"I Want Success, But in a Manageable Dose": The Reality of Growing a Business as a Mom

What happens when the side hustle you started to pay off your student loans suddenly takes off faster than you ever expected?

In this episode of The Mompreneur Collective, I sit down with Megan Carrier, founder of Mac Designs & Co., to talk about her journey from teaching herself how to make graphic tees and bleaching shirts in her driveway to designing her own clothing line and working with a manufacturer.

In 2023, one of Megan’s Mardi Gras shirts went viral and suddenly she was producing more than 1,000 shirts in 45 days with one Cricut, working into the early morning hours and learning in real time how quickly exciting growth can become overwhelming.

Megan shares what that experience taught her about boundaries, sustainable growth and why she now says, “I want success, but I want it in a manageable dose.” We unpack what she really means by that. Including her struggles with perfectionism, delegating, and allowing other people to help as her business grows.

We also talk about how motherhood changed the direction of her business, the reality behind what successful entrepreneurship can look like on social media, and why so many moms are simply figuring it out as they go.

Megan gets candid about the financial and emotional realities of building your own brand, the freedom entrepreneurship has given her to be present with her family, and the fear that can come with taking the next big step in business.

Her candid advice to the mom sitting at home wondering if she’s qualified, organized or ready enough to pursue her idea?

“Wing it, sis.”

This conversation is your reminder that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. Sometimes you take the risk, learn as you go, and build the business (and life) you want along the way.💛

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome back to the Mompreneur Collective, where each episode you'll hear inspiring stories from incredible mompreneurs that are just out there doing their best to balance all the things. You'll hear about the lessons they've learned along the way and what success looks like for them now. Let's get ready to grow, to be inspired, and to probably laugh a little bit because of just how hard you can relate. Today's guest is Megan Carrier, owner of Mac Designs Co., a graphic tea and children's clothing boutique. I cannot wait for y'all to hear her story. And more than that, I can't wait for you to go shop at her boutique. Megan, welcome to the show. I'm so glad to have you here with us today. Hi, thank you for having me. Of course, of course. So I just want you to take us back to the very beginning. You told me that when Mac Designs Co. started, you started it as a side hustle to help you pay off your student loans. So what did like the earliest version of Mac Designs and Co. look like? And did you ever imagine it being what it is today? Never. Never. Whenever I started this, it was someone was selling a sublimation printer on the Greek Girl Swap shop here locally on Facebook. One of my friends was like, hey, you should buy this. You're good at designing things. You should put your designs on t-shirts. And I was like, okay, you know, it's worth a shot. So I did. I bought the whole setup and taught myself everything that I learned along the way. And it was it started off very slow. Just people that knew me here and there supporting, placing in order. And um it was kind of when back when the bleach teas were popular. If you remember those, they ran for a while. And it was actually my hairdresser this week that was like, wait, do you remember when you were like you know, leaning over in your driveway bleaching t-shirts? And I was like, wait, I actually forgot about that. Like that that was kind of like in the beginning, and yeah, that's that's where it started. Yeah. The bleach tea days, it's where it all began. Oh my goodness. So you told me when we first talked on the phone that having your own clothing manufactured, because you do that, that you told me that it seemed really intimidating for you at first, but someone in your life kind of encouraged you to go for it. And what you started to realize once you got into it was just that maybe we hold ourselves back in life because we believe things are gonna be harder before we start them than they actually are once we get into them. And so I just remember you sharing that with me. So, how much of like entrepreneurship do you feel is that way where it just seems really hard at first, but then once you actually do it, it's not so bad. All of it. All of it. Um, I started having my own clothes manufactured in April when it was actually another boutique owner and I got to talk in, and you know, she was like, Is any of this custom? And I was like, No, like it's on the list, and I have ideas, I just don't know where to go with it, or you know, and so she kind of just told me the tidbit I needed, and I was like, Okay, I got it. And that was it. It was it wasn't hard at all. Like I already had everything downloaded on my phone at my fingertips. It was just the trust aspect of it. Like, who do you trust? Who's you know, because whenever it comes to all this, it's out of the country. So it's like, Am I okay sending the money? You know? And so once I got that nudge, that was all I needed and forever thankful for that nudge. Yeah, that nudge from whoever encouraged you to do it. Yes, yeah, yeah, good for them. So, what was it like what was the mindset shift or the belief that sort of pushed you to go, okay, trust? Because, like you said, that's hard to do to just like trust whoever's gonna, I guess, be a part of this, a part of your business, essentially. Yeah, so uh someone once almost also told me that like you just have to believe in your business. And so I kind of just had to believe that this step is what I needed. And so I kind of just took the risk. And I've been with the same manufacturer since April, and it's great. And I was very impressed with the quality when it came in. So it all worked out. It all worked out, yeah. And that is usually the case. I mean, yes, there are hiccups, there are obstacles along the way that we can get through, but I can't tell you how often I talk to moms. I work with moms that are entrepreneurs, and probably once a session or every other session at least, it's that common. I hear them share something to the effect of I thought it was gonna be so much harder, and it really wasn't that bad. Yeah. And like, remember that for a next change. So that's like any when it comes to anything changing is when I'm hesitant. So like you get in your comfort zone and then you have an idea, but then it requires something to change or something added to your plate that you've already feel full is full. Um But yeah, I'm glad I I'm glad I got the nudge that I needed. Yeah. It's interesting to me, and this is for me lately personally too, but it's interesting to me how we always kind of just operate in life as if our plate is over full. Like it's just too full, there's too much on it, like there's no possible way I could handle anything else. And then here we are. And then damping, adding more to it and just continuing on. Like it's yeah, but then some idea happens, some new thing just you know is presented to you, and you're just like, yeah, okay, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

And all of a sudden, there's all this time that you didn't think was there before. And so, how much of you know, just the way that we manage our time is just mindset related? Like it's wild. Yeah, totally agree. It's wild. Okay. So I want you to share about a story because I think that this is an important um, I think that it is a lesson that you probably learned that is an important lesson that other Mompreneurs could learn from. So in 2023, one of your Mardi Girl shirts went viral and everything changed. So walk us through what really happened when that shirt took off. Like, were you prepared for that level of demand? Absolutely not. Tell us what happened. Absolutely not. I don't even think today I would be prepared for that. Um, so once again, back when uh fad was, you know, happening, I jumped on board with the puff vinyl, which you know, all done with a heat press, graphic tee, sweatshirts. Um, I released a Mardi Gras puff design that was pretty hectic, chaotic. It was basically like a puzzle piece. And it was vinyl, so you had a lot of weeding, and it it took off. Well, I decided to do a giveaway to help my page grow since it was something that was in demand, and I gained 2,000 followers overnight, and I got a ton of orders, and I started panicking, and I was like, Oh goodness, I have one cricket, one heat press, I'm one person. At the time I had a four-year-old, three, four-year-old. So I brought my mom in to help since my husband works away. Um, and we would work like 72 hours straight. And that's not exaggerating. I believe that we were working on like three days of no sleep. Um, it was rough, it was very rough. I'm forever thankful, but I will gladly take my slow progression of followers over, you know, that kind of now with the kids' clothes is different. I will gladly take that many orders because I'm not actually physically creating them. Yeah. When it came to this, it was like a 45 day span of working straight.

unknown 8:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

And if we would have a thousand shirts in 45 days, and with one cricket, it might not sound like a lot when you think of it like that, but yeah, one cricket. And it wasn't just it wasn't just like, you know, like what I do now. It wasn't just you print out a transfer, you press it, and then you, you know, you're done. It was a whole process. And it was, yeah. Yeah. That that that part of life or time of life is kind of a blur. I bet it is. You told me you guys were delivering orders at like 3 a.m. So I'm curious, what did that season in your business teach you about the difference between like just growth and sustainable growth? Yeah. So my husband and I were out delivering at 3 a.m. the night before the Young's Bill parade. We were just leaving them at people's doors, and I was messaging, like, hey, so sorry to message you in the middle of the night, but we just dropped off your order. You know, hope you love it. I'm risking our locks right now. It was, it was, I ended up falling asleep. Luckily, my husband did not. Um, because yeah, it was 30. Like at the wheel. No, I fell asleep in passenger seats. That's why I say he was driving, so thankfully he did not. Okay. No, no, but I I mean, he was a trooper when he came home too, and he jumped in and helped, but it was I mean, it was literally like a factory in our house. Like it was boxes everywhere, sweatshirts everywhere. One cricket. I don't know how it's still it, I mean, it still works to this day. I don't currently own it anymore, but it it did all of that in 45 days. Yeah. And I think it's it's, you know, a lot of people I think think they want that, like that overnight success. But when it actually happens, like are you really prepared for what's gonna come from that? Or is it just the idea of the success that you're excited about and ready for? Right. I was very thankful. Still, you know, it completely changed my life. But yeah, it that many I guess I would have needed to like limit, you know, until I would have finished. But like I didn't know, you know, what it was gonna be. And I saw the opportunity and I was like, this is this is great, you know, let's see, you know, and so that's why I didn't cap it. Um, and we did it and we made it, but probably not all. I mean, I think in those 45 days, I think I had gained like 20 pounds like from no sleep and like not eating yeah much. And if I did eat, it was like dairy green. Yeah. I mean, we to stop to use the bathroom was a task in itself, you know. Yeah, you're making so many sacrifices to get those orders out. And just yeah, that is like the epitome of not sustainable. And one something, yeah, no, absolutely not. That's what I said. Like, and my mom's like, you wouldn't do it again, and I'm like, no, absolutely not. Absolutely not. Like it would have to be in a very different way, it would have to be very like, okay, only accepting this many orders until this is done, and this is the turnaround time, you know, like this is realistically what I can do in taking care of my orders. Yes. And in the beginning, I didn't have that because it was all new. And I mean, this was literally overnight. Yeah, so it was just unexpected, you know. Yeah, so forever thankful, but I'll I'll take it in doses. And I'm I'm very willing to work for it and work hard for it. Yeah, it was it was it's a story to tell, but it's it's uh scary memory too. Like scary memory. She's like, I have nightmares. Yeah, yeah. Pretty much. Well, you told me something that was really, really powerful, at least I think it's really powerful. You told me I want success, but I want it in a manageable dose. Yes. I mean, gosh, isn't this what all of us mompreneurs want? Yeah success, but in a manageable dose. And I think what I really meant by manageable is me. Like me manage it all. Because I am not a good delegator. I'm a control freak to say the least, which I think most women, especially Montpreneurs, have that in us. Like, I'm very not good at handing something off to someone else. I'd rather do it. I mean, I hang and tag on my own clothes. I mean, my husband will jump in and help, but I'm still like, hey, that's on the hanger crooked, you know? But like, you know, uh the the store that I rent space in, she's always like, you can ship it here. And I'm like, no, like and it would be fine, but I would have to go there and do it. And it's just easier to do it from home at this point. Yeah. But I'm like, what if somebody like tags it wrong? You know, like I don't want to be able to blame somebody else. I want to be able to say, I messed up, and then just you know, I fix it from there. Oh, you have no idea how hard I can relate to that. Yeah, I'm just the doer. Even when we drive somewhere, like I I'll I'll drive. I got it. Yeah. So with my greenhouse that I'm currently building, I told you about in my backyard. There's so many things along the way where I've shared like something that sounds exactly like that to my husband. I'm like, I'm just I'm just gonna do it because if I do it, I don't have to be mad at you if something's wrong with it. Uh-huh. Yep. That's yeah, that's it. That's it. Oh God definitely sounds like me. It's it's a trait. It's a trait of us entrepreneurs, I think. Well, so what does success look like to you now after experiencing what it feels like to have like what feels like overnight success, right? Like, do you think your definition of success changed after experiencing what it felt like to have something just blow up like that? Yeah. So I guess, I mean, kind of like you said in the beginning, it's hard to view ourselves as that. You're gonna make me cry. Sorry. No, you're good. You're fine. Take a moment. Like, I guess I don't feel like I deserve it. I know I work hard for it. I'm not supposed to be crying right now. Um, it's hard to know that that's my life and that I got here because I deserve it and work so hard for it. I'm like, is this real life? Because success doesn't always mean you have money. Right. You know, it doesn't always mean you're living better than somebody else. It takes a lot to put into a business, and that's the thick of it I'm in right now because creating my own brand has taken a lot, you know, and growing a store has taken a lot. Um so it's hard, it's very hard. So yeah, like I know like I deserve it because I know how hard I work for it, but it's always hard, like you see yourself from your point of view. I mean, when I think about it, I still feel 18. So to think that I'm almost 32 with two kids married, and then all this is my life, it's hard to like see that. Oh my gosh. I think I think how many moms listening that could probably like say that exact sentence themselves as if it was their own. Yeah. Like you have no idea. Well, it makes me feel good to know that I'm not like just this emotional crazy person sitting here that it's all it's all relatable and I just no girl. Like I don't talk to people, I work, so it's it's hard. Look, that's why I created the Mompreneur community and not in our city. It's like I think it's it feels lonely and it's nice to talk to other people that are in the thickness. Who understands and understand what you are struggling with and what you're going through. It's a lot because being a business owner is one thing. Whenever you mix kids and family into it, it's a totally different level. And um that I think that's part of the reason. Yeah, I mean, we struggled too, but we waited a long time between Clay and Callie, you know, for me to say I'm ready because I was also building a business, and I was like, if we do that, then what does that mean? You know? And so we tried for two years and then she came about, but she is a blessing. Like she is the easiest baby. She lets me do what I have to do, and she's a digger. But as long as she's not breaking anything, hurting herself, or whatever, we're good. Dig away, sister. Just let mama do what I gotta do, and then I'll be able to get back, you know, to singing with you soon. Yeah, what I gotta do. Cheers to have an easy baby, so blessed with just such an easy little girl. So she has made this whole like balancing mom and entrepreneurship life like pretty easy for me for the most. My first one, not so much. So that's why I was like, oh, if I get another one like this, what am I gonna do? But she's she's great. Uh Clay is great too. Let me let me put that there. Oh my gosh. That's the end of like let me make sure my kid knows that I love him.

unknown 16:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

If he ever listens to me, sorry, didn't need to get all emotional on you. It's just no, like I just struggled to just see, like, you know, and I just know what people see like on Facebook. You know, when you look at people's life on Facebook, you're like, oh my god, they have it all, but it's not always green grass and butterflies, you know, like it's it's hard. No, it's really hard, especially when you're trying to be a mom and a wife and everything in between. Yeah. No, I mean, every mom that I've brought on this podcast so far is just, I mean, we all sing the same tune of I'm just figuring it out as I go. Yeah. Like, what are you doing? I'm like, uh, I mean, I really had someone reach out to me and say, hey, like, I I I'd like to start my own online boutique. Do you have anything to share? And I'm like, girl, no, because I can't even tell. Like, I don't know how I ended up here. It just kind of happened. Like, I there, I have no advice for you. Like, just you do that. You know what you can tell her now? You can say, Go listen to this episode on the Mompreneur Collective. That's where you'll hear all the advice from me. Yeah, it's it's nothing like this is what you need to do, which just take the risk, I guess. Like, take the risk, go for it. It's gonna feel hard. But like as far as professional advice, girl, um, I don't have much of that. She said, Go for it and good luck. Yeah. Wish you the best. So you had your little girl. So, how has motherhood influenced the direction of your business and the things that you wanted to create in it? So it has taken a bit of a 180. We started out with graphic teas and graphic teas only. Um, and when I found out I was pregnant with a girl, that changed quickly when I was, you know, buying all the girl things and the cute clothes. And then it kind of dawned on me. I was like, wait, you already own a business, you're already renting space in a store. So what about kids' clothing? And I was like, okay. So that's what we did. And we carried just generic brands up until I decided to create my own. I love that so much. And now we're overflowing with kids' clothes because I feel like she has to have one of everything that comes through the door. Of course. Of course. And I'm like, okay, I need to narrow it down. But my narrowing narrowing it down is does she need the bubble or the bloomer set in this pattern? Uh-huh. Or the dress, because now we're getting into the dresses. And I'm like, okay, now it's not so much which one I'm gonna keep, it's which style am I going to keep. Yes. I I am right there with you. Absolutely. I was like right before you got here, actually. I was on your website because I was making sure I had the right website to link it up in the episode show notes because I will do that. You guys will be able to find all of Megan's links in today's episode show notes. But when I was looking at your website, I saw the little candy corn set.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

Oh, yeah. And I was like, oh my gosh, do I want the dress or do I want the little set? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

I literally put all three of them aside, and then I see, like, okay, well, I have a bubble in this one and no other option, so that I have to keep the bloomer set in this one and then the dress in this one. That's how we figure it out. So cute. Nobody prepares you for how hard it's gonna be to have self-control around shopping for your kid. And I think it's safe to say little girl specifically because I think that it's much, much harder. And now, like I get the boy things in and I'm like, I didn't dress my son like this, so now I need another little boy so I can dress in this. But luckily, my best friend just had a little boy, so I'm like, hey, just put him in this.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

Oh gosh, I love that. That's so cute.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

But it's it's because I'm you know, once I had clay, and now that I have my girl, I never thought I would say willingly that I'll take another boy. And I'm like, okay, well, now that I have a girl, like I want her to be my girl. So, like, if we did ever decide on third one, I'm like, can I have another boy? Yeah. Oh my gosh. So so many moms that I talk to, they share with me how they include their kids in their business, which I think is really special. So I don't know if you've ever thought about that, and your kids may be entirely too young to do any of that yet. But do you ever think that you might want to include them somehow in the biz? Yes. So they're always my models.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

They'd posted all over that's where they start.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Yes. And Callie is always next to me when I'm hanging things. Um, I mean, yesterday we got in our big shipment of all of our Christmas custom designs. And so my husband was sitting on the floor hang putting things on hangers, and she was actually passing them to me. And she's only 15 months old. And my husband, Chase, would say, Hey, hand this to mama, and she would bring it to me and I'd put it on the hand. And so they they're definitely every time I go stock at the store, she's with me. She wreaks havoc on the bow rack and whatever else she can get her hands on. And then, you know, I'm forced to do more work like what I went down for. Go go have to do that. But I let her do rack while I do my thing. Let her do. Clay, mm, he pictures is about as far as it'll go for now. Like he's all boy. Yeah, like bowl in a china cabinet. All boy. So as far as like sitting down to help, no, he wants nothing to do with that. He'd rather be outside. That's totally understandable. Yeah. I'm sure one day he maybe. Maybe. Maybe teenager who be, you know, mom, I'll help you carry that or something. But right now he j no. I'll I'm gonna go play outside. Yeah. That's how most of my friends who have little boys, that's how they are. So you've got a normal kid. Congratulations. All or nothing. That's him. It's it's I mean 24-7. He's go, go, go. Oh my gosh. Till his eyes shut, unwillingly. Like I'm sure you wish you could borrow some of his energy sometimes. Yes, yes. I'm like, okay, so what what age did I lose my energy like that? I know it's crazy how we feel like babies, toddlers can make us feel so old all of a sudden. Because I just watch her even do something as simple as playing on the floor and she'll just like bend a certain way or like pick her leg off a weird way. And I'm just like, oh my God, that look that hurts looking at it. Like, how? How do you do that? Anyway, yeah. Well, Megan, you said to me, and I think that it's maybe where some of the emotions were coming from when you got a little bit emotional. Like when we spoke previously, you said you said to me, I was never meant for this. I'm not organized. I don't know what I'm doing. I just roll with it. Yes. Yet here you are building a clothing brand, selling retail, working in real estate, raising a family, doing all the things. So do you ever, you know, and I feel like maybe yes is the answer because you just got a little emotional over it. But it's like, do you still struggle with feeling like you're not the type of person who's supposed to? And I'm putting air quotations up in the air, but do you ever feel like you're you're struggle with feeling like you're not the type of person that's supposed to be a successful entrepreneur? Yeah. And I mean, like you said, I think that's probably why I got a little emotional. I have a degree in health information management and have never used it. I never wanted to be a boss or it was never a dream to be a business owner. Yeah. It was I never even really thought about being a real estate agent. You know, I never really it was ever a dream to be a realtor. And it all just kind of happened, uh, which is all a blessing. Um I mean, I I I definitely live what was meant for you, clearly. Yeah. So I definitely live a much happier life, I would say. Um, I get to be home with my kids, I get to be home with my husband on his days off. I'm not sitting in a cubicle all day, which props to moms that are, because that's probably not easy. Um but I get to be there with my kids and I get to work my own schedule and I get to do my own thing. And if something comes up I don't have to answer to anyone, it's a good feeling. But at the same time, it it's it's hard. It's still hard. So I definitely feel like this is a better fit, and I I couldn't picture my life any different. Yeah, it's like you could never go back now, right? No, no, like the idea. It's still hanging on my wall, but I'm like that I would never it but the degree or the degree, yeah. It's just hanging there, and that's all that'll it'll ever do. Yeah, mine used to be on my wall and took it down. I'm like, why is this up there? Yeah, I don't know. Well, it a reminder of why I work so hard because I the amount I pay per month for that thing. Yeah, right. Like, this is what I paid for this right here. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So for any of the moms listening, like if another mom is sitting at home right now going, you know, she's like, I've got this idea, but maybe she's thinking, like, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not organized enough. I'm not qualified enough. I wasn't meant for this. I have no idea how to turn this little idea that I have into a real business. What would you tell her based on everything you've learned in your journey so far? Wing it, sis. No, go for it and good luck. Pretty much. Yes, wing it. I don't know. So my CPA is gonna hate me. Because I I mean, when I tell you organized chaos, it's uh you know, my brain is a little organized, but nothing else about me is my goodness. But go for it. It's it's a wonderful life. It's it's hard, but just work hard, make it happen. Yeah, it's possible. Yeah, it is 100% possible. Cheers to that. And cheers to raising humans and building something meaningful. Cheers. Just to remind everybody, I will link up all of the ways that you can connect with Megan, support her business in the episode show notes. So thank you so much for being here with us today. Thanks for inviting and keep being awesome. Yes, man. Hey mama, I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you did, share it with another mompreneur who needs to hear it. Your support means the world to me. And be sure to go check out the links in this episode show notes to go shopping for some really cute clothes for your kiddo from Mac Designs and Co. Until next time, y'all.