This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Karen Frederick, 43, founder of Kole Jax Designs, an online brand selling personalized jewelry and accessories. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kole Jax Designs. Karen Frederick.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I was a stay-at-home mom with a baby and a toddler, both boys. My husband also left his career and closed his insurance agency to work at Kole Jax full-time for five years. His old insurance agency office is actually the space we now use for Kole Jax Designs HQ!
Related: This 20-Year-Old Student Started a Side Hustle With $400 — and It Earned $150,000 Over the Summer
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started Kole Jax Designs in January 2012. I have always loved jewelry and the way it makes me feel. I was inspired by that and my need to create. My goal was to establish a fulfilling, home-based career that would allow me to monetize my passions and be present for my children. The name Kole Jax comes from my sons’ middle names: Grayson Kole and Tucker Jax.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
I ordered supplies and taught myself to cut glass and solder by watching YouTube videos. I opened an Etsy shop and took custom orders. I published my business page on Facebook, posted every new design I created and offered giveaways. The Kole Jax Designs Facebook page really took off. I remember getting to 10,000 followers fairly quickly using Meta’s advertising to promote page likes. At the time, promoting page likes was a key part of growth. A lot has changed since then.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kole Jax Designs
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
The plan was always to be an ecommerce business, and finding a constant flow of customers online can be challenging when first starting out. When Meta first created the business manager platform in 2014, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew social media marketing would be key to the longevity of my business. I dove in and did what I could to run campaigns. Shortly after, I got a call from Facebook and was assigned a Meta Pro. We had monthly calls, which helped me navigate my ads strategy for Facebook.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
It didn’t take much more than a year to see consistent revenue. It took about three years to hit the six-figure mark in yearly revenue.
You’ve since turned the side hustle into a full-time business. What does growth and revenue look like now?
We hit our first seven-figure year in 2018, and since then, we have been very consistent with steady growth year over year. We have generated over $10 million in revenue since joining the “million dollar” club.
The majority of our growth stems from advertising on Meta. Meta’s advancements in AI have fostered our growth and enabled me to spend less time on marketing and more time on other aspects of the business.
More specifically, a key component that helped me drive growth and sales has been leveraging Meta’s lead gen ads, advantage+ shopping and static creative, as well as organic posting and reels to attract new customers. As a result, Kole Jax Designs has seen tremendous growth within the past year. Here are some topline stats:
- 70% year-over-year (YoY) sales growth from July 2023 to July 2024
- 665% YoY growth on Facebook and Instagram
- 302% year-to-date (YTD) growth on FB and IG
- 129% orders increase YoY
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kole Jax Designs
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
I enjoy being able to keep the creative spirit that I have had since I was a young girl alive and strong. I enjoy hearing stories of how my designs have touched others’ hearts. I love that my boys are learning about business and cultivating a desire to be involved in it. That makes my mama heart happy! I started all of this so I could work and be with them.
What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
Just start. Don’t overthink it. There is no perfect time to start a business. If you can, put your earnings back into the company in the beginning. Embrace change and failures. After running a business for almost 13 years, I firmly believe that failure is an opportunity to learn, and change is the passage for innovation and growth. Invest in yourself — and not “if,” but when the going gets tough, remember why you started.
