Today we’d like to introduce you to Katheryn Olsen.
Hi Katheryn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started and failed at many businesses over the last 20 years, but this last one, TJtoddles, has really stuck. I started TJtoddles about 5 years ago and built it as an e-commerce store and expanded to Etsy. TJtoddles offers personalized gift items for Baby, Mom, and Dad. It was a nice side hustle for those years.
I had been working full-time until last year, when I was laid off from a six-figure income job at Google. I had survived four rounds of layoffs throughout the 3 years I worked there; however, I was a part of the final round. I was laid off on December 31, 2024, with 3 weeks’ notice and a nice severance package. December 31st is also my birthday. My family and I lost our insurance coverage, but luckily, my husband’s job offered health insurance coverage, just at a higher cost.
At that point, I put my nose to the grindstone and built my e-commerce store into a six-figure business within six months. I had good groundwork, and with full-time hours, I strategically was able to scale quickly. I also credit joining a mentoring program.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My main struggles were the pressure of building my business to match and then exceed my prior full-time income. I had savings of about 1 year that my family and I could live off of, plus my husband’s income. We have tapped into the savings some, so joining the mentoring program has accelerated my growth and helped me scale faster. It was a very wise investment.
My projections are that I will be exceeding my prior income by December of this year.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been a digital marketing specialist for the past 12 years, with the last eight spent in agencies. For the last three years of my digital marketing career, I telecommuted, working as a Senior Digital Marketing Manager and Operations Strategist for the Android brand at Google. It was a dream job, and I loved the team I worked with.
It was tough to leave that job.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was an introvert growing up, and awkward. I was also very shy. I was an artist throughout school, won several art awards, and thought I was going to become a fashion designer. In high school, I was the Color Guard captain for 2 years and loved school.
Now, in retrospect, I have designed clothing and gift items for my e-commerce brand, so my childhood dream of becoming a designer has come true.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TJtoddles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tjtoddles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJtoddles
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TJtoddles
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TJtoddlesCustomized
