At one point, our garage was full of products we couldn’t sell, our savings had gone into a business that didn’t work, and I told my husband I was done. I didn’t want to try another business. I didn’t want to lose more money. And I definitely didn’t want to feel that disappointment again.
When you see Moms & Crumbs today, you might not believe that part of our story.
In this episode, Irving and I are talking about the giants we’ve faced along the way, especially fear. The fear of starting. The fear of failing again. The fear of putting yourself on camera and wondering what everyone will think!
We’re still learning how to face those things, and we’re sharing the experiences that helped us keep going.
Watch the full episode now!
The Fear That Kept Me Out of the Water
When I was around eight years old, I almost drowned while learning to swim. After that, I wanted nothing to do with it.
That fear stayed with me for years.
Then our family started planning scuba diving adventures in Hawaii. I saw the videos, heard what everyone wanted to do, and realized how much I wanted to experience it with them.
Learning wasn’t easy. I cried during scuba training, and an instructor spent extra time helping me get comfortable. But little by little, I learned.
Being underwater with my family, seeing that whole world I had been too afraid to experience, made me wonder how many other things fear had kept me from trying.
Our First Business Started With a Lot of Questions
Before Moms & Crumbs, we opened an auto repair shop.
We had two kids, very little money, and no clear blueprint for how to run a business. Irving remembers how scared he felt about leaving his job. Even submitting paperwork for permits felt intimidating.
Opening the shop gave us experience, but it also brought new challenges. Hiring someone. Handling a complaint. Making decisions we’d never had to make before.
We learned that getting through one fear doesn’t mean you’ll never feel afraid again.
The Business That Made Me Want to Quit
Later, we tried building an Amazon FBA business with private-label products. We invested more than $80,000, and it didn’t work out.
Seeing the unsold inventory in our garage was painful. I thought about the hours Irving had worked, the time I had put in, and the savings we had used.
I felt frustrated, guilty, and afraid to start over.
In this episode, Irving shares how asking himself, “What is the worst that can happen?” helped him think through his fears. For me, remembering why we wanted to build something for our family helped me begin imagining a future again.
Getting in Front of the Camera Was Another Giant
When we found Whatnot, I faced a different kind of fear.
I worried about how I looked, my English, my accent, and whether I could pronounce the brands correctly. I had recently had our youngest child and was struggling with postpartum depression.
The first time I saw myself on camera, I cried.
But alongside all the questions about what could go wrong, another question started coming up:
What if this works?
What if I stopped before giving myself a chance to learn?
With Irving’s encouragement, I tried again.
What Our 30-Day Challenge Taught Me
We decided to go live every day for 30 days.
Those repeated opportunities helped me practice, learn from mistakes, and get more comfortable showing up. I didn’t have to figure everything out in one show.
We still face uncertainty in our business. We’ve made purchasing mistakes, worried about warehouse expenses, and had to learn new things as we’ve grown.
In this conversation, we share how faith, encouragement, and remembering our reasons for starting have helped us through those moments.
Listen to the full episode for the stories behind Moms & Crumbs and an honest conversation about doing something new while you’re still afraid.
What’s something you’ve wanted to try, but fear keeps talking you out of?
Listen to the audio podcast now!
Connect With Moms & Crumbs
Come say hello during our live shows on Whatnot and TikTok!
All our links and shops: stan.store/momsandcrumbs
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New podcast episodes every Friday!