Thinking Outside the Box
Written and photographed by Kristi Dominguez
In today’s business world, a group of against-the-grain entrepreneurs has emerged, carving out a niche for themselves—as well as a steady income—doing things a bit out of the norm. They’re creating livelihoods out of their homes, garages, farms and online. Armed with coffee and computers, sometimes with little sleep, they still lead the carpool or PTA meetings, but they also run successful businesses and side-hustles-turned-full-time careers.
These Bell County residents share some exciting options for outside-the-box careers that allow them to (mostly) work from home, as well as make an impact on the world with their products, ideas, recipes and designs.
Teach Techniques to Others
In 2012, June Small’s family took the plunge and moved from the suburbs to a small acreage on the outskirts of Temple, trying their hand at homesteading. Today, the farm is home to horses, dogs, cats, goats and bees. June utilizes The Small Farm’s resources to create products like soaps and lotions. “We use our goat milk and beeswax to create personal products to sell, like lotions and soaps. We run a few cows for meat, and l render the tallow to make candles and shave soap,” she explains.
Along with creating handmade products, June also shares her skills with others during her popular hands-on soap-making classes, taught right on her farm. Not only is she busy running her business all day, she says her four kids keep her on her toes, too. She says that having a job that allows her to be available to them is essential.
June also works with her sister, Jennifer Locklin, who lives in Belton, in the world of real estate on The Locklin Team with Keller Williams, alongside Jennifer’s husband, Quinton. The siblings clearly share an entrepreneurial spirit, though, as Jennifer was bitten by the blogger bug in 2009. “Family recipes are a cherished treasure of mine and that’s the main reason I decided to start a blog,” Jennifer says. “It’s the place I share experiences and recipes with the world.”
Even though Jennifer has attended culinary school, she credits her love of cooking and creating to her family. “Culinary school was a great experience and deepened my love for cooking,” she admits, “but I have to give credit for my real training to time spent alongside my mom and grandma in their kitchens when I was a little girl.” Jennifer shares recipes and how-to demos with readers online at JenniferCooks.com, where she posts blogs about her delicious creations, accompanied by sweet stories that have inspired and entertained her readers for the past decade.
Both sisters sell products, give classes and blog. Jennifer says the first paycheck she received due to her blog seemed too good to be true. “I was so excited that it propelled me to continue creating and capturing my adventures in the kitchen,” she says. “I felt empowered! I found my passion and it was actually paying me.” When asked what are the most popular recipes on her blog, she confides that her readers clamor for her Sourdough Starter, Catalina Taco Salad and Caramel Apple Dip.
Sell Your Creations
The itch to be an entrepreneur first occurred to Killeen resident Krista Bales when she was in school studying to be a medical transcriptionist. “Deep down, I wished that I could make my dream of having a cute little storefront come true,” she says. A friend of hers who worked in the world of handmade crafts inspired her to give it a try. After Bales shared her own handmade items she’d made online, orders began to come in.
Now, Krista runs a successful online business, calling it Block Paper Scissors. Her art pieces start with a special inspiration. “I can become a bit obsessive when it comes to the design portion,” she says. “Sometimes a piece will come together quickly, but I have had other pieces take me days to finally love. From there, it’s out to the garage for cutting, sanding and painting at my work table.” The biggest benefit of her work-from-home business is being available to her kids all the time. “With a nudge from my husband, I started an online Etsy shop; then I ventured into making custom, hand-painted signs, which are my favorite to make,” she says. Since 2010, she’s sold custom signs to customers from all over the world.
And there’s an intrinsic reward, too. “It feels like such a privilege each time a customer trusts me to bring their vision to reality.”
Above All, Have Fun
While every job has its highs and lows, the beauty of working from home is that you can create a product using a skill you already have. And having fun with it is the best part. “Start small with what you have and your incredible talents,” Krista says. “Make sure you find a ‘tribe’ who will cheer you on and lift you up when you need it.”
Sometimes starting a home-based business can be challenging. “Find something that you love to do; something that inspires you and compels you to get up and do it regularly,” Jennifer advises. “Once you find that ‘something,’ keep doing it. It might be a slow start but, in time, you can build something meaningful and—sometimes—lucrative.”
The advice these entrepreneurs share? Just start. Start anywhere. But the key is to start. “If there’s something you’re passionate about creating, just do it!” June says, smiling. “Don’t be intimidated by comparing yourself to others. There’s a reason you’ve been given a certain passion, so use it to the best of your ability and let others benefit from your creative skills.”
Where to Look
June Small’s delightful handmade soaps, candles and other products are available at The Village Mill Shops in Salado, as well as online at Estsy.com/TheSmallFarmLife. To inquire about soap-making classes, drop an email to TheSmallFarmLife@gmail.com.
Find Jennifer Locklin’s tasty recipes and cooking how-to demonstrations at JenniferCooks.com.
Locate Krista Bales’ handmade items and custom signs at BlockPaperScissors on Etsy and Amazon.com/Handmade.
