Name: Christy Jo Hodge
Business Name: Prairie Paper Co.
Founded: July 2011
Website URL: www.prairiepaperco.com
Social Media Links: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrairiePaperCo
Twitter @prairiepaperco
Tell Us a Little About YOU!! I love designing! It has been a passion of mine for quite some time, I finally decided to follow my dreams and open my business online with hopes to grow later down the road. I recently heard that the best adventure to take is the one you have in front of you right now, that is what I am doing right now.
Tell us a bit about you and your family. I just recently got engaged!!! We are planning our wedding and looking forward to what God has to offer for our future. We have so much in common! He is a Rancher so if I am not behind the computer we are both usually out at the Ranch. We have 5 dogs between the two of us that we both brought into the relationship, so even though I do not have any children yet…I kind of consider myself a WAHM, especially since one of them is a Yorkie! He demands a lot of attention and can usually be found either in my lap or on the shelf at the base of my desk!
What inspires you? Oh so many different things offer inspiration on a daily basis! Mostly I like to look around me and see other Women who have followed their dreams and succeeded. God has such wonderful things for us, usually we just have to reach out and take them and be willing to accept them.
How do you achieve a work/life balance? Right now I am not very good at this. I am currently working full-time and then pursue my dreams after work and all weekend long. I am hoping that this will pay off soon and I can relax and focus on planning a wedding and starting a family!
What do you like to do in your spare time? Spare time? What’s that? Right now most of my spare time is spent at the Ranch either working or relaxing. We love to hunt and when it’s not hunting season, riding around the Ranch you find and see all kinds of cool things!
How has becoming a WAHM made a difference in your life? Well, I am not a 100% WAHM but I am looking very forward to pursuing that goal… soon J
BIZ Questions...
Tell us a little about your biz and what makes it unique. Prairie Paper Co offers Stationery and Invitations (among other products) that you won’t find down any isle in your local grocery store! Creating products that makes you excited to receive is my goal!
When did you first become a WAHM/open your biz? I started my graphic design business {Glambition Designs} in October of 2010 and decided to branch out to Stationery and Invitations just a few months ago! I am currently working on working at home full time!
What has been your biggest challenge as a WAHM? Getting out of my pajamas! Of course, I don’t have children yet so I haven’t had to experience the challenges of being at home and raising children, although I am looking forward to that as opposed to working somewhere else and raising children.
What has been one of your biggest achievements in business? I am self-taught and that has been very rewarding for me to learn and figure things out on my own! It makes me feel like maybe I can do anything!
Favorite WAHM resources? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Bizzy Mama, Jenni and Susan have always been great to help me out with any question I have had from my website to actually helping me grow my business. I offer other Approved Hosts on my Graphic Design site but always suggest clients go with Bizzy Mama. You can’t beat great customer service!
Where do you see your biz in 5 years? 10 years? Not just online anymore and 100% WAHM!! Hopefully those goals will be even quicker than 5 years. My life has changed just in the last 5 months drastically from starting Prairie Paper Co, getting engaged, and moving to his hometown. So I am not sure what exactly years from now will bring but I know that whatever it is, it will be amazing!
What have you found to be the most effective way to promote your biz? Of course Facebook and Twitter are great means of getting clients from all over, Etsy has proved to be a lot more beneficial than I had originally thought. I am new to Etsy but took a gamble and am already selling products in only 2 weeks. Bizzy Mama is also great at promoting all of their current clients. I have found several shops that I love just from their newsletters and facebook page. Lastly, nothing can ever beat Advertising! You just have to find the right spot for your business and you would actually be surprised at that you can find advertisement for $35/month that is just a great as the $1500 advertisements I have looked into!
Any advice for new WAHM's or those considering starting their own biz? GO FOR IT! You will regret not at least giving it a try. My favorite quote from Kelly Cutrone of Peoples Revolution is “You find out who and what you are by finding out who and what you are not”.
Any last comments? Always be supportive of other WAHM’s. We are all in this together one way or the other and by helping out a fellow WAHM we help ourselves in the end! …And of course, follow your dreams! It’s not always a yellow brick road but always worth it!
So please, take a moment to visit The Prairie Paper Co today!! Tell 'em Bizzy Mama sent you!
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