Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Luecke.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We’re twin sisters (Alicia and Emily), and we’ve always LOVED crafting ever since we were little. We actually started Poppin Ears when we were 16 years old and have had the shop for more than three years now. It originally started as a little project because we loved Disney and crafting and now it’s turned into our passion. Starting this shop has changed our lives in more ways than one. Not only did we find a passion for running a small business, but I (Alicia) actually changed my college degree because I found out I love social media marketing and am now in the process of earning a BA in marketing. The end goal for Poppin Ears is to be able to make it our full-time jobs!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s been some struggles. As full-time college students, it can be hard to find the time to make products and run the social media accounts for Poppin Ears, but somehow we’re able to make it work. It was also a very big learning curve to figure out how to take good product photos.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We’re both full-time college students working towards our bachelor’s degrees. Alicia is planning on getting a BA in Marketing and Emily is getting a BA in Communications specializing in Graphic Design. What makes us really proud is the fact that we were homeschooled for nine years. Homeschooling really taught us how to be self-learners and we’re proud to show that someone who’s homeschooled has the same opportunities as everyone else.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck was definitely on our side at the beginning. We made our very first pairs of Mickey ears and wore them to Magic Kingdom. We were getting compliments on them all day and there was one girl in particular that changed everything. As we were waiting in line for Philharmagic one girl approached us and complimented our ears. She was surprised to hear we made them and suggested we start an Etsy shop, and that’s where the idea of Poppin Ears began!
Pricing:
- Mickey Ears start at $ 27
- Stickers are $2.75
- Custom Mickey Ears start at $40
Contact Info:
- Email: Poppinears@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PoppinEars?ref=search_shop_redirect
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppinears/?hl=en
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdCLkS7f/
