The Career Flipper Podcast

From car sales and after school teacher to furniture flipper, meet Mariah Howard

Episode Summary

From car sales and after school teacher to furniture flipper, meet Mariah Howard of Murrieta, California.

Episode Notes

Episode Transcription

Jenny Dempsey (00:00.204)

bet on yourself because it is incredibly rewarding to get to work with people that see your passion and appreciate and encourage and support your passion as well.

Welcome to the career flipper, the podcast that gets real about career changes. Each week I sit down with people from all over the world in all kinds of industries to explore how they make the leap from point A to point B. We'll dig into the twists, turns, wins, and yes, the occasional face plants along the way. I'm your host, Jenny Dempsey. After a shift on my own career path, I couldn't stop wondering why people choose to pivot and how they actually make it work.

that curiosity turned into this podcast. So if career stories inspire you or you're thinking about making a change yourself, hit subscribe. New episodes drop every Thursday. In today's episode, I chat with Mariah Howard from Murrieta, California. She's a former teacher and sales professional who traded in afterschool lesson plans and quotas for paint brushes and power tools. Now a full-time furniture flipper, Mariah spills the tea on her leap from a traditional nine to five.

following her love for furniture restoration. We talk about the chaos of balancing work and family life, how she got her business off the ground without breaking the bank and why having a supportive community makes all the difference. Mariah also shares some real talk about giving yourself grace, trusting your gut and the pure joy of connecting with fellow creatives. If you ever thought about turning your side hustle into a full on gig, this one's for you. Let's get into the episode now.

You know, Mariah, if it wasn't for you, I probably never would have ever considered a paint sprayer. I know that sounds so silly, but seeing you use it all the time and promote it, like, ooh, that's cool. You're so sweet. Yeah, that thing has saved my life so much. Which is funny. I don't think I ever would have dreamed about a nice paint sprayer before, but like this year it's, it's yeah, I dream about it. I love it.

Jenny Dempsey (02:16.815)

Mariah, thank you so much for joining me here on the Career Flipper. Tell everybody a little bit about you. I appreciate that. So my name is Mariah Howard from Mariah Flips Furniture and I am a stay at home mom and I flip furniture full time now and I do it all from home and so it's super exciting. I had my daughter back in 2022 and that was...

Kind of the big wake up call. I was doing full time work in after school. And then I also had experience in the car business and sales. And I realized that like leaving work, leaving for work eight hours a day, it wasn't for me. I was missing so much of my daughter's life. I was missing so much of my own time and like to speak and treat my own mental health. was missing a lot of that. One day early postpartum, I was just

going through Instagram and I found furniture flipping and I was like, I want to kind of try that just for fun. Like just to care for my mental health, just as a hobby, just to do something and be able to say like, I did that. And then it just took off. And so I've been flipping furniture for about almost a year and a half now. And it has been

so much fun and I have kept myself so busy. I mean, to be in a situation where you're working a full-time job and to know that it's not the right fit and then to know that there is, like you gave yourself that permission to own that and then to make the change. And I'm sure that can be a little, you know, there's so many positives to that because honestly, you taking the initiative to care for your mental health is priority.

But there's so many people out there that are working really stressful jobs there, you know, or multiple jobs and they're not happy and they know it's not good for them, but they stay. So I'm curious if you'd be open to talking a little bit about how did you face that and make that decision where, know, it's this or, or nothing. Like, how did you, how'd you make that decision? So I actually was in that same exact kind of, I call it the rut and I call it just like,

Jenny Dempsey (04:35.075)

bottom of the barrel where I legitimately hated going to work. I was driving to work every single day and I couldn't stand like if I see this person because of how uncomfortable I am and like if this happens or if I have a customer who's having a bad day, it'll ruin my day. And so like what am I gonna do for the rest of my day to kind of cope with just going to work? And it got to a point where

people say that you, you know, that you have the weekends to rest in order to work again. And I like hated that whole concept. Like that means I'm living my whole life to work Monday through Friday, or sometimes Monday through Saturday. And so I just got to a point where I was like, there's no way that this has to be the answer where I work the rest of my life somewhere that I can't stand. And I just,

found something that I could do on the side for a little bit. And then I realized like, hey, if I'm able to bring in even partial income with my time split into, you know, one third of the time I'm doing what I love and enjoy, and then the other two thirds I'm doing something that I resent and can't stand. Maybe if I put my whole focus on the thing that I love and that I'm actually, you know, producing out of.

then maybe it'll be worth it and maybe I'll actually enjoy every single day. The way that you kind of like categorize it and like structure it to be, yeah, if I am saying this, I, you projected your entire life. like, this is what it's going to be. But if I pour that myself into this other thing, there is potential. And you saw that and you're so talented. so you mentioned.

that you were just on Instagram and it kind of popped up. Are you a natural, artistic person when you were younger? Did you do anything with art? Did you ever do anything with furniture before this or was that literally the beginning? So I'm actually a naturally artistic person, character art. I love painting. I like painting cartoon characters and I do faceless paintings for like

Jenny Dempsey (07:00.047)

people and just make people cartoonish and like so I've really enjoyed art in that way. Yeah. But before I saw that video, I had no idea what a sander was. I had no idea what primer was what, you know, scuff sanding all the different kinds of sanding. I didn't even know that you could spray paint on like all of these silly little things that I do in my everyday life. I didn't even know they existed.

And so it's crazy to be able to watch a video and say, I want to try this, even though I have absolutely no idea what I'd be doing. Yeah. That's fun. That's fun. That's like scary. That's just exciting all in one. And, you know, doing this for a year and a half now, you've learned so much, but you've also taught people so much alongside

you learning? How did you get to be such a great teacher, Mariah? Like, it's so natural. Your YouTube video or like your Instagram stories or a real like you have such a creative, fun, upbeat, positive, authentic way. Like you're painting the things that aren't so pretty and you're asking questions. How did you I mean, is that something that you are just naturally inclined to or did you did you learn that along the way?

So I actually, I've always been very bubbly. I've always been great with public speaking and it's always been something that I really enjoy. but I started doing afterschool teaching and I became a supervisor and I ran a program of a hundred students and every single day I had to talk in front of them and give them the schedule, give them, you know, whatever we're doing, give them the harsh things that, you know, this person canceled.

And I realized that talking to a hundred kids, most of them are not paying attention. I'm actually, I'm really good at getting attention, but you know, some of them are not paying attention. They're being disrespectful, disruptive. And it's not that they're intentionally doing it, but it's still hard to give across a message to a hundred kids. And so I realized, okay, if I can face the hardest.

Jenny Dempsey (09:19.391)

then I can face YouTube where I'm just talking to my screen. And it was actually on the flip-off where one of the camera guys, was phenomenal. I was on the flip-off that the furniture teacher led and that was back in March of this year. And one of the camera guys who followed me around all day long, he, I was explaining a procedure and I can't remember what exactly I was explaining. I think it was like,

sanding and how to make sure that it's sanded properly. And I remember I was explaining it and he said to me, he's like, do you have a YouTube channel yet? And I was like, I'm nowhere near that. Like I'm not at all where Lauren's at. And he's like, you are a natural at speaking to the camera. And it kind of clicked to me where I was like, like, okay, if I feel that way about Lauren,

from the furniture flipping teacher and she taught me so much, then maybe if I get in front of a camera, I can teach somebody the exact same thing. So that's why I started my YouTube channel and it has been so much fun. It's so natural and that comes across in everything that you share and I love hearing that. Pause for a second. Yeah, let's talk about the flip off because I...

I think that is so freaking cool that you were on the show and you, I mean, you had been doing it at that point, what, maybe six months, six, six to eight months and, and you went on a show, a competition show. Yeah. mean, it was so, it was so fun. It was really nerve wracking. And so the two girls that I was actually competing against, I love, love them.

but it was nerve wracking because you know, both of them were coming in with much more experience than me. And so it was kind of like, I was this little guppy and like, was so excited because I was like, my gosh, like, you know, I only have nine months and I'm here to represent all the new people. But at the same time, I was like, I only have nine months in my belt. Like, why am I here to represent all of the people? Yeah. You know, like, I had never, I remember rewatching the show. There's one point where.

Jenny Dempsey (11:36.727)

I was talking about building a base and I don't know what I was thinking. And Lauren asked me, she's like, have you ever used a miter saw? And I was like, yeah, of course I know how to use the saw. I have never touched that thing in my life. And so the fact that I was like trying to be like, yeah, I know what I'm doing. It so comical to me. my gosh. That's so funny. That's so funny. And what a great opportunity that you took even

knowing that you didn't have that experience. think a lot of the times, at least hearing from other career flippers or people who wish they would, you know, want to do something different, we get so caught up in the fear of what we don't know. And it can hold us back from taking any step forward and learning. And you didn't let that hold you back. You didn't let not knowing. And I'm, you know, you, you figured it out and you did an incredible job with that. And I loved watching that.

You know, and all of you, all the, you know, everyone was amazing on there, of course. it was so fun to watch. And I just think it just goes to show when we take these, these kind of side projects, which is what your initial, you know, intentions were and where it can take us when we're open to opportunities. And, something that kind of stands out that, that you said earlier was like, you know, let's say like the public.

speaking and talking in front of 100 kids, which quite an audience right there. And I think when we go into these new career paths, a lot of the times I'm hearing from other people who've made changes that the things that we have from these other experiences, whether or not we actually enjoyed them, there's so many skills and experiences that we've learned that can actually help us on the new path.

And we're not like letting anything go. We're taking like the best parts of, you know, those past experiences and letting it carry us forward into this whole new path. It's kind of like, I kind of see it as like the cement, like it's painting the road in front of us, these things. Are there other things that you think you use or you do on a regular basis that you might have learned from past jobs that you just really carry with you now? yeah, for sure.

Jenny Dempsey (13:58.797)

teaching one is a huge one because I'm, I'm trying to make sure that when I'm telling somebody something, I'm talking to my YouTube channel or, know, somebody who's fresh learning like they are fifth grader. And it's not that they're young or naive in any way. It's that if I use all of these words, like, yeah, just scuff sand it with one 20 grit. not going to learn. so I'm trying to break it down as simple as I can where

I were reading it a year and a half ago, I would be able to understand it. Like, when you look at the back of sandpaper, it says 120 and 120 is what you need to scuff sand. That's something where it's, okay. Like now I know where to see it. Now I know where to find it. I feel more knowledgeable and I feel like I'm learning. And then also like through my sales job, I hated my sales job, but

Because of my sales job, I feel so much more comfortable pitching to brands. I feel so much more comfortable negotiating and planning with my clients. I feel comfortable setting my own schedule because I know what it takes to be able to come off as professional and negotiate terms and set myself up for success.

while also looking out for the client because they're making a huge investment. I mean, right there. That's such a great way to put it because they're investing in you and there's a huge responsibility with that. And you're doing it the right way and carrying those skills forward while leaving the other stuff behind. You know, it's a itself. And I think that I just had to call that out because I just think that

Again, it's something that I know can hold people back when they're like, well, I don't know how to do these things. But yet we have some skills that we can actually use when we move forward and step into that. So another thing pops in my mind, Mariah, part of the motivation behind this was your daughter and wanting to be there for her for these moments and watch her grow up. And you've created a place

Jenny Dempsey (16:20.075)

in your life where you can do that. And it doesn't have to be working for the weekend. You're working to live and you're enjoying it. How has that been for you being able to be there and juggling furniture projects, which I know you're working on one right now is right now. Which I love it. But how has that kind of the juggling been for you? I mean, it definitely comes with pros and cons because I want to say

That, know, it's amazing. spend time with her every second of the day. However, like that's not realistic. And so I do still have to juggle a schedule. I do still have to figure out like, okay, in this day, what can I do right now? And so it has been really, really fun to figure out, but also really stressful to see this is my schedule for the day.

Is it in the best interest of my daughter to have it planned out like this? Yeah. And it's been really hard some days where it's, you know, I have a client that's due by this day, but my daughter's not feeling well. Who do I do? What do I do? And so to be able to have, to be the CEO, the manager and the actual worker of my own time, it's really great because then I can either tell myself, okay, you work through the night or I can tell myself,

hey, you got to do the hard thing and communicate with your client. And it's amazing to be able to have that power and not send an email to a boss and then have the boss make up what I do for my life. Right. Now that's such a good point. That deciding factor of them making that choice for you, it's something that we're all accustomed to and we just do. But when we really lean in and think about it,

what's actually important? What are the values here? you know, and I appreciate you calling out that it isn't all, you know, cupcakes and rainbows, like there are ups and downs and you're figuring it out and creating the structure you need, but that can change. Like, you know, there are things that come up with that. And I think that's, that's really important. And I think, you know, you really show up as someone who is very organized and detailed and something else that pops up.

Jenny Dempsey (18:45.923)

for, you know- That is comical, wait, what happened? That's so funny. That's sweet of you, but I feel like I'm the last person to call organized. Really? Okay. Wait, that's so funny. Tell me why. If you were to step in my garage right now, I think you'd have an aneurysm. Like is so unorganized. Like I'm the type of person who like works in chaos.

And I'm sure that my stress levels would be so much lower if I didn't have to like step over extension cords all throughout the day. So that's funny. I appreciate the compassion when you call me organized. my gosh. Well, that's okay. I love this first of all, because that is how I perceive you on all the socials, like with your projects. And sometimes you'll post on a story of like, like I'm working with this client and I'm considering these things or

gosh, was, it was a while ago now. There was a budgeting software or financial software to help small businesses and you shared that. And I just was like, wow, like you've got this together. Like you're figuring it out, but you're using tools that really help you structure and organize. So it's funny to hear a little behind the scenes of how, you know, it's it's messy and that's how you thrive. And I love that because-

Not everyone thrives in super organized. I'm kind of like this, I love organization. I need things to be organized when they're not. get a little like my anxiety kicks in and it's really annoying sometimes because I'm like, if I didn't have that worry, I just do a lot more. But sometimes I get caught up in the worry. I think that, yeah, hearing you say that, just, I think that that's important that we don't all have to have

everything figured out, doing it the right cleanest way. Like, let's just like, let's just just take the messy action. Let's just do it. Yeah. So I love that kind of touching on like the, like the budgeting. So I guess it wasn't budgeting. was literally to keep track of like expense. Dan bookkeeping. Thank you. That's the word. Yeah. So cause I, you know,

Jenny Dempsey (21:07.063)

changing careers, especially one that you were in a sales job and I say stable in air quotes, but I'm sure you had like regular income and then to go to taking a chance on restoring furniture and doing it that way and collaborations and all kinds of other partnerships with brands. How did you, if you're comfortable sharing, how did you do the money stuff? Cause I know that holds people back.

from taking the chance, even sometimes on the side, they're like, well, I don't have the money to do these things. But sometimes, you know, it's just, it's our own mindset. And so I'm curious, yeah, how did that all kind of pan out for you? Yeah. So a big part of how I run my business is I trust in God. And I know that that sounds ridiculous and it sounds like, you know, God will give me money. God will do this. And that's not true.

What I do is I focus on God will give me the strength to learn from this situation. And so when I jumped head in, I literally started with 35 bucks and I found cheap tools and I am not organized, but I am resourceful. so like, will find out resources that will benefit me and offer up in marketplace, Facebook marketplace works, huge resources.

that helped me be able to go head first and really, really learn what I wanted to learn while not having to make the big scary investments right away. Because, oh, 100%, I would not be able to start this business if I thought I had to buy a paint sprayer the first project in. So what I did was I bought some cheap paint brushes and paint rollers from Home Depot, and I

bought some cheap paint that was in the oops section at Home Depot. And I bought some dinky little like coffee table for 15 bucks at Goodwill. And that's what I worked with. like I used a paint wash rather than stain for the first one, because then I could use the same exact paint. So like it was, I learned these techniques and I even looked up, you know, furniture flipping

Jenny Dempsey (23:29.438)

for dummies and furniture for beginners. I found videos that were able to tell me those exact tools and resources where it was, okay, I need 45 bucks to start. I don't need 150 bucks to buy one sprayer. And so that really helped me wrap my head around. This is doable for me. And now if I spend 45 bucks on my first project and I ended up selling it for 135, now I have more gain.

that I'm able to use towards the next project. And it just started snowballing because now I own a paint sprayer and I can use this for 15, 20 projects and not have to lose any money on tools that I'll be throwing away. Yes, that's so true. Just getting resourceful, thinking outside the box, looking at what you have available as opposed to thinking that like you have to go big and

Gosh, and going back to what you said, I think for anyone listening, God, the universe, anything that you believe in, I think that is so important that you brought that up because we, I mean, thinking about something bigger than ourselves and having that belief that the strength is there. We have it within and there is something bigger than us that is there to support us. And I think that that's

I mean, that's a big part sometimes like without belief. We might not do as much because it's so much easier to just lean into, you know, not doing it because it's safer. It's more comfortable. And yeah, definitely. And I never want to get into the mindset of like, if I can't do this, then I've let myself down. It's no, I've, I've depended on God and I've put it in his hands.

and he'll get me, he'll help me get through this. So it's also a mindset thing that has helped me so much tremendously where it's now I'm learning to find somebody to help and something to help me rather than just saying like, well, I failed once, I'm never going to do it again. Or that was hard and I don't want to do it ever again. Now it's, well, that was hard. How can I make it easier? Yes. Right. Right.

Jenny Dempsey (25:53.886)

Totally. That's such a good call. Like what did we learn that we can use to make this easier down the road and to do even if it's like 10 % better, my boyfriend always says 10 % better. Did you do 10 % better? Cool. That's a success. Like how do we really redefine what success looks like? Because one failure does not define your entire, you know,

work. Like it doesn't define that. If it did, then all of us would be failures. I think it's like, yeah, the mindset thing is incredibly important. And I just, I love what you said, like the Home Depot, oops, rack. I mean, let's talk like that's so great. it's awesome. I've used my like buy nothing Facebook group so much, or I just post like, does anyone have any?

any painting supplies. And it's so amazing that people in my community are like, yeah, I have these old paint brushes that have been sitting here in my garage for a few years. I'm never going to use them. I pick them up. like, they're brand new or like paint or tools or whatever it is. And people are willing to help you and asking for help is so incredible. Did you find that too? Like just, you know, asking for help or messaging other flippers. I'm, I'm fairly certain there's been multiple times I've

dropped a DM to you and I'm like, Hey, Kate, what do think of this? And like, I love how supportive our furniture flipping community is to one another. Yeah. for sure. Like not only do furniture flippers help me, but also like people in the community will help you. And I've learned that if you struggle on your own, like who are you helping? You're figuring it out on your own. You're making yourself endure more. Yes. But also if you

reach out and if you do the brave thing of telling people, guys, I'm new to this. Does anybody have tips on this or Hey guys, like I can't really afford a new one. Does anyone have this for free? People love to help. And so you're also like, you're giving them the gift of giving and it sounds ridiculous, but there have been so many times where somebody says like, Hey, I was just going to give this out. Do you want it?

Jenny Dempsey (28:11.804)

And I watch how much joy it brings them as well. And it's fun because now people are sending other people to me saying, Hey, Mariah's flipping furniture. You have this furniture set, contact her, see if she wants it. And so like, cannot press enough, make it known to your community, to your friends, to your family, what you are doing, whether it's furniture flipping, whether it's, you know, some kind of woodworking.

make it known because people will think of you when they see free stuff or sales or, you know, just resources that, hey, I saw that this helped somebody on Instagram. I wonder if it could help you make it known. Like that is a huge part. Yeah. So true. People want to help. And how wonderful a gift to have that. And then to be able to reciprocate it back.

and help others as well. It's, yeah, that's a gift. It's an absolute gift. And, Mariah, I'm curious if you have any last pieces of advice for someone who might be listening in and is feeling like they want to either start flipping furniture or maybe there's another creative endeavor or small business they want to start and they're really kind of scared about it and are unsure if it's, you know, the right decision.

Do you have any advice for someone who might be in that situation? Yeah. mean, my biggest advice is give yourself grace and really just give it a go. I was the type of person where while I was at work, I worked my hardest. And I'm sure a lot of these listeners are like, you guys are listening to a podcast about changing careers. You are go-getters.

You are already trying to do more than just sit and wait around. That is huge. So give it a go, put your heart into it and give yourself grace because you're going to learn. But I guarantee you the next time you're going to have that lesson in your back pocket and you're going to be able to say, well, I tried this last time. I want to try a different way. And it just makes you.

Jenny Dempsey (30:34.94)

so much stronger and able to speak from experience of what can keep your business productive. it's when you trust in yourself and when you keep going. And for me, like I trust in God, it grows your connection so much stronger. And when I watch what I was able to do with my business, I feel 10 times more exciting than a massive sale that I got in any job that I'd worked previously.

because this was a sale that I did. So just give it a go. I cannot stress enough how important it is to trust and bet on yourself because it is incredibly rewarding to get to work with people that see your passion and appreciate and encourage and support your passion as well. was awesome, Mariah. Thank you so much.

This has been so much fun. I am fangirling because I just think you're amazing and I am just so grateful for you and really appreciate you coming on to share. And I want other people to also connect with you. How, how can they find you? Where can they find you? You're so sweet. So they can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Instagram is my main one. Um, and then also YouTube and I'm Mariah from Sprintature anywhere you look.

And so I always love helping. I always love answering questions, just talking, building personal connections. Like I really, really love that connection. So if you ever want to send me a DM and just get to know each other, I would love that. Would love that. Yay. Awesome. I love it. Thank you again so much. has been.

Jenny, you are amazing. You have always been so sweet to everybody that I know. And I just, really appreciate being on here. Like this is such an honor. This has been so fun. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Career Flipper. Want to connect with Mariah? Check out the links in the show notes. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who could use a little inspiration.

Jenny Dempsey (32:52.38)

Don't forget to subscribe for more episodes featuring incredible guests like Mariah every week. And hey, you got a minute, leaving a quick review really helps the show reach more career flippers around the world. If you have your own career flip story to share, I'd love to hear it. Send me an email to hello at thecareerflipper.com and let's chat about featuring it on a future episode.

And if you're thinking about jumping into customer service or want to take your own business's customer experience to the next level, check out my online courses with tips from my years and customer experience leadership. They've helped over 14,000 students so far. can find them over at the career flipper.com slash courses. Come see corporate Jenny in action. You know, what I love most about hosting this podcast is the chance that these stories might be the nudge someone needs.

take that first step toward their dreams. I know that first step is scary, but it's also where the magic begins. Whether it helps you grow or leads to something completely unexpected, it's always worth it. Keep going, my friend. What's the best?