my STORY

I help makers turn their hobby into a profitable business on Etsy.

Meet The gal behind the biz

hey, i’m andrea!!

My small business journey began when I was just a senior in high school when I listed my first item on Etsy. Even though I was raised in a family of entrepreneurs, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

And why does that matter to you? Because I stumbled my way through it, hacked the Etsy search algorithm, and figured it out… and you can too. Except your shop will grow even faster (and you won’t have to spend hours upon hours researching) because I’ll teach you every single thing I’ve learned along the way.

My Etsy SHop Story

somewhere between soccer practice & algebra class, Saltwater Prep was born…

Remember that time in your life when your 17 year old self had to decide what you wanted to do for a living?! Right around then is when my entrepreneurial journey began.

I was a senior in high school when I created my first listing on Etsy. (It was a monogrammed long sleeve tee, should you be wondering.) I didn’t expect much and I certainly didn’t plan on this becoming my career, but I figured I had nothing to lose by trying. I sold 82 of those shirts that semester, and I started to think there could be more to this e-commerce thing than I thought.

The profits + my Christmas money were just enough to purchase my first embroidery machine (that I still needed to learn how to use) and Saltwater Prep officially made the switch to all clothing.

Fast forward a couple years: I added a few more sewing machines, started to care about Etsy best practices, and thankfully got a few more orders. As I was wrapping up my 2 year degree at the local community college, my Etsy sales were just enough to justify skipping a traditional bachelors degree and going all-in on entrepreneurship.

I’ve been small business obsessed ever since. It’s why you’ll find me geeking out about keywords, shopping local every chance I get, and encouraging fellow entrepreneurs to dream even bigger for themselves and their businesses.


get to know me

FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT

new york city

favorite tv show to binge

psych & the west wing

enneagram type

8w7

I’D SPEND my whole paycheck on

flights or home decor

daily coffee

homemade coconut milk latte

MY HAPPY PLACE

the good thrift stores

favorite season

summer

forever ON REPEAT

taylor swift <3

i’m obsessed with…

001.

small biz dreams

Etsy shop or not, you’ll find me cheering on other small business owners every single chance I get. Especially a local restaurant or coffee shop! 😉

002.

time freedom

Why do small business owners do what they do?! Everyone’s answer is different, but mine is the freedom. The hard work is 100% worth it to me.

003.

Wingin’ it

As much as I’d love to say I am a careful researcher, I’m just not. I believe in making smart decisions, but sometimes you just have to jump, then find the net.

LET’S BE FRIENDS ON INSTA!