Blog

Hi.  I'm Ryan and I am so happy that you're reading this.  I design and make handmade goods that help tell the story of your life in a small little way.  Whether you're buying for yourself or to give as a gift, I take great pride in offering designs that make people feel a little closer to home.  After all, home is where your story begins (or something like that).  But this story begins a little different.

Real talk.....this business was born out of a professional failure.

I was working in a corporate marketing department of a nationwide retail chain and loving every second of it.  The products we sold inspired creativity and the people I was working with did so even more.

It was the fall of 2015 and I had recently been promoted to a management position earlier that summer.  I was thrilled to be “climbing the corporate ladder”, for it was the next step in my professional growth.  I saw my career as some sort of video game where you just had to keep leveling up.  I did have a marketing-focused MBA after all, so I was on my way.  

Or so I thought…

In October of that year, the company served up a career curveball when it went through a corporate reorganization.  My position had been eliminated and I was demoted, but thankfully I still had a job.  I was dejected as I stumbled down a few rungs of that ladder.  However, in a not-so roundabout way, that day sparked this business.

I very quickly decided that moving forward, I would take control of my own future. I never wanted my name to be on another list when a company doesn’t meet the arbitrary revenue projections set for that year.  I needed to find something that I loved doing and would never consider “work”, and that’s when I decided to start making things with my hands.  I have always loved creating, so I set out to create a new life for myself through this passion.

Still my favorite set of coasters after all these years.

At this time, I had really started to love running and was looking for something creative to do with my Cleveland Marathon race bib.  I found a tutorial online and decided to turn my marathon bib into a set of coasters.  Family and friends loved them and I received so many compliments that my business idea was born. 

On New Years Eve of 2015, I officially opened an Etsy shop. 

I had no idea what to name it, so I took inspiration from Harry and Lloyd's worm farm from Dumb and Dumber.  The movie's quotes have infiltrated every aspect of my life since 1994, so I guess it is only fitting that it also helped name my business.

3 years, many sleepless nights, and thousands of cups of coffee later and I Got Crafts is now my sole gig. 

I love pouring every minute of every day into this business.  I don’t see it as work.  I see it as a labor of love that has provided me the ability to craft the life that I always longed for.  I’m most at home when I’m making stuff with my hands….for me, there’s no happier place.