“We the Prosperous” – Meet Shawn, An Entrepreneur Aiming to Educate Through Eco-Conscious Water Bottles

Every Intuit customer has their own story. Along each of their journeys, they find passion, share advice, take risks, celebrate success, and form a community of their own.

From small business owners, to the self-employed and those simply seeking ways to be more financially savvy – we’re here to be a part of each story and champion our customers as they take steps forward on their path to prosperity. Hear how the power of many comes together to support the business of one with #WeTheProsperous.

Meet Shawn, an entrepreneur who uses QuickBooks to manage her water bottle company, Conscious Bottle. She’s powering prosperity on her own terms, while working in a profession that allows her the freedom to do something she is passionate about, all while taking care of her family at home.

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Intuit: Shawn, tell us about your business!

Shawn: My partner and I are had always been involved in the yoga spiritual community. I used to bring my own water bottles to sessions, and I enjoyed etching geometric and power symbols into my bottle. Some friends really liked how my bottles looked, and I had always been really passionate about the dangers of plastic, so I decided to start making glass bottles with different art etched into them. The main focus was to sell very beautiful looking bottles that also educated individuals on the dangers of plastic water bottles and the importance of reusable bottle and sustainability.

We started selling the bottles at a small local event in South Florida, then on Etsy and Amazon. The company has been going strong for two years.

Intuit: Why did you choose to start your own business/become self-employed?

Shawn: It’s always been my dream to be self-employed and do my own thing. I worked some uninspiring jobs and finally found something that I’m really passionate about. Once I found the passion, the decision was easy and I decided to just go for it. I love it!

Intuit: What do you wish someone told you before you started your self-employed journey?

Shawn: Don’t take anything too personally. You will likely have a lot of people question what you are doing when you go off and do your own thing. Conscious Bottle is a company and product that speaks to a unique and specific group of people, and not everyone is going to understand what it means. I learned that you can’t be discouraged, and need to keep rising above. Have confidence in what you are doing!

Intuit: What would you say was your main obstacle to becoming successful? How did you overcome it?

Shawn: Right now, specifically, being a mother and running a business from home is incredibly challenging. The time management aspect and having to juggle working and family makes every day very busy and exciting, to say the least. To make it work, it’s all about time management and prioritization. I make lists and plan out my days – it’s the only way to get everything done!

Intuit: What’s been most surprising or challenging about your self-employed journey?

Shawn: The support we have received over the last couple of years. Everyone, from vendors to the crafting community, is constantly looking out for each other. People come by and introduce themselves all the time. It feels like one big family of people chasing their dreams, coming together to support each other and doing what they love.

Intuit: Starting a business and becoming self-employed isn’t easy; what has made the journey worth it to you?

Shawn: Knowing that people actually enjoy the product and appreciate the mission makes it worth it. I would start seeing reviews of products online, and they were generally really positive. When people are naturally talking about and sharing stories about the product, it really makes you feel like you are accomplishing something, and that motivates me so much.

Intuit: Who are you inspired by?

Shawn: My dad is a huge inspiration. He’s been a business owner for 30 years, and has made his business super successful. I look up to him for support and advice, because he has already done it and allows me to believe that this is possible. He’s such a strong supporter in my life, and keeps me going when times get tough.

Intuit: What drew you to Intuit’s products? How do you use them?

Shawn: We use QuickBooks, and love the integration with Etsy. It makes it super easy to manage finances. There are a number of categorization tools that help organize transactions, taxes, etc. It definitely streamlines the business.

Intuit: What are your prosperity hacks? What are some things you do each day to set yourself up for success?

Shawn: I set manageable goals for the next day, whether it be errands, answering emails, or checking up on vendors. I always have a list written down so I can visually see what I need to do. For me, having visuals of my to-do list is key!

Intuit: What are your goals for the year?

Shawn: In terms of marketing, I want to get more into social media. There are so many platforms that reach a lot of people, and I want to learn more about how to best leverage social networks to reach my target audience. Additionally, I’d like to eventually have retail space – we have a lot of online sales, but would like to expand to physical events.

Intuit: What does prosperity mean to you?

Shawn: Prosperity means living with purpose and doing work with your heart. It means spreading what you’re passionate about, and making a living while doing it. It’s about really wanting to believe in what you do and being an inspiration for others, especially my daughter who I would like to leave a legacy for.