Meet Bethanie Thompson | Mom with a Creative Side Hustle

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethanie Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethanie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Creativity is such a part of who I am. My whole life I’ve been creating in one form or another. As a wife of an activity duty Air Force member, a mom of three, a substitute teacher, a volunteer in many organizations, I’d been constantly using my creativity for events, lessons, crafting. Once my husband’s career in the Air Force was over and my kids were more independent, I saw an opportunity to use that creativity in a bigger way. I had no significant goals, I just wanted to be creative on a bigger scale and also saw the potential to provide additional opportunities for our family in the way of travel and activities. It also opened a door to give more generously to people where we saw a need.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am most excited about being able to offer unique, custom products at an affordable price point. I am fortunate that my small business is mostly for fun which allows me to create for anyone who is just looking for something special at a price point they can afford. I refer to my business as my “hobby hustle” because it really gives me an outlet to do what I love and earn a little money doing it.

I am not formally trained in graphic artistry. I broke into what I am doing with a Cricut. My initial interest was in making items for our family but also gifts for friends, teachers, neighbors. This has grown into additional methods of customization to include sublimation and direct to film transfers as well as embroidery which allows me so much more depth and range in what I am capable of producing. I am always learning something new as new technologies develop and gain traction and affordability. It’s a bit of a challenge learning new skills, but it’s also exciting! I am grateful for all the education that is available online that has made this growth possible. I have learned I am capable of doing things that were never on my radar and that people do like what I make enough to pay for it! As a stay at home mom, it is gratifying to know that I am producing products that have value outside of my home.

My brand is really YOUR brand! It is my deepest joy to create items that celebrate my customer: their passions, their people, their places, their purpose. It is my goal to create something uniquely you that reinforces how special you are. Psalm 139:14 is the inspiration behind the name “Only One You.” I want to rejoice in the special person you are and know that you are wearing a shirt, carrying a water bottle, hanging an ornament on a tree that recognizes that.

I am still learning how to balance the requirements of an operating business with home life, but I am grateful for an opportunity to do what I love and have an opportunity to live generously as a result.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A visit here would definitely start with Seven Falls! I think it is the most beautiful place here in Colorado Springs. I’d follow that up with a fun lunch at IvyWild…I love everything about that place: the repurposing of an old high school, the variety of food and drink options, the views!

A summer trip here would absolutely include some time in downtown Monument: the summer concerts in the park, the Friday art walks. Bistro on 2nd and Black Forest Cafe are my local favorites!

Hiking Spruce Mountain is a must as well as a pop out to the Air Force Academy to share where my Air Force journey began.

I would not let a friend leave with making it to Atmosphere Gastropub for food and drinks and breakfast at Lake and Lantern, a new local restaurant that is a real treat!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been blessed to live forty-five minutes down the road from my precious friend, Sandie Dugas, after we both landed in Colorado after growing up in Arizona. My business venture has grown in earnest since we moved here after my husband’s retirement. I am so grateful that she has been accessible in terms of her proximity to me and the time she has carved out to help me. Besides the fact that she has been a faithful friend from over thirty years, she has been such a source of knowledge and encouragement as I have grown this side hustle. She has shared information, promoted me, as well as placed several orders. She is quick to reassure of my potential and my worth.

Instagram: onlyoneyoubybeth

Facebook: Only One You

Image Credits
Claire DeBoer