The story of Kirstie Rickert, the founder of AmourPrints, is deceptively simple:a once shy girl regains her confidence and becomes the hardworking leader of a multi-million dollar company. If you dig deeper, however, you'll find the real message:far too many of us lock ourselves into lives of frustrated potential simply because we lack the confidence to try something different. As you read Kirstie's story, ask yourself if you can relate to her, and if so, how you can step out of your own box onto an exciting new path for your life. Where could this lead you?
Kirstie's story begins when she was 17 and was about to vomit in a restaurant kitchen. “It was my first night on the job,” she recalls, “and I had to make balloon animals for customers. My boss had just told me that I would be fired if I wasn't friendly enough. No problem for most people, but I was about as shy as it gets. I probably would have had an easier time storing books in a bookcase.
Her anxiety and nerves melted when she made a balloon dog for a child. “Everyone loves balloon animals. It’s such a simple, silly thing,” Kirstie says. “Somehow I bonded with both the kid and his parents while I was making the dog, and I just started talking to everyone. It gave me both the confidence to survive my first night and plenty to think about on the way home.
Kirstie spent a lot of time thinking about her true self and why she had been shy. "I realized that I didn't have to be 'the shy girl.' In fact, if I let myself, I could have a completely different life, full of opportunities." I went there.
This different mentality led Kirstie to start her own business, AmourPrints, in 2012. "It was a big step," she says. “I took this leap of faith even though I had no money or regular business training. I just knew what I wanted to do, so I took the plunge.
AmourPrints is all about unique custom canvas wall art. Kirstie took two steps when she launched her Etsy shop in 2013 and then made her first sale. "Both were amazing," Kirstie says. “I ended up dropping out of college to do this full time, and so did my fiancé because it became our dream to run our own successful business. It was a real adventure for both of us.
Etsy became troublesome, destroying its store several times without foundation after its first successful year. "After trying to contact Etsy about my shop being removed to no avail, we decided to move to another platform," says Kirstie.
Shopify offered more growth potential and was much less restrictive. “We started automating every process and worked to understand what we were doing. It wasn't easy, but we finally felt we got the hang of it. Shopify was definitely not easy like Etsy because you had to do everything from scratch. While Etsy did most of the work for you as a seller, Shopify was simply your model. I had to learn web design development, SEO, personnel management, advertisements and much more. Despite these obstacles, in our first year, we were able to earn $50,000. My fiancé focused on the designs and production while I did everything from A to Z. Our second year, we brought in $100,000,” says Kirstie.
Despite the hard work and sales, Kirstie and her fiancé were still battling opposing opinions and comments from those around them regarding their business endeavors. “Our families often expressed concern over our decision to drop out of college. They feared that we were making a terrible choice and suggested many alternative occupations to us, which we refused to do,” she explained. Shortly after their wedding, they had a sign of good faith when their business had its first big month and they were miraculously able to live on their own. During their first months as a married couple, they put even more into their business. The following year they were able to buy their first home and Kirstie and her husband had their daughter, who is now 4 years old.
In 2019, AmourPrints faced a watershed moment, and Kirstie and her husband were forced to make a life-changing decision. “We were losing thousands of dollars every month, but something told me not to give up, to push through. It later turned out to be one of our wisest decisions about our business,” Kirstie tearfully explained.
2020 dealt another blow to AmourPrints when COVID hit, and businesses around the world faced uncertainty. Kirstie and her husband were unsure if their business would survive, but Kirstie pulled through once again with determination. She started researching how to increase store visibility and implemented more effective business strategies. "I switched to Shopify Plus and took a risk and invested all our money. Last year, in 2020, we miraculously earned $3.6 million, and this year we're on track to double our revenue,” Kirstie beams. "I've worked so hard and I give God credit for getting me through this. Our families are proud of us and now understand why we didn't give up.
Staying the course would see AmourPrints reach $4 million in sales in just four years. "It gave us the ability to help other people," says Kirstie. “My husband and I believe that as Christians we should be good stewards of the money God gives us. After praying about how to use it, we decided to donate a percentage of our sales to World Vision. Global homelessness really weighs on our hearts, so by donating to World Vision, we can help fight it.
Kirstie is thoughtful as she reflects on how far she's come since high school. “Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course,” she says. "You can look back and figure out everything you wish you had known when you were younger. Sometimes I wish I had known earlier that I didn't have to be shy. However, I am very happy with where I am today and I think the road ahead for me and my husband will be full of adventures that we look forward to. God has a plan for us and for AmourPrints, and we can't wait to see more.
