Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Smith.
Hi Hannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m Hannah, the owner and creative heart behind HanMadesCo! I’m a wife, a mom of two, a hairstylist, and someone who almost always has an iced coffee and a new craft project nearby!
I’ve always been a very creative person and love a good DIY project! I get that side from my grandma. I’ve always looked up to her—and still do—when it comes to crafting. Give that lady an hour, some fake flowers, a hot glue gun, and a plain wreath, and you’ll be mesmerized by what she creates! My mom, my grandma, and I spent so many late nights working on school projects that became so over-the-top (and definitely didn’t need to be!), but we were always determined to make them the best they could be. That time together was so special, and I’ll carry those memories with me forever.
I started my Etsy shop, HanMadesCo, in August 2022, when my son was just 13 months old and I was three months away from welcoming my daughter. Life was about to get a whole lot busier, but I thought, “What the heck? No time like the present to open a small business when you’re about to have two under two!” But really, you may never truly feel “ready,” so why not just start? I had no idea what I was doing, but for years, my family and friends had encouraged me to share my creations with the world, so I finally did just that!
With a Cricut machine, beer can glasses, and a dream, I started creating at my dining room table—and that’s still where I work today! I dream of having an all-pink office of my own one day, but I’m not quite there yet. For now, I’m so grateful for my little dining room workspace and for my family sharing that space with me and all my craft supplies!
HanMadesCo has also given me something of my own outside of motherhood. Being a mom has been one of the greatest blessings of my life, but it’s also incredibly hard! My children are only sixteen months apart, and that has brought plenty of challenges. It’s easy to pour so much into your family that you forget to make room for yourself, too. Having this little business has given me a space that is just for ME. I get to create things I love and share that joy with other people, which makes it even more special. I want to be the best mom I can be to both of my children while also showing them that it’s possible to chase your dreams along the way!
Over the past four years, HanMadesCo has grown to include iced coffee sleeves, stickers, bookmarks, and Kindle cases. Many of my earlier coffee sleeves featured designs by other talented creators, but this year, I got to bring five of my very own original designs to life as coffee sleeves! Designing them myself, from the very first idea to the finished product, has been a dream of mine, and reaching that milestone has meant so much to me. I recently got a sewing and embroidery machine, and I’m hoping to add sewn and embroidered items to the shop soon, so stay tuned for that!
Sharing my creations on social media has become another creative outlet I love. It’s introduced me to so many people who share my love of crafting and iced coffee, along with other moms and small business owners who are building something of their own. Those connections have been such a special part of this journey. Every order, kind message, and person who chooses to support my shop literally means the world to me! I still do a happy dance every time I get an order!
Today, I’m balancing being a wife, a mom of two, a hairstylist, a creator, and a small business owner. A lot of it happens in the little pockets of time between everything else, and I’m still figuring things out as I go! I’m really proud of what I’ve built and so grateful that something I started when my babies were so little has become this special part of my life. Most of all, I’m beyond grateful for the community I’ve built along the way!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! I started HanMadesCo with a lot of ideas and excitement, but no real idea how to run a business. So much of this journey has been learning as I go, trying things, and figuring out what works for me.
One of the biggest challenges has been finding the time to do it all. I’m a mom of two, a wife, and a hairstylist, so my business gets built in the little pockets of time between everything else. Having so many ideas and not always having the time or space to bring them to life can be hard! My dining room table can only hold so many projects at once!
Learning how to market my business has been a whole other part of the journey! It’s just me behind HanMadesCo, so everything from creating products and packing orders to marketing and answering messages falls on me. Creating something is one thing, but figuring out how to get it in front of people is another! I’ve had to learn how to use social media to share my products, create content, and connect with customers all while keeping up with everything else. Taking photos, filming videos, editing, and writing captions take time, too! I’ve grown to really love that creative side of my business, but it’s definitely another hat I wear and something I’m still learning.
It’s also a challenge to find the balance between being present for my family and making room for something that means so much to me. I want to give my best to both, and I’m still figuring out what that looks like. My husband has been such a huge support since I started my business, helping me make time and space to create. I couldn’t be more grateful for his support and encouragement! Some days I get more done than others, and I’m learning to give myself grace along the way.
But even with the challenges, I’m so glad I started. Every order and kind message reminds me that something I created has brought someone else a little joy, and that makes me want to keep going!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve been doing hair since January 2016, and I specialize in blonding and lived-in color! I love creating hair that makes someone feel beautiful and confident while still fitting their everyday life. There’s something so special about getting to be creative while helping someone feel good about themselves.
I’ve been part of Haas Salon in Tampa since we opened in 2019. Along with being a stylist, I’m also an educator and part of our leadership team. Being able to share what I’ve learned and support other stylists has been such a rewarding part of my career. I’m also incredibly grateful for my boss, Brittany, who has been so supportive of me and my dreams. Between her encouragement and the amazing team of stylists I get to work alongside, I have so much support, and I truly couldn’t do it without them! I’m proud of how much I’ve grown over the years, and being surrounded by people who encourage that growth means everything.
Whether I’m behind the chair or creating something for HanMadesCo, I put a lot of heart into what I do. My work looks different in each space, but both give me a chance to connect with people and bring a little joy to their day. Sometimes that’s through a fresh blonde, and sometimes it’s through a cute sleeve for their morning iced coffee!
What I hope sets me apart is the care I put into the whole experience. Behind the chair, I want people to feel comfortable, heard, and cared for. With HanMadesCo, I want that same personal connection to come through in what I create and how I interact with my customers.
I’m most proud that I’ve continued making room for the things I love while raising my family. It hasn’t always been easy to balance everything, but I’ve built a career and a business that let me create, connect with people, and keep learning. Getting to show my children that side of me means so much!
What are your plans for the future?
I have so many ideas for the future, probably more than I have time for! One of my biggest goals is to build a full, ongoing coffee sleeve collection featuring only my own original designs. I’ve loved featuring designs by other talented creators, but it’s always been a dream to have a collection that feels completely my own. Getting to bring five of my own designs to life this year has made that dream feel a little closer!
I want to continue growing HanMadesCo and learning more about creative design, social media, and marketing. I also want to become more confident in managing the business side of things. There’s so much that goes into running a small business, and I’m still learning as I go! Another big goal is to have my own website. Having a little online home for HanMadesCo where people can shop my creations and get to know the person behind them would be so exciting!
I’m also excited to explore more sewing and embroidery! I would love to sew my own coffee sleeves and maybe add bandana totes to the shop. There’s something so special about making something with your own hands, and I’m excited to see where those new skills take me. There’s usually another project on my mind before I’ve even finished the one in front of me!
Of course, an all-pink office is still on my dream list! My dining room table has been such a special part of this story, but having a space of my own to create and organize all my supplies would be a dream.
For now, I’m taking things one step at a time. I want to continue growing as a hairstylist at Haas Salon, creating for HanMadesCo, and connecting with the community that has supported me along the way. I don’t have every next step figured out, but I’m excited to see where this all goes, and I hope my kids get to watch me keep trying, learning, and doing things I love!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hanmadesco.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanmadesco/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hanmadesco
