For Emily Odio-Sutton, what began as a casual side hustle in December 2022 during her downtime turned into a game-changing entrepreneurial journey. Balancing the demands of a remote job and raising two young children, she stumbled upon a business model that transformed her life. By 2024, her venture – Etsy had generated over $236,000 (nearly Rs 2 crore) in revenue.
Secret to the success of this 36-year-old Florida Woman? A perfect mix of research, timing, and a unique print-on-demand approach that captured the market with personalized gifts tailored to niche jobs and hobbies.
The Drive for Flexibility
Odio-Sutton’s journey started with the desire for more control over her time. She struggled to manage her work and family responsibilities. As a full-time Operations manager at a children’s book publishing company would prevent picking up her daughter from kindergarten. “I couldn’t leave my 9-to-5 in the middle of the day for school pickups or gymnastics practices,” she explained to CNBC Make It.
This challenge led her to explore print-on-demand where Etsy-friendly products like T-shirts and candles are designed using Canva software. Then a manufacturer called Printify prints the design onto the product and ships it when ordered.
Finding Her Niche
Odio-Sutton stood out by spotting and capitalizing on niche trends. Using tools like Google and ChatGPT for brainstorming and Canva for design creation, she developed unique products that resonated with customers. Her efforts paid off, with peak months bringing in as much as $54,900 (Rs 46.32 lakh), and about a third of that as profit.
She didn’t stop at one shop. Diversifying her income, she opened a second Etsy store selling downloadable event templates and took on Pinterest account management for other businesses. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t putting all my eggs in one basket,” she shared. This diversified strategy enabled her to pay off student loans, fund family trips, and save for her daughters’ futures.
Staying Balanced
Despite her success, Odio-Sutton stays grounded, balancing spending between “fun and responsible” expenses. “It’s about balancing the fun things, like vacations, with the important things, like student loans,” she said. Prioritizing family time remains key for her. “My goal has always been to live on my schedule,” she noted, highlighting how her side business lets her pick up her daughter from the bus stop and attend practices.
A Model for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
While watching The Real Housewives TV Show, Emily started her Etsy hustle. She stumbled upon YouTube videos explaining a business model where sellers create designs to list on platforms like Etsy or Amazon. When a customer buys a product, a third-party manufacturer prints and ships the design directly to the buyer.
Emily Odio-Sutton explained, “It’s low risk, and you can really experiment, learn, and take your time. By low-risk, I mean you can start a business for under $40 (roughly Rs 3000). Canva Pro costs $10 (around Rs 800) a month, Etsy charges a $15 (approximately Rs 1200) fee to open a shop, and you can access research tools like eRank for $6 (about Rs 500) a month. The main risk is time since you’ll need to invest time in learning the ropes and building your shop before you start making money.”
Initially, her attempts didn’t succeed. She tried selling Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day-themed T-shirts, only to find that Etsy was already flooded with similar designs. However, when she shifted her focus to selling gift items like candles, and journals, her business began to gain traction.
Challenges
Her journey faced challenges too. Initially, her designs weren’t distinctive, but shifting to personalized items like custom candles and journals boosted her sales. By October, she was earning $5,000 (Rs 4.22 lakh) in profit, matching her full-time salary.
While she has scaled back her publishing job to part-time, Odio-Sutton isn’t ready to leave it completely. “I’d consider going full-time with my business, but only if I could still be there for my daughters as much as possible,” she said.
