The Mamalode Starter Series is an exciting opportunity for us to introduce you to some of the amazing people we get to meet. Starting something takes enormous amounts of work, faith, help and community. Every week we'll share another story of starting. So, community of Mamalode, read up, get inspired and check out these wonder-folk.

Tell us a little bit about your business and how you started it.

Farmgirl Paints is an occasional Etsy shop, which means we're only open  5-10 days, six months a year. We make custom, hand stamped cuffs from upcycled belts. I also love to paint! I've always been a lover of words, so a few years ago I went to a metal stamping class by myself. I was wanting to learn something new and that sounded fun and interesting. I took the class and came home with a few supplies.  I thought it would be cool to see the words on my wrist, so I set out learning how to make a cuff. I combined the cuffing with the metal stamping and voila!  At first I just made them for myself and before long my friends and family were wanting them. I listed them in my Etsy shop and it just gradually started to grow.

What do your kids think about your job?

Today is probably a bad day to ask me that! For the most part I think they love that I work from home, that I get to use my creative gifts to make things, and to serve others.  But I'm on the homestretch of our latest opening and mommy was a little stressed last night. The business has grown so much. I'm so very grateful, but there are growing pains. My oldest said to me last night, “I don't want to work when I get older”. Oh crud! There's good and bad to having it all play out right in front of them. They see the blood, sweat and tears. They see the time commitment. They see it all. It's educational and frightening all at once.

Tell us about a total mom + biz fail.

This kind of goes along with the previous question. I try so hard to separate the two things. When I'm in my studio, my “work hat” is on. When they come home from school I try to look up from what I'm doing and “mom hat” goes on. Juggling both things can be difficult. I don't have a car ride home from work to process my day, so there are times in the evening when my eyes are staring straight ahead and my mind is not on what they are saying. I'm still hammering away. I'm still answering customer questions. Trying to reign my thoughts back in and be present when I'm with them is a constant challenge. I wish it wasn't, but it is.

Share with us a total win (brag away!)

I'm humbled by this thing God has plopped in my lap. It's been really hard work, but His favor is on this business. The cuffs are not just beautiful pieces of jewelry, they carry meaning. A lot of them are faith based. They make the perfect gift. They carry people through hard times. They are designed by the people who wear them and that makes them much more special. 

A year ago God more or less told me to take the shop from open every day, to open when it works for me. I was scared silly to do that. What if they forget me? What if they just go somewhere else? I'm only open an average of 40 days a year, but the growth is astounding. With every opening our sales almost double. DOUBLE! It's overwhelming. The win is in obedience. Listen and obey. Trust that voice. Let Him lead and guide your business. Every next step comes right before I think I might drown.  For the longest time I didn't want to hire helpers. Then I had a dream and heard that whisper…”let it go, watch it grow”. Right there I felt that tight grasp of control slip from me, and as hard as letting go is it's truly the only way to see what can really happen.

What's your relationship with Mamalode?

I'm new to you, but so glad to be a part of this space. Thank you for honoring me with these questions. It's a privilege to share here.