Some entrepreneurs find their niche by helping others unleash the creativity that they have in the interior. Anne-Marie Faiola understands the importance of creativity more than any other. Former Correctional Officer, Faiola has turned to her soap making hobby to cope with the stress of her daily work. And now, she helps other people take advantage of their own creativity in a similar way through her company Bramble Berry Handcraft Provisions.
Faiola recently spoke with Ramon Ray of Small Business Trends in the latest episode of our exclusive Smart Hustle Report series. In the interview, she talked about her favorite creative outlet and how she helps others through her work with Bramble Berry.
"Our main goal is to be a partner with you in your creative journey," says Faiola. "I really think that creativity is essential and I think everyone has a bit of cooking in themselves, whether they know it or not, because there's something really rewarding to do with them." useful things. "
History of Creative Business Success
Currently, Bramble Berry has approximately 80,000 annual customers and 95 employees. But when Faiola began to take her first steps, making soap was only a hobby that she did nights and weekends to relieve the stress of her work. correctional officer.
She explained, "Everyone's story was so deeply sad and so painful that I went home every night and found that comfort in this creative take, again, things deeply useful. "
During the interview, Faiola shared some tips and ideas on her own journey that could help other entrepreneurs take advantage of their creativity and build successful businesses. LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE SHOW HERE
Here are some ideas from Faiola:
Look for the moment of light bulb
Because Faiola loved soap making so much, she quickly realized that she had more than she could ever use alone. So she went to a craft show and ended up selling soap and toiletries worth $ 1,500.
She said, "It's at that point that the type of light went off in my head and I thought," Hey, wait. I could do it for a living and, more importantly, I could teach other people to do that for a living. ""
Do not romanticize the ownership of a business
While Faiola is grateful for her trip, she warns other entrepreneurs against the exclusion of all the hard work and struggle that goes on behind the scenes of all successful businesses.
Faiola said, "A really important tip for entrepreneurs is that quitting one's day job is not always the solution. It's so romantic to be like, "Oh my God, I'm going to quit my job, and I'm going to be an entrepreneur and it's going to be wonderful and the birds are going to sing and no more disgusting bosses for me." "The reality … is that being an entrepreneur is harder than it looks and that customers do not always come right away."
Building a business nights and weekends
Although Faiola left her own job to build her creative business, she says keeping a day job while building a business is actually a very viable option for most entrepreneurs.
She said, "Doing one's job, one's agitation, one's passion project in the nights, evenings and weekends is a great way to build your business while you have the security of a job. during the day. The average American looks at four or five hours of television a day. It's enough time to start a part-time business. "