Meet Bethany Wire

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bethany Wire. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bethany below.

Bethany, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I keep my creativity alive by never letting it fall too far out of reach. Even when I’m tired or overwhelmed, I try to create something. Some days that means designing a curriculum or writing a lesson plan with a twist, and other days it’s stringing beads with Rosie at the kitchen table, some days it is building a castle in the sky because I’m too exhausted to do more. I stay inspired by looking at the world around me. I find creativity in storytelling, in animal care, in repurposing things around the house. I don’t need everything to be perfect, it just needs to be meaningful.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a high school English teacher, a homeschool mom, founder of my jewelry business Four Generation Crafters, and the co-creator of Little Miss Livestock LLC, a youth-led business my daughter Rosie and I started together.

My daughter and I come from a long line of jewelry makers–a tradition passed down from my mother, Angie, and grandmother, Betty. I tried to get Rosie interested in jewelry making, but it wasn’t until she met a fellow town resident that the hobby stuck.

Together, Rosie and I are two generations of “Four Generation Crafters,” a small business I started to honor our Eastern Band Cherokee heritage and family craft. Rosie even has her own line of bold, colorful bracelets using bigger beads that are easier for her to work with. It’s become a fun way for her to express herself creatively.

We’ve started doing craft fairs together and have had to find ways of doing it affordably–another learning opportunity for Rosie. We were able to find a wide range of beads, packaging and display supplies from Temu. Using these beads, Rosie has designed and created a number of bracelets and earrings to sell at affordable prices—$3 each or 2 for $5—so that everyone can leave wearing one of her creations.

With the money she earned at her first craft fair, Rosie purchased her own sheep, which allowed us to start Little Miss Livestock. It blends everything we love—4-H, creativity, animal care, entrepreneurship, and a whole lot of hands-on learning.

What makes it special is that we are building it from the ground up. We raise and show animals with our 4-H clubs, make and sell jewelry and fiber art, and now we’re writing stories for kids who are just starting their own livestock adventures. Our first book we are working on, Little Miss Livestock Shares a Sheep, is based on Rosie’s real experience with her first lamb, Eulah.

I am also building a resource hub for other families—whether they’re starting 4-H, homeschooling, or just want to teach their kids responsibility in a hands-on way. And somewhere in the middle of all that, we’re still chasing our dreams of a little family farm, one fence post and lesson at a time.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Creativity on a budget – Some of our best ideas came from not having much to work with. We’ve turned trash into treasure more than once, and I’ve become a pro at stretching a dollar. Temu has been a surprising blessing—many of our homeschool supplies, craft fair displays, and even packaging materials came from there. Some of their products helped us get our family business off the ground. When you’re working with limited resources, you learn to be resourceful—and grateful. I also rarely say no if someone wants to give me their old crafting supplies. I can always weed out what I don’t use and donate it elsewhere.

2. Adaptability – Plans change, kids change their minds. Life changes. We are especially good at being able to change course without losing our purpose. I had to learn this early, and it’s helped me stay grounded when everything around me feels uncertain or overwhelming.

3. Curiosity – I don’t always know what I’m doing, but I always ask questions and try to learn. Whether it’s figuring out how to build a website or how to teach a kid to halter-train a goat, I learn as I go. Life can be fun when you are intentionally spontaneous.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My daughter, Rosie, without question. Being her mom has shaped everything about who I am. She’s the reason I started looking for creative solutions, the reason I built a business, and the reason I keep showing up, even on the hard days. Her curiosity and confidence push me to grow right alongside her.

I didn’t get here alone. My late Girl Scout leader, Vickie, had a huge influence on me. She believed in creativity, in resourcefulness, in doing things with heart—and she passed that on to all of us. Whether it was through skits, crafts, or community service, she taught me to lead with purpose and kindness. I think of her often, especially when I’m helping Rosie with her own projects. Her legacy shows up in the way I teach, the way I lead, and the way I create.

I’ve also had the quiet, steady support of women who showed up in small but meaningful ways—close friends and my own mom, who have often helped behind the scenes when I needed it most. Their presence, encouragement, and practical help gave me room to grow and keep going.

This journey hasn’t had one big break or one single mentor—it’s been a collection of people loving me well in little moments and reminding me I don’t have to do everything alone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethany.wire/