A Nurse Anesthetist Made Star Wars Quilts for His Sons — The Kit Company Sold $1.25 Million in a Year
3 min read · RealCase summary
Mike O'Dell, 50, works four 10-hour shifts a week as a nurse anesthetist in Oklahoma City, earning $240,000 a year. In 2020 he made Star Wars-themed blankets for his two sons using a technique called foundation paper piecing, and turned the patterns into a quilting-kit company, Legit Kits, according to CNBC Make It.
In 2024 the company sold $1.25 million online — about $104,000 a month on average — plus roughly $150,000 through Joann Fabrics. Mini kits sell for $99. The business was profitable in 2023 and broke even in 2024 after the cost of moving warehouses.
Legit Kits now has seven full-time employees and four freelance designers, and O'Dell spends about one day a week on it, planning to pay himself a $50,000 salary as creative director in 2025. 'I can eat breakfast, I can go to the gym. I set my own schedule,' he said of the flexibility.
Key takeaways
- ›Started Legit Kits in 2020 from Star Wars blankets made for his two sons
- ›$1.25 million in online sales in 2024, plus about $150,000 through Joann
- ›Works on the company one day a week; nursing is four 10-hour shifts
- ›Team of 7 full-time employees and 4 freelance designers
Original source
Read the original (CNBC Make It via NBC New York)
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