Latest news with #MikeO'Dell
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How a 50-year-old nurse's laid-back Friday mornings turned into a six-figure-a-month business?
Oklahoma-based nurse Mike O'Dell transformed his hobby into a high-earning side hustle, raking in over $1.25 million in 2024 from his quilting kit business, Legit Kits. Despite working only one day a week on it, the venture thrives, offering him flexibility and fulfillment. With a full-time job for security, O'Dell continues growing his creative venture while navigating tariff threats. Mike O'Dell, a 50-year-old nurse anesthetist, earns $117,000 a month from his side hustle, Legit Kits, by working just one day a week. What began as a Star Wars quilt project for his kids became a million-dollar quilting business. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads From Star Wars Quilts to Startup Success Running the Business While Staying Employed Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tariff Threats and Market Expansion Stitching a Path Forward Every Friday morning in Oklahoma City, Mike O'Dell sips coffee on his patio, drives his kids to school, and heads to his warehouse—not to clock into another job, but to enjoy the day he built for himself. That single day of work each week now earns him an eye-popping $117,000 a month. By contrast, the rest of O'Dell's week is spent in the high-pressure environment of a hospital operating room. As a nurse anesthetist, he works 10-hour shifts with little time for meals or breaks. But his side hustle, Legit Kits, offers a creative escape—and a profitable to a report from CNBC Make It , O'Dell launched Legit Kits in 2020 after sewing Star Wars-themed quilts for his sons using a method known as foundation paper piecing. Impressed by how approachable and artistic the process was, he realized there was a business opportunity in selling pre-designed quilting hired two graphic designers to create artwork and patterns, and brought on staff to handle production and shipping. The company now has seven full-time employees and four freelance designers. In 2024 alone, it brought in $1.25 million through online sales, with an additional $150,000 generated through in-store sales at Joann Fabrics before the chain closed all its outlets earlier this his booming business, O'Dell has no plans to leave his job at the hospital, which pays him $240,000 annually. That stability gives him freedom to reinvest in Legit Kits without worrying about personal describes his role at the company as creative director and CEO, overseeing product design and marketing during his weekly workday. For his efforts, he plans to pay himself a modest $50,000 salary this year, focusing instead on growing the business and managing Legit Kits grows, O'Dell faces new challenges—most notably, proposed tariff hikes under U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies. The company's fabrics are sourced from Indonesia and Vietnam, where tariffs could rise to as much as 46%. For now, a temporary 10% rate is in effect until July 9.'The uncertainty is stressful,' O'Dell admits. He says the company is delaying hiring decisions until there's clarity on pricing. At the same time, he's introducing more affordable 'mini kits' at $99 each to attract casual crafters and protect his customer base from economic pressure.'I don't want to price people out of a hobby,' he says.O'Dell's quilting venture operates in a $5 billion industry, and while it still holds a small market share, he's optimistic about scaling. His advertising efforts now focus on hobbyists beyond the traditional quilting community, hoping to bring fresh interest to the art its success, O'Dell doesn't plan to make Legit Kits his full-time job unless the company reaches eight-figure annual revenues.'I'd have to get it up to $10 million a year … and I want my kids to go to college,' he says.O'Dell's story is a striking reminder that with creativity, planning, and purpose, even a side hustle can become a six-figure success—without quitting your day job.
CNBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
50-year-old's side hustle brings in $117,000 a month, he works 1 day a week on it: I can 'set my own schedule'
Four days per week, nurse anesthetist Mike O'Dell spends his 10-hour shifts sitting in a swivel chair shoved between pieces of towering, whirring operating equipment. He can't use the bathroom, grab lunch or sip water without asking someone to cover for him, he says. Running his side hustle, Oklahoma City-based quilting company Legit Kits, offers the opposite experience. One day per week, O'Dell enjoys a cup of coffee on his patio and drives his kids to school before starting work, he says. "I can eat breakfast, I can go to the gym. I set my own schedule," says O'Dell, 50. O'Dell launched his side hustle in 2020, after making his two sons Star Wars-themed blankets by drawing a pattern and sewing fabric to the 5-by-6.5-foot paper — like a craftier version of paint-by-numbers. The process, called "foundation paper piecing," made quilting easier than he'd expected, so O'Dell decided to start a business around making and selling quilting kits, he says. Knowing he didn't want to leave his full-time job — which currently pays him $240,000 per year — O'Dell built Legit Kits to run without him most of the time. He hired two graphic designers to create art and quilting patterns, then another employee to cut fabric and ship quilts, he Kits, which now has seven full-time employees and four freelance designers, brought in $1.25 million in online sales in 2024, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. The company made an extra $150,000 selling kits at the now-defunct Joann Fabrics and Crafts, O'Dell estimates. (On February 23, Joann announced closures of its roughly 800 stores, citing bankruptcy liquidation.) The business was profitable in 2023, and broke even last year after accounting for the expenses of moving into a new 4,500-square-foot-warehouse, says O'Dell. O'Dell learned to sew two decades ago to make his own Braveheart kilt for Halloween, he says. Now, he spends one day per week testing color swatches, approving designs and marketing the company to new customers and retailers. He plans to pay himself a $50,000 salary — for serving as the company's creative director and CEO — from Legit Kits this year, he says. "The burnout I feel at the hospital fuels my energy to do the other thing for myself," says O'Dell. "It turns the volume down when everybody's mad at work." Legit Kits has a relatively small amount of market share in a quilting industry that's worth nearly $5 billion, according to the Craft Industry Alliance, a trade association. To grow, O'Dell wants to expand his customer base beyond experienced quilters, he says. His current Facebook advertising campaign targets more casual crafters and Legit Kits has started selling more "mini" kits — $99 for each 15-by-20-inch creation — as easier products to complete. Another reason for selling lower-cost items, O'Dell says: As U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies threaten to raise prices on common consumer goods, Americans could be less likely to spend money on crafts. "I don't want to price people out of a hobby," says O'Dell. But tariffs could also make Legit Kits more expensive to run. The company's fabrics come from Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia and Vietnam, and goods imported from those two countries face 32% and 46% tariff rates, respectively, under policies unveiled by Trump on April 2. Those rates are currently paused until July 9, temporarily replaced by a baseline 10% tariff rate on all foreign imports. "The uncertainty is stressful," says O'Dell, adding that he can't confidently hire new employees until he knows how tariffs will affect Legit Kits' costs. "Optimism is essential these days. Hope mine isn't misplaced." His high-paying, full-time job is his company's safety net. Since O'Dell doesn't have to worry about Legit Kits turning enough profit to pay himself a living wage, he predicts that tariffs — or any other form of economic uncertainty — won't ever force his side hustle's closure. Even pre-tariffs, he didn't expect his side hustle income to surpass his nurse anesthetist salary for another five years, he adds. "I'd have to get Legit Kits up to eight figures in annual sales [to consider making it my full-time job] ... and I want my kids to go to college," says O'Dell. ,
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Romig's Tavern hosts Gates Keystone Police Pipes & Drums for St. Patrick's celebration
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Gates Keystone Police Pipes and Drums were at Romig's Tavern on Monday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Folks gathered at the tavern to enjoy an afternoon of music, food, and Irish whiskey, of course. Although Romig's is not technically an Irish tavern, Bill and Mike O'Dell took the location over the location and made sure it was a picture-perfect holiday. 'It's busy here every day. Everybody is getting along here every day, but this is one of the highlights of the year, and actually – Saturday's parade day was busy,' they told News 8. WATCH: 2025 Tops St. Patrick's Day Parade You can keep up to date with the tavern's events by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
