Overcoming FEAR is huge when following your dreams because, as we all know, YOU are the biggest supporter of your dreams. No one can do it for you.
Britt Rainer has done exactly that. She has followed her dream and it’s turned into something that supports her family.
It all started after she had her third baby, she began making head wraps out of old materials she had around her home, it turned into Bunny Knots. A business based out of Portland, Oregon that is doing big things and has an incredible future!
You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook to see everything they're up to or to snag some Knots for your babes!
Read her INSPIRING feature below!
Tell us about yourself
My name is Britt! I am the owner and creator of Bunny Knots. I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband, Tyler, and our three children. I am a Bunny Knot slangin’ mama by day, child chauffeur, and Taco Bell drive thru’in mama by night. I unapologetically work all day long and have just recently learned that IT’S OK!
How did you get into your business?
Tyler and I decided to add another babe to our family in 2016. Our youngest was 8 years old – so it was like we were expecting our first child all over again. He was working at an engineer firm downtown and I was working administratively for a local Dermatologist. I have always had the entrepreneur bug up my butt. I’ve felt it in my bones for as long as I can remember, I just wasn’t sure what my niche was. I remember holding my newborn baby in my arms, sobbing at the thought of putting her in daycare. I was desperate to save money so that I could stay home with her as long as possible. I began sewing headwraps for her naked little head using materials I found around the house. Old t-shirts and work out pants, extra swaddle blankets. We couldn’t make it through the grocery store without 20 people stopping us to comment on how adorable her “hat” was and how they’ve never seen anything like them. I went home and presented the idea to Tyler – WE SHOULD SELL THESE. On the left side of my bed, at 2am on February 16th ,
2017 – Bunny Knots was born. I invested $240 in materials to launch my business (that Tyler very nervously handed over – things were TIGHT). We had our first sale on April 21, 2017. All 65 Bunny Knots sold out within hours. Just over a year later, we now sell over 1,500 Bunny Knots each month in a matter of minutes.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has definitely been time management and finding balance during growth. We have grown exponentially over the last year and with that growth has come chaos. Not bad chaos, but chaos. Learning to let go of certain tasks and pass them on to others has been extremely difficult. I want to have my hand on every aspect of my business – which is a blessing and a curse. Every Bunny Knot is still tied by me. Every. Single. One. There will never be balance, I am only one person. I actually think my biggest challenge is that I AM ONLY ONE PERSON.
What do you wish you’d known when you started?
I had started and stopped other small shops leading up to Bunny Knots – but wasn’t
empowered. What I wish I knew THEN is that FEAR will strangle you. It will rob you of any
potential for success. It will lie to you. It will destroy every dream your soul conjures. When you feel FEAR creeping up on you, keep going. That’s when you’re on to something.
If you could narrow your success down to one thing, what would it be?
FEARLESS ABANDON - make decisions like you have nothing to lose. That doesn’t mean be reckless – that means follow your gut, and your heart, and that little voice inside of you that is screaming to be heard – listen to that guy.
Where do you see yourself in a year?
That’s an exciting question. I would love to dip my toes in retail. I would love to write a book. I would love to start a podcast. The sky is not the limit. This is the most exciting time of my life and my motivation is unstoppable.
What are your top three tips for women starting a business?
Don’t let anyone, ANYONE, anyone talk you out of your dream. This goes back to what I said about fear. It will kill your success before you get there.
Mentors – find them and love on them! Whether it’s an author of a book or diving into Instagram and finding some bad ass women to follow - I think submerging yourself into whatever industry you’re interested in is so crucial. Empower yourself with knowledge.
I hate to go back to fear again, but I think it’s such an important thing to talk about. You WILL feel fear on a daily basis. I feel nine levels of fear on any given day. That comes with territory of being an entrepreneur. Learn to roll with it. One day I feel like a total bad ass that can take on the world, 2 hours later I feel like my entire business is going down the drain. Don’t let those completely normal brain shifts deter you.
OH! I have to throw this tip in. With success comes haters. Expect them. Hug them. They aren’t going anywhere. When you experience them, don’t you dare take it personal. Don’t you dare think they matter. Cause’ they don’t. In fact, welcome them – you’re doing something right!
What is a typical day for you like?
There is nothing typical about our days! But every day I wake up, wrangle a nursing baby, make sure the older two are taken care of, and then head down into my studio for the day. I sew for at least 5 hours a day, sometimes that turns into 15 hours a day. I manage all of our social media marketing, meetings, fabric sourcing. Make sure my son has a clean water bottle for football practice. Put the laundry I forgot about into the dryer. That kind of stuff.
What’s your business motto or quote you live by?
LIVE WITH FEARLESS ABANDON
If you were starting your business over again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t change a single thing. Maybe one thing, I would have started sooner.
I would have started trusting myself much sooner in life.
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