Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Rector.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Danielle. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
It all started in September, 2015 when I finally decided to open an etsy shop and take it seriously. I had opened a couple different etsy shops in the past but I didn’t do my due diligence researching the market and finding my niche. For as long as I can remember I have been a maker. I am truly happiest when I am creating something. I love the idea of being my own boss and ENJOYING what I do while being able to support my family at the same time.
As soon as a I launched Rustic Home By Design, I began receiving orders pretty quickly but due to wedding planning and other life obligations in 2016 I put my shop on hold for most of 2016. When I re-opened Rustic Home By Design in September 2016 I had a new mission: to create and sell items that I want in my own home and to do so at an affordable price point without sacrificing quality. The response was OVERWHELMING! Orders began coming in quicker than I ever imagined!
We quickly realized that working on our dining room table was not going to cut it. With my wonderful husband’s help and support we converted our spare bedroom into my work space. And our little business began to grow. I am currently a one-woman shop, and as of 9/1/17 I left my full-time day job to run Rustic Home By Design full time!! My husband Eric who is my amazing business partner cuts and stains the wood for my signs as well as handles all of the shipping and logistics of the business.
We are both continuously amazed by the overwhelming response we have received and continue to receive from our customers and community. Running this business has allowed me to realize my lifelong dream of turning something I LOVE to do into something that supports myself and my family. I have big plans to continue the expansion and growth of this little business. I would LOVE to have a brick and mortar store in the next 5 years.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge I was facing before I quit my full-time job earlier this year was finding time to devote to my business. There just were not enough hours in the day. One of the challenges I am dealing with now is finding a way to have more of a local presence as our business model is almost completely online. I would love to get into some local vendor events and/or farmer’s markets in 2018.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Rustic Home By Design – what should we know?
Rustic Home By Design is my baby. I grew up in the Midwest (Lafayette, Indiana) and I have always had a love for vintage things. My mother has always had a love for antiques and decorating and I think I caught that bug from her early on. My business was born out of my desire to bring old and new together in a design aspect.
In a nutshell, I create pillows and décor items that I want in my own home and really couldn’t find anywhere else. When I would make these things for myself and friends and family started asking me to make them for them…I knew I was on to something. I have always been an artistically inclined person, I am the kind of person who will see something in a store and think “I like that, but I wish it was like this instead…” then I go home and make it…for a long time (up until a couple years ago) I honestly thought everyone thought this way. It wasn’t until I started getting requests to make pillow covers and signs for people that I realized there are a lot of people who rather just pay for a finished product than make it themselves. And that is how Rustic Home By Design was born.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think my creativity and stubbornness are my two best qualities. I am very competitive (ask anyone who knows me!) and as soon as someone says “you can’t do that” or “that will never work” I am instantly motivated to prove them wrong. I had a lot of people tell me that quitting my full-time job with a salary and benefits was a huge mistake…so I quit my job. I had a lot of people say “you can’t live off of an etsy shop” so, I am living off of an etsy shop! I am determined to make this work and to be one of the few people that enjoys what they do for a living. If the worst happens and Rustic Home By Design does not work out for the long haul, I will come up with something else. I am always coming up with new ideas and enjoy problem solving and coming up with different ways of looking at things. I feel that these characteristics have gotten me to where I am and will continue to guide me on my entrepreneurial path!
Pricing:
- 16×16 pillow covers start at $20.99
- 18×18 pillow covers start at $25.99
- 20×20 pillow covers start at $30.99
- 24×24 pillow covers start at $40.00
- wooden signs start at $10.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rustichomebydesign.com
- Email: rustichomebydesign@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rustichomebydesign
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rustichomebydesign
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/rustichomebydesign
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