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Today on the show, you are listening to my first interview with Heather Stepanik, a Wife, Mother of two, swimwear designer, entrepreneur, and newly debt free as of February 2019.
This was a great interview, couldn’t have had a better first interviewee on the podcast. Heather has impeccable style and is very creative. We discuss her debt freedom and her newly paid off mortgage that they paid for with cash with a move from Washington to Michigan.
Some highlights from Heather’s story:
Pursuing a Career
Challenges in college with having a child young in Southern California and trying to figure out how to pursue a career in fashion design and her choosing a different route due to her responsibility as a mom, ending up becoming an entrepreneur after starting to sew her own clothes.
Money Perspective
Growing up in a frugal family and learning about money and paying cash. Then learning more about money with her husband once she got married and buying their first house after the time of the recession in 2008. They bought a house that would be cheaper than renting an apartment and listened to Dave Ramsey to work to pay down their debt and pay for things with cash.
Jobs with Work and Location Flexibility
Both in jobs that have work location flexibility, both her and her husband are business owners. They moved their family across the country, from Southern California to Oregon and then Michigan – with a desire to get out of the busy city first, buying a bigger more expensive house, and then eventually realizing they bought too much house and had a desire to pay off their house in full.
Talk about Moving to Michigan and Having a Simpler Lifestyle
Their final move to buy a house that they could pay cash for, in a small town in Michigan and buying a house from the 1800’s, a beautiful old home. They are also remodeling it and restoring the hardwoods.
Future Goals for Heather
A journey of where they get to do more of what they choose to do – regarding her business and a more leisurely lifestyle, homeschooling, building up the career that you want earlier on and later on dictate your schedule. Not just financial freedom but more of a lifestyle flexibility for travel or just your day to day lifestyle and how you choose to work.
Retail Industry Challenges
We review how her business started and the challenges she has faced now as a retail, swimwear designer and how her business started and how it works and how they live. Lots of good small business lessons in general, how she started and sold on Etsy and then her website and built up her following.
Where you Can Find Heather
- Heather’s Red Dolly swimwear business – RedDollySwimwear.com
- Instagram: @HeatherStepanik