‘I love what I do now’: Port Huron mom-of-three finds inspiration in hobby, becomes an entrepreneur

We all love art. Whether it be music, dance, paintings, or poetry, we are all fascinated with the creative and imaginative wonder that art gives us. So what if, as a creative or an artist, you could turn your natural passion for the arts into a full-time business? That would be a dream come true for many; for one local resident, that dream has become a reality.

GypsysMoon founder Holly Bradfield.Holly Bradfield, owner of GypsysMoon, has always loved macrame and boho decor. Recently, Bradfield decided that she would take something she enjoyed as a hobby and turn it into a full-time business venture.

“I’ve always loved macrame, and I’ve kind of taught myself how to do it this past year — starting with a plant hanger and a wine hanger holder. From there, I just started to branch out and try different things,” Bradfield says.

For those who may be asking the question, “What is macrame, exactly?” Let’s get into that.

“Macrame is a type of cotton cord. There are all different kinds of textures, and they can be three strands, single strands, etc. So what you do with the cotton cord is you use different types of knotting to form whatever unique designs you can think of. For example, I am currently making a Halloween bat for an upcoming event,” says Bradfield.

“You can essentially create anything by weaving the cotton strands in a particular fashion. The items we sell are typically wall hangings, and home decor, but we also sell earrings — and the women are crazy about the earrings right now.”

GypsysMoon was a name that Bradfield had in mind since 2018, but she was unsure of exactly what it was that she was going to sell. Finding macrame, she opened her business in March of 2021. On her journey to discovery, she spent time working as a life insurance agent and working in retail.

“I was saying to myself, what is going on? I’m just not happy with anything I’m doing,” Bradfield says. “Then, it's like, ‘Boom.’

“The universe always plays out how it's supposed to.”

Since then, GypsysMoon has taken off beyond anything Bradfield ever planned for or expected. She has partnered with another local business, Ruboo Boutique, located in downtown Port Huron, where her products are available for purchase. Bradfield will also be teaching a macrame class on Friday, Oct. 8, at the creative coworking hub Foundry, also located in Port Huron.

“The items we sell are typically wall hangings, and home decor, but we also sell earrings — and the women are crazy about the earrings right now,” Bradfield says.“I just started tapping into my creativity and curiosity, as far as what I could come up with, and it just took off,” she says. “I really can’t even believe it. It’s just craziness.”

Being a business owner has its challenges as well as its rewards, and for those who run a business, it’s something you have to expect and prepare for.

“This journey has been nothing but learning, and the business side of it for me is what's challenging. The time management — there are so many orders being placed and demands to meet, on top of being a mother of three school-aged children, that it can be overwhelming at times,” Bradfield says.

“On the flip side, I love what I do now. I have more freedom. I get to make my own schedule and things of that nature, so I take the good with the bad.”