CASSANDRA SMITH

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great".

Cassandra Smith

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. As one reporter put it nicely, “she is a widely recognized entrepreneur with a story to tell.” My name is Cassandra Smith. But I’m also known as coach Cassandra in the crafting community. I coach crafters on how to turn their passion into lucrative and stable businesses that elevate their lifestyles. In fact, I’ve already mentored 12,000+ people to become highly sought-after crafters, wholesalers, business owners, and coaches. I’ve sold millions worth of best-in-class sublimation paper, ink, designs, and blanks. And I’ve held thousands of online and hands-on classes where my team and I show students how to take their craft to the next level. My students say that I’m the best craft business coach in the world. And honestly, receiving that type of love is my reason to keep doing what I do.

Q. Let’s talk about your journey and how you got to where you are today.

A. I’m a small-town girl from McRae, Georgia. And growing up, we struggled more than most. Being one of 7 children to a single mother, I watched her struggle and work extremely hard to put food on the table for all of us. And that taught me one key lesson that I carry with me to this day: If you want to get anywhere in life, you need to work hard. That’s why when I grew up, I moved to Atlanta and got an office job. I gave it my absolute best but didn’t feel as if they knew my worth.

In 2017 I started crafting on the side as a way to cope with the stress, but I also loved how it brought out my creative side. I needed something to take my mind away from the fact that I was spending 8 to 10 hours per day in a claustrophobic cubicle. And crafting was the ideal “therapy” for me. Not only did it make me stop stressing, but it also became a good side hustle.

Q. Let’s talk about Blanks Galore. How did it all start?

A. It all started when I hit rock bottom. I had no job. I had just gotten evicted from my apartment. And I was living in a miserable hotel. But let me rewind the tape a bit…

Back in 2017, I was still at my office job, which wasn’t paying me very well. And my son and daughter had a basketball game they needed uniforms for. When they told me how much they cost, my jaw dropped. I didn’t want to admit that I couldn’t buy those uniforms, so I searched for another way to get them. I found a lady who gave me a great offer and I went with her. Lo and behold, the kids at the game loved my sons’ and daughters’ hoodies more than their original ones. That’s when I saw the opportunity in crafting. So, I went back to the lady who was doing these hoodies and asked her for advice, as I wanted to get into crafting too. But she turned around and said, “You have to learn on your own just like I had to”. So, I was on my own. I spent ages Googling and YouTubing to get the information I needed. But a month later, I had my first sale. Fast forward, it’s 2 years later, 2019 and I finally caught my big break and hit my first $1000 week. I was thrilled! Right then and there I knew I had to quit my job and focus on crafting fulltime.

So, I did. I handed in my resignation and went back home with a smile. Little did I know, I had made a huge mistake. Turns out, there’s seasonality in crafting and sublimation. And that $1000 week was a peak moment in the holiday season, so sales were hot. But as soon as the holiday season was over, the tide went away. And my income was gone with it. So, I ended up jobless, with little savings, no money coming in, and bills piling up. And guess what happened next? I got evicted from my apartment and I had to move to live in a hotel with my son. I was so embarrassed. I had made a huge mistake and now my kids had to suffer because of me. I couldn’t take it. I knew I had to do something. I was still getting crafting orders, but they definitely weren’t enough to get me out of the mess I was in. That’s why I started doing Facebook Lives and selling blanks to the crafting community.

In the beginning, it was a struggle. But things started picking up. And a few months down the line, the Lives evolved into my coaching programs and the blank side grew into the wholesale part of my business. That’s the story of how Blanks Galore came to be.

Q. How did the pandemic help you with your business?

A. I think the pandemic made a lot of people realize that there are more ways to make money than just a regular 9-to5. And crafting is one of those ways. It gives you the freedom to work from home. You can scale your practice up or down to fit your lifestyle and how busy you are at work. You can even turn your crafting business into a full-time job if you want to. It truly is an ideal business for anyone who loves working with their hands and putting smiles on people’s faces. So, the pandemic really gave us a powerful push forward. But luckily, we were prepared for it, and we were able to give thousands of people the skills and knowledge they needed to survive the lockdowns and deal with inflation.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge getting your business off the ground?

A. My biggest challenge is the same challenge most crafters have when starting out. Getting access to the information and guidance you need to create amazing items that sell like crazy. And honestly, that challenge is the reason why I started Blanks Galore in the first place. I wanted to create an easier path forward for people just like me. People who aren’t looking for any handouts but want to make a name for themselves. And now that I’ve done that and helped thousands of crafters scale their income with way less effort than before, I honestly feel a sense of deep satisfaction that I cannot put into words.

Q. How do you define your purpose in life?

A. I want to be a force of positivity and light for the crafting community. I want to lift people up, give them a new way to help themselves, and open up more opportunities for them that they might not have had access to before. I want to see men and women turn their passion into a sustainable business and support their families better by doing something that makes them feel appreciated and loved. That’s what my purpose is. Amen.

Q. What advice do you want to give to others that want to start a business?

A. Keep going. It will get tough. There will be challenges. God will test your desire to win. But you have to keep going no matter what comes your way. Because my experiences have proven to me over and over again that the throne is reserved for those who never give up – no matter how tough it gets. I was unemployed. I was homeless. I was embarrassed. But I never gave up. And here I am.

Q. Can you tell us some goals you want to accomplish in 2022?

A. By the end of the year, I want to double the number of people I’m able to coach to business success. And long term, I want to help at least 100, 000 students.

Q. Are you working on any new projects?

A. Non-stop! The newest project I’m working on is a program called CTC (which stands for Crafts to Coaching). Inside, I help crafters turn their knowledge into an online course or program and boost their income by up to five times. It is not open for enrollment yet, but I will be opening the doors on Nov 25.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. If anyone wants to follow me, they can join my Free Facebook Group Blanks Galore Academy or they can follow me on Instagram @blanksgalore.

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