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

Hi Stephanie, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision I have ever had to make was to leave the corporate world to start my business 10.5 years ago. I was pregnant at the time and knew that I wanted to have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom, however I knew that decision would result in the loss of a stable income. I struggled with the decision to want to be my child’s primary caregiver but also wanted to continue to financially contribute to my household. After months of debating, the answer came to me while I was crocheting a blanket – I could utilize my passion for crocheting and turn it into a business endeavor to be able to achieve both of my wants.

Initially, I was concerned I had made the incorrect decision because my start up process was slow and did not generate the income I had envisioned. I desperately missed having a regular paycheck and the peace that came with a stable income. It took months to successfully establish my business, generate a profit, and finally feel confident in the decision I made to become a small business owner and stay-at-home mom.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The aspect of my crochet business that I am the most proud of is how I have grown and developed my product line since the beginning. Initially, my focus was solely on basic baby hats and photography sets which included a little gentleman set and a mermaid set. Eventually, I moved in to blankets and other clothing sizes for toddlers and children. The first major non-baby addition to my product line occurred approximately 5 years ago when I was inspired to begin making dog hats which included winter hats, Christmas hats, and Halloween costume hats. Within the last year, I have expanded my product line to include women’s fashion and Christmas items. My most recent addition is a variety of toys and stuffed plushies which include monsters, dinosaurs, and reusable water balloons. In the near future, I will also be adding men’s items to my product line.

The growth and development of my product line has been the most exciting and rewarding aspect of my business because it provides the opportunity to reach a larger customer base and increase sales. While the financial aspect of my product line growth is great, my favorite part of the growth is that it provides me with additional opportunities to be creative and continuously make a variety of different options. I am able to work on a different type of item each day which keeps my work from being redundant. This additional opportunity to be creative inspires me to see inspiration from everyday items and be creative, which makes my artistic soul happy.

While the growth of my product line has been wonderful on many levels, it has not always been great. I’ve experienced many disappointments when new items I was confident in weren’t successful or when I haven’t been able to turn an idea I had into a physical item that looks how I envisioned it. I have had to learn how to effectively handle these types of disappointments to prevent them from derailing my motivation as a small business owner and artist. I’ve learned to give myself grace when my ideas haven’t been successful and be willing to try different approaches to achieve my desired goals.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would love to be able to provide an incredible answer for this question, however I am a major homebody! I love to spend time at home with my husband, kids, and dog so my friend would have to be ready for a lot of home activities with a few meals at local restaurants and possibly a weekend market or local festival.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My biggest shoutout goes to my Grandma who taught me to crochet as a child – without her patience and her gentle teaching style, I would have not had the opportunity to develop my passion and turn it into a business endeavor. Each time I pick up a hook, I remember her and the times we spent together crocheting over the years.

My husband and children also deserve a huge shoutout – they have all been incredibly supportive of my business, provide inspiration for new ideas, and are my source of strength and determination to continue to grow my business. They never complain about the yarn and crochet products that are throughout the house, are willing to always provide feedback when I need another’s perspective, and are always encouraging when I present them with new product or business growth ideas.

Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/justforbabywithlove

Instagram: @justforbabywithlove

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustForBabyWithLove/

Image Credits
All product pictures were taken by myself