Ryan & Ashley Houck are like most young families. They both started their married lives in debt while beginning to grow their family. After their first coaching session they began to work extra, make sacrifices and live on a plan that helped them become debt free.
“Hey why don’t we be crazy…and let’s get serious and become debt free and change our family tree”
“After we left your office we were so mad at ourselves and said this has got to change! We started getting serious – Every penny to the dollar was accounted for.”
“Getting out of debt became a family affair. There was no other way we wanted to live.”
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After becoming debt free Ashley wanted to find a way to make extra money that would not take her from what she felt was her primary responsibility, raising her three boys. After some advice from her cousin she landed on starting an online Etsy store. Ashley wanted to start an Etsy store for two main reasons: extra cash for vacation and Christmas.
Ashley’s first goal was to make $300-$400/month. She began to do tons of research watching You Tube videos, reading library books and reading any article she could find on Etsy.
What is Etsy?
Etsy is an online store where you can sell items that are handmade, vintage or even supplies. As of this recording Etsy has 29 million items online for sale, with 1.4 million active sellers, grossing $1.93 billion dollars in gross merchandise sold in 2014.
Children Becoming Sick Shifted Family Priorities
As her business and family began to grow they also began to battle hard times with two of their young boys going to the hospital with pneumonia. Their youngest (two months at the time) was in ICU for six days. While Ryan & Ashley were in the hospital with their youngest son, Ryan was working around the clock to keep his clients happy at the hospital.
“Hardest part about that whole thing was we had to go home and get my husband’s laptop so he could work while he was in the hospital.”
After their youngest child came home from the hospital is when they decided to make a change in Ryan’s career. Ryan is currently in the process of creating his own Etsy store. With Ashley’s Etsy store it has now become a family affair.
“They get just as excited when they hear the little caching on my phone as I do. It is neat to see their excitement.”
Ashley goes on to explain the various joys including their children with their business.
• Getting children involved
• It is so much fun
• Every day is so different
• Use this as a tool to teach if you work get paid don’t work don’t get paid
To find out more about the Houck’s Etsy store go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/FancyThatLoved.
What do the Houck’s sell?
• Paper straws
• Burlap bags
• Muslin bags
• Band stick candles
• Mini clothes pins
• Paper seed hearts (just started)
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How has the Houck’s story inspired you? Leave a comment and let us know.