Hi! I'm Erica Charron, owner of Erica's Board Creations in Rockton, IL. Today is a BIG day for us... our website just launched! I've decided to have a blog section on the website, to share a little bit of my journey & my life with all of you!
To help you understand how special each milestone I reach in my business is, I think you need to hear my story. My story is filled with heartache, self-destruction, loss, & failure. But you see, these are the things that shaped me & led me to the life I have now... which is filled with love, self-respect, success, & so much happiness!
I grew up in Rockton, IL with my Mom & my brother. When I was 18, I got married & had my two beautiful children, Morgan & Dylan. After 13 years of marriage, we ended in divorce. I had gone through a lot in my life, including losing my brother Josh to suicide when he was 18 & I was 21. I struggled with anxiety & depression my whole life, but especially after losing my brother & going through a divorce. Somewhere in there, I found alcohol. Alcohol at first just helped me relax, but then it became more. It was something I depended on to take me out of my current reality. It helped me bury the trauma I had been through & helped me to not deal with my feelings. Only I was digging a much bigger hole for myself than I realized.
In the fall of 2016, I hit my lowest point & checked myself into the hospital for depression. When I got out I made some changes in my life, but I still wasn't ready to quit drinking. I wanted so desperately to be able to "control" my drinking & drink like "normal" people. But I just couldn't.
During those months I attended two board making classes & loved everything about it. I was working for a Financial Advisor at the time as his Sales Assistant, but I had a dream of being my own boss.
On November 28, 2016, I attended a board class for the third time. I had a little too much wine that night & made a crazy decision... I decided to quit my job & start a business doing board parties in women's garages & basements. It was definitely a decision that was made under the influence of alcohol, but when I woke up the next morning I knew this was it! I knew I was capable of so much more than I was accomplishing in life. So I decided to go ahead with my plan, scared, terrified, & completely lacking self-confidence. I knew one thing for sure... alcohol could not have a place in my life anymore if I was going to be successful! I admitted to myself that I was an alcoholic & I got help.
My boyfriend (now husband) bought me a Silhouette Cameo for an early Christmas present (I was totally broke at the time). I started learning how to cut the stencils & even took a few Christmas orders! Painting boards was so therapeutic for me as I was battling my alcohol addiction, it relaxed me. In January of 2017, I did my first class in a friend's basement for about 18 women. Of course, I made some mistakes, but all of their boards turned out & it gave me a little self-confidence! After doing parties in garages & basements for about 8 months, I got into DC Estate Winery to do events there! My business kept growing & in November 2017 I decided it was time to open up my own little shop in Rockton! I've done things a little bit at a time. I waited several months to get a sign outside, we started with folding banquet tables, nothing was "perfect" when I took the next step. And each step I've taken has included self-doubt & fear. But at some point during this journey, I started realizing that my confidence was growing & so was my faith. I was beginning to have so much success in my business & was filled with so much gratitude!
Fast forward 3 years from that day... November 28, 2016, when I made that "crazy" decision to go after a dream & decided to battle my demons. I now own a business that is thriving, most of our classes sell out, we have over 6500 followers on my "little" Facebook page, I employ around 10 people, we work with very "high-end" venues to host our events at, & the people I have met through this business have made my life so much happier! I can't wait to see what is to come for Erica's Board Creations! I hope this shows you the beauty that can come from fighting an addiction & going after your dreams! Don't keep living the same year over & over & call it a life! Make the changes!