Meet Danielle Hurles of Sidney, Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Hurles.

Hi Danielle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My small business began with a heartfelt (and slightly impulsive) gift—I gave one of my handmade books to my sister-in-law, and to my surprise, she didn’t just politely smile and tuck it away… she loved it! That tiny spark lit a fire, and soon I was making more, fueled by equal parts passion and caffeine.

At my very first vendor show, I almost completely sold out—I kept awkwardly smiling and pretending I knew what I was doing, and somehow, people kept buying! The success snowballed from there, with local markets becoming my weekend hangout and Greenhaus Coffee (my favorite local coffee spot) proudly carrying my books on their shelves—like, right next to all the plants and amazing aesthetic items they sell!
The dream of helping others fall in love with reading was planted early on by my amazing parents, who always believed I could turn my ideas into something real—even the slightly chaotic ones.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course—running a small business isn’t all smooth pages and pretty covers! It can be so challenging at times, but every time I hit a snag, my amazing community was right there to lend a hand, a hug, or help me find resources.
One of my wildest and coolest ideas was to give every single student a book to take home on the last day of school—each one filled with fun trinkets and info on local community activities.
I thought, “Is this too ambitious?” “Am I absolutely crazy?!” But before I could second-guess myself, my community jumped into action like a team of book-loving superheroes!!!
They helped me turn that dream into a reality, proving that with heart, hustle, and a whole lot of support, anything’s possible.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a stay-at-home mom to the most beautiful baby girl in the world, and I seriously love getting to watch her grow and change every day. It’s such a gift to be there for all the little moments. On top of that, I get to be creative and run my small business from home, which has been so fun and fulfilling. I’m so thankful for my amazing fiancé who makes all of this possible—he’s truly the best support system.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve never really been much of a risk taker—I usually like to try and play it safe. But I also know that sometimes, you can’t grow without stepping outside your comfort zone. The biggest risk I’ve taken was deciding not to go back to my 9-to-5 desk job and instead choosing to stay home to take care of my family. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew deep down it would give me the time and space to come up with my own business idea. And honestly, it’s been one of the most rewarding choices I’ve ever made.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bigmamasblindbooks.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigmamasblindbooks?igsh=ZGFrdjJ2NzNkN2Fo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18vP3hQtZW/?mibextid=qi2Omg