From Home Biz to Bustling LLC

Erin Geiger: 0:02

Welcome to the Small Business big mindset Podcast, where we dive into tactical strategies to grow your business. And to make an impact on this world. A huge part of success is keeping your mindset and vision on track. So this is a major part of our process. And this podcast. Let's do this. Hey, Erin here. Welcome to the mall Business big mindset odcast this week, we have Angie lark, owner of crafted angles. elcome, Angie.

Unknown: 0:34

Thank you so much, Erin. Thank you for having me.

Erin Geiger: 0:37

I am so excited to have you here. So I was just telling Angie like I feel like I know her like we're like online friends. We follow each other. So I just love it when people that I get to know online and we're in similar circles, we actually get to connect through this podcast. It's awesome. Okay, Angie, let's just dive right into it. Can you give us a little bit about yourself, your background and how you got started with what you're doing today?

Unknown: 1:06

Yeah, so I I started making t shirt quilts. Shortly after my brother passed away. And all along I've been sewing so i right out of college, there happened to be a fabric shop right by where I worked. And so I went in there I was like I'm gonna make my first quilt. Well, I know I was actually going to become an avid quilter. From there I went to just, I became a really active in my local quilt guilds and different things. And then my brother passed away and I was like, I guess my quilt or I should try this quilt. And of course, I never actually finished it until about a year ago. Now, fast forward 12 years later, I'm still quilting a lot. And I am now doing t shirt quilts full time. And just this past year, I became I stepped it up from being a hobby business to doing it full time so I was able to I actually back it up. My daughter was born three months early. And it was just a really, really trying time in our life. And I didn't feel comfortable putting her into daycare, and little Do we know Coronavirus is going to be coming about and everything else. And so it actually worked out as a huge blessing that all long I've been quilting and then now I'm able to make these quilts as a full time company now so this past year I became an LLC and I've been following your podcast avidly just because it's that true. Start and scale a business and that's what my goal is, is to really scale this up.

Erin Geiger: 2:47

That's incredible. Angie, I'm sorry to hear about your brother did is that what kind of inspired you to start making these t shirts

Unknown: 2:56

that inspired me to make the T shirt quilts itself? I've been quilting for a while. Yes, no, but definitely I we had all of his clothes and we didn't know what to do with it. So it's been really neat because the people I mean I celebrate life milestones. So whether someone's graduating from high school or they went on a million trips, and they have all their souvenir souvenirs and everything, people also to like, they accumulate like I don't know, if your kids play all the soccer, sports, everything they just accumulate so it's a way that you can actually upcycle these treasures. It's almost like a scrapbook you can hug right?

Erin Geiger: 3:36

So with that you can hug That's awesome.

Unknown: 3:39

Yes, and, and then also to you celebrate one's life too. And so you have people that have passed away that you want to honor and like hold on to their clothing, or even get a virtual hug from them and so it's just a way that you can really it's just such a wonderful product. So yes, it started off just quilting and then it just went into something so niched. That it's been it's true like people ask me Do you do other type of quilts and it's I full time doing t shirt quilts

Erin Geiger: 4:13

wow you know it's funny as we were speaking I was just like, Oh my gosh, like I so I do. I'll do like races here and there across competitions, that sort of thing. And you know, you get your free t shirt like if you finish the Spartan Race or you know, whatever. And so currently I have a few that I wear for as jammies you know, but I was like some of them I just like, I just give them away, give them away I donate them you know, cuz I'm like, how many of these event t shirts can I possibly have? Now I'm like, I'm gonna start keeping them to you if you accept deliveries.

Unknown: 4:47

No, I actually used to be pretty much all local, and now it's expanding to where I'm doing a ton of shipping. So I'm shipping across the US, these amazing quilts that people ship them to me I ship them back. And it's been just you what you thought was just gonna be like more of a local thing has turned being so much bigger.

Erin Geiger: 5:08

I know that's great. And it's like my older son is in the high school band and they have like, show shirts like, oh, now I'm like, Oh my gosh, I have all these things. So I'm like, audience people listening, there's so many ways you can use these skills. It's pretty incredible. So okay, so you started. Now did did you start in Tai, like before COVID hit or, you know, I'm just curious how it impacted.

Unknown: 5:32

Um, so I, oh, my goodness. So I, I've been doing these t shirt quilts on the regular for years. But it's it was just always hobby based. And then my daughter was born in September of 2019. And she was born three months early. At that point, I was working, like a full time corporate job. And I, I went down to halftime, like I went to part time work after she came home from the hospital. And then COVID hit, and I was like, I can't, I can't even put her into daycare, like I just, it just was not the right timing for us. And in her situation, it was just a scary time. And so yes, it was, it was crazy, we need to have all that going on with my two older boys. And then her being at that point six months. And I took a whole different spin, right? Like this is going to be now a full time job. So I was doing it as a hobby. And now it's been scaled up to a full business. It's been an adventure, I'd say just switching that out. And actually just turning off the whole corporate mindset concept of like where you had to be in, like, oh, what's my outlook directed me to do that day, it's been an adjustment to to be my own part, like my own boss, and working through doing the managing my own time finishing up these quilts. And I can definitely say I've used a lot of the skills from the corporate world into this, but it's been a great opportunity.

Erin Geiger: 7:16

How, let's talk about that for a little bit. I think a lot of us that have run our businesses fall into that, especially when you're doing it from home, you know, because you're like, Oh, well, this needs to be done in the dishwasher. And then the kid has a question or you know, whatever. And so it's like, how do you manage that? How do you get yourself time?

Unknown: 7:34

I don't get all the stuff done. I think I've come to give myself a lot of grace, right? My thing, my biggest thing is I set out the day doing like three things. So I just set up being like, these are my top three things, even if they're like tiny things, like, I just need to get to the post office box, like that's it. So I literally I set up my day to just do three things. And then from there, if I finished them, I could do extra stuff. But as long as I finish those three things, I'm thrilled. So it's great.

Erin Geiger: 8:05

Yeah, no, I love that. Because if if you make these longer, less, you wake up overwhelmed. And then you go to bed feeling like a failure, right? Because you didn't get you know, even if you got four of the 15 done, it's like, well, I got four, you know, and so, right, the same thing as like the smaller lists. That's a little more productive, I think. Okay, so as you've been, you know, besides, you know, like most of our audiences are fellow entrepreneurs. And so what is like a tool or a process that has changed your business for the better, you know, you're just like, Oh, this, this works to help XYZ?

Unknown: 8:39

Yes, definitely. Oh, my God is so you introduce me to calendly Alan Hurley. I'm hoping. Yeah. And so I, I do install a lot of local business as well. And I, during COVID, it was great. It was a drop off your shirts anytime because we're always home. And now that we I mean, it's, it's like a juggling act right now with all the sports schedules and school and all the different activities that I can't commit to myself to be at home all the time, obviously. So now I just have people schedule a drop off. And it's so much easier because I used to be like, well, I'm home on Mondays and Wednesdays. And then now it's like, okay, here's my calendar, I don't have to worry, I just block out when I when I want people to show up at my door, or whatnot. So it's been just a huge help with that. So if you don't know that app, it's by calendar scheduling app. So you can send someone a link, and they can block off a particular time that works for them. And then you're not coordinating different schedules. It's just they sign up for when they want to drop off, and that's been a huge game changer.

Erin Geiger: 9:57

Yeah, that's a great I mean, it just cuts out all the back and forth. Cuz you're like, here's my schedule, pick a spot. You know, it's not like How about this? Oh, well I have that Well, how about this time? You know, it's like that none of that we don't have to

Unknown: 10:07

know it's been, it's been a huge game changer in that row.

Erin Geiger: 10:11

Um, so what have you learned? Like, as you're, you know, cuz you're, you said, You're now a full fledged business, you're an LLC, you're doing this full time. So what has happened in the past year that you're like, oh, that was a lesson, okay, you know, just kind of like a learning or an insight you want to share?

Unknown: 10:28

Oh, my goodness, there's so many right? Every day, I feel like I'm in a in a big learning curve. And I think in my, my particular area, and I think it could apply to other areas. But sometimes quotes are super easy, and some are very complicated. And if they just drop them off, and you're like, Oh, yeah, I could definitely get that done. No big deal, I'll have it set in my custom my step standard rate. And I think that'd be one of the things is trying to figure out for me as to where you want to go in that custom realm. So if somebody, if you have a set standard price of something, if be willing to figure out how to make it custom, if somebody wants a lot more. So it doesn't necessarily have to apply just to quality, but just in general of whatever product you have, if you have a standard product, great. But if you don't figure out a way to sit there and come up with a price sheet that's worse for everyone. including you. Yes.

Erin Geiger: 11:26

Right. Now that's true. Yeah. Because even, you know, for stuff that I do, people ask like, Oh, well, what can you do this, this and this, you know, on top of it, and so it's just like, oh, I've never even thought about that, you know, and so you got to, like, come up with these packages. But Exactly. And that, that totally makes sense. What, so you're obviously handing handling a lot. By the way, your kids are adorable. I love looking at their pictures when you post them.

Unknown: 11:50

Yes, they definitely oh my gosh, they're my life. It's wonderful.

Erin Geiger: 11:54

They're I love I love your family. So you're handling your family, you have your own business, your own company. So what helps you stay sane or as much as we can, right? So like, what kind of daily weekly, whatever routines kind of help you have business and personal success you think?

Unknown: 12:14

Ooh, okay, so I don't even think this is the right time to be asking me right now because I'm doing a full out, we're doing a three room switcheroo in our house right now. So yes, it looks like a like a disaster zone right now, but that's okay. Like I see the Indic coming, but I would definitely say um, I have an order if you've ever worked with the the tool called Trello and it has been great you actually can come up with it's a Kanban board where you can identify different tasks and you can move them from one board to the other and hopefully, in the real realm of what agile would be would be you'd start off with a project that you have to do and then it would be doing and then done and you want to move everything to complete right. So I have a bulletin board in my office. So it's kind of set up in that Trello realm but it's more physical and it has helped me just keep track of my own work projects and then turn around I have a I have my online Trello on my on my phone that I'm like constantly going through with my to do list and it's been so helpful as well. So that's I think the only thing that's keeping me sane right now, I mean, I don't even know if that is a truth there because it seems like insanity a lot of times but I'd say definitely coming up with that. That Trello incorporating that Trello concept into my life has been great.

Erin Geiger: 13:38

Now that's great. Yeah, I use Trello for another project and I never thought about bringing it into the real world as oh yeah that's a good idea.

Unknown: 13:49

Yeah, so the physical board it doesn't go with you so when you're when you're not physically in your office that doesn't go with you But yeah, so the the online versions great for just all the basic stuff, but the real having my bulletin board just keeping focused has been great.

Erin Geiger: 14:04

Now that's awesome. And I knew someone that used to do like she would make a vision board and but she would make one small enough so that she could carry it with her like room to room so she always Wow. I never I was like oh, I never thought about doing that. That's awesome. So what so as we look forward, what what goals and vision do you have for your business?

Unknown: 14:30

Yes, I'm so I'm I'm almost at the point where I'm at max capacity. So be to actually figure out how to bring extra people in to help me. So it's been truly me doing everything. And it's really hard to do everything right as as you grow and scale. So it would be to bring on additional help or outsource different things. So for instance, like I'm just even embarrassed to tell you I've been part of your email ally to send out email templates, but I haven't even had to Time to send out those emails. So to outsource a lot of that items, so we'll be talking.

Erin Geiger: 15:05

Yeah. Yeah, and that's, that's pretty great of you too, because I think that's one of the hardest things to do is to delegate or to hire help, you know, because you feel like, you just do it yourself. So you know, it's just, that's the quickest, best way it's gonna get done. But then it doesn't get done. Right, and you're just kind of like stuck. But you're, it's, it's fear, right? Like, well, I can't hand that over to somebody else. And so, but you can't scale a business that way, if you stay, you know, the status quo.

Unknown: 15:37

And even so, like, I feel like I can't hand it to someone else, because I need to make that money aspect of it. But sometimes you have to spend the money to make the money too. So it's a kind of finding that balance.

Erin Geiger: 15:47

Yeah, exactly. You just kind of have the pinpoint. And you did it, you're doing it the smart way as well to where you are doing everything. So you're, you're well versed in the different areas of your business so that when you do hand it off, you know what it takes, you know what it needs to get done. You know, instead of like blindly being like, Oh, I need someone for this. I don't know how it works. But hopefully they do it. Right.

Unknown: 16:06

Yeah. And you're going back to your previous question with like, just different lessons learned. So earlier this year, I set up my Shopify account, and I think I oh my gosh, I mean, Shopify, actually, it's really easy to get it set up and everything, but boy, did I watch so many videos, and sometimes it would have been easier to be like here, can you just go make this website? They gehrman. So it is trying to figure out where to best utilize your time.

Erin Geiger: 16:32

Yeah, and that's a good point to like, when people are like, well, I don't know how and I'm just like, well, to be brutally honest, and you're being lazy because all the information is there, you know, like, online, you just like Search it up, and you can find at least the foundational information to learn how to do pretty much everything in this world. So yeah, so it's great that you took it upon yourself like a long time to figure it out, you know, and then obviously, as you grow, then you can lock that over to someone else. Yes, dating your website. Um, okay, so where can people find you online?

Unknown: 17:07

So, Instagram crafted angles, I had to have a Facebook page that's also crafted angles. And then but my website's crafted angles calm. So the funny part about my entire name, it was I was coming up with the name for my company that was using my initials. So which are ANC? And I just couldn't come up with any good names. So then I was like, Well, I haven't started CNA so I came up with crafted angles, because it's kind of like quilting. You're using a lot of angles. Most of them are 90 degrees for what I do, but I do do a lot of different angles. And I I can't tell you how many people think it's crafted angels. So it's so funny. Yes, so it's not angels but angles. So if you can't find me with Angel angels, but you definitely try crafted angles.

Erin Geiger: 18:02

How do you how do you get your clientele like what's the what are the tools that you use to get whether they're local or not? Like what's what works for you most?

Unknown: 18:12

It has been truly word of mouth right now. And it's keeping me 100% as busy right now. So it definitely has been word of mouth I did locally. A few different craft fairs which it's not really like a moneymaker because people don't really come to craft fairs with their pile of clothes. For me to make into a T shirt well, but um, it was great to see so they came or I had a few people that started off and it's just been has been branching out and it's been oh you made so and so's quilt you made stones as well. And then just so happens that now a lot of those people have friends in different areas. And it's been a lot of mailing these people's their quotes and stuff like that. So it's been it's been just a whirlwind of, of just word of mouth. Sounds really,

Erin Geiger: 19:07

really great. Yeah, no,

Unknown: 19:08

I haven't done much on the online side of things at all. So that's another area of opportunity that I want to work on was scaling to.

Erin Geiger: 19:16

Now that's really great. And so you do like different sizes of quilts like people will ship you like if they only have like a few t shirt, you know, like how

Unknown: 19:25

much they give me Yeah, so I definitely work with what they give me. And then I have different and it kind of ties back into I have my set price sheet. So it's about $300 for a five foot by five foot. So I call the cuddler. And so I nicknamed what my different sizings was we I want a little bit longer called the twin just because it can fit on a twin size bed and then I have a smaller guy like about three foot by three foot that's $150 and it's the keepsake so it's been Yeah, it's been different. Only But people have gravitated towards these different names and they just come to me and be like, Oh, I need the cuddler. And I have a certain range of shirts that I need for that based on whether it's baby clothes or adult size clothes. And it's been. It's been working out really well.

Erin Geiger: 20:17

That's awesome. You just, I mean, you bring such a light to people's lives with this business, though. I love it. So at the, at the end of each podcast, we ask a question, which you probably already know, but we asked people, because we love music over here, so I know you're gonna ask. So I know it's like, not a surprise to you. So if you could listen to any music artists for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Unknown: 20:45

Definitely Coldplay?

Erin Geiger: 20:47

Oh, I don't think we've had Coldplay yet. That's cool. Yeah, that's awesome. Is there do you like more early Coldplay? Or more recent called player dissolvable? Boy,

Unknown: 20:56

I'm waiting for them to come back in concert. And yeah, I'm definitely probably like, a couple year old, Coldplay. their new album I wasn't or their new couple songs. I wasn't as thrilled. But definitely I like, like, when they are suing and like paradise and all this good.

Erin Geiger: 21:17

stuff. Awesome. So we'll add it because we made a playlist on Spotify. So it's a small business, big mindset playlist. And we put everybody's like a sampling of everybody's artists on that playlist. So we'll add Coldplay on there. Oh, awesome. I love it. Awesome. Well, Angie, thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it.

Unknown: 21:37

Thank you so much. And definitely maybe when you have me on Next, I'll be a lot bigger and I'll have people working

Erin Geiger: 21:44

with me. Yes, let's do that's awesome. Thanks, everybody, for tuning in. And we will see you next week.

Unknown: 21:51

All right. Thank you.

Erin Geiger: 21:53

Thanks for tuning in to the Small Business big mindset podcast. To keep the fun going. Check out our Facebook group start and scaling online business For even more free trainings and resources from fellow entrepreneurs. If you haven't already, head on over to Muscle Creative calm and click subscribe to join our email list for weekly updates. And if you've enjoyed this podcast episode, check us out on your favorite podcast platform to follow us and give us a review. As always be authentic. bring an insane amount of value and keep crushing it