HEY! I'M SHANLEY.

TL; DR: I’m a Canadian maker and mama to one wild toddler + one even wilder dog. I’m a serial creative, perpetual adventurer and vivid dreamer, looking to connect with & support other adventurous free spirits in their entrepreneurial quests!

The long version: I started my handmade business at the beginning of 2017,  barely three months after my son was born. I’d gone to college for carpentry in 2014, then to paramedic school in 2016; I had a path picked out for me in my mind – but as soon as that tiny little human came into my world I couldn’t imagine leaving him every day to go to work.

I’d run a dog walking business in my early 20’s and knew I loved the challenge of being an entrepreneur, so I dove in head first. No plan, no goal besides making enough to not have to get a “real job” when my maternity leave ended. I spent the first few months flitting between ideas: baby chewlery, vinyl crafting, wooden signs, giant Jenga,  customized clothing. I tried it all, before discovering sublimation and “settling” into my niche.

It took me a while to realize that as much as I loved being a handmade business owner, I loved working with, helping and supporting other entrepreneurs even more! When I should have been making new products I was in the forums answering business questions. When I had a free moment I was reading everything I could and taking courses in business development, marketing, SEO and social media marketing. I attended Shopify’s Unite conference, started three successful crafting/small business related Facebook groups, and read business books to my kid at bedtime.

I’m always been a prolific (er, obsessive?) writer, ever since I was a kid, so blogging came naturally to me. I love being able to share all this eclectic knowledge that’s bundled up in my head! 

 

Want to chat about how we can work together? Have something you’d love to see covered on the blog? Drop me a note!

Currently reading

Outliers: The Story of Success
by Malcolm Gladwell
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Currently listening to

Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Listen free on Hoopla if your local library
participates, or on Audibles
(30 day free trial for new customers)

Currently enrolled in

Sweetly Blended by Prerna Malik – a course about balancing family & work, because if you’re a parent and business owner you know that is always a struggle!

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