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From Etsy Side Hustle to Multi-Million Dollar CEO: What Bethany Would Do Differently

Hard-earned lessons on growing fast, leading a team, and making profit-driven decisions

What does it really take to grow a store to multi-seven figures? If you ask Bethany Wysolmerski, founder of Rubi & Lib, she’ll tell you: it’s not just about making sales.

It’s about leading people. Managing pressure. And being willing to make hard decisions—even when it means shutting down a brand that used to feel like the future.

In our conversation on the podcast, Bethany opened up about what she’s learned on her journey from handmade cake toppers on Etsy to managing a 10,000-square-foot commercial space and a team of full-time staff. Her story is packed with insights—especially if you’re in that six-figure range and wondering what it takes to scale.

From Glitter and Glue to 7 Figures

Before she was managing a 10,000-square-foot commercial space and a full-time team, Bethany was running an Etsy shop from her kitchen table—literally. Back in 2011, she started Pink Poppy Cupcakes, a side hustle that sold personalized party decor like cupcake toppers, banners, and first birthday decorations. Every piece was handmade—she cut the paper with a silhouette machine, glued each layer by hand, and sealed it all with a sprinkle of Mod Podge and glitter. It was messy, creative, and something she did in the evenings after her corporate HR job—just for fun.

Like so many of us, she didn’t start with a master plan. She started with something she loved. And over time, that “just for fun” business turned into Rubi & Lib—a multi-brand, multi-seven-figure powerhouse with a team, systems, and serious staying power.

The big shift came when she noticed her wedding cake toppers were consistently in demand. She saw the opportunity and leaned into it—scaling back birthday party decor and focusing fully on weddings. As orders increased, Bethany realized she couldn’t keep doing it all alone.

Her first big leap was hiring a part-time employee—someone to help assemble toppers while she focused on production and shipping. Around that time, she also set up her first website (though most sales still came through Etsy) and began thinking about how to scale beyond the kitchen table. These early moves laid the groundwork for what came next: a full rebrand, a deeper niche, and a business that was ready to grow.

The result? Sales took off. By 2019, they were on the verge of hitting 7 figures—and Bethany had turned a scrappy side hustle into a serious business with serious momentum.

When COVID Cancelled Weddings, She Asked What Her Customers Needed

In 2020, Rubi & Lib had carved out a profitable niche in wedding decor. Then the world stopped—and so did the weddings.

Instead of panicking, Bethany asked a better question: What do our customers need right now?

So she surveyed her email list.

“They came back with—we want gifts. Right? We’re in COVID, they want to connect with their loved ones. They can’t get out to the stores.”

That response turned into Barn Street Designs, a second brand selling giftable products. They launched it just two weeks before Black Friday—and it worked. In fact, for the first time ever, their website outperformed Etsy.

Takeaway: When the path forward feels unclear, listen to your customers. They’ll show you where to go next.

Hiring Made Growth Possible—And Challenging

As sales took off, so did the complexity of Bethany’s business. She started hiring—not just helpers, but team members with serious skillsets: a purchaser, an office manager, a designer, and more.

The payoff? More ideas, more capacity, and faster growth. But also… more pressure.

“We’re not a speedboat anymore. We’re a cruise ship. If we want to adjust a little bit, it takes time to get everybody on board and start moving the ship.”

Bethany learned to lead, to manage roles, and to reassign people based on their strengths. And she learned the difference between being a seller—and being a CEO.

When Sales Were High But Profit Was Gone

Fast forward to 2023. Bethany’s top-line revenue was strong. Her business had grown quickly, and from the outside, everything looked successful. But behind the scenes, something wasn’t adding up. Despite solid sales across multiple brands, she was losing money—and the stress of covering payroll, credit cards, and rising overhead was keeping her up at night.

“I’m watching my sales year after year increase. And I’m watching my profit at the bottom line dwindle further and further down to zero.”

So she blocked out time, shut the door to her office, and manually broke down the numbers. Brand by brand. Line by line. When she finally separated her financials and assigned labor, product costs, and overhead correctly, the problem became crystal clear: Barn Street Designs, the second brand she had launched during COVID, was draining resources faster than it was generating profit.

“I looked at that number for maybe 30 seconds… and immediately messaged Susan and said, ‘I’m shutting it down.’”

It wasn’t an easy decision. Barn Street had been a pandemic pivot that helped save her business, and she’d invested a lot of time and emotion into growing it. But once she saw the data, she didn’t hesitate. She shut it down in January. Within three months, two of those months were profitable—something that hadn’t happened that early in the year for a long time.

What She’d Do Differently (If She Were Starting Today)

Bethany has no regrets—but she does have wisdom. Here are five things she wishes she’d done sooner:

1. Get a P&L every month—and understand it.

If you don’t get your financials on time, speak up. If you don’t understand them, ask for help.

“I left [a retreat] going, why am I afraid of my accountant? I pay them. I need something. Why am I so afraid to say that?”

2. Test and try new things while you’re small.

Early on, it’s easier to pivot. Don’t be afraid to experiment with ads, product lines, or bundles when it’s just you. It’s harder to shift a cruise ship than a speedboat.

3. Listen to your customers.

Your next winning product (or pivot) might be waiting in your inbox. Survey your list. Read reviews. Success leaves clues.

4. Make hard decisions based on facts, not feelings.

Bethany loved Barn Street. But when she saw it was draining the business, she shut it down fast—and moved on.

“Once I made the decision, it was this just freeing moment… I was breathing again.”

5. Ask for help. Sooner than you think.

You’re not meant to figure it all out alone. The sooner you ask for support, the sooner you can move forward.

Grow Fast If You Want—But Grow Smart If You Can

Bethany built a multi-seven-figure store from scratch. But her biggest success didn’t come from sales. It came from self-awareness, strategy, and the willingness to make hard calls.

Whether you’re trying to hit your first $100K or holding down a $2M business, her story is proof that profit isn’t a reward for working harder. It’s the result of leading smarter.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out Bethany’s Business here:
rubiandlib.com
Instagram: @rubiandlib
Facebook: Rubi & Lib

The Real Source of Stress For 6 And 7-Figure Store Owners
https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/the-real-source-of-stress-for-6-and-7-figure-store-owners-episode-214/

Do This Now And Be More Profitable
https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/do-this-now-and-be-more-profitable-episode-204/

The $500/Hour Job You Should Be Doing
https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/the-500-hour-job-you-should-be-doing-episode-226/

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