We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Abejon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my business back in 2011. My husband and I had just bought our first home and our two best friends were getting married within months of each other. We couldn’t really afford to give them the nice gifts we really wanted to. My husband had an old wood burning kit and I had an idea to engrave their new last names on a hanger so they could hang their wedding dress up. The hangers went over really well and my friends kept saying that I should sell them on Etsy. I figured if I could make a few extra bucks so we could see a movie here and there, it would be a fun hobby. About six months later, I quit my full time preschool teacher job.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In the beginning, everything was so new. Instagram had just started, Pinterest was starting to become popular, and no one had started engraving on wooden hangers yet. It was easy in the beginning to get orders but it was hard to keep up. We were growing at such a fast pace, I had only set this business up as a “side hustle”. I quickly experienced all the growing pains a thriving but immature business experiences. Customer service, keeping inventory, taxes, etc. I had to learn all of those very quickly and it was very stressful.

One by one I knocked those lessons down and came out on the other side with more wisdom and more humble. However, the biggest lesson that I’m still figuring out was just around the corner. Once I had my children, the biggest challenge has been that work/life balance. I am getting better at it, but everyday is a struggle.

The one thing I hope these types of articles gives the readers is the sense of impact they have on a small business’ life in so many different capacities. I am not exaggerating when I tell you how excited I get from every single order. The $15 orders to the $3000 orders, they all get me excited and my heart overflows with gratitude. We are putting so much of ourselves into these businesses, it feels so good to feel that love and support. A like, a “reshare”, or a purchase mean so much to a small business owner.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We have a huge group of friends and we all have kids so Draft Republic is a great place to go. There’s entertainment for the kids, the food and drinks are great for the prices. They are accommodating for large groups. It’s just a great place to relax and have fun with your family friends!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am so grateful to the help from my biggest cheerleader professionally and personally, my husband Drew. He has been a source of support, patience, motivation, help, and love. I can’t thank him enough.

Website: www.delovelydetails.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/delovelydetails

Twitter: www.twitter.com/delovelydetails

Facebook: www.facebook.com/delovelydetails

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