People of a certain age may remember their mother, grandmother, or aunt spending countless hours sewing quilts, which remains a popular hobby. You might even be into quilting yourself, but did you ever imagine that you could turn that passion into a business that earns over $100,000 per month? 50-year-old Mike O’Dell, a nurse anesthetist from Oklahoma City, did exactly that, and he only works one day per month on his side hustle.
O’Dell’s day job, which he does during his four-day, 10-hour work week, requires extremely high attention to detail. O’Dell told CNBC’s “Make It” that his work as a nurse anesthetist is so intense that he can’t even use the bathroom or take a lunch break without another employee to cover for him. This highly specialized work pays O’Dell $240,000 per year, but it also comes with a high-stress level.
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There is no such thing as a “do-over” in his profession, and even a small mistake could cost a patient their life. It stands to reason that someone who works in such a high-stakes environment would seek a creative outlet to help decompress from doing such high-stakes work. O’Dell told CNBC that outlet was sewing, a craft he learned 20 years ago to make a “Braveheart” Halloween costume.
According to CNBC, O’Dell realized his passion could be lucrative after sewing two custom Star Wars themed quilts for his sons in 2020. O’Dell used an innovative method known as “foundation paper piecing” to make them. He began by drawing a giant pattern on a 6’x5′ piece of paper and then used his drawing as a sewing guide for the fabric. The final product was not only impressive, but the foundation paper piecing process was also much easier than he expected it to be.
That’s when the proverbial light bulb came on for O’Dell, who decided to build a business around making and sewing quilts. The CNBC profile noted that O’Dell ran his company, Legit Kits, with the same methodical approach he used during his day job as an anesthetist. O’Dell knew Legit Quilts had potential, but he also knew it would have been precipitous to quit his day job and go all-in on a new project.
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“The burnout I feel at the hospital fuels my energy to do the other thing for myself,” O’Dell said. “It turns the volume down when everybody’s mad at work.” He built Legit Kits to function independently. O’Dell brought in two graphic designers to handle the patterns and another person to cut the individual pieces. Legit Kits customers got a complete kit that allowed them to create much nicer pieces than their skill levels would normally allow.
Legit Kits was a hit with the quilting set, and the company was profitable by 2023. According to CNBC, O’Dell’s company was doing enough business to move into a 4,500 square foot warehouse in 2024. Perhaps more impressively, CNBC reported Legit Kits broke even for the year after making such an expensive move. Legit Kits made a very strong $1.25 million in revenue for 2024. That’s over $100,000 per month in income.
O’Dell still has his day job, but he spends one day per week at Legit Kits reviewing new designs and marketing. His time at Legit Kits may not be as lucrative as being an anesthetist, but it offers other rewards. O’Dell said that he can enjoy simple pleasures like driving his sons to school and having a leisurely cup of morning coffee on the day he works at Legit Kits.
He told CNBC he will earn an extra $50,000 this year for his work as Legit Kits’ CEO and creative director. O’Dell would like to expand, but like many small businesses, he depends on products from Asia to stay profitable, and President Donald Trump‘s tariffs have clouded his long-term outlook. O’Dell sources his fabric in Vietnam and Indonesia, whose products are currently subject to 46% and 32% tariffs.
However, those rates are set to be replaced by a blanket 10% tariff that will come into effect in July. “The uncertainty is stressful,” O’Dell said. “Optimism is essential these days. Hope mine isn’t misplaced.” In the meantime, he has a very lucrative and stress-reducing side hustle. “I can eat breakfast, I can go to the gym. I set my own schedule,” he said.
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