Client Spotlight- Erin Woods

I am SOOOOO excited about this new series we are going to be doing on the blog. We have SO many amazing people in the MCP family and many of them are small business owners. We are very excited to start spotlighting some of them on the blog!

First up: Client Spotlight- Erin Woods | Trades of Hope

Trades of Hope

Tell me a little bit about yourself. Did you grow up in FL?

I was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL and attended Florida State University. My main activities as a kid centered around the arts- theatre, music and singing predominantly. I almost went to Music School at FSU! Instead, I pursued my other love, English Literature, and fought fervently against the idea of becoming a teacher (that was everyone’s first question when I said I was an English major) . But eventually it became unavoidable- I was called to teach—so when I moved to Orlando, I enrolled in graduate school at UCF to pursue my degree in Secondary English Education and then taught English & Theatre at Lake Mary High School for over a decade. I LOVED my job as a teacher!!

When my second son was born, I retired from teaching and started a new career as a full-time stay-at-home-mom.

Tell me a little about your family
I met my husband Justin at FSU and he’s the reason I live in Central Florida! I moved here to be with him right after college and we were married in 2003. We have 2 beautiful boys- Barrett who is 11 yo and Lawson who is 9 yo.

Trades of Hope

What made you decide to start your own business?

After leaving teaching and starting a new life at home with a baby and toddler, I found myself really lonely and feeling stuck. I desperately missed the creative chaos of teaching high school. I was the Drama sponsor, too, so I missed the plays, the kids, just all of it. I was struggling and considering going back into the classroom.

I was looking for something to fill the gap for me- something outside of diapers and bottles that was mine and could be a creative and contributing outlet just like teaching had been.

branding

What drew you to Trades of Hope?

A cute pair of earrings & the line “empowering women out of poverty”! I saw a graphic on Facebook and was like, hold the phone, how do I get these earrings and how are they empowering women?? I reached out to the friend who had posted it and she told me about this sweet little company started in Palm Coast, FL by 2 moms and their teenage daughters to create jobs for women around the globe through Fair Trade accessories. I fell in love and knew I wanted to be part of it.

How long have you had your business?

I became a Partner with Trades of Hope on March 11, 2013.

What is your favorite thing about working with Trades of Hope?

I’m most in love with the influence of amazing women on MY life! I know I am making a difference and doing powerful work every time I sell a bag or scarf or piece of jewelry- but I also know that in the past 8 years, I have met some of the most incredible, compassionate, kind, strong women and their influence on me has changed me- honed me into a better, kinder, more compassionate person myself. I love the stories of transformation- both from our artisans and what a job means for their lives and the lives of their families, but also the Partners I work with- the confidence, the resilience, the belief in themselves to do things they never thought possible. It’s an absolute honor to bear witness to these moments.

Have you gotten to travel because of your business? If so, where have you gone, and what was your favorite place you have been because of Trades of Hope?

Yes! My first trip was the Haiti in 2014 and it changed my life. We don’t do “mission” trips at Trades of Hope- we do “vision” trips because the point of the experience is to SEE what impact you are having on REAL people and how your business back in the States is absolutely changing lives for women all over. When I went to Haiti, I was witness to a young mother’s first day of work at our artisan group and found out that she was at the point of handing her baby over to an orphanage if she hadn’t gotten that job rolling cereal box beads- I realized in that moment that there is nothing trivial or trite about our work- it’s jewelry, sure, but it’s life-altering for women in desperate situations around the globe. I carry that with me every single day.

I’ve been to Guatemala twice and then had company/leadership trips to Sonoma, Nashville, Orlando, Daytona- it’s been a blast!!

Trades of Hope

How do you balance work/family?

As best as I can haha! Some weeks better than others. I really try to create office hours and work boundaries- when my kids were babies and I first started, there was a lot of early morning work, naptime and carline. Now my kids are older, so it’s easier to just do what I need to do, but I still need to make sure I’m setting some office hours and not working all the time! It’s hard when it’s something you love—you can do it 24 hours a day! But shutting it down is important- I try not to work from the time I pick up the kids from school to when they go to bed for example.

Tips for others wanting to start their own business.

Create daily disciplines and simple systems right away. Do something each day to connect with your business, grow it, nurture it. It’s like laundry- if you do a little bit every day, it never piles up! But if it piles up…then you just wanna quit! Try not to resent your work by letting it become a laundry pile. Also, be resilient, get ready to deal with rejection & realize that it’s NEVER ABOUT YOU when someone doesn’t want what you’re offering. I compare it to a delicious cake that you’re eating and someone sits down next to you and you offer them a slice. They might say, heck yes, that looks amazing and I love cake or they might say no thanks, I’m not a cake person- guess what?? The cake is still awesome. It doesn’t diminish YOU for loving the dang cake. Keep eating and sharing!