Welcome to Side Hustlers. I'm your host, Carla Murray. I host a morning show for iHeart Radio in Seattle calls the Carla, Maurie and Anthony Show. You can hear it on one oh six point one. You can also do Kiss FM Seattle dot com slash listen to hear it on your I Heart Radio app for free every weekday morning. And I'm telling you that because I have teamed up with Barry's boot Camp. Our show is teamed up, our station is teamed up, and we're doing a workout that gives back to Seattle Children's Hospital. So if you're in the area, go to Kiss FM Seattle dot com to sign up. It's October Saturday, two pm. It's gonna be a lot of fun. We're gonna get our butts kicked, but all the money is gonna go to Seattle Children's Hospital. This week's side Hustler is Amber Larks. Amber is in the thick of it right now. She is side hustling and she's got a day job. And her side hustle is Amber Larks Art and Photography. And you're gonna hear her story and you're gonna fall in love with her. But I want you to go to Amber Larks dot com and Amber Larks on Instagram to see her work as you hear this episode. So let's hear from Amber for a lot of people. You know, why are you wait? Do you know what you want to do? And this is something you want to do and do it. I'm a hustles side side hustle. Do it. I'm a hustles side side hustlo. Do it. I'm a hustle, side side hustve come on ask about me yo yo. It's the side Hustless podcast we call of the Root. I've got Amber joining me today. So it's a Saturday morning. Good morning, Amber, good morning. I know you're not well. You may be listening to this on Saturday in a random yeor I don't even know. But Amber is actually obviously here to do the podcast. And then you're heading out to go do something that involves one of your side hustles or a part of your side hustle. So you've got quite the busy day. So let's get into this. So the name of your company is Amber Lark's Art and Photography. Correct, that is your full blown side hustle, and you have a full time job at this current moment exactly. Okay, so you went to w s U. You studied what in school? So I studied business administration, that's my degrees in, and I did a double major in entrepreneurship and management and operations. So it's kind of a mouthful, but yeah, those were my two kind of leading paths in college. UM, and I also did I was trying to get an art minor, but I was one credit away, I think from getting it, but like doesn't really matter now. My counselor was kind of like, oh, you can just say you emphasized an art So I kind of went with that, but don't just stop telling people that I was an art minor. Done. No, I'm not going to go look up your transcription. I'm not going to do that. Why did you focus on entrepreneurship because I didn't know that was really even a thing you could do in college. Yeah. I when I was looking at schools and majors, UM kind of in the same boat as most people. They're like, I don't know what I want to commit to for the rest of my life. And I had always grown up like being an entrepreneur because my family has a background and starting side hustles and doing that as a living. When I was deciding on what I wanted to do, I didn't even know it was a major at the time. I don't know how I even discovered it. But once I saw it like written, I was like, Okay, that's something I could see myself doing. And so UH saw w SU had a program for it and a really good business school, and just kind of went from there. I was really excited to just even if I wasn't sure what the business was going to be, just to learn about how to make something. I would say that's probably something that's started in this decade at colleges, because I don't think in the early two thousand's people were learning how to run their own business, but really they should have been. It's like all the stuff you wish you learned in high school. I had to do your taxes and stuff. This is what you should be learning in college because so many people are starting their own businesses and I hear it all the time in this podcast. They're using Google to learn how which is great and way cheaper than going to college. But it would be awesome if you learned in college. So you graduated in twenty sixteen, and then you went right into the workforce, like you had a job right away. Yeah, So before I graduated, I got a job set up over here in Seattle. In Seattle, Yeah, decided I wanted to move to Seattle after graduating, so went straight in. I think there was a couple of weeks in between, and I found the job at this engineering firm that I'm currently at. So it was engineering, something that you were really into. So no, I'm not an engineer. I just worked on the administration team there, but yeah, I just needed something that would allow me to move over here. I didn't think i'd still be there now, but it's kind of been a blessing in disguise, just to be able to support myself and my other passions. So you were working at this this engineering firm. It was forty hours a week, like full time job. When did you start your side hustle. I think it was that year after, like April. So I graduated May often started working two weeks after, and it was around April where I was like, Okay, it's almost been a year that I've been here. Kind Of all of the new newness of everything had kind of been wearing away and I was just kind of like, you know that type cool story, go to the office back in that routine, and I wanted to try something that I actually wanted to put my degree towards. So I was like, whatever, I'll just apply for a business license. And that's not whatever, I'll just apply for a business license. I didn't know like what exactly I would be doing, so I just made the business name my name art and photography because I was kind of a broad range of things and just started kind of going from there. I didn't really want to try and plan too much and just try to like apply myself. Well. Also, applying for a business license is not the most simple thing. It was like not terrible, it's just I feel like they do it on they make it a little confusing on purpose so that not everyone does it. Yeah, I feel like if I didn't have the background in like business, I would have been like what's the sole proprietorship versus an LLC? And like all of that type of stuff. So I do have a business license, and I still don't know what that means. So I'm like, all right, whatever, I mean, this works. There's still some things I'm googling too, So you said that you went to w T and you wanted to move to Seattle. So w s U is out in eastern Washington. For people who are listening who don't know where that is, it's how many hours from Seattle, It's like six hours, it's pretty far. Where did you live before that that you went to w s U. So? I grew up in Los Angeles, kind of in a suburb surrounding l A. I live there, sorry, my whole life until I was eighteen, and then went to Pullman, and I wanted a big city change after Pullman. It's always crazy to me that people from sunny l A come out to eastern Washington, or western Washington for that matter. So did you know that you just you didn't want to go back to l A. That's not where you wanted to be. I love l A, but I feel like it's two in my comfort zone. My family is there and I missed them a lot, and I always try and travel back there as much as I can. I'm just so I was so used to it, and I feel like I wasn't really independent while I was there, and kind of when you go back home, you kind of feel like you're in high school. Again for me. So I wanted a city in Washington, such a beautiful state, and it's amazing see I the same way, but didn't know I was the same way until I moved to Seattle. But I wasn't. I was twenty eight, I think, don't even know how old it was when I did it. The fact that you realized at such a young age that you need to get out of your comfort zone is huge, and I think that one probably hit home for a lot of people listening right now. We're like, yeah, I'm in my comfort zone and I need to leave it. So that's awesome that you realized that. You So you sign up for this business license and you get it and it's Amber Lark's art and photography. Right then, what, Oh my gosh. It was a really slow build up. I guess I was still kind of overwhelmed with postgrad life and figuring things out and being in a new city. So I just started drawing things and painting things that just kind of made me happy and like made me laugh, And so I came up with this like character. It's called Salty the salt Pile. If you okay, So you gave me a bag at your bag yeah, you'll see what I'm talking about. Hold On, I just thought something that I that was not I'm very excited. Hold on, wait, salty the salt pile. Yes, oh my god. I love dad hats. Yes, I'm obsessed with dad hats. So it is a salt pile who looks salty? Yes? Yes, so I just love that term, and I love this so much. Whenever I would get like, you know, salty, my boyfriend just be like, you're just like a salt pile, and so that just kind of like put that in my head. Okay, So I do want to describe this though. It's a patch on a hat. Yes, how do you go about? Obviously you sketch this? Yes, how does the patch like? First of all, this is like great quality. It looks better no offense the lids. I've had things embroidered at lids, and I don't know how to look like this. Well, thank you. So I think we might need to get a side hustler's patch. Hell yeah, okay, so how does this happen? Okay? So it started out as a sketch, just literally on like a torn piece of male envelope. You still have that sketch? I do, Yeah, I can't. I can't talk that. And then I ended up painting salty and then that painting turned into like a vector image on Photoshop, and then the place I got it printed, it's called the Foundry in Seattle. They're really great, great quality. I was really in love with their work. They printed those for me. Um. I don't know really how embroidery works, but it came out great. And they're iron on patches. So are you Amber the one ironing these on? Yes? Yes? So, I mean it takes a while, but it's it's fine. Do you have a space or are you doing this in your apartment? Literally in my hallway? Yeah? Do you live with your boyfriend? I do, because he love that. Yeah, he's fine with it. He's honestly been amazing and like super supportive and he's helping me at markets. And I don't think I could do like any of this, just confidence wise without him. I'm such an introvert that, like it's really helpful to have somebody like giving you confidence to do stuff. It's crazy because a lot of people do say that, like if it wasn't for my partner pushing me or telling me I could do this, I wouldn't have done it, but thank God that you are and think that you did do it because this is so cute. So it starts with salty. Salty is kind of like the basis of what really gets you off the ground. Then what like when did you start actually selling your sketches and your drawings and all that. So that first year I was just kind of, I guess, looking for an outlet to just have fun with things. So that's why I was doing all this cartoony stuff and then people liked it and I was I just kept going with it and then kind of like it was kind of like a hard year. My grandma passed away, my boyfriend actually got a concussion and was like out of work for like a year. It was it was pretty bad. So that was a really tough year, and I it was kind of a blur, and so I kind of just like used art as like an outlet to like relax and like self help and everything. So I started like painting and doing more just mediums that I wasn't familiar with, and everything just kind of went into my art. And then this year, um, I started doing like flea markets and stuff, and I feel like my art really reflects my moods. I guess that makes sense because it's so personally of course, and this year everything is just kind of a bit more like lively and like refreshed and has been a blessing. That's amazing and that's really cool to hear. But when I talk about like your art, your your prints, I it's funny to try to explain it because I'm like, well, it's a print, but it has does it actually have like the lavender one? Is that real lavender? So my handprints, everyone's always really confused by them, so like my favorite ones. So they start out as graphite sketches, and then I kind of just like go on nature walks in my neighborhood and find like nature pieces to like photograph on top of them, and then I bring them into Photoshop and refine them and edit them and then get them printed locally in Seattle. And the paper is really great quality, so it kind of looks like people like, is that watercolor or like painting that is actually a piece of lavender? Like what like at first was like she gluing lavender onto these things. Basically, I mean I I put the lavender on the page and then I photograph it. Wow, So that is how you literally you tie photography right into your art exactly. Do you do other photography outside of that? Yeah, Before I started doing like painting an illustration design, I was all photography, and I kind of transitioned because it's so common now. I guess there's a lot of great photographers, but it's so almost easy, I feel, because the phones and everything and it's accessible, and I just wanted to like transition into something, um that was a bit more different. But yeah, I did photography ever since high school really, and I love it still. So your day job at the time when you first started with forty hours a week, and I love what kind of happened at work, your side hustle started picking up and you're spending a lot of time in it. When you went to your boss and said I can't do this. Yeah, it was at that year marker point and was talking with one of my friends there, she was an engineer year and we're both just kind of feeling like, I don't know if we can keep doing this, and we were both like, well, why don't we just like quit? And that was like kind of stupid millennial logic And it always helps when you have someone who's in it with you. So we're like, okay, we'll do it on the same week. We like I had it like secretly on our calendars with like a star and we were like we bought like tickets to Cancoon, Like we were like, this is happening. We like, we can't back out. And so I went to my boss. It was really scary because I love her. She's amazing, really grateful for my team, and I was like, I want to put in my two weeks and she just kind of like put her head down and was like really bummed, and I was bummed, and I told her my reasoning was because I needed more time to work on my my art. In the forty hours a week just wasn't working with me. I was really worn out and just not motivated. So I thought I need to make a change. And I was like, I can pick up other jobs that are part time, you know, just to make money. I was like, there's always something you can do. And you came back at me with, well, would you want to work part time here? And so I never even thought that would be an offen with my current gig, And you know, I told her, I was like can I have a few days to think about it. Yeah, I think about it, and so yeah, I told her I would accept her off for eventually, and I was like, but um, I kind of bought these tickets to Cancoun because I thought I wouldn't have a job, and she was fine with that. She was like, well, why don't you just start back up here part time thirty hours a week after Cancoun. I was like, okay, okay, that is like fairy tale scenario. Yeah that worked out. Yeah, I was so grateful, But what happened to your coworker who was quitting also? She actually ended up moving to Tampa, Florida, so she's in the sun now and she's actually doing real estate, so she totally pivoted as well. Okay, super cool. Yeah, so you go on this trip to Canco and you come back. Yeah, you start working thirty hours a week, and then are you just what is your schedule? Then? Is it five days a week at the office? So I do Monday through Wednesday like full time. I'm like seven thirty to like four thirty, and then Thursdays I do like a half day, so leave at one o'clock and then Friday's I have off, which is super super helpful for what I'm doing, like markets, to have that time to prep and it's been honestly great. I still have benefits. Luckily. It's a blessing that was at the one year mark you said, yeah, I've been doing it like two years. I think obviously that was great going through everything with your boyfriend too. I'm sure having that time to help him through things that that year. But now you're spending your weekends also working because you're going to markets. So when this episode airs, you will have just wrapped up at the full Moon Market, which is our friends Laura and Tawny. Tonny has been on the podcast before. Laura Bergard. I've talked about her a ton and she'll be on in the future. But their market is incredible. How did you link up with them? I think I saw a sponsored ad or something for them on Instagram and just went to their page and saw what they were doing. Um, this was kind of when they first started. I think they started January past year and just seemed like a really cool community and I kept it kind of on my radar for when I was ready to start doing markets and applied for the October one and got in so really awesome. And then I saw you hosted it. Yeah, we host We did a panel women. It was like a women in small business panel that we did. We were we planned on doing another one in the future, but yeah, it was. It was really cool because it's so fun for people to hear the story of the people they're buying from, and you don't get to do that at markets. I mean sometimes people are gonna ask obviously go up to Amber, like well, what's the story behind this? But you don't get to fully tell your story. And I think that was great for people because I feel like after that they're like, well, I want to buy all the stuff from all these amazing people. So that was cool. So you've never done a full moon market. Never done a full Moon market. I've done the free month Sunday Market, Um, the Sodo Market. I guess that's all I've done. But I do it like every month. And you've got the Renegade Craft Fair so people can come see this December. It's the fourteenth and fifteenth. Renegade Craft Fair is huge. It is a great place to do all off your Christmas shopping. Yeah, holy crap, I didn't realize, like how big of it was when I applied, Like they're like expect about twelve people and I'm just like, I don't know if I have the inventory for that or it's a lot of people. But there are also a lot of other vendors there, so it's a great place for you to meet people too. But those are long days. Market days are a really long day. Do you have anyone helping you? My boyfriend, he's amazing, and I also have been partnering with some other creatives here, so we'll share booth sometimes. Um smart you have you know, set up help with that, and costs are a little lower if you're sharing, you can go to the bathroom because someone else can ring up any customers you exactly. So you're then working thirty hours a week as a day job. You have Friday, Thursday, Friday a little bit to you, and then weekends our market, so you're really working more than a full time job at this point when you add it all up. Yeah, I was thinking about that the other day, like, I haven't had a break in a while. But it's amazing. But you're happy and that's obviously all that matters. So do you have free time? Um? Yes, sometimes are you just always see this is a kind of run I think a lot of us get into because always like your to do list is never ending, Like do you ever complete what's on your to do list? No, it's it's it's always being added onto. You have to make time for yourself because you're never going to be able to put passion into the things that you love. So in that free time, whenever you do get it, what are you doing. I'm trying to read more of this year. That's something I never really made time for. So just trying to read more. And uh, I like traveling as much as possible. So like ruining Portland's hum Like, go to Halloween Town on your way? Is there a Halloween Town? What we need to talk about this? Okay, so Halloween TWN. Do you remember the movie? Okay, it's in St. Helen's. Oh yeah, it's kind of on the way, but it's actually where they filmed it and it looks like Halloween Town. Okay, yeah I might have stopped there. If you're listening to this podcast in June, sorry, but get out to organ at something. We'll talk more about that after the podcast. You said you came from a family of entrepreneurs. What did your family do? What businesses have they started? So my dad is a freelance artist as well, and he's always been freelance and don't I think maybe like for a year he worked for company, but he's a freelance artist. So he does like storyboards for movies and commercials. So like if you've seen the avocado commercial on the Super Bowl, he like helps storyboard that. Yeah, and he's done everything from like toy design and sculpting to painting murals on the side of like buildings. He did the Nike murals for the Olympics and like the eighties. Yeah, he's he's a really badass and I look up to him a lot. My grandma was a professional photographer at one point. My grandpa does pottery. You guys could just start your own market. I know. I actually want to get some of my grandpa's work, like at my booths. Um, so he might send me some like pottery and stuff to say, which would be really awesome. Yeah. My mom's side, oh my gosh, Like they were like Chinese merchants and like the old Santa Monica like strip. Yeah. My other grandparents also had like a restaurant, so it's just it's always been in the family. That's so you kind of had no choice. Yeah, you have to do. Do you have any siblings? I do. I have a sister. She is actually a f I T which is the fashion school in New York. She she's amazing. She was actually on Project Runway Threads. I know. I know, being in l A you just like make like weird connections. Yeah. So she's going for fashion design and stuff. So that's incredible. A family of artists, I know. I feel like if you guys all come together, you could create something that's never been done before. That would be super cool. I don't know how well I would work in my family, but I've heard amazing things and I've heard horror stories. Tread lightly with that one. So you have a print on your website, which, by the way, Amber Larks dot com for people to check it out or Amber Larks on Instagram. Um, it's the calla Lily print and of the proceeds and that will go to it's the is On Conservation Association. Yes, talk a little bit about that and why you wanted to do that. So when I heard about the Amazon fires, uh just completely broke my heart and I can't obviously really do anything because I'm remote in Seattle and that's going right down there. So I wanted to find some way that I could help, and I found the Amazon Conservation Association. They just seemed like a really great nonprofit helping like all areas down there, from like animal conservation to working with like people that are local there to kind of raise awareness and everything. I was like, I can't. I'm not sustainable enough to donatecent of my profits right now, but at least I could donate half. That's amazing. And yeah, so I've only sold too so far because I like kind I just rolled that out, but I need people to go buy them. Yes, and it's you know, I'm gonna do it for as long as I can that one and as long as they need to help. So I'm excited for that. Yeah, that's really cool. Do you have plans to take your side hustle and re Lark's art and photography to all time? I hope. So that's the goal, and I think that's the goal of a lot of creatives. I was listening to the Shelton Harris one last week and he was saying how like he thinks of his side hustle as his main hustle. And I thought that point was really cool because when people ask me what I do, I'm kind of hesitant to say, like, oh, I'm like a receptionist or I'm a front desk person. It's true because it's so often we get defined by our jobs, and which is not always the best. But if it's not the one you're passionate about, is not the one you want to be telling people. Yeah, So like when I say that, I'm like, oh, I work at a friend desk at engineering firm and the conversations there and then I'm like, oh, but I also like am artists, like I have my own business, and I feel like you should flip that. Yeah, so I might start doing that. But yeah, that's the goal, to be like sustainable enough to have it full time. I'm giving you homework the next time someone asked you what you do, Yes, you're flipping it. Yes, and then you're going to report back and I'll just tell everyone how it went to do that. So you said you wanted to start getting into wholesale, I haven't done that yet own I yet, where do you even start with that? Wholesale is something that wasn't really on my radar actually until I was listening. I think it was like the fresh Tangerine one on your podcast. So it's been really cool to like shun in that's cool, and she was like, yeah, you know, I was thinking about like making line sheets and stuff, and I was like, I need to start doing this to be more sustainable, um, to have like that rolling income. So I'm going to start trying to make like a line sheet and just walking like in my neighborhood to gift shops and stuff and seeing if they're interested. That's the best way. So Shandon the owner of a Layer she's been on this podcast a lot of episodes. Ago Alaire is in West Seattle. It's a great gift shop, and she is a great person to talk to as someone who's on the other side of it. Okay, how do I go into a store and pitch this properly? Because she's actually helped out people who have come into her storm and like, so I want to do this and she's like, Okay, where's your line sheet? And she'll actually help a person make it. So Janson is great with that and she's an awesome person to connect with. But it is scary going into a store with essentially your baby and being like do you want this? Do you care about the dating? Yeah? I think everyone in the community I found is just super supportive, even if it's you know, even if it's not what you want to hear, like, people are supportive and they're real and honest. In the small business community, everyone is vulnerable really. I mean, you're you're taking a step out of your comfort zone or going into your comfort zone because it's something you love. But a step from like that, you know, it's all on you. And there are a lot of people who can rely on one another in this small business community. And the more you know, the better. So we'll get you connected to all of them. We'll do all of that. Um. I love talking about how I have been connected to people, how people know one another and all of that. You and I met through Houston. And Houston is actually the guy who edits this podcast, and he's actually in studio with us today. So I am gonna figure out which Mike you are on Houston Talk. Goodness, let me kiss this Mike. There you are? Okay, So Houston's here, So Houston is actually have you ever been on an episode whoa yea yeah. So Houston edits all of the Side Hustlers episodes that you listened to every week. He puts the little music in the beginning and edits out a lot of my ums and things like that. That's why you're like, wow, Carlmer, you sound great. I'm like, Houston fixed it all. It's awesome. So Houston, you and Amber went to college together. Yeah, we made at w s U. She was the front desk person in the residence Halliday I lived in, oh Amber, Well, was Houston doing any bad things in the resident as all was? I I would distract a lot because I would just go up and then just hang out. We just talk gossip and and fun things. But so, what the heck took you so along to tell me that Amber existed? Well, I thought about it for a long time, and then what happened. Oh I had to move back home to Spokene. Yeah, and so I was like, oh, Amber would be great fit. And then that chaos kind of happened, and so yeah, and so then I thought, and then I reached out. It obviously took a little bit of time to be here. I talked about this a lot with people before they even get on the podcast, like, this is the worst podcast in the history of podcasts to try to schedule because I'm working with people who have the craziest schedules on top of my crazy schedule. So finding that puzzle piece that makes sense, it's it's really hard. So obviously, very much appreciate your time being here this morning. But Amber, when Houston came to you were like, Hey, you should be on my Friends podcast. What did you think? I was like, yeah, that sounds awesome. Like when he was like he was inquiring and he didn't like flat ask at first. He was just like, do you have a side hustle And I was like, yes, it is an actual side hustle working somewhere else, like yes, And I was like, is he gonna ask me to be on it? But I didn't want to, Like I made you work for that, like to ask. That's hilarious. So is fashion something that you're also into? Yeah, So I'm really trying to get into like textiles, so I want to use my paintings and get it printed on like fabric. Cool. And I just got a sewing machine this year and like one of those creepy dress forms to like stuff onto you and everything. So is that something you can link up with your sister with. Maybe I don't. I don't know if we would work that well together, but we'll see. We're both pretty like independent in what we like. Do you the whole obviously fashions in the year in two. But you told me before we started recording that you used to sell bathing suits? Was it out of an airstream? This was probably the most random job I've ever had. I found it on Craigslist, like the summer before senior year, and it was just these two young entrepreneurial guys that lived in Malibu and they're like, we want to start a bikini company, and you know what, you know, it's always great when two guys are like, I want to start a bikini that's gonna be great for us women. When I saw like the ad, I was like, are they just trying to like meet girls or something, you know? And so there was like that skepticism in my head, but it sounded really cool. They're like converted an old airstream trailer to be like a mobile store to like pull up on the side of like pH like Malbue beaches and stuff and just sell and so when I interviewed their like brought my friend because I was a little sketched out and like it was funny because when we walked in, they were like, she here so you don't get murdered, And I was like, basically that was kind of a turning point for me to see how something to be started because they were at the way beginning. It's crazy when you look back at like the random jobs you had and how they have created you, like the person that you are today, even if it was a convenience store that you worked at, Like the character that you are is because of all these little things that you've done combined and you're working out of an airstream selling bathing suits. When you say that surface level, it's like a cool, great job, but like you said, you got to see how something started. And we were doing everything from like contacting brands to work with to getting business licenses for them. Um, I've painted all of our like signs to be put out on the freeway like when you're driving buy and stuff. Literally the most random experience they're actually now doing. Um they're like competing with Tesla basically like a bathing suit company. No, so they ended that Um, but now they do like I think it's called like x O S trucks and they like convert like trucks to be electric. And so they're just like these type of people that are just you know, bound for like success because they're so creative they know their stuff. That's really cool. So you also drew something for me? Oh is this? Oh there's a back Oh you want to know. I'm gonna read that later. But sketch my cats Caroline and Max and it says side hustlers and that is that money in the middle. Ye are my cats side hustling? That's so they probably are when I leave, probably doing all kinds of things like this. So they are knitting and they have on sunglasses and this might be the coolest thing ever. So thank you. Do you do you do custom work for people? Um? Not normally were just for like gifts. That's cool. Yes, I made like Houston's logo for his old radio show. Yeah. I had a radio show in Pullman and amateur drew this whole like artwork for my Facebook page and everything, and it won best show Logo in Houston. I was like, I can't even take credit for this because I didn't do anything that's hilarious. And ironically, Houston won an award for my cats. Look at this, this is you took a picture of my cats when you were cats sitting there because that was you were their original cat sitter, and it was in It was in the Spokane Interstate Fair and it went they won second place. Look at that really full circle. Okay, so now you need to make something and then all went an award for it. Okay, yeah, when do I win something? Houston? You made something? There we go, Okay, there we go. So Amber, if someone is you when you were at that point of I can't do this job anymore, you know, your full time job and you wanted to really follow your passion, what is your advice for that person who's in this position right now? I think just like to not plan so much. I've always been a planner. I went to school for it. They like show you how to plan everything, write a business plan, all of that, and just take a step back and don't think you have to like plan everything, because I feel like that makes people really nervous and they never actually do what they want to do. Kind of my mantra with the whole past three years is just kind of like rolling with things and discovering things and doing things and not so much thinking about things. Yeah. I may have talked about this on the podcast before. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was don't set goals for yourself, which okay, take that lightly, set goals for yourself, but so many times we get in this this is my end goal. But something amazing comes along as you're on this path through your end goal, and you're like blinders on ignoring it and you're not taking these amazing chances because you're just on the rise. Really, there's prizes all around you that you could be picking up along the way, and it is kind of the same thing like don't plan, but like don't never plan, well, yeah, plan, but don't obsessively, you know, do do anything like that. Incredible advice and I think a lot of people are going to appreciate that very much, so I want them to support you. It's Amber Larks on Instagram, Amber Larks dot com and then they can go see you at the Renegade Craft Fair December fourteen and fifteen, nineteen in uh is it Seattle technically? Yeah, it's at the Magnuson Hangar. Yeah, So are there going to be more markets for you in the future and can people find that Amber Larks dot com. I sure hope. So yeah, I'm kind of seguing a bit out of the markets right now as it it's colder but smart. Yeah um, but hopefully next summer I'll be popping up a lot more. I just reading my website so now there's an event page there you see, you know, future events and pop ups and all cool. Yea, well, thank you for being here. We gotta you, gotta here, you gotta go do more things, Toda. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you appreciated. What did we learn from Amber this week? Okay, so we learned to get out of your comfort zone. No matter what you're thinking right now, you are probably in your comfort zone. So take a little advice from Amber get out of it. And also don't plan, but like still kind of plan a little bit, but it's okay if things don't go according to plan. Thank you very much to Amber for being on this podcast. Go support her Amber Larks dot com, Amber Larks on Instagram. That's l A r k S. Look for her at all the markets she's going to be at, especially Renegade Craft Fair this December. Don't forget to rate and review this podcast, Subscribe to it, do all the things you can do to this podcast. Wherever you listen to podcast, share it with a friend, whatever you do, I really do appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to listen. I'm Carla Murray. You can find me on Instagram at the Carla Murray Keep postling just in case you need one more round The Last Call podcast with Carlo, Marina Antony, One last Little Taste to hold you over until tomorrow, Available worldwide on the R heart Radio app.

Welcome to Side Hustlers. I'm your host, Carla Murray. I host a morning show for iHeart Radio in Seattle calls the Carla, Maurie and Anthony Show. You can hear it on one oh six point one. You can also do Kiss FM Seattle dot com slash listen to hear it on your I Heart Radio app for free every weekday morning. And I'm telling you that because I have teamed up with Barry's boot Camp. Our show is teamed up, our station is teamed up, and we're doing a workout that gives back to Seattle Children's Hospital. So if you're in the area, go to Kiss FM Seattle dot com to sign up. It's October Saturday, two pm. It's gonna be a lot of fun. We're gonna get our butts kicked, but all the money is gonna go to Seattle Children's Hospital. This week's side Hustler is Amber Larks. Amber is in the thick of it right now. She is side hustling and she's got a day job. And her side hustle is Amber Larks Art and Photography. And you're gonna hear her story and you're gonna fall in love with her. But I want you to go to Amber Larks dot com and Amber Larks on Instagram to see her work as you hear this episode. So let's hear from Amber for a lot of people. You know, why are you wait? Do you know what you want to do? And this is something you want to do and do it. I'm a hustles side side hustle. Do it. I'm a hustles side side hustlo. Do it. I'm a hustle, side side hustve come on ask about me yo yo. It's the side Hustless podcast we call of the Root. I've got Amber joining me today. So it's a Saturday morning. Good morning, Amber, good morning. I know you're not well. You may be listening to this on Saturday in a random yeor I don't even know. But Amber is actually obviously here to do the podcast. And then you're heading out to go do something that involves one of your side hustles or a part of your side hustle. So you've got quite the busy day. So let's get into this. So the name of your company is Amber Lark's Art and Photography. Correct, that is your full blown side hustle, and you have a full time job at this current moment exactly. Okay, so you went to w s U. You studied what in school? So I studied business administration, that's my degrees in, and I did a double major in entrepreneurship and management and operations. So it's kind of a mouthful, but yeah, those were my two kind of leading paths in college. UM, and I also did I was trying to get an art minor, but I was one credit away, I think from getting it, but like doesn't really matter now. My counselor was kind of like, oh, you can just say you emphasized an art So I kind of went with that, but don't just stop telling people that I was an art minor. Done. No, I'm not going to go look up your transcription. I'm not going to do that. Why did you focus on entrepreneurship because I didn't know that was really even a thing you could do in college. Yeah. I when I was looking at schools and majors, UM kind of in the same boat as most people. They're like, I don't know what I want to commit to for the rest of my life. And I had always grown up like being an entrepreneur because my family has a background and starting side hustles and doing that as a living. When I was deciding on what I wanted to do, I didn't even know it was a major at the time. I don't know how I even discovered it. But once I saw it like written, I was like, Okay, that's something I could see myself doing. And so UH saw w SU had a program for it and a really good business school, and just kind of went from there. I was really excited to just even if I wasn't sure what the business was going to be, just to learn about how to make something. I would say that's probably something that's started in this decade at colleges, because I don't think in the early two thousand's people were learning how to run their own business, but really they should have been. It's like all the stuff you wish you learned in high school. I had to do your taxes and stuff. This is what you should be learning in college because so many people are starting their own businesses and I hear it all the time in this podcast. They're using Google to learn how which is great and way cheaper than going to college. But it would be awesome if you learned in college. So you graduated in twenty sixteen, and then you went right into the workforce, like you had a job right away. Yeah, So before I graduated, I got a job set up over here in Seattle. In Seattle, Yeah, decided I wanted to move to Seattle after graduating, so went straight in. I think there was a couple of weeks in between, and I found the job at this engineering firm that I'm currently at. So it was engineering, something that you were really into. So no, I'm not an engineer. I just worked on the administration team there, but yeah, I just needed something that would allow me to move over here. I didn't think i'd still be there now, but it's kind of been a blessing in disguise, just to be able to support myself and my other passions. So you were working at this this engineering firm. It was forty hours a week, like full time job. When did you start your side hustle. I think it was that year after, like April. So I graduated May often started working two weeks after, and it was around April where I was like, Okay, it's almost been a year that I've been here. Kind Of all of the new newness of everything had kind of been wearing away and I was just kind of like, you know that type cool story, go to the office back in that routine, and I wanted to try something that I actually wanted to put my degree towards. So I was like, whatever, I'll just apply for a business license. And that's not whatever, I'll just apply for a business license. I didn't know like what exactly I would be doing, so I just made the business name my name art and photography because I was kind of a broad range of things and just started kind of going from there. I didn't really want to try and plan too much and just try to like apply myself. Well. Also, applying for a business license is not the most simple thing. It was like not terrible, it's just I feel like they do it on they make it a little confusing on purpose so that not everyone does it. Yeah, I feel like if I didn't have the background in like business, I would have been like what's the sole proprietorship versus an LLC? And like all of that type of stuff. So I do have a business license, and I still don't know what that means. So I'm like, all right, whatever, I mean, this works. There's still some things I'm googling too, So you said that you went to w T and you wanted to move to Seattle. So w s U is out in eastern Washington. For people who are listening who don't know where that is, it's how many hours from Seattle, It's like six hours, it's pretty far. Where did you live before that that you went to w s U. So? I grew up in Los Angeles, kind of in a suburb surrounding l A. I live there, sorry, my whole life until I was eighteen, and then went to Pullman, and I wanted a big city change after Pullman. It's always crazy to me that people from sunny l A come out to eastern Washington, or western Washington for that matter. So did you know that you just you didn't want to go back to l A. That's not where you wanted to be. I love l A, but I feel like it's two in my comfort zone. My family is there and I missed them a lot, and I always try and travel back there as much as I can. I'm just so I was so used to it, and I feel like I wasn't really independent while I was there, and kind of when you go back home, you kind of feel like you're in high school. Again for me. So I wanted a city in Washington, such a beautiful state, and it's amazing see I the same way, but didn't know I was the same way until I moved to Seattle. But I wasn't. I was twenty eight, I think, don't even know how old it was when I did it. The fact that you realized at such a young age that you need to get out of your comfort zone is huge, and I think that one probably hit home for a lot of people listening right now. We're like, yeah, I'm in my comfort zone and I need to leave it. So that's awesome that you realized that. You So you sign up for this business license and you get it and it's Amber Lark's art and photography. Right then, what, Oh my gosh. It was a really slow build up. I guess I was still kind of overwhelmed with postgrad life and figuring things out and being in a new city. So I just started drawing things and painting things that just kind of made me happy and like made me laugh, And so I came up with this like character. It's called Salty the salt Pile. If you okay, So you gave me a bag at your bag yeah, you'll see what I'm talking about. Hold On, I just thought something that I that was not I'm very excited. Hold on, wait, salty the salt pile. Yes, oh my god. I love dad hats. Yes, I'm obsessed with dad hats. So it is a salt pile who looks salty? Yes? Yes, so I just love that term, and I love this so much. Whenever I would get like, you know, salty, my boyfriend just be like, you're just like a salt pile, and so that just kind of like put that in my head. Okay, So I do want to describe this though. It's a patch on a hat. Yes, how do you go about? Obviously you sketch this? Yes, how does the patch like? First of all, this is like great quality. It looks better no offense the lids. I've had things embroidered at lids, and I don't know how to look like this. Well, thank you. So I think we might need to get a side hustler's patch. Hell yeah, okay, so how does this happen? Okay? So it started out as a sketch, just literally on like a torn piece of male envelope. You still have that sketch? I do, Yeah, I can't. I can't talk that. And then I ended up painting salty and then that painting turned into like a vector image on Photoshop, and then the place I got it printed, it's called the Foundry in Seattle. They're really great, great quality. I was really in love with their work. They printed those for me. Um. I don't know really how embroidery works, but it came out great. And they're iron on patches. So are you Amber the one ironing these on? Yes? Yes? So, I mean it takes a while, but it's it's fine. Do you have a space or are you doing this in your apartment? Literally in my hallway? Yeah? Do you live with your boyfriend? I do, because he love that. Yeah, he's fine with it. He's honestly been amazing and like super supportive and he's helping me at markets. And I don't think I could do like any of this, just confidence wise without him. I'm such an introvert that, like it's really helpful to have somebody like giving you confidence to do stuff. It's crazy because a lot of people do say that, like if it wasn't for my partner pushing me or telling me I could do this, I wouldn't have done it, but thank God that you are and think that you did do it because this is so cute. So it starts with salty. Salty is kind of like the basis of what really gets you off the ground. Then what like when did you start actually selling your sketches and your drawings and all that. So that first year I was just kind of, I guess, looking for an outlet to just have fun with things. So that's why I was doing all this cartoony stuff and then people liked it and I was I just kept going with it and then kind of like it was kind of like a hard year. My grandma passed away, my boyfriend actually got a concussion and was like out of work for like a year. It was it was pretty bad. So that was a really tough year, and I it was kind of a blur, and so I kind of just like used art as like an outlet to like relax and like self help and everything. So I started like painting and doing more just mediums that I wasn't familiar with, and everything just kind of went into my art. And then this year, um, I started doing like flea markets and stuff, and I feel like my art really reflects my moods. I guess that makes sense because it's so personally of course, and this year everything is just kind of a bit more like lively and like refreshed and has been a blessing. That's amazing and that's really cool to hear. But when I talk about like your art, your your prints, I it's funny to try to explain it because I'm like, well, it's a print, but it has does it actually have like the lavender one? Is that real lavender? So my handprints, everyone's always really confused by them, so like my favorite ones. So they start out as graphite sketches, and then I kind of just like go on nature walks in my neighborhood and find like nature pieces to like photograph on top of them, and then I bring them into Photoshop and refine them and edit them and then get them printed locally in Seattle. And the paper is really great quality, so it kind of looks like people like, is that watercolor or like painting that is actually a piece of lavender? Like what like at first was like she gluing lavender onto these things. Basically, I mean I I put the lavender on the page and then I photograph it. Wow, So that is how you literally you tie photography right into your art exactly. Do you do other photography outside of that? Yeah, Before I started doing like painting an illustration design, I was all photography, and I kind of transitioned because it's so common now. I guess there's a lot of great photographers, but it's so almost easy, I feel, because the phones and everything and it's accessible, and I just wanted to like transition into something, um that was a bit more different. But yeah, I did photography ever since high school really, and I love it still. So your day job at the time when you first started with forty hours a week, and I love what kind of happened at work, your side hustle started picking up and you're spending a lot of time in it. When you went to your boss and said I can't do this. Yeah, it was at that year marker point and was talking with one of my friends there, she was an engineer year and we're both just kind of feeling like, I don't know if we can keep doing this, and we were both like, well, why don't we just like quit? And that was like kind of stupid millennial logic And it always helps when you have someone who's in it with you. So we're like, okay, we'll do it on the same week. We like I had it like secretly on our calendars with like a star and we were like we bought like tickets to Cancoon, Like we were like, this is happening. We like, we can't back out. And so I went to my boss. It was really scary because I love her. She's amazing, really grateful for my team, and I was like, I want to put in my two weeks and she just kind of like put her head down and was like really bummed, and I was bummed, and I told her my reasoning was because I needed more time to work on my my art. In the forty hours a week just wasn't working with me. I was really worn out and just not motivated. So I thought I need to make a change. And I was like, I can pick up other jobs that are part time, you know, just to make money. I was like, there's always something you can do. And you came back at me with, well, would you want to work part time here? And so I never even thought that would be an offen with my current gig, And you know, I told her, I was like can I have a few days to think about it. Yeah, I think about it, and so yeah, I told her I would accept her off for eventually, and I was like, but um, I kind of bought these tickets to Cancoun because I thought I wouldn't have a job, and she was fine with that. She was like, well, why don't you just start back up here part time thirty hours a week after Cancoun. I was like, okay, okay, that is like fairy tale scenario. Yeah that worked out. Yeah, I was so grateful, But what happened to your coworker who was quitting also? She actually ended up moving to Tampa, Florida, so she's in the sun now and she's actually doing real estate, so she totally pivoted as well. Okay, super cool. Yeah, so you go on this trip to Canco and you come back. Yeah, you start working thirty hours a week, and then are you just what is your schedule? Then? Is it five days a week at the office? So I do Monday through Wednesday like full time. I'm like seven thirty to like four thirty, and then Thursdays I do like a half day, so leave at one o'clock and then Friday's I have off, which is super super helpful for what I'm doing, like markets, to have that time to prep and it's been honestly great. I still have benefits. Luckily. It's a blessing that was at the one year mark you said, yeah, I've been doing it like two years. I think obviously that was great going through everything with your boyfriend too. I'm sure having that time to help him through things that that year. But now you're spending your weekends also working because you're going to markets. So when this episode airs, you will have just wrapped up at the full Moon Market, which is our friends Laura and Tawny. Tonny has been on the podcast before. Laura Bergard. I've talked about her a ton and she'll be on in the future. But their market is incredible. How did you link up with them? I think I saw a sponsored ad or something for them on Instagram and just went to their page and saw what they were doing. Um, this was kind of when they first started. I think they started January past year and just seemed like a really cool community and I kept it kind of on my radar for when I was ready to start doing markets and applied for the October one and got in so really awesome. And then I saw you hosted it. Yeah, we host We did a panel women. It was like a women in small business panel that we did. We were we planned on doing another one in the future, but yeah, it was. It was really cool because it's so fun for people to hear the story of the people they're buying from, and you don't get to do that at markets. I mean sometimes people are gonna ask obviously go up to Amber, like well, what's the story behind this? But you don't get to fully tell your story. And I think that was great for people because I feel like after that they're like, well, I want to buy all the stuff from all these amazing people. So that was cool. So you've never done a full moon market. Never done a full Moon market. I've done the free month Sunday Market, Um, the Sodo Market. I guess that's all I've done. But I do it like every month. And you've got the Renegade Craft Fair so people can come see this December. It's the fourteenth and fifteenth. Renegade Craft Fair is huge. It is a great place to do all off your Christmas shopping. Yeah, holy crap, I didn't realize, like how big of it was when I applied, Like they're like expect about twelve people and I'm just like, I don't know if I have the inventory for that or it's a lot of people. But there are also a lot of other vendors there, so it's a great place for you to meet people too. But those are long days. Market days are a really long day. Do you have anyone helping you? My boyfriend, he's amazing, and I also have been partnering with some other creatives here, so we'll share booth sometimes. Um smart you have you know, set up help with that, and costs are a little lower if you're sharing, you can go to the bathroom because someone else can ring up any customers you exactly. So you're then working thirty hours a week as a day job. You have Friday, Thursday, Friday a little bit to you, and then weekends our market, so you're really working more than a full time job at this point when you add it all up. Yeah, I was thinking about that the other day, like, I haven't had a break in a while. But it's amazing. But you're happy and that's obviously all that matters. So do you have free time? Um? Yes, sometimes are you just always see this is a kind of run I think a lot of us get into because always like your to do list is never ending, Like do you ever complete what's on your to do list? No, it's it's it's always being added onto. You have to make time for yourself because you're never going to be able to put passion into the things that you love. So in that free time, whenever you do get it, what are you doing. I'm trying to read more of this year. That's something I never really made time for. So just trying to read more. And uh, I like traveling as much as possible. So like ruining Portland's hum Like, go to Halloween Town on your way? Is there a Halloween Town? What we need to talk about this? Okay, so Halloween TWN. Do you remember the movie? Okay, it's in St. Helen's. Oh yeah, it's kind of on the way, but it's actually where they filmed it and it looks like Halloween Town. Okay, yeah I might have stopped there. If you're listening to this podcast in June, sorry, but get out to organ at something. We'll talk more about that after the podcast. You said you came from a family of entrepreneurs. What did your family do? What businesses have they started? So my dad is a freelance artist as well, and he's always been freelance and don't I think maybe like for a year he worked for company, but he's a freelance artist. So he does like storyboards for movies and commercials. So like if you've seen the avocado commercial on the Super Bowl, he like helps storyboard that. Yeah, and he's done everything from like toy design and sculpting to painting murals on the side of like buildings. He did the Nike murals for the Olympics and like the eighties. Yeah, he's he's a really badass and I look up to him a lot. My grandma was a professional photographer at one point. My grandpa does pottery. You guys could just start your own market. I know. I actually want to get some of my grandpa's work, like at my booths. Um, so he might send me some like pottery and stuff to say, which would be really awesome. Yeah. My mom's side, oh my gosh, Like they were like Chinese merchants and like the old Santa Monica like strip. Yeah. My other grandparents also had like a restaurant, so it's just it's always been in the family. That's so you kind of had no choice. Yeah, you have to do. Do you have any siblings? I do. I have a sister. She is actually a f I T which is the fashion school in New York. She she's amazing. She was actually on Project Runway Threads. I know. I know, being in l A you just like make like weird connections. Yeah. So she's going for fashion design and stuff. So that's incredible. A family of artists, I know. I feel like if you guys all come together, you could create something that's never been done before. That would be super cool. I don't know how well I would work in my family, but I've heard amazing things and I've heard horror stories. Tread lightly with that one. So you have a print on your website, which, by the way, Amber Larks dot com for people to check it out or Amber Larks on Instagram. Um, it's the calla Lily print and of the proceeds and that will go to it's the is On Conservation Association. Yes, talk a little bit about that and why you wanted to do that. So when I heard about the Amazon fires, uh just completely broke my heart and I can't obviously really do anything because I'm remote in Seattle and that's going right down there. So I wanted to find some way that I could help, and I found the Amazon Conservation Association. They just seemed like a really great nonprofit helping like all areas down there, from like animal conservation to working with like people that are local there to kind of raise awareness and everything. I was like, I can't. I'm not sustainable enough to donatecent of my profits right now, but at least I could donate half. That's amazing. And yeah, so I've only sold too so far because I like kind I just rolled that out, but I need people to go buy them. Yes, and it's you know, I'm gonna do it for as long as I can that one and as long as they need to help. So I'm excited for that. Yeah, that's really cool. Do you have plans to take your side hustle and re Lark's art and photography to all time? I hope. So that's the goal, and I think that's the goal of a lot of creatives. I was listening to the Shelton Harris one last week and he was saying how like he thinks of his side hustle as his main hustle. And I thought that point was really cool because when people ask me what I do, I'm kind of hesitant to say, like, oh, I'm like a receptionist or I'm a front desk person. It's true because it's so often we get defined by our jobs, and which is not always the best. But if it's not the one you're passionate about, is not the one you want to be telling people. Yeah, So like when I say that, I'm like, oh, I work at a friend desk at engineering firm and the conversations there and then I'm like, oh, but I also like am artists, like I have my own business, and I feel like you should flip that. Yeah, so I might start doing that. But yeah, that's the goal, to be like sustainable enough to have it full time. I'm giving you homework the next time someone asked you what you do, Yes, you're flipping it. Yes, and then you're going to report back and I'll just tell everyone how it went to do that. So you said you wanted to start getting into wholesale, I haven't done that yet own I yet, where do you even start with that? Wholesale is something that wasn't really on my radar actually until I was listening. I think it was like the fresh Tangerine one on your podcast. So it's been really cool to like shun in that's cool, and she was like, yeah, you know, I was thinking about like making line sheets and stuff, and I was like, I need to start doing this to be more sustainable, um, to have like that rolling income. So I'm going to start trying to make like a line sheet and just walking like in my neighborhood to gift shops and stuff and seeing if they're interested. That's the best way. So Shandon the owner of a Layer she's been on this podcast a lot of episodes. Ago Alaire is in West Seattle. It's a great gift shop, and she is a great person to talk to as someone who's on the other side of it. Okay, how do I go into a store and pitch this properly? Because she's actually helped out people who have come into her storm and like, so I want to do this and she's like, Okay, where's your line sheet? And she'll actually help a person make it. So Janson is great with that and she's an awesome person to connect with. But it is scary going into a store with essentially your baby and being like do you want this? Do you care about the dating? Yeah? I think everyone in the community I found is just super supportive, even if it's you know, even if it's not what you want to hear, like, people are supportive and they're real and honest. In the small business community, everyone is vulnerable really. I mean, you're you're taking a step out of your comfort zone or going into your comfort zone because it's something you love. But a step from like that, you know, it's all on you. And there are a lot of people who can rely on one another in this small business community. And the more you know, the better. So we'll get you connected to all of them. We'll do all of that. Um. I love talking about how I have been connected to people, how people know one another and all of that. You and I met through Houston. And Houston is actually the guy who edits this podcast, and he's actually in studio with us today. So I am gonna figure out which Mike you are on Houston Talk. Goodness, let me kiss this Mike. There you are? Okay, So Houston's here, So Houston is actually have you ever been on an episode whoa yea yeah. So Houston edits all of the Side Hustlers episodes that you listened to every week. He puts the little music in the beginning and edits out a lot of my ums and things like that. That's why you're like, wow, Carlmer, you sound great. I'm like, Houston fixed it all. It's awesome. So Houston, you and Amber went to college together. Yeah, we made at w s U. She was the front desk person in the residence Halliday I lived in, oh Amber, Well, was Houston doing any bad things in the resident as all was? I I would distract a lot because I would just go up and then just hang out. We just talk gossip and and fun things. But so, what the heck took you so along to tell me that Amber existed? Well, I thought about it for a long time, and then what happened. Oh I had to move back home to Spokene. Yeah, and so I was like, oh, Amber would be great fit. And then that chaos kind of happened, and so yeah, and so then I thought, and then I reached out. It obviously took a little bit of time to be here. I talked about this a lot with people before they even get on the podcast, like, this is the worst podcast in the history of podcasts to try to schedule because I'm working with people who have the craziest schedules on top of my crazy schedule. So finding that puzzle piece that makes sense, it's it's really hard. So obviously, very much appreciate your time being here this morning. But Amber, when Houston came to you were like, Hey, you should be on my Friends podcast. What did you think? I was like, yeah, that sounds awesome. Like when he was like he was inquiring and he didn't like flat ask at first. He was just like, do you have a side hustle And I was like, yes, it is an actual side hustle working somewhere else, like yes, And I was like, is he gonna ask me to be on it? But I didn't want to, Like I made you work for that, like to ask. That's hilarious. So is fashion something that you're also into? Yeah, So I'm really trying to get into like textiles, so I want to use my paintings and get it printed on like fabric. Cool. And I just got a sewing machine this year and like one of those creepy dress forms to like stuff onto you and everything. So is that something you can link up with your sister with. Maybe I don't. I don't know if we would work that well together, but we'll see. We're both pretty like independent in what we like. Do you the whole obviously fashions in the year in two. But you told me before we started recording that you used to sell bathing suits? Was it out of an airstream? This was probably the most random job I've ever had. I found it on Craigslist, like the summer before senior year, and it was just these two young entrepreneurial guys that lived in Malibu and they're like, we want to start a bikini company, and you know what, you know, it's always great when two guys are like, I want to start a bikini that's gonna be great for us women. When I saw like the ad, I was like, are they just trying to like meet girls or something, you know? And so there was like that skepticism in my head, but it sounded really cool. They're like converted an old airstream trailer to be like a mobile store to like pull up on the side of like pH like Malbue beaches and stuff and just sell and so when I interviewed their like brought my friend because I was a little sketched out and like it was funny because when we walked in, they were like, she here so you don't get murdered, And I was like, basically that was kind of a turning point for me to see how something to be started because they were at the way beginning. It's crazy when you look back at like the random jobs you had and how they have created you, like the person that you are today, even if it was a convenience store that you worked at, Like the character that you are is because of all these little things that you've done combined and you're working out of an airstream selling bathing suits. When you say that surface level, it's like a cool, great job, but like you said, you got to see how something started. And we were doing everything from like contacting brands to work with to getting business licenses for them. Um, I've painted all of our like signs to be put out on the freeway like when you're driving buy and stuff. Literally the most random experience they're actually now doing. Um they're like competing with Tesla basically like a bathing suit company. No, so they ended that Um, but now they do like I think it's called like x O S trucks and they like convert like trucks to be electric. And so they're just like these type of people that are just you know, bound for like success because they're so creative they know their stuff. That's really cool. So you also drew something for me? Oh is this? Oh there's a back Oh you want to know. I'm gonna read that later. But sketch my cats Caroline and Max and it says side hustlers and that is that money in the middle. Ye are my cats side hustling? That's so they probably are when I leave, probably doing all kinds of things like this. So they are knitting and they have on sunglasses and this might be the coolest thing ever. So thank you. Do you do you do custom work for people? Um? Not normally were just for like gifts. That's cool. Yes, I made like Houston's logo for his old radio show. Yeah. I had a radio show in Pullman and amateur drew this whole like artwork for my Facebook page and everything, and it won best show Logo in Houston. I was like, I can't even take credit for this because I didn't do anything that's hilarious. And ironically, Houston won an award for my cats. Look at this, this is you took a picture of my cats when you were cats sitting there because that was you were their original cat sitter, and it was in It was in the Spokane Interstate Fair and it went they won second place. Look at that really full circle. Okay, so now you need to make something and then all went an award for it. Okay, yeah, when do I win something? Houston? You made something? There we go, Okay, there we go. So Amber, if someone is you when you were at that point of I can't do this job anymore, you know, your full time job and you wanted to really follow your passion, what is your advice for that person who's in this position right now? I think just like to not plan so much. I've always been a planner. I went to school for it. They like show you how to plan everything, write a business plan, all of that, and just take a step back and don't think you have to like plan everything, because I feel like that makes people really nervous and they never actually do what they want to do. Kind of my mantra with the whole past three years is just kind of like rolling with things and discovering things and doing things and not so much thinking about things. Yeah. I may have talked about this on the podcast before. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was don't set goals for yourself, which okay, take that lightly, set goals for yourself, but so many times we get in this this is my end goal. But something amazing comes along as you're on this path through your end goal, and you're like blinders on ignoring it and you're not taking these amazing chances because you're just on the rise. Really, there's prizes all around you that you could be picking up along the way, and it is kind of the same thing like don't plan, but like don't never plan, well, yeah, plan, but don't obsessively, you know, do do anything like that. Incredible advice and I think a lot of people are going to appreciate that very much, so I want them to support you. It's Amber Larks on Instagram, Amber Larks dot com and then they can go see you at the Renegade Craft Fair December fourteen and fifteen, nineteen in uh is it Seattle technically? Yeah, it's at the Magnuson Hangar. Yeah, So are there going to be more markets for you in the future and can people find that Amber Larks dot com. I sure hope. So yeah, I'm kind of seguing a bit out of the markets right now as it it's colder but smart. Yeah um, but hopefully next summer I'll be popping up a lot more. I just reading my website so now there's an event page there you see, you know, future events and pop ups and all cool. Yea, well, thank you for being here. We gotta you, gotta here, you gotta go do more things, Toda. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you appreciated. What did we learn from Amber this week? Okay, so we learned to get out of your comfort zone. No matter what you're thinking right now, you are probably in your comfort zone. So take a little advice from Amber get out of it. And also don't plan, but like still kind of plan a little bit, but it's okay if things don't go according to plan. Thank you very much to Amber for being on this podcast. Go support her Amber Larks dot com, Amber Larks on Instagram. That's l A r k S. Look for her at all the markets she's going to be at, especially Renegade Craft Fair this December. Don't forget to rate and review this podcast, Subscribe to it, do all the things you can do to this podcast. Wherever you listen to podcast, share it with a friend, whatever you do, I really do appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to listen. I'm Carla Murray. You can find me on Instagram at the Carla Murray Keep postling just in case you need one more round The Last Call podcast with Carlo, Marina Antony, One last Little Taste to hold you over until tomorrow, Available worldwide on the R heart Radio app.