Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Bean.
Molly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In 2020 I was pregnant with my second child and was working as the director of an after school program in Worthington. My husband and I had been debating on whether it would be best for me to stay home with the kids for a while after our son’s arrival. The week I went into labor, the world shut down due to the pandemic and this is what made the decision for us, I would quit my job. Shortly after bringing our son home my husband was laid off due to the pandemic.
As he started looking for jobs, I started thinking of ways I could earn money while also being home with my kids. I have always been a creative person, making crafts and rehabbing old furniture in my free time. I stumbled upon a tutorial on how to make a wooden ottoman tray and the rest is history.
Even though I had done my share of crafting in the past, this was the first time I’d ever used a saw, and I fell in love with the craft of woodworking. I started marketing myself on social media and was surprised at how fast I took off. Soon I had a steady stream of orders and started building furniture, wood-burning jewelry, and weaving wall hangings.
Shortly after starting Soy + Sull, I found out I was pregnant again at only three months postpartum. This was quite the shock but lit a fire in me. I wanted to continue my business so that I could have the flexibility to be there for all of the big moments in my children’s lives. I worked hard through my third pregnancy and made it out the other side with Irish twins, 364 days apart.
Since then, I have gotten connected with a local promotor at The Beauty Boost where I’ve become a vendor at several markets. I continue to take custom orders and recently signed on with an up and coming digital boutique, Bubblebored.
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?
It has been far from a smooth road. Having two babies so close together was far from being our plan, but it has also been the greatest joy. Pregnancy is not kind to me, so while trying to launch a business, I had many days where I was sick or had terrible migraines. There was also a large dose of postpartum depression in the mix. Somehow, through the grace of God and sheer willpower, I was still able to meet all of my deadlines and market my business.
I was also completely new to woodworking when I started, so everything I know is self-taught. I was lucky enough to be given a lot of my tools, but learning how to use them was certainly a challenge!
Aside from the many personal challenges, I dealt with many of the typical challenges that small business owners come across. Learning how to market myself is an ongoing challenge and is one that is hard to learn when you are also trying to complete ongoing orders. The pandemic brought its own set of challenges from markets being cancelled to skyrocketing lumber prices. Luckily both of these things seem to be leveling out.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Soy + Sull is primarily a woodworking business, but I dabble in other creative materials as well. I specialize in decorative wood pieces such as ottoman trays, rehabbing old furniture, wooden wall art and most recently larger furniture pieces like entertainment centers and coffee tables. I am most proud of the design flare that I bring to woodworking and home decor items. Learning the fundamentals of woodworking (how things go together to make strong pieces, how to weatherproof things, etc.) has been a challenge, but I believe my eye for design has set me apart from others. The fundamentals of woodworking can be taught.
This is the second thing that I am most proud of. I am almost completely self-taught in woodworking with the help of a few professional friends. I spend hours reading, trying things out, and watching videos to further my knowledge in the field. I hope to continue this growth with some professional workshops and hands on experiences with experts this year. Since my background is actually in early childhood education, I believe that professional development is extremely important.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
If I had to narrow this down to one thing, or I suppose two things, it would be my drive and willpower.
I am someone who never stops going, but it’s not because I feel like I have to. It’s because I love forward momentum. This doesn’t mean I don’t take a moment from time to time to decompress but generally speaking, I am always doing something. Sometimes that is just being in the moment with my children and sometimes that is researching late at night about how to make my next project work.
Secondly, I am a firm believer that if there is a will, there’s a way. No obstacle is too big. People close to me say it’s the eternal optimist in me, but whatever it is, it’s what keeps me always moving forward.
Pricing:
- Wooden earrings range from $10-20
- Pikler climbing triangles for children $260
- Ottoman trays in a standard size range from $60-80
- Woven wall hangings range $30-80 (depending on size)
Contact Info:
- Email: soyandsull@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/soyandsull
- Facebook: Facebook.com/soyandsull
- Other: https://bubblebored.com/store/soyandsull/
Image Credits
Chelsea Boydston
