Balancing College Life & Entrepreneurship: The Story of Branded b. Co.
Written by Bailey Blacker
Owning a business and being an involved college student has an interesting balance.
I've owned my own boutique for 5 years, and when I started it, I started it knowing that I would soon be moving to college, and I was going to have to sort of give up my first passion, which was showing livestock. I wanted to find an avenue that could combine my creative interests and my passion for not only livestock but the entire Agriculture industry… And so Branded B Co. was formed.
I started it out of my bedroom, and then outgrew that! In 2022, I made my first “Big girl purchase,” Which was an 8x10 “She-Shed. Every 16-year-old has one of those, right? When I finally moved away from home last year during my sophomore year of college, things got a little trickier. I went from having my whole business in my backyard and could work whenever I wanted, to living 40 minutes away from home and trying to balance between coming home to work on orders, and staying at school to focus on school. It was difficult! My main product for the past couple of years has been stamped jewelry. Two things about stamped jewelry: It’s loud + It’s messy. Not really an easy thing to take to my college apartment. Eventually, I started adding on products that I could easily make at my apartment, such as Buttons, Vinyl Decals, and more! This change reduced the stress of constantly going home, as I could still earn an income from the products I produce here.
At Purdue, I’m a junior majoring in Ag Sales and Marketing. Outside of my major, I’m involved in Agriculture Future of America (AFA) as well as Purdue Sigma Alpha and Purdue Agribusiness Club, where I serve as an officer in both. Academics have never necessarily come “easy” to me, so balancing Academics, extracurriculars, and being a small business owner has had its fair share of joys and challenges; however, the joys far outweigh the challenges. I have learned so many skills from my boutique that have helped with school, such as communication and marketing skills, and I have learned a lot of skills here at Purdue that have helped with the boutique. All of it has positively influenced how I market myself and my boutique professionally
My best advice is if you are in college and want a new creative outlet, and you’ve been considering starting a business. DO IT. Start small, and put your all into it, and it will flourish.
Balancing College and owning a Small Business has helped shape me into a well-rounded individual, and I can’t wait to see where Branded B Co. takes me next!
Bailey Blacker
Written by
Purdue Junior in Agriculture Sales and Marketing