This is one of the questions I’m asked most often—and it’s also one of the hardest to answer because everyone joins Stampin’ Up!® for a different reason.
Some people join simply because they love the products and want to enjoy the demonstrator discount on the stamps, paper, ink, tools, and accessories they’re already buying. In fact, this is how many demonstrators begin. Think of it as joining a creative discount club—you get to enjoy your favorite hobby while saving money along the way.
Others join because they’re looking for something more than a discount. They want to meet new people, make friends, and become part of a creative community. There’s something special about sitting around a table with other crafters, laughing, talking, and creating together.
And yes, some people see Stampin’ Up! as a business opportunity. Maybe they’d like to earn a little extra money, pay a few bills, fund their crafting habit, save for a vacation, or eventually build something bigger.**
For others, it’s about personal growth, having the flexibility of a home-based business, sharing their creativity, or simply trying something new.
There really isn’t one right reason to become a demonstrator.
And here’s something very important to remember:
You NEVER have to run your Stampin’ Up! business the way I run mine.
You don’t have to teach classes, hold events, make videos, build a website, or do all the things you see me doing. Your Stampin’ Up! experience can be whatever you want it to be.
I Never Thought I Would Do This!
Believe it or not, I was one of those people who thought becoming a demonstrator was something I would never do.
Over the years, I had tried selling products for several different companies—makeup, skincare, kitchen organization—you name it. I always started with the best intentions, but I quickly discovered that I really didn’t enjoy selling.
Let’s just say burping bowls and selling face cream were not my calling!
Then stamping came along.
I absolutely loved making cards, but I was still very hesitant about turning something I enjoyed into another sales venture.
That changed one day when my mother-in-law opened a birthday card I had made for her. She looked at it and told me, “You should teach people how to do this.”
My husband agreed.
Something clicked.
They didn’t say I should sell stamps.
They said I should teach people how to stamp.
Now that sounded like something I could do!
So, I called my demonstrator and asked for more information. I figured I could give it a try, and if it wasn’t for me, at least I would have some great stamping supplies from my Starter Kit.
Taking the Plunge
In August 1997, I took the plunge and became a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. When that Starter Kit arrived, I was so excited! Then reality hit.
Now what?
I needed someone willing to let me hold my very first workshop, and I had absolutely no idea where to begin. Thankfully, a close family friend volunteered.
I spent hours preparing samples, deciding which products to demonstrate, and trying to figure out exactly what I was going to say. When the day finally arrived, I was scared to death! Public speaking had never been something I enjoyed. In fact, I hated it. But once I started stamping, something changed. I wasn’t standing in front of a group giving a speech. I was showing people how to do something I genuinely loved. Before I knew it, the nerves disappeared and I was having fun.
Even better—they were having fun too.
When I got home, I told my husband how much I had enjoyed myself. It didn’t feel like I was pressuring anyone to purchase something. I was teaching people how to create, answering their questions, and sharing something that brought me joy.
Then my first commission check arrived. I couldn’t stop smiling. Someone was actually paying me to stamp! How great is that?
More Than 29 Years Later…
When I joined Stampin’ Up! in 1997, I never could have imagined where that one decision would take me.
Becoming a demonstrator helped me gain confidence and step outside my comfort zone. I’ve met countless wonderful people, made lifelong friends, traveled, taught hundreds of crafters, and even presented at a Stampin’ Up! event in front of approximately 1,000 people—something the woman terrified at her first workshop would never have believed possible!
One of the greatest gifts has been the friendships I’ve made along the way. My upline became my best friend, and without Stampin’ Up!, our paths may never have crossed. For that alone, I will always be grateful.
What started as “Maybe I’ll try this and at least get some great stamps” grew into something I could never have imagined.
Today, stamping isn’t just a hobby for me. Teaching and sharing creativity with others has become a huge part of my life and the heart behind Jo’s Craft Corner, LLC.
What Could Your Story Look Like?
Your story doesn’t have to look anything like mine.
Maybe you simply want to save money on the products you love.
Maybe you’re looking for a creative community and new friendships.
Maybe you’d like your hobby to help pay for itself.
Maybe you’d like to earn some extra income.**
Or maybe there’s a little voice saying, “I’d love to do something like this…but I could never do what Jo does.”
I once thought the very same thing.
You don’t have to know where the journey will take you before you begin. Sometimes you just have to be willing to see where that first little step leads.
After all these years, I’m very glad I took mine.
