We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Custer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
Self care has always been a challenge for me, since I struggle to hit the “off” button and truly rest. But after becoming self-employed full time last year, I realized the necessity of it. For me, self care looks like:
– Rising early to make time for slow mornings. This usually includes cooking a real breakfast, reading my bible, and chatting about the day ahead with my husband.
– Lots of fresh air. When the weather permits, I get outside to walk the dog or listen to a podcast at lunch. I also work outdoors whenever possible.
– Setting boundaries between work and personal life. Whenever possible, I set “working hours” and don’t let myself check email or my business social media during non-work hours.
I’ve found that the more self care I incorporate into my day, the more productive I am during work hours. It seemed counterintuitive at first, but it really is a worthwhile investment that I’d recommend to any small business owner. Plus, those non-working hours are so much more peaceful because you’re able to fully put away the work. For me, that has been the key to staying energized and avoiding burnout.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Home Street Creative helps businesses and individuals celebrate their favorite people in a thoughtful + personal way. Practically, that looks like:
– Live on-site calligraphy + engraving
– Signage for weddings + events
– Custom engraved + painted gifts
– Calligraphy classes for beginners
A year ago I made the challenging decision to quit my corporate finance job and take Home Street Creative full time. This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made, and it came with lots of fear and doubt. Ultimately, I decided taking a bet on myself to do something I love full time was worth sacrificing the consistent paycheck. I’m 12 months in and I have not looked back. On a daily basis, I am struck by the awe and gratitude that I get to create art for a living.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Have the guts to say yes. My husband gifted me a hand engraving tool for Christmas in 2020. I spent the next few months practicing my calligraphy engraving on all kinds of bottles and glassware, posting my work on Instagram as I went. The following May, Nordstrom called and asked to hire me to engrave perfume bottles live for customers on Mother’s Day weekend. I’d never engraved in front of people and I’d certainly never created my art for a corporate client. I was so scared of screwing up, but I said yes anyway and started preparing. The event went off without a hitch and I did not mess up a single bottle. Today on-site calligraphy engraving is the largest revenue driver for my business.
2. Have the wisdom to say no. Fast forward a few years, and I quit my corporate job to do calligraphy full time in 2023. I had 11 events lined up for December 2023, ~5x more than my historical monthly average. Large corporations were paying me a lot of money to personalize their goods for clients. One Saturday, I received a call from the manager of a large department store asking why I was late. I panicked, realizing I’d marked the wrong event date on my calendar. I rushed to the store, but I still arrived over an hour late for the 4-hour event. I was so focused on growth that I disrespected one of my dream clients in the rush of busy season. Today, my event booking requirements are much stricter and I say no to jobs that might distract from those dream client relationships. Just because you’re available, does not mean you need to say yes.
3. Make friends everywhere. Every time I prepare to chat with a large potential client, I get butterflies. Talking to important people makes me nervous and I don’t want to blow it. But every single time, I realize the person on the other end of the call is just a person. That person has family, friends, and hobbies. I’ve learned to be radically generous and curious in conversations with all people, from corporate clients, to business partners, to individual customers. They say “don’t burn bridges” but I would add “manage your bridges and then build more.” You never know what favors you may need in the future, or where that next opportunity is waiting.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
“The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer has radically shaped how I walk through each day. The book argues that radically eliminating hurry from your life is critical to an emotionally healthy life. As someone who struggles to rest and is constantly thinking about the next productive task for my business, this counterintuitive recommendation changed the way I think.
Comer argues “Hurry prevents us from fully engaging with the process and enjoying the journey.” Enjoying the journey is critical to the success of any business, including pausing to celebrate wins before moving on to the next goal.
The author mentions how “in our pursuit of more, we often miss out on what truly matters.” Each day, remind yourself of your “why.” What matters most? Will that next task actually get you closer to your larger goals? If not, say no.
Comers notes “Hurry is the enemy of creativity and innovation.” This taught me to build margin into my day to make space for the unexpected distractions, answer a phone call from a loved one, or get outside. Creativity flees when you’re rushing from one thing to the next.
Finally, the book notes that before Thomas Edison created the lightbulb, the average person slept 11 hours per night. The issue is not the number of hours in the day, but rather the manner in which we fill each hour. This taught me to better prioritize my “to do” list, cut out the things that don’t really matter, and focus on what does.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.homestreetcreative.com
- Instagram: @HomeStreetCreative
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/homestreetcreative
Image Credits
Engraving in front of window: Alaina Ronquillo Photo Teaching class: Eric Armitage Photography Baseballs: Kelsey Nelson Photography Bourbon bottle: Lauren Muir Photography Perfume bottle engraving: Lauren Muir Photography Painted champagne bottle: Raquel Baxley Photo Mirror seating chart: Tiffany L Johnson Photography Note: image credits are also given in image titles
