By: Rishabh Shah

Rachel Yee is a 12th grade student at St. Augustine CHS. She is the first of hopefully many Titan Tycoons to be interviewed by Titan Times. She’s an aspiring entrepreneur who uses the extraordinary Cricut Machine to laser engrave fun designs on to many different surfaces! Not only does she run a business, she competes in dancing competitions and works as a swimming instructor. Her favorite pastimes are making crafts and the art of photography. 

Her story started  when she received a Cricut Machine as a gift for her birthday. During the lockdown of the COVID Pandemic, she took the opportunity to learn and master this machine. She learned how to create unique and inspiring designs. The Cricut Machine works on hundreds of different surfaces; from the thinnest of fabrics to matboards to basswood. This allows the user to explore endless possibilities!  

Rachel said, “Whether it was making shirts for family vacations or customizing water bottles for birthday presents, it added a thoughtful touch to gifts which is something I noticed people liked.”

(Yee, Rachel. Interview)

She started by customizing shirts for family. Later on, phone cases for friends. Soon enough, she was getting sales from others! Due to the vast variety of products she was able to offer, Rachel’s business was a success! 

Rachel’s first sale came from her uncle who ordered custom Christmas ornaments, water bottles, and bags. What a way to get your business started! The word spread to her uncle’s network of friends and families. Recently, I  had the opportunity to catch-up with her to hear from her first hand. 

Have you faced adversity? If so, how did you get around it?

“Starting my business through COVID made it difficult to get my business out there. Speaking to other small businesses, they had got their business recognized through attending small business functions, which was something I was not able to attend at the time. This meant sales were solely through word of mouth, and even though it started out with having sales from family members, the word got around to others.” said Rachel.

(Yee, Rachel. Interview)

Rachel faced the tough task of promoting a business through a global epidemic. However, she was hopeful and kept advertising through word-of-mouth and persevered by putting time and effort into the business.

What are some lessons you have learned from running your business? What would you do differently if you restarted the business? What advice would you give a newly started home-run business owner?

“I luckily had a strong start to running my business. I am very happy with how it turned out. However if I were to do this process again, I would recommend using websites to sell products. Whether it is through websites like Etsy or creating your own website, having those connections online will benefit your business in the long run, even if it costs money to start. When people are looking for something specific, they often turn to the internet for a simple google search. Especially through Etsy, with more sales and good reviews you get, it will help your business by showing online shoppers what you have to offer, opposed to selling through instagram and relying on word of mouth. One thing for new business owners is to know that it takes time to start. Every business is run differently, so knowing what works best for you and your audience will help your business know who you are selling to.”

(Yee, Rachel. Interview)

What was the funniest order you have received?

“The funniest order I have ever had was a custom pillow case with a celebrity’s face on it. It was funny because I had never had an order like this before. I was used to selling more decorative customizations rather than inside jokes.”

(Yee, Rachel. Interview)

That concludes the first edition of Titans Tycoon! Make sure to follow @CraftingMinimalist on Instagram to check out her awesome designs. Stay tuned on TitanTimes.live for more upcoming articles  from Titans Tycoon!

Works Cited

Yee, Rachel. Interview. Conducted by Rishabh Shah. October 18th, 2023