, heirloom pieces. I was skeptical that Etsy was everything it’s cracked up a to be, but ended up being blown away just a few months in by the response we were getting on Etsy, and now a year in, I still can’t believe it all. We currently sell handmade children’s fabric crowns, custom seasonal pieces, and vintage bows. What is now “Blossom Makes” has evolved and grown so much more than I had hoped or anticipated this past year and I am so grateful. I still consider myself a stay-at-home mom, and being able to do something I love in my spare time has made me a better mom and person.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
We currently sell exclusively on Etsy. I was initially very hesitant as I honestly thought Etsy wasn’t a “serious” enough platform (boy was I wrong). But after wearing myself out doing marketing for two years with my own website, and hearing of some crazy success stories on Etsy, I took the leap! Best thing I’ve ever done. As a mom of two kids, I don’t have much time for the marketing side of things on top of all the other things that come along with keeping a small business running. Though you do pay for it in fees, it’s totally worth it in my opinion. Etsy has given me the freedom to do and make what I love+be successful at it, and took away the tricky parts for me to get done as a mom!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As a mom and small business owner, isn’t everyday a story of resilience haha? But on a more serious note, I really would say that starting and running my own business as a stay-at-home mom is my story of resilience. I only work when the kids are asleep or at preschool for the most part, which doesn’t leave a lot of time to get it all done. Bedtime is super important to me and I love spending that time with my kids, but it often goes until 8:30/9:00pm and at that point I just want to lay on the couch and watch a show, but I can’t even really think of the last time I did that! I’ve had to really push myself this last year to work harder and smarter than I ever have before.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBlossomMakes
- Instagram: @shopblossommakes
Image Credits
Vivian Ericson Photography