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This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features siblings Jaime Holm and Matt Hannula. Holm is the founder and VP of design, and Hannula is the CEO at Tinker Tin, which spearheads experiential marketing and advertising projects for companies like Lexus and on Hollywood sets like the infamous trailers of the Manson family in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Holm started Tinker Tin as a side hustle more than a decade ago while working at Trader Joe’s and recalls taking phone calls about the business in between stocking bananas; eventually, she had so many inquiries that she quit the job to focus on the venture full-time. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Tinker Tin. Matt Hannula and Jaime Holm.}

When did you start your side hustle, and how did you get it up and running?
Holm: I started Tinker Tin 13 years ago. I had just gotten married and was reminiscing about the time I spent living in a camper and surfing in Australia before my now-husband and I started dating. I was perusing the internet to see if there were any campers or funky vans to rent in California for a road trip. At that point, the U.S. had things like RV America and maybe one other company that rented modern-day RVs, but that was it. I told my husband we should find an old, funky trailer, fix it up and rent it out like I did when I was in Australia. He liked the idea. (He had worked on hot rods in high school.)

Related: She Quit Corporate Life to Pursue a Side Hustle With Her Sister. They Saw Over $100,000 During Launch Weekend — and Now Have an 8-Figure Brand.

From there, we got our first camper for $800 and became the first vintage trailer rental company in the U.S. We pivoted fairly quickly from camping rentals to renting these vintage trailers out to Hollywood studios for movies and commercials. We started getting calls for branded trailers for cosmetic companies’ road shows, such as LUSH or Pacifica, and we did activations for Facebook, Pepsi, Williams Sonoma, New Belgium and many more. The companies would always ask us to build a retail display to pair with the trailer to showcase their product. Early on, the companies stopped asking for the trailer rentals and started solely asking for us to design and build another retail product display, and then another. It went from one to hundreds to thousands, to not just a single retail display SKU, but then to designing and building entire retail stores. That’s how we went from being inspired by vintage camping to a full-fledged design and manufacturing company.

If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
Holm: I might hire for key positions faster. We are a zero-debt company, so we saw slower growth in the beginning and [had] some burnout from having a skeleton team for longer than we probably should have. Once my brother became an owner in the company and our CEO, and I was able to step back and focus on what I do best without juggling the entire company — that is when our true growth took off. Matt was able to implement lean manufacturing principles, our combined vision and so much more to streamline our growth.

Hannula: When scaling a business, talent is so important. Sometimes, it is hard to get good talent early on, especially paying for it, but if I could have interviewed folks longer, asked more questions, run personality tests, etc., we would have saved so much stress, time and money (actual cost and costs from mistakes and underperformance).

I also wish I had fired faster. When running and scaling the business, it often felt like a death sentence to fire someone because I “thought” I needed them. But really, getting rid of a bad seed or poor talent is the exact thing I should have done early on to help scale better, faster and more efficiently.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Tinker Tin}

Related: These College Friends Started a Side Hustle Out of ‘Sheer Frustration.’ It Did $1 Million in the First 9 Months and $20 Million in Year 4.

When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
Hannula: The devil is in the details, especially in manufacturing. There are so many moving parts that make or break manufacturing. Tying it into building a product specific to a client adds another complexity. We always say here at Tinker Tin, “Do the right things, right.” Focusing on what we should be doing and how to do it correctly. There is no room for big mistakes in manufacturing because it’s not just a lost sale — it’s a lost product. The pain compounds when mistakes happen, and being aware of these mistakes early on is very critical to success. You can burn cash flow very quickly by not getting it right. One missed screw could render a product useless.

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
Holm: In the beginning, when we were looking to expand our retail client base, we would design beautiful stores, retail displays and more for free. These decks were gorgeous, and the clients were so happy! As young entrepreneurs, we didn’t want to scare them away with design contracts or large manufacturing limits out of the gate. We got word that some of the retail clients were shopping out our designs in China or using the decks for their board of investors to make them look good, but would never circle back with us. This was a big fail on our parts, but it also gave us a lot of confidence in our capabilities. Instead of taking a scarcity approach, we treated this process as R&D and were able to restructure, knowing our worth and value add to our clients was bar none.

Hannula: I could write a book called The Million Things That Went Wrong, VERY WRONG! The one that comes to mind was when we first started producing large quantities of product in Mexico. Logistics matters in Mexico, and having trustworthy logistics partners through the entire supply chain is as critical as it gets. Long story short, we had a bad partner within our supply chain that ended with us losing a semitruck of product worth over $250,000 for about two weeks. The supply chain went silent. We pulled in the sheriff, the Department of Justice and the CIA in local offices to shed light on the entire situation. Luckily, because I own a cybersecurity services company, we were able to run very detailed information searches on the entire supply chain and received valuable information that brought the criminals back online. After this event, we fired our entire supply chain. A supply chain that took over a year to develop, and we got rid of it instantly. It was painful but 100% necessary in order to have the confidence that it will never happen again.

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
Holm: Luckily for us, it was fairly quick out of the gate within the first year. Our industry didn’t exist, so it was a big fish, small pond scenario that worked in our favor. In year one, we made a couple hundred thousand. Our side hustle turned into a real business that supported our family in the first year, which was not what we had anticipated or planned on.

Related: This 34-Year-Old Was ‘Wildly Un-Passionate’ About His Day Job, So He Started a 9-Figure Side Hustle: ‘Be an Animal’

What does growth and revenue look like now?
Holm: We started with one employee on payroll and an entire family of volunteers. We grew year over year, and 13 years later, we are a $20 million company with no debt, and three of us in the family are full-time now — no more volunteers.

Hannula: When I came onto Tinker Tin in 2018, we had done $650,000 the year prior. Now we’re at $20 million — and just scratching the surface. Manufacturing is not a space that everyone is jumping into. We are fresh and focused on building a manufacturer of tomorrow. We near-shored a while back because we saw the issues and tensions with China bubbling up over a decade ago. We plan to continue to bolster our domestic manufacturing presence in the U.S. and Mexico.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Tinker Tin}

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Holm: We hang our hat on “beauty at scale,” and this is something I absolutely love — to be able to design a retail display that is not just a pretty rendering, but translates into a physical product that looks better than the digital. These days, everything looks prettier online versus in person, but I believe in the tiny details, the tiny “whys” throughout each project. It keeps me excited.

Hannula: Every day, there’s a new problem to solve. For some, this is stressful, exhausting and just plain terrible, and although I feel those emotions, I enjoy all of the challenges. An entrepreneur buddy of mine once said, “Pressure is a privilege,” and I couldn’t agree more. The pressure of running a successful business is one of the greatest privileges one can experience. Creating something for yourself that you can control and choosing to do all the things that suck and getting the reward for all the things that go well is just an incredible feeling. As Jaime always says, it’s all about the journey, not the finish line.

Related: This 17-Year-Old High School Student Has a $20,000-a-Month Side Hustle — and It All Started With a Skill He Learned in Class

What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Holm: Don’t let your hobbies take a back seat, and if you don’t have any hobbies, do not let your business become your hobby. Hobbies are your inner fire-starter that help the hard work days feel less hard. They help regulate your nervous system, can motivate or inspire new ideas and can help you mentally check out and re-check in with yourself and your truth. Losing your sense of self in your business helps no one, especially the business. Having a hobby allows you to separate yourself from your work in a way that invites you to step into your creative side more fully.

Hannula: It is maybe cliche, but I have not experienced any better advice than working your ass off. If you can force yourself to work your ass off day in and day out, you will crush it. Every success takes time and hard work. No one ever hit a home run without swinging the bat. The more you swing the bat, the more effort you put into it daily, weekly, monthly, yearly (it’s not overnight), [the more] you will succeed. Also, you have to commit! 100%. If you have an idea and try it for a couple of months or a year, that’s probably not enough time. If you have an idea and you hit hard and commit and don’t do anything else, you might be successful quickly, but you will be successful in the long run.

On a busy Saturday afternoon in Mountain View, California, the line at Alexander’s Patisserie — a pastry shop known for its precision and innovation — can stretch out the door. Customers eye a display case of delicacies, from black sesame croissants to more than 20 flavors of macarons. It’s easy to assume the appeal is in the presentation, but beneath the patisserie’s viral popularity is an authentic story: one of team leadership, craftsmanship and a dedication to continuous improvement.

Central to this story is Shuyao Cao, better known as Chef Shu. As the pastry chef behind the Alexander’s menu, she leads with creativity and intention, uniting the business with a collaborative spirit.

Related: Want to Work With Influencers? Here’s What Small Business Owners Need to Know.

“I feel like our whole team, everyone has their own talents,” Cao says. “Each one of them is unique, and I take the string from them, and then I put it together. I can’t come up with [the brunch menu] all by myself.”

The team dynamic is evident from the moment customers walk in the door. Whether staff are managing a packed tea service or catching up with regulars, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. David Brungard, vice president of operations for Alexander’s Group Corporate, says Cao’s leadership has helped make this work environment possible.

“[Chef Shu] earned every single person’s respect, including the dishwasher, because she does everything,” Brungard says. “She cleans the walk-in, makes the croissants, comes up with ideas and walks around to taste stuff. She makes family meals for our employees so that when they come to work, [they don’t have to eat pastries all day].”

According to Brungard, Cao’s hands-on leadership style has fostered a workplace culture built on trust and appreciation: “The level of quality in your life depends a lot on how you feel when you are at work, and [Chef Shu] knows how to make everyone in our team feel valued,” he says.

Related: 5 Secrets to Success From a Sustainable Business That’s Grown 95% in 3 Years

One of the patisserie’s most talked-about menu items — the famous flat croissant — wasn’t even for customers at first. “I wanted to try it because it went viral in my Asian area,” Cao says. “I wanted to taste it myself, so I made one at the patisserie, and the front and the back of the house really enjoyed it. So I said, ‘Let’s put it on the menu.'”

Since then, Cao’s flat croissants have become a fan favorite, driving traffic in-person and on social media. But trending pastries are only responsible for a portion of the patisserie’s success. What keeps Alexander’s relevant is its commitment to adaptation through customer feedback.

“ We see how customers react and how much we sell every day,” Cao says. “We see how people react on the internet, too. I read every review the customer leaves me, and I mean it. I take opinions, and then I let the whole team taste it. Even [Brungard], when he comes, I pull him.”

For Brungard, reviews function as both valuable feedback and a celebration of the team’s efforts: “When they mention an employee by name in a raving review, it makes me super happy because they deserve the credit,” he says. “I love it when the public recognizes their hard work. And then when they don’t, I take it on. That’s what I’m here for.”

Part of Alexander’s staying power comes from thoughtful sourcing that spares no expense for quality. “We use chocolate imported from France… the best chocolate in the world,” Cao says. “We make sure we use an AOP butter for our croissant. AOP butter is super expensive, and only one region of France makes it.”

And when specialty ingredients aren’t available through traditional vendors, Cao gets creative. “Sometimes I find matcha powder [or] the best sesame paste brand in the supermarket or the Chinese grocery store,” she says. “I can pick out different stuff for myself and then ask my sales guy if he can find me a bulk item.”

Related: How This North Carolina Lawn Care Company Earns Customer Loyalty

From recipe tasting to fixing kitchen equipment, Cao and Brungard run operations like clockwork, but always with heart. “Part of our meeting is to talk about new products, reviews, what’s broken in the kitchen,” Brungard says. “How can I fix it? How can I give you what you need to be successful?”

This behind-the-scenes support reinforces a company-wide policy: Take care of the team, and they’ll take care of the guest.

Ultimately, Alexander’s success comes from the patisserie staying true to its values. Thoughtful leadership and room for experimentation allow the team to chase their passions, resulting in a sweeter experience for the guests. “When you put love into something, it reverberates into the world,” Brungard says.

Consider Alexander’s Patisserie’s guiding principles for creating a thoughtful experience for both customers and staff:

• Lead from within. Respect is earned. Set the tone by working alongside the team and staying hands-on in the operation.
• Innovate with intention. Let curiosity, creativity and customer feedback drive your menu changes, rather than trends alone.
• Feedback helps you pivot and grow. Read and discuss every review to identify areas for refinement and improvement.
• Quality begins with sourcing. Whether it’s imported French butter or the perfect sesame paste, sourcing should be deliberate and can help your business align with its (and customers’) values.
• Culture is the secret ingredient. A welcoming team translates into a positive guest interaction. When your team feels supported, the entire operation succeeds.

Related: She Runs a James Beard Award-Nominated Restaurant. Here’s Her 2-Step Process for Hiring the Best Employees.

Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Cao and Brungard, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.

Editorial contributions by Alex Miranda and Kristi Lindahl

This article is part of our ongoing America’s Favorite Mom & Pop Shops™ series highlighting family-owned and operated businesses