Gypsy Gameschooler - Ashley Wright

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashley Wright, creator of Gypsy Gameschooler, located in Puyallup, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I have a blog, Gypsy Gameschooler, on which I share reviews of the board, card, and dice games, with an eye to their educational content. My target audience is fellow homeschoolers, but many others are also interested in game reviews.

Tell us about yourself

I decided to homeschool my kids before I even got pregnant, and I heard of game schooling off and on for a few years. It wasn't until my kids were 4 and 5 and getting bored with math at Khan Academy that I decided to give it a try. Boy, are we glad we did! We all had so much fun, learned so much, and our math went quicker than ever before! It wasn't long before I was adding games for other subjects, as well as specific interests. We now have a large game collection, and I enjoy telling others about their many gaming options.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I've actually owned a number of businesses over the years. Before COVID (and mostly before I had kids), I had a thriving teaching studio where I taught private violin lessons. I also had a small birds show and would take my birds to libraries, retirement centers, schools, and once even a birthday party! That was a lot of fun. But I think my teaching studio was my biggest accomplishment. At one point, I had over 30 students and also had a waitlist. I'm really proud of building that business up, learning about websites and SEO and advertising, and also the evolution of my teaching strategies.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Boundaries. It's really easy to work on your business 24/7, but that inevitably leads to burnout. It's also really important to have other outlets, so when your business is struggling, your whole life isn't struggling. It's all about balance.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Figure out/decide your niche/target audience and where they are, then advertise to them.
2. Keep working at it. Success often doesn't happen overnight (no matter what those blog posts and youtube videos tell you).
3. You don't need to spend any money to start. It's okay if you do, but it's easy to spend thousands on tools and to advertise only to realize you want to go in a completely different direction. Start with free tools and advertising, at least until you start making some money and know how you want your business to be.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://gypsygameschooler.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdkGMzMaC-mAJPvWs-57TVQ

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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