Dream Big: Featuring Poppy Nail Polish

So here goes...first post in my new Dream Big series! The purpose of this series is to encourage you to make BIG plans for yourself and actually pursue them. You never know what you can do until you try. This is for anyone interested in starting or currently running a home business. I know the initial startup and all the planning is alot and can be discouraging sometimes, but don't give up! I wanted to do this series for me personally as well as for everyone else in the same boat as me. I have asked a few home business owners to answer a few questions and give some advice to fellow small business owners or those about to start the journey.  They shared some great information as well as their stories and how they got started. I hope you learn alot and are as encouraged by this series as I have been!

The first company that I have chosen to feature is Poppy Nail Polish. Poppy is actually based in Atlanta, Georgia which is one of the reasons I chose it first! Poppy was started a little over a month ago and already has wholesale accounts and has been featured on large websites. Poppy was featured on Zulily this week which is a pretty big deal!

All Poppy Nail Polishes are hand-blended without the use of toxins and are 5-free, vegan, and cruelty free. Poppy has a wide variety of colors and continues to add more. I also love that you can have nail polish parties! Find out more about having a party here.

Poppy Nail Polish in Coral

I asked Tiffany, the owner/mastermind behind Poppy Nail Polish to answer a few questions that could possibly help out new and upcoming home business owners.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? 

A romance novel, ha! I was so confused as a young adult because I didn't know what I wanted to be. I knew I liked to lead and was a hard worker when I wanted to be, but I have always had a hard time sticking to routines. I read a book by Nora Roberts about a business woman, and the love/obsession began.

How did you decide what you wanted your business to be? 

I'm a serial entrepreneur, and I got my business degree AFTER starting my first online business, so everything I learned was by sticking my finger in the light socket so to speak. The first few businesses I had didn't do well, but each was better than the last. When I stumbled into creating nail polish, it was completely by accident, but the timing was perfect, and so it all began rather quickly.

What was your startup process?

I did a lot of planning to get Poppy off the ground. I researched business licensing, FDA guidelines, safety guidelines, etc. until my brain hurt. I kept notes in a little notebook until I was ready to start creating my prototypes. I spent weeks developing those first colors, getting the formula just right. After I had my product, I set up shop online and started marketing.

Is there anything you wish you had known beforehand that you would like to tell upcoming entrepreneurs? What?

My advice would be to put yourself in a position to wholesale, outsource things that just aren't your strength (such as accounting for me), and never underestimate the power of marketing and networking!

My first wholesale order was 3 weeks after opening Poppy, and it was through someone I'd connected with on Instagram. They ordered 450 bottles, which gave me enough capital to instantly begin working on bigger projects.

What are some benefits and difficulties in running a business out of your home and being a mom?

I love being able to step outside and take a play break with my kids! I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old, and the days just go by so fast. I love that I haven't had to sacrifice my time with them in order to provide for them.

The flip side, though, is that I am always just a yell away, so unless it's nap time or bed time, I have to make sure that anything I'm doing can be stopped and finished later because interruptions are inevitable.  I try to find a balance between the pros and cons of working from home by doing tasks like marketing, networking, and social media from my phone while I'm supervising the kids' independent play time. More involved tasks wait until nap or bedtime. I also make sure that technology stays out of meal times and that when I'm playing with my kids, I am completely present in that moment.

Be sure to check out the Poppy's Nail Polish website and order some nail polish! You can also follow Poppy on Instagram. 

Be sure to leave a comment to thank Tiffany for all of the information that she gave us and let us know what helped you the most!

New Zealand Roadtrip - Part 4

Well it's finally time for photos of our last 2 days in New Zealand.

Woke up next to mountains, what a beautiful sight.

Drove down a side road before the sun was bright.

Lake Tekapo to my left, snowy mountains to my right.

Last day on the road, in the airport tonight.

Dream Big

Have you ever dreamed of doing something, but told yourself it was too crazy or too big to actually go through with it? Why not actually go for it? God created you to dream BIG and He is going to do great things through you! You will be able to do things and reach people through ways that only YOU can. So go for it, follow your dreams, who knows where you will end up!

Found this photo on Christine Caine's facebook page

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 

Ephesians 3:20

Many of you may know that I love to craft, crochet, sew, bake, take photos, and really anything DIY. Before we moved to Australia I was trying to start a small business by selling some of the items that I made. While over here it has been a little harder because I don't have as many resources to use, but plan on picking back up when we move back to Georgia in July. I would love to grow enough before we have children so that I can have a home business and stay home with them. I know several of my friends are in the same boat I am, just trying to get it started or getting your name out there.

For this reason I have been researching a little and looking into other small businesses that people run out of their homes. There are so many home businesses and "mompreneurs" out there. I thought who better to hear from then someone that has experienced the process of starting a home business. A few ladies are going to share their story and give some advice on starting and running a business out of your home.

If you are interested in sharing your story and/or some advice please email me at: hannahmadeblog@hotmail.com

New Zealand Roadtrip - Part 3

I wrote a poem for Day 5, but for Day 6 I will let the photos do the talking.

In the morning woke up for an update at 10
Ate breakfast and got ready for our trip to begin

The road opened early at 9:30 we got through
We couldn't contain our excitement woohoo!

We stopped to see blue pools and waterfalls
The snow on the mountains the best part of all

I can think of no words to describe to you
All that we saw, the unbelievable views

Stopped in Wanaka for coffee and churros
Ran into our friends and played in the snow

Kyle and Mel found an apple tree
They each ate one and gave one to me

Headed to Queenstown through mountains we did
Had to turn around for without snow chains we slid

In Queenstown had fergburger, it was grand
The burgers were almost the size of my hand

Had a hard time finding a place to camp
Ended up in a parking lot under a street lamp

Mini Paleo Apple Pies

I made this recipe by Knit and Bake on Sunday night for Kyle's birthday because apple pie is his favorite. They were so good I decided to try my own paleo version. It didn't work out quite how I wanted, but it still tasted good.

Ingredients for dough:

1 cup almond meal (homemade recipe here)

6 tablespoons of coconut oil

2 tablespoons of ice water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp honey

Ingredients for filling:

2 to 3 apples

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 tbsp almond meal

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

To make the dough mix the almond meal with the coconut oil using a fork or food processor, I used a food processor. Next add the salt and honey, then the ice water until it forms a dough. Wrap in saran wrap and leave in fridge for 30 mins.

Peel and chop apples, then add the honey, cinnamon, salt, almond meal, & vanilla and mix.

Ready to go in the oven

I attempted to use a cup to cut circles out of the dough for the base of the pies, but my almond meal dough wouldn't stick together so I just pressed it into a cupcake pan. I halved the recipe so it only made 6 pies. Next fill them with the apple mixture and try to "crumble" the rest of the almond meal dough over the top of the apples.

Don't look so pretty, but taste good.

Bake for 35 mins at 375 degrees F or about 190 C. When I attempted to take my pies out of the cupcake pan they crumbled everywhere, so maybe try using a cupcake liner. They did taste delicious even though they didn't look like the original picture. 

My version on left and Knit and Bake's original on right.

New Zealand Roadtrip - Part 2

We've been back from New Zealand for a few days now and are missing that amazing, beautiful, and peaceful country! These photos and poem pretty much sum up days 3 and 4 on our journey. I hope you enjoy!

Woke up on Day 3 to rain leaking in,
On a road by the ocean our journey to begin.

Went to a state park, with horses and all,
One horse was very friendly, we named him Jamal.

He stuck his head in the window of the van,
Before long he ate apple bits from my hand.

Waterfalls from mountain top to ocean flowed,
Then on to McDonald's for WiFi we rode.

Fog and rain as far as could see,
The mountains barely visible to me.

Along curvy, windy streets we wove,
And across one lane bridges drove.

A river we passed a light shade of gray,
The rain was finally stopping, Hooray!

We walked down a trail and that wind it was cold,
The view was sheer beauty, but low and behold.

The rain started again and nobody cared,
Because at huge glaciers and waterfalls we stared.

In the middle of a giant hail storm we sat,
Then watched a landslide, how crazy is that?

Walked to the van drenched, but had a great view,
I've never seen water so turquoisy blue.

Pale pink in the sky, the sun started to set,
On we drove to see just how far we could get.

We got to Haast and the road was closed,
The only road to get where we needed to go.

We decided to stay at a campervan site,
Until the 9 am update, oh what a night.

We did have a kitchen and shower to use,
Then woke up to rain and some terrible news.

The 9 am update pushed to 12 then to 2,
Wasted time at a visitor's center with a museum, who knew?

Met a nice old couple, we were instantly friends,
Ate lunch at a pub, started fish and chip trends.

By the fireplace in that pub we sat,
Finally able to take off our coats and hats.

Later, we made some dinner with our family clan,
Watched a movie, and relaxed in the van.

Then more news came and brought us all down,
One more night we were stuck in that little ol' town.

Photography once again by Kyle Grantham and Ally Younes and a few by me.