We recently connected with Manica Walker and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Manica, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

When you think of risks in starting a business, you may immediately have anxiety and find a million reasons why you can’t start. That was me and it took years for me to learn my value and see that I was gifted in the things I put my mind too. It was ten years ago when I told myself that I needed to do some type of fun hobby to keep myself busy after retiring from the Marine Corps. I didn’t need to work due to the benefits of the military, but knew I couldn’t become a couch potato. I started making baby gifts and the orders were far and in between. I was lucky to have two orders a month for the first few months. It was until a customer challenged me with making something she saw on Pinterest and I took a swing at it. I was still undercutting myself with the prices, so I gave her one heck of a great deal. It was that customer that referred me out and things started taking off like wildfire. I went from two sales a month, to two sales a week, to two to three sales a day! What surprised me was that these new customers saw my potential quicker than I did and would challenge me on designs outside of baby gifts. I then found myself designing home decor, paintings, reupholstering furniture, conducting sewing classes, teaching art classes, and even creating high end gifts for celebrities! I still can’t believe it came from taking a small risk of selling a few of my gifts I made. What I love looking back at is that once you take risks, you feel you must hold yourself accountable to proving to yourself that it was worth it. Then when you do, other risks down the road is just another rock I have to climb, not a barrier.

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?

I am originally from Asheville, NC but moved quite a bit after joining the Marine Corps in 1997. I had a 7 1/2 year break in service and used that time to work in varied positions such as a college financial aid counselor, a director of student records, a interior decorator, and artist. With those hats, I learned how to work with people. When I retired from the Marine Corps, I was diagnosed with Lupus, and autoimmune disorder that affects the immune systems by tricking it into attacking the body. Over the last 14 years of having it, I have accomplished more than before being aware I had it. Having Lupus has not slowed me down what so ever and has motivated me to help more people. After great success of making the gifts, I opened up a studio to host paint parties, classes, and craft events to help others build their own home business. The gifts had began to slow down since I was focused on teaching, but they were still very active. With the studio, Inwanted to stand out from other art studios and incorporated my experience with design into the parties that were held there by decorating the space with specialized themes. The compliments that poured in pushed me to open the studio for more than just art parties, but for all types of events. I would design the studio to their theme and each time, the studio looked like a different place. I started to lean more to the designing and event planning and slowly pulled the art classes from the studio, and offered them for home events. My designs are always top notch and with my creative and artistic side, I would create all of my props and to stand out more, I ordered event items to dress up the studio tables and chairs.

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

When Covid showed up, it shut me down and I needed people in my space to keep my business alive. I became innovative and used my skills in sewing to make hundreds of masks. I had elite and designer fabric that no one else had and created over 700 masks using all of my fabric. As well as that was, it still wasn’t supporting the cost of my studio’s fixed costs. A good friend had suggested I rent out my tables and chairs that were shush laying up against a wall but I told her I thought of that but didn’t have enough of either one to do that. That’s when I took a risk and said i needed to see if I could order more chairs and tables and see if I get any bites. The minute I posted, it took off like a race car. After three years, I’m one of the largest table and chair rental in my area and it was only a side hustle .

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have always worked hard for the things I have. I am very independent and that can be bad sometimes when you don’t ask for help and feel everything can be done by yourself. That I learned was not true. I felt I wasn’t as good as what my customers, family, and friends said I was so I worked towards a degree to learn everything I could about business. After my Associates degree, I felt empowered and actually wrote a book about my struggle to start a business with lupus and understanding how you make a difference in the world. I wasn’t finished yet. I earned my Bachelor’s degree the next year in business and finished my second book about gifts we all have, which is sold on Amazon. I can’t explain how happy I am for my strength to never quit and to keep pushing even when I thought I wasn’t good enough or felt my skills weren’t valued. I have the confidence to reach any height now and despite all the obstacles in my way, I never consider them as reasons to stop.      

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