How young Orlando businesswoman Christianna Hurt turned a crisis into e-commerce success

A financial emergency can trigger desperate acts or brilliant solutions. When Christianna Hurt was faced with what seemed to be an insurmountable challenge, she showed uncanny resourcefulness, launching a new business that would pay off for years to come.

Born and raised in Lake Mary, Hurt was 21 when a guy she was dating convinced her to move out of her family’s home. They would live together in his nice, new apartment, he said, and she believed him. The young couple got the first month’s rent free as part of their lease agreement, but when payment time for the second month was looming, the boyfriend came up empty-handed. Hurt — who had left home in a fashion that prevented her from going back — had to think fast, and she did.

Using her social media channels to drum up interest, she turned to e-commerce to make money. Her big seller? A pen that doubled as a fishing pole. Literally. 

She needed to make $3,000 to pay the rent, and she cleared $6,000, she said.

Now age 28, Hurt is a University of Central Florida graduate with a bachelor's degree in communication and conflict, and runs a children’s clothing e-commerce site, Justkiddingkidsusa.com, that brings in six figures annually. But the real gold mine is her e-commerce education platform, Wealthycollegekid.com, which she said earns $3 million in revenue per year.

Orlando Business Journal asked Hurt to share her best e-commerce tips. Here's what she had to say:

You started with a niche novelty product. Now you’re a player in a major market, children’s apparel, which is at $53 billion annually in the U.S. How did you make that transition?

Early on, I was just drop-shipping using AliExpress. Then I started building relationships with overseas manufacturers and vendors, learning more about white labeling and using United States manufacturers and FDA approved facilities. 

How do you distribute your products?

I generate traffic to my own website, but I also sell products on platforms such as Walmart.com and Amazon.com, leveraging their traffic. To sell on Amazon, you apply to sell in a particular category. Once you’re approved, you can send your products to their warehouses so they ship out orders or you can ship to customers yourself. I see home decor products going viral on Amazon every day. That’s a good place to break in. And don’t underestimate Facebook Marketplace. Some people are sleeping on that platform, and that’s a mistake. It’s a powerful place to sell.

Do you have any advice for an e-commerce seller loading their products to one of these platforms or to their own website for the first time?

You’ve got to be creative in how you're making content and presenting products in today's marketplace. We can't just slap a picture or video up like we could four or five years ago. The content has to be high-quality and interesting.

Do you still use social media to promote your products?

Yes, it’s essential. Nowadays, people want comparisons. People want to hear from people who are using a product. They basically want to know what they're getting before they purchase it. We're seeing that kind of content on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Another social media platform on the rise is Lemon8, which has lifestyle content for women. It’s becoming a good place to promote products. In e-commerce, the gap between being moderately successful and extremely successful is how the story behind the product is told. That is what gives people a reason to choose your product over someone else’s.

About Christianna Hurt

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