The Question I Hear Every Week: “How Do You Do It All?”

“Stacie, how do you juggle two companies that bring in around five million dollars a year, raise three kids, and still create collections of art and release new products?”

Short answer: I don’t do everything.

Long answer: I follow a system—a rhythm—that I’ve used for years. It’s called the S.T.A.R. Cycle, and it’s the foundation of my upcoming book, The Artist’s Side Hustle (now available for preorder!).

The book is for anyone trying to make meaningful progress with limited time. I created the S.T.A.R. framework back when I only had five focused hours a week to build my business. These days, I have two companies and work full time—but the rhythm still drives everything I do.

Today, I’m giving you the first public peek at how it works.

Rewind to 2011: Side-Hustle Stacie

It’s 9 p.m. in our 1960s ranch house in Springdale, Arkansas. My three-year-old and newborn are finally asleep. The dining-room table is my “studio”: battered sketchbook, clunky desktop scanner, stacks of hand-sewn pillows and prints waiting to go live on Etsy. No Netflix—just Gilmore Girls DVDs on repeat.

Those five laser-focused hours a week planted the seeds for what would become Gingiber.

Fast-Forward to 2025

• Annual revenue: ~$5 million
• Team size: ~10 brilliant humans in each business
• HQ: Cozy Springdale studio (we still pack every order ourselves!)
• My role: I do the work only I can do—or truly want to do

I love what I do. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunities, my team, and our amazing customers and students. But let’s be real: even a dream job can turn chaotic when you’re bouncing between product design, coaching, content creation, and admin.

Why I Rewired My Calendar

A few months ago, my brain was ping-ponging: Record a lesson → approve a fabric strike-off → hop on a call → tweak a sales email.

The constant mental costume changes? Exhausting.

So my team and I rebuilt my work week with themed days to bring flow back into my schedule:

My Themed Workweek

Just one week in, I felt more energized and focused than I had in months.

Meet the S.T.A.R. Cycle

The system that holds it all together:

How I Apply the S.T.A.R. Cycle Each Week

Rule #1: If it’s not in my calendar, it doesn’t exist.
Rule #2: Only the work I can do—or truly love—gets top billing.

Inside This Week’s Education Sprint

Outcome: Tool completed • mini-course outlined • 8-month calendar framed—in 48 hours.

What Happens on Product / Art Days

• S: Logged every missing holiday SKU, gave feedback to my design team
• T: Spent 8 glorious hours drawing critters in mittens

This week:

• T: Continue finishing illustrations
• A: Review and prep files for print; record product social posts
• R: Next sprint: A secret new project (hint: tea towels!)

Why S.T.A.R. Beats Busywork

• Built-in brakes: You can’t polish (A) what you haven’t created (T)
• Adaptable scope: Side hustle or CEO, it works at any level
• Momentum loop: Every Reach Out powers the next Strategize
• Mental clarity: Theme days reduce decision fatigue and task-switching

Your First S.T.A.R. Challenge

• Name one project you’re itching to finish.
• Block four sessions on your calendar—S → T → A → R.
• Follow the order. No skipping ahead.
• Share your “S” in the comments so we can cheer you on!

✨Try the S.T.A.R. Method Yourself

If you're the kind of person who loves putting pen to paper, we’ve created a free printable worksheet to help you map out your own S.T.A.R. Cycle.

It’s totally optional—but super helpful if you like structure and a place to track your creative progress.

Just drop your email below and we’ll send you the PDF so you can start planning your next big project—S.T.A.R. style.

Big dreams. Tiny margins. Infinite possibilities. Let’s go.

— Stacie