By: McKenzie Fischer
For the month of October, the Wabasso EDA, Commercial Club, and Redwood Area Development Corporation are highlighting Lori Schoer and her business, ‘Lori’s Little Side Gig’ that she operates out of her home between Wanda and Wabasso. Lori grew up near New London, MN and met her husband Joel in 2011. Before the birth of her first son Greyson, she was a full-time social worker working in county social services agencies. Lori was able to leave her career of Social Work and become a stay at home mom in early 2017. Lori and Joel have two sons, Greyson (age 7 years) and Braxton (age 5 years).
Mother’s Day in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is when Lori says her inspiration was sparked after receiving a Cricut Vinyl Cutter from her husband and sons. “I was getting a little stir crazy from not being able to leave the house and my husband and I were thinking of ways or hobbies that might help alleviate the feeling of being stuck at home,” said Lori. “At first, I just started making a few decorative signs, some shirts for our boys and my friends’ children, and some other small miscellaneous items not long after receiving the Cricut.”
In December of the same year, just as Lori’s business started to pick up, her husband Joel had seen an ad about a laser engraver. After deciding that adding a laser engraver could turn possibly into a small business, Lori and Joel decided to travel down to Florida to the Boss Headquarters to get training on how the laser engraver worked. Soon after, the laser machine was delivered to their front door. After the training at the headquarters in Florida and the many hours of extensive researching and YouTube videos, Lori started to get the hang of the laser machine and now is able to offer a wide variety of laser engraved products. Later in the spring of 2021, Lori started to attend vendor shows and she says “My business basically was born at that time.” She also stated that the encouragement and support from her family and friends gave her the courage to take matters into her own hands and to start selling what she was making.
When Lori started making these crafts everything was done out of her home and garage. Over the past couple of years however, she and her family have quickly realized that between the tools and amount of product she needs to carry, they needed a dedicated space just for the business. Just this past year Lori and her family were able to build a new home onto their existing garage as well as an addition to their garage which will be able to house their laser machine amongst other things! “Soon we will actually be able to park our cars in the garage again instead of just housing Side Gig stuff,” Lori chuckled.
Some of the products that you would be able to get from Lori are engraved insulated can coozies, decorative signs, engraved drinkware, personalized water bottles, engraved charcuterie boards / cutting boards, engraved wooden spoons, silicone wristlet keychains, and much more! Lori is able to customize just about anything she sells exactly the way that the customer wants which is what keeps her business so versatile. “I’m also able to switch up some of the items I make to fit the seasons, I will begin making Christmas and winter items this month like Christmas ornaments, Santa keys, Santa treat trays, Christmas countdown signs, and other decorative signs for the season.” Lori says that she has been able to expand into some fun keepsakes or very sentimental gift items like engraving a handwritten recipe onto smaller cutting boards in the exact handwriting from the recipe. Some of her favorite items to make are the Christmas ornaments, even though they are some of the most time-consuming items to make.
When asked who Lori’s biggest advocate was in starting this business she replied, “My biggest advocate and helper with this business has been my husband, Joel. He helps with setup or tear down at shows when he can and is great at taking the parental lead of our two sons when I need to work late in the garage or when I am at shows. Joel also provides tons of moral support and is my biggest cheerleader. He trusts my judgment and goes along with my business ideas regarding products, or shows but isn’t afraid to offer advice and opinions.” Lori stated that she couldn’t be more thankful for a husband that didn’t complain much when the garage—a man’s paradise—was taken over by inventory, tools, and a 650-pound laser engraver!
Lori’s favorite thing about being her own boss is being able to set her own schedule and the freedom that comes along with every aspect of the business. She enjoys being able to add new items into her lineup whenever she feels and also enjoys being able to test out the products before she sells them in order to make sure her customers get the best quality.
Never in her wildest dreams did Lori imagine that her “little side gig” would become what it has today. In addition to craft and vendor fairs she was also given the opportunity to sell some of her products on the shelves at Holmberg Orchard the past two seasons. She mentioned that she and her husband are now seriously considering adding a second laser engraving machine in order to help her keep up with the orders during her busy seasons. “The business has gone from a handful of hours a week for me to a full-time job! I never ever thought that I would need a separate space for my business and I am just so thankful for our community for all of the continued support,” said Lori.
I asked Lori what advice she had for her younger self, and she had many wise words to say. “I would tell my younger self to be very thankful for being raised in a family where hard work and independence were instilled values. I would tell my younger self to not worry about what the future holds and to keep the faith because it all works out in the end. I’d remind myself to always remember to let go and let God. I would also tell my younger self to never stop learning and that failures are not the worst thing in the world because we really can learn from them. And lastly, you can’t please everyone. There’s going to be people who don’t like you, but remember that you always have a core group of people who love you that will be there in the happy times, during life’s rougher moments, and everything in between.” She then stated that the advice she had for any others looking to start their own advice is, “Do your research. Make sure the area isn’t already inundated with the particular type of business you want to start. A person needs to have a level of grit and determination to make a business take off. You are going to have successes and failures, but you have to learn from them all. Not everyone is going to like your business—or you—and that’s ok. And lastly, never stop learning.”
Lori said that her plans for the future are to continue to give her all with everything she does whether that’s her small business, her family, or just simply having fun. When asked what she would like to tell her customers and the surrounding community she replied, “There would be no Little Side Gig if it were not for this community and their continued support. I feel so blessed to be able to raise our kids in such a great area. Thank you all so very much for everything.”
If you are looking for a fun and sentimental gift to give a loved one during this upcoming holiday season, or some décor for your home, make sure you check out Lori Schoer and her business with a multitude of items, Lori’s Little Side Gig. She can be reached through her Facebook page Lori’s Little Side Gig, by emailing [email protected], or by calling or texting 320-368-0735.