- Alexis McDermott is the founder of Wandering Wall Co., which rents out champagne walls for events.
- She has a full-time job and has made nearly $30,000 since starting her side gig in 2021.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alexis McDermott, the 26-year-old founder of Wandering Wall Co. in Scranton, Pennsylvania, about her side hustle. Insider has verified her income with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm the sole proprietor of Wandering Wall Co. and a customer-success manager for a SaaS platform, which I do remotely.
I founded my small business that offers elegant champagne walls, photo backdrop walls, seating charts, and welcome signs to display during life's most memorable events in April 2021. It began as a one-time ask from a close friend and has since grown to be my part-time side gig. The walls cost $450 to rent, and seating charts cost between $300 and $400. I've made $29,220 in revenue to date, and I donate 25% of my profits to local charities that support women and children in need.
I'd always wanted to open my own business and have multiple streams of income
I was constantly brainstorming new ideas where I could use my creativity and free time to make some extra cash, but nothing ever stuck — until my best friend asked me to be her maid of honor and I started planning her bridal shower. We decided on a brunch theme because we love mimosas. After hours of Pinterest surfing, we stumbled upon the concept of a champagne wall. Immediately, we knew we had to have it, but the fact that no vendors in the area had what we needed to bring the vision to life put a kink in our plans.
But I had a solution. My boyfriend, Dariusz, is a custom woodworker, so I showed him some inspirational pictures and put him to work. The champagne wall came out more beautiful than I ever imagined. It received so many compliments, so I trusted my gut and decided to turn it into a business. Dariusz has helped me with the business ever since, and our rentals have been a hit at numerous showers and weddings.
Social media has played a huge role in my business' success
The first few months of the business were slow in terms of bookings but abundant in terms of community support. I did my research and took some time to determine the best way to launch, including creating a logo and a business account on both Instagram and Facebook. I focused my social-media efforts on networking to help get my name out there, and I leaned on friends, family, and my local community to share my posts and help spread the word.
When I was making my first post, I said to my boyfriend: "I'm going to post it and if it doesn't get any attention, I'll just delete it and pretend like it never happened." I deleted and reposted it again for two hours straight. I was worried about what people might think or say, about failing, and about doing something completely out of my comfort zone. Somehow, I gathered up the courage to keep it up, and I'm so happy that I did.
After my social accounts were running, I printed out hundreds of business cards and left them at small businesses throughout the area. I did photoshoot collaborations with small businesses as well to cross-promote and establish a gallery of my offerings for Instagram and Facebook. I knew the first few bookings for my rentals business were going to be the hardest, so I chose to offer a heavy discount to the first five people to book. It took about a month to secure those bookings, but ever since, bookings have been coming in relatively consistently. Bookings vary from month to month, but I see the most rentals during summer and fall when wedding season is in full swing.
As I saw my followers increase within the first few months, I released various promos and a giveaway and created a lot of interactive stories to help boost engagement.
Work-life balance is extremely important to me
I'm a huge advocate of doing what's right for yourself, your family, and your mind. I do my best to use my time on my side gig wisely and give myself extra time to complete the creative tasks like seating charts and welcome signs.
I try to stick to a pretty strict schedule. On Sundays, I schedule my weekly post for Instagram, so I don't have to take time out of my week to post. Sometimes I post multiple times per week, but typically it's just once. I answer inquiries and manage bookings twice a week.
My weekends are typically filled with wall and mirror deliveries, but that just means extra quality time to spend with my boyfriend, as we handle all the deliveries together. The most bookings I currently accept for one day is three. Delivery is included within a 10-mile radius of Scranton. We do service other areas within an hour drive, but we charge an extra delivery fee.
The trick is to find a side gig that doesn't feel like work. I always look forward to seeing all the beautiful events and getting to know my clients.