It’s safe to say that most of us could do with another source of income. Ali Daugherty is a kindergarten teacher at Griffin School in Olympia. When she noticed the piles of outgrown clothes she and her husband had from raising their two kids, now 4 and 18 months old, she decided to sell them on Whatnot. That decision led her to create Evergreen Kids Co., which has generated more than $70,000 in sales in less than a year.
“My own kids grew out of [their clothes,] and we all know how much time and prep a garage sale takes, so I just went for it selling their pre-loved [on Whatnot],” Ali shares. “Once I sold their clothes, I was really finding that I liked doing it and, more importantly, connecting with other moms. Not everyone can afford to spend so much on kids’ clothing, so I really try to find quality items that are budget-friendly.”
From Selling Secondhand to Wholesale on Whatnot
After teaching Kindergarten, Ali comes home and takes care of her own children with her husband. Once the kids are in bed, Ali clocks in with Evergreen Kids Co. After selling her own kids’ clothes, she decided to start offering new clothes from her own designs. “Manufacturing is something I am just dipping my toe in the water to,” she explains. “I am a teacher by trade and know nothing about the business side or manufacturing. I have had to do tons of research, order lots of samples, and really utilize friends in the industry. This is all fresh to me and I can’t wait to show off some of the designs in the works!”
She started with pre-made designs, but is now venturing into completely original designs – things she said she can’t find when looking for her own kids. In those cases, Ali says that at first, she would explain to the manufacturer what she wanted, and they would bring it to life. Now, she is working with a graphic designer to create unique items. “I describe my vision to her, and she uses her extremely talented skill and creativity to bring the design to life and I choose the styles to manufacture the product in,” she adds.
Kindergarten Teacher in Olympia Makes Second Income Selling Clothes
Ali says the biggest issue she has is time. “There are not enough hours in the day,” she explains. “There is so much that goes on behind the scenes of any business, such as accounting tasks, invoicing, ordering inventory, communicating with designers, and manufacturing, and so much more. Plus, if I am doing a live show, things need to be hung up, organized by size and priced accordingly. At one point this year, my day looked like going to work teaching, come home, make dinner, take my daughter to t-ball practice (plus my husband and I coached), then come home, bath and bed, then go down and do a live show, package all the orders and invoice anyone who needs to be.”
Since China is where most the manufacturing happens, Ali says she is often speaking with them at 2 a.m. our time. But with business booming – one live auction she made $1,700 – she is adding a staff member or two to help her and has hired an accountant to free up her time.
The extra income has helped her family do things they normally could not have afforded. They took a trip to Disneyland and gave her daughter a birthday celebration. She reinvests back into Evergreen Kids Co. as well.
Thinking you may want to try a business on Whatnot? Here is Ali’s advice: “I say give it a try. Whatnot makes it to where literally anyone can just press go and sell things. I think that there is a place for everyone. There may be people who are critical or say you can’t, but personally I believe if you are honest, try your best, and truly connect with your customers you will succeed. It also won’t happen overnight and many mistakes will be made. Keep going and don’t give up.”
You can join Ali on Whatnot here. She also has an Evergreen Kids Co. Shopify website.
