For those who have been here since the beginning, you know Hello Chlo has evolved, rebranded, and expanded over the years. But if you’re new here (hi! So glad you’re here!), you may not know how Hello Chlo came to be.
Flashback to 2020 - it was January, I was a college student, and I needed a creative outlet. My mom had gifted me some polymer clay and tools for Christmas (thanks, Mom!). One random afternoon, I decided to get it out and make some earrings. I had no cutters, so I roughly shaped them using a lid from something in the pantry. They were far from perfect, but they were cute and I had fun! I posted them on my Instagram and had lots of positive feedback from friends. Over the coming weeks, I started making more, posting more, and soon had order requests from friends. I bought little packaging items and a stamp with a logo.
Then came March. Lockdown. My senior year of college cut short. Laid off my part time job. What could I possibly do with my time? Earrings. I made hundreds of pairs of earrings. Thankfully, everyone else was also looking for something to do, and online shopping just happened to be one of the only things that could still feel “normal.” I often get asked for advice for growing on Instagram. Unfortunately, the reason my business took off was because of a global pandemic. It was a strange, scary, memorable time. And oddly enough, it changed my business for the better.
Later that year I got married, moved states, and continued running my business while working full-time for a non-profit. My 9-5 work environment was extremely challenging and toxic. My business was a bright spot in my life. It continued to grow. I’ll never forget the day I came home crying because of an upsetting interaction at work. It was the last straw. My husband looked at me and said, “it’s time to put in your two weeks notice. We’ll figure out a way to make it work.” It was a huge sigh of relief. Over the coming months, I had the blessing of nannying for some of our dearest friends while I continued to build my business and figure out a plan for the future. When the time came for us to start our own family, we knew - Hello Chlo would be the thing that allowed me to stay home with our babies. We were so grateful! My husband is in ministry, so we couldn’t afford for me to not contribute income. We knew God was providing a way.
After my first son was born, I decided to buy a second hand embroidery machine from a friend. What can I say, I’m always looking for a hobby…even when my full time job is my hobby! As I learned how to use the machine, I began releasing embroidered sweatshirts on a preorder basis along with my earrings. Eventually, embroidery took the main focus and Hello Chlo slowly became what it is today.
Now here I am, over 6 years since that day I sat down with some polymer clay, a mom of three beautiful kiddos, living my dream of earning an income as a creator and artist…and best of all, staying home with my babies.
The journey has not been easy. There’s been twists and turns, doubts, defeat, and days I wanted to give up. But we’re still here! Still pushing, still evolving, and still trusting that if this is where God wants me, he’ll continue to make a way.
I hope you’ll stick around to see what comes next. ❤️
With gratitude,
Chloe