Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Drallette.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, graduated as an Industrial Engineer, and moved to the states to pursue my career. I made Minnesota home in 2014, where I met my husband Brendan, an Airforce Veteran, and my amazing and kind bonus-son Keane. Today we have two beautiful daughters, McKenna (2) and Isabella (5 months). We were both very busy parents with full-time careers trying to juggle a healthy work/life/family balance. When my husband and I met, we quickly realized that we shared a love for restoring furniture and farmhouse decor, but our full-time careers never allowed us to follow our dreams of owning our own business. Together we decided that our dreams were way too important not to give them a chance, so we decided to have my husband quit his job and develop our dream business while I kept my job as our secure source of income. We started by restoring one school desk to develop a solid customer base and having our store front. Today we own Farmhouse Flipped in Maple Plain, a store with something for everyone. We focus on restoring vintage furniture, Farmhouse Style decor, natural soy wax candles, jewelry, clothing, and lots more. We also make custom farmhouse-style furniture.
How did I go from owning one business to creating my brand, The Average Mom Clothing Company? The answer is easy. I got mom shamed! During my pregnancies and after the birth of my daughters, I was mom-shamed multiple times. I still remember when someone criticized me for not making own my baby food and don’t even get me started on the time I got shamed for not breastfeeding my babies. I realized that I was working extremely hard to be the mom that society wanted me to be and not the mom that I wanted to be. I’m an Average mom; I’m always tired and late. I say bad words and hide in the bathroom sometimes for some peace and quiet. It took me a while, but I’m finally happy with who I am as a mother and how amazing my kids are. I realized that other moms out there must be going or had gone through what I have, so I decided to create a brand to tell all the moms out there that they are amazing and it’s ok to not be ok. It’s ok to be tired and late and to feed your kids chicken nuggets once in a while. It’s ok to be Average, and you have to focus on being the mom you want to be, not the mom that society wants you to be.
Today I’m a happy mom of 3, a loving wife, and a business owner. You can call me a mom-peneur, and I love this crazy adventure.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
My biggest struggle has been balancing having children, a full-time job, and starting a business. I work 7 days a week. I spend most of the time after the girls go to bed making candles or shirts or working on our online presence. It’s been a lot of hard work, late nights, and early mornings. I went into labor with my second baby while setting up the store for opening the next day, and I was posting on social media in between contractions to let our followers know that the opening would be postponed due to the baby arriving early. The store opened 6 days after, and I worked the opening weekend with my baby wrapped around my chest. It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it’s been fun.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I enjoy my career as an Engineer. When I’m not working on Farmhouse Flipped and designing a sassy shirt for The Average Mom Clothing Co, I’m a Director of Production at a Manufacturing company in Plymouth, Minnesota. Being an Engineer has allowed me to see daily struggles as amazing opportunities for change and improvement. I take pride in being a Servant Leader. I work for my team and focus on providing them with the tools to succeed daily. On the other hand, what sets my product apart is that it’s close to my heart and my family. We price our products with our customers in mind. We want everyone to be able to afford the items at the store; we choose our vendors very carefully and make sure that their values align with ours. When it comes to The Average Mom Clothing Co., what sets my line apart is where it comes from. I’m representing all the amazing moms in the world, the sassy ones with sassy kids just like myself.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Who doesn’t like some good TikTok? I know I do. I enjoy seeing other mom-peneurs succeed and share their stories. Plus, I like to try the dances once in a while.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.farmhouseflipped.com
- Instagram: @fhouseflipped @theaveragemomclothingco
- Facebook: Farmhouse Flipped
- Other: https://www.farmhouseflipped.com/theaveragemom/
Image Credits
Crystal Lynn Photography
