Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimmy Sauer.
Hi Kimmy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
It was September 2021, a few months since quitting my corporate HR job to stay home with our third child. While being a stay-at-home mom had challenges, I felt I had more to give. I have always been creative and enjoyed crafting, but I had never tried to sell any of my creations. With Halloween, one of my favorite holidays approaching, I decided to try selling Halloween “BOO” buckets. While I received orders from friends and family, I was surprised by the positive reaction from others on Facebook who I didn’t know. The “BOO” Buckets were such a big hit I decided to sell fidget advent calendars that Christmas. In the following months, I began listing my creations on Etsy, which greatly broadened my market. In my first year, I never thought I’d sell to 48 states, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Canada.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A friend of mine recently shared her experience as an Etsy seller. Her home-based business grew rapidly and eventually eclipsed her ability to fulfill orders and meet her family obligations. While I still enjoy designing and marketing my products, balancing my family and my growing business can be challenging. That said, my business makes me feel fulfilled as a person, which I believe makes me a better mom and wife.
We’ve been impressed with 2+3=WE, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a mother of three children ages 2 to 10, I constantly try to keep my kids entertained. On past road trips, I put dollar-store toys in brown paper bags and created “surprise bags.” If the kids made it a certain number of miles without pulling each other’s hair out or screaming about the radio station, they would be rewarded with one of these bags. This experience gave me the idea to develop travel busy boxes. Giving them a variety of small items, such as coloring activities, fidgets, and snacks, kept them engaged longer than giving them one toy. They also traded amongst themselves to create their “perfect” box, giving mommy and daddy more time to listen to our podcast or guide the mini-van down windy country roads.
I offer seasonal busy boxes, such as Halloween and summer camp boxes, as well as year-round offerings, such as big sister/big brother, travel, wedding, and get well soon boxes. The camp boxes were a surprise hit this summer. Some parents even had me send the boxes to their little campers so they could have a surprise pick-me-up at camp. Fidget advent calendars and holiday busy boxes are popular seasonal items. And my travel boxes, designed to keep little ones entertained during road trips or flights, are my best-selling item year-round.
Any big plans?
While I have always tried to make my busy boxes age-appropriate, I recently developed packages targeted to specific age groups. I now have baby, toddler, and kid boxes with fun and safe items for each age group. I am also planning to launch a website this spring where customers can see the variety of products I offer and contact me to request custom items.
Contact Info:
- Website: 2plus3equalswe.etsy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/2plus3equalswe
- Facebook: Facebook.com/2plus3equalswe
