Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Fogle.
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2009, I bought a house that needed a lot of renovation. Even in a recession, it was pretty much all I could afford. I was working your average entry-level job and making just enough to cover my mortgage and studied at night in business school. I didn’t have a lot of extra money for home repairs, so I started learning how to do them myself. Slowly, and with quite a lot of paint, scrap wood, and a few frustrated hammer throws, I began turning my house into a place I actually liked to live in. I renovated the kitchen, installed new floors, learned how to install tile, do minor plumbing repairs, remove wallpaper, patch drywall, and even started using the tools I purchased to make my own furniture and understand woodworking and construction.
As I learned each new skill, I documented the process on my blog, which started growing a following beyond just my parents and close friends. As social media began to grow, so did my website traffic. This was still mostly before the big “content creator” boom we know today, but I began to make a little extra money from the advertising revenue and early sponsors. After a few years, it wound up completely replacing my salary, so when a new marketing job wound up being a huge disappointment, I decided to risk it as a solopreneur. I have enjoyed the learning process so much and the community of fellow creators like me that I haven’t looked back! I now wear quite a few hats — business owner, producer, photographer, copywriter, social media manager, etc. — but I love that things never stay the same and I learn something new every day!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being online as a job can be incredibly rewarding but challenging for pretty much the same reasons! For one, you can reach a whole new audience every day. Some folks will like your work, and some folks will HATE it. I don’t consider myself a person with thick skin, so sometimes it can be really disheartening when you get negative feedback on something you worked really hard on. The sexism in the construction and DIY world can be a lot. It’s also really easy to zero in on the negative comments, even when they are the small minority and the reception is largely positive, so you need to remind yourself to refocus. The reward is in the knowledge I gained and being able to show others, especially beginners and first-time homeowners — that they can do more than they think! The other major obstacle is the isolation. Without coworkers or in-person peers to talk to, the challenges I face each day are largely decisions I have to make alone. I’m very grateful to have found a community of other “makers” and creators across social media who can relate to the ups and downs. And with the way revenue streams change — one social media platform can be lucrative one year and completely abandoned the next — the ebb and flow of advertising trends can be very stressful.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a very “real” DIYer — I like to show the mistakes and the humor of learning as I go. Even if that means using a patch of duct tape as a door handle for a few days because I’m still working on making the wooden one! The pressure to be picture perfect is often incredibly strong with social media. I already know that I don’t know everything, and pretending like I do would just get me in deeper trouble. So, I like to tell stories that makes my audience feel a connection to me and to the project in a way that they can imagine how they’d react if it happened to them. I also love the collaborative nature of the DIY community. Maybe it’s because we already like to share knowledge that it comes naturally, but I really enjoy going to conferences and getting to teach what I know about how to grow an online business.
What’s next?
I’m looking to start working on my first investment property on a historical home and learn more about restoration, which is a little different than remodeling. I’ve also begun sharing furniture plans online where beginner and intermediate DIYers can purchase downloadable instructions to make their own unique pieces with affordable materials. My husband and I also own a 1946 Spartan Manor (an aluminum tow-behind trailer) that we are working to restore. I like to work on multiple projects at once, so I think I’ll be busy for the foreseeable future with all of that!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://uglyducklinghouse.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/uglyducklingDIY
- Youtube: YouTube.com/@UglyDucklingHouse
- Other: TikTok.com/@uglyducklingDIY
Image Credits
Sarah Fogle / Ugly Duckling House
