Do you dream of a sustainable, profitable business for yourself? If so, read on.
I love to learn about all things marketing and through my years of trial and error and obsessive self study on social media, advertising, pricing, outsourcing, PR, sales… I want to share with you the strategies and marketing techniques I’ve used that just WORK, with numbers to prove. I’m a total left-brain person and cannot stand “woo woo” ideas or abstract concepts. Our world changes so quickly and I’m always learning, so I hope you’ll join me in my journey!
Some exciting facts about my handmade jewelry business, Tiny Hands:
I’ve sold over 10,000 pieces of my jewelry to customers and stores across the world, including countries like New Zealand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, France, Singapore and Japan!
I’ve been on TV featuring my jewelry – Kare 11: The Today Show Minneapolis and St. Paul, CBS Minnesota, Fox 9, Fox 5, Sonoran Living and my jewelry has been worn by celebrities like comedian Amy Poehler in her latest TV show, Parks and Recreation. I was featured on Hello Giggles, SprinkleBakes, CakeSpy, Daily Candy, Cupcake Project, Babyology, CityPages, Girls’ Life, The Daily Herald, Huffington Post, Yahoo! and was a contributor to a published book called Microcrafts, sold in Barnes and Noble stores and Amazon.com.
I’ve personally gotten wholesale accounts and have sold in brick and mortar shops across the USA and also at departmental stores internationally. I now work with sales representatives to help me spread the Tiny Hands love. I now sell in 70+ stores!
2011 was my first year of going full time in my business and I’m proud to say I make a full time income.
In 2013, my husband quit his job – that was a real test for my business to be the sole breadwinner but I can financially support my family and home!
I now run a small team of 4 local contractors that help me run my business.
I’m not saying all this to brag, but to show you that it CAN be done. Your wildest dreams can be real and I will show you how.
My life before starting my businesses
My name is Mei (pronounced like the month “May”) Pak and I live in Minnesota-nice Minneapolis.
I grew up in a Malaysia (you might know about us from the MH370 incident).
Growing up, my parents always encouraged my obsession with how-to, DIY craft books. I loved looking at them, but never really made anything.
At 10, while in primary school, we had this thing where you could set up a small booth on the way to the school canteen and sell stuff. Just random stuff. This was not your juried Renegade craft show. I bought a large packet of precious stones, probably jade. I got it at the mall for only 10 bucks. There were at least a thousand jade chips in the packet, and I sold 5 pieces for 2 bucks. They sold out in one afternoon. Even at 10, I was beginning to show my entrepreneurial spirit! I wonder if my parents were worried? ;)
No one taught me how to do it. The basic concept of making a profit through sales seemed natural and logical. And FUN!
In high school I got real crafty with handmade books. I started my business, Tiny Hands in 2006 when I was 15. I showed my friends, started a Livejournal store online and sold a few here and there.
Come college, I leave my home and my family, for a place where I didn’t know anyone, in the dead cold winter of the Midwest, to further my education in Actuarial Science (the application of math + statistics to assess risk… kinda like a fortune teller). I graduated magna cum laude in 3.5 years in 2010.
It was the hardest thing to break my decision to everyone I loved, for they had expectations of me to be Miss Corporate CEO lady. I found that while I was self-studying for my professional Actuarial exams in the summers, I absolutely had no drive, nor the passion to get through it. Instead I always deviated to Tiny Hands.
I identified that as a sign of self discovery. Due to peer pressure, I had always been fighting it back, until 2011. I consciously chose to go against the flow and work with my passion in the handmade community.
I will always advocate entrepreneurship but not without the right weapons and tools to take on online business.
I want to build a sustainable business for myself. I hope you’ll join me in my journey of living, making money and enjoying life.
