A former neuroscientist is sharing how she quit her job to start a new business making jewellery which earns her the equivalent of £23,980 a year.
Rachel Heinze, 29, from Lakeland, Florida left her high-pressure role for this surprising side hustle after having her first child.
She struggled to breastfeed her son and began to see adverts for breast milk jewellery on Facebook.
Enamoured by the idea, Ms Heinze began a side hustle making her own natural jewellery and loved the process of creating designs.
From there, she launched a full-time business in November 2021 where she would turn customers’ breast milk into powder before making it into a product.
However, the evolution into becoming a full-time jewellery designer did not come without some apprehension.
She explained: “I’m not going to lie when I first saw breastfeeding jewellery before I had kids, I thought it was weird.
“But having that journey myself, I can definitely see why people want to carry that little part of the journey with them. When I hit that one year of breastfeeding mark I wanted to celebrate.
“I thought: ‘I can do this. I can make these.’ Then I fell in love with making them. Then friends wanted some, and since then it’s become a business.”
As it stands, the entrepreneur sells each piece of jewellery for around $200 (£159.90) which she makes by herself.
2022 was her first full year of doing business and the young mother was able to earn $30,000 (£23,984.70) from her side hustle.
Before taking on this role full-time, Ms Heinze was working as a neuroscience specialist in a concussion treatment centre.
However, she always wanted to become a stay-at-home mum which her new role is able to facilitate.
According to the side hustler, her business allows her to connect with customers in a unique way.
Ms Heinze added: “80 percent of my responses online are positive. I always get cute little letters or reviews from customers. I get super excited about those.
“With my memorial jewellery, every single story is so touching. My very first piece was for a mother who lost her little girl. She passed away at a week old.
“Her mother sent me a lock of her hair, some breast milk and some of her ashes. I remember I made it at night, and it cut to my heart so much that I had to grab my sleeping baby to just hold him.”
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