Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Zettlemoyer.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi! Here’s a bunch of information from one of my other interviews. Take what you’d like from it!
Bio:
Nicole Zettlemoyer, a USAF and USMC veteran, hand crafts wreaths made from real military uniforms. In both the USAF and USMC, Nicole was a regional musician, playing the bassoon across all fifty states. In the Marine Corps, Nicole was also a black belt martial arts instructor, and in the Air Force she was a Master Resiliency Trainer and Victim Advocate. Nicole is now married with a 4 and 2 year old, and continues to serve as a Key Support Mentor for her husband’s unit, and as an active duty military spouse.
How has the military or military life shaped you and your business?
The military has shaped my business because I understand the importance of military service and what it means to honor veterans. As a musician, I have played in hundreds of ceremonies. From retirements, promotions, and even funerals, the military is really great at highlighting its veterans and I can affirm that America loves its veterans. Because of this, I love to handle each uniform with the respect it deserves, and I am continually honored when people entrust their uniforms to me.
I also have an unstoppable work ethic. When my business became viral almost five years ago, I went from having no official business to creating an enterprise overnight, all while being active duty. I think if I saw this challenge and ran away, it would have been a huge mistake, so I bunkered down and got to work!
2. It seems like your business focuses on recycling and reusing old uniforms, how has this
idea evolved over the years?
Yes, the whole premise of the business is that customers can send in their own uniforms, and customers can also donate old, unwanted uniforms as well. This allows me to create wreaths for everyone, even if they do not have a uniform to send. This idea has evolved slightly with the creation of my “ready to ship” page. It is very difficult to keep all the dress uniforms and fatigues cut and organized, so when I receive a donation from a dress uniform, I usually don’t keep it and instead pre-make some wreaths that can be sold immediately from my page.
3. You share about your relationship with your mom as sort of the origin of your business,
could you share more about this and how your relationship has impacted you/your
business?
Oof. Yes, my mom is the main reason why this business got started. She’s always been the craft queen, so I was lucky enough to collaborate with her when I made my first wreath. She’s always been extremely supportive of me. However, when I went home in July of 2020 to make this wreath, she had already been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She eventually passed in July of 2021. So it was really fun to experience the business take off with her still alive, but unfortunately she hasn’t been with us to see it fully blossom into what it is today. Every wreath I create carries a little piece of her with it, so it’s just another reason why I make sure each wreath is held to a high standard.
4. Your personal experience with more than one branch of the military obviously impacts
the heart of your business, can you share more about this and what it means to you
producing such a special product?
I believe the fact that I was dual military is super helpful when it comes to relating to other veterans. Going back to the band idea from the first question – my whole career in the military was about honoring active duty and veterans. Why not continue that with this business? It’s really my driving factor when times get tough.
5. What is the process like when designing and making your wreaths? (How long it takes,
how you decide what to make, resources, etc.).
If I had to cut up the materials, assemble the wreath, take the nice photo, and box it up, that whole process typically takes around 2-2.5 hours, depending on the size of the wreath. Thankfully, I have prepared a ton of fabric, so I can make a wreath a lot quicker when a customer doesn’t send in their uniforms.
In terms of the design, I usually to the union jack on the right side, and the uniform print on the left. Why is it backwards? Honestly, it was just how the first one turned out and that’s the way I’ve done it ever since! I have made some really cool designs in the past. I always tell myself that the more simple, the better looking. I tend to want to make my wreaths too busy, but some of my favorite ones are simple and straight to the point!
6. Have you encountered any hurdles in your business? If so, how did you navigate that?
Besides the going from 0-100 aspect of my business, I’d say now that I’m established, the hardest thing continues to be finding a new market for my wreaths. My product is definitely more of a “one and done” type of item – I typically don’t get many repeat customers. Because of this, I’ve had to find creative ways to market, without breaking the bank. I have found Facebook groups that cater to my demographic, and just recently this year I’ve started using LinkedIn. I always believed that it was just for finding a job, but I recently learned that it is an awesome place to network.
7. What advice would you give to other military spouses or veterans who are thinking about
starting their own creative business?
I always say two things when people ask me this question (so for those of you who already know me who are reading this, I apologize!)
First, you need to see if the market needs your product. I was lucky enough to go viral, and seeing the positive outpouring of responses made it very clear that this was something the market “needed”, and was unique enough to thrive. If you love crafting something, that’s great, and you should continue to do so. However, if the market is flooded with that exact item made by many vendors, I’d be cautious about going knee deep into entrepreneurship. Ask people in your community, not just your friends and family, about if they believe your product will do well!
Second, you need to be AUTHENTIC. People love seeing a face behind your business. I’m not saying you have to blast your life out to everyone. However, when people hear your story, they’re more inclined to want to support it. I love sharing my story on podcasts, being candid on my Facebook posts, and being completely authentic when interacting with my customers. To sum it up, what they see is what they get!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’d say the biggest struggle is the balance of making my wreaths and being a full-time mother. I left the Air Force to be a mom, but I also love my business and wouldn’t give it up for the world. So sometimes I find that my balance can get off – sometimes I work too much, and other times I feel like I’m not working enough!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I own a business, but it is definitely a creative art! Check out the series of questions at the beginning.
I handcraft wreaths made from real military uniforms. Customers can send in their own uniforms, or they can use the uniforms I have in stock, due to generous donations throughout the years. You can customize with tapes, patches, ranks, or any other addition you can think of!
What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to getting past my waitlist! We just moved to California a few months ago, so I had to make a waitlist for my wreaths. Since getting back to work, I’ve widdled it down to 300 people, which is still a big ask for one person! It originally started at 800.
Pricing:
- 8″-$50
- 11″-$70
- 13″-$90
- 15″-$105, 17″ $125, 19″-$140
- Shipping is a flat $15, custom options are available for a little bit
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wreathsbynicolep.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wreathsbynicolep
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wreathsbynicolep
- Other: TikTok: @Wreathsbynicolep
