Ali Daugherty, a kindergarten teacher at Griffin School in Olympia, turned a practical family chore into an Olympia kids clothing business, Evergreen Kids Co., after selling outgrown clothes from her two children, ages 4 and 18 months, on Whatnot. In less than a year, the side business has topped $70,000 in sales, connecting parents with budget-friendly kids’ clothes while helping Daugherty’s family earn extra income.
Olympia kids clothing grows from resale
Daugherty first listed her own children’s pre-loved items because preparing a garage sale took too much time. She soon found she enjoyed the work, especially the chance to connect with other moms. “Not everyone can afford to spend so much on kids’ clothing,” she said, adding that she looks for quality items at affordable prices. Shoppers can find her live sales through Whatnot.
Balancing teaching, family and a growing shop
After school, Daugherty comes home to care for her children with her husband. Her husband shares the evening routine. Once the kids are in bed, she works on Evergreen Kids Co., handling accounting, invoices, inventory orders, live-show setup, packaging and customer follow-up. She has moved beyond resale into wholesale and her own designs, starting with pre-made designs and now working with a graphic designer to create original pieces she could not find for her own children. Daugherty said she is still learning the business and manufacturing sides, relying on research, samples and friends in the industry as she develops items for future online sales. Because much of the manufacturing happens in China, she sometimes communicates with manufacturers at 2 a.m. local time.
The pace is demanding, but the Olympia kids’ clothing venture has already made a difference. One live auction brought in $1,700, and Daugherty has hired an accountant and plans to add one or two staff members to help. The income has helped pay for family experiences, including a Disneyland trip and her daughter’s birthday celebration, while also going back into the company.
People interested in trying a similar online business can follow Daugherty’s example on Whatnot, where she says “literally anyone can just press go and sell things.” Customers can shop Evergreen Kids Co. through live sales or the Evergreen Kids Co. Shopify website. Daugherty’s advice for new sellers is to be honest, connect with customers, expect mistakes and keep going.
