From Selling a Few Kits to 400+ Subscribers in Months | EP 251

Subscribe:  SarahsPodcast.com | Apple Podcast | Spotify | IHeartRadio | Stitcher

What happens when you combine creativity, consistency, and the courage to start before you feel ready?

This week on the Launch Your Box podcast, I sat down with Kelli Blouin, founder of Minutes of Zen, to talk about her incredible journey from elementary school teacher to subscription box owner with more than 425 subscribers, all in just a few short months.

But what makes Kelli’s story especially powerful isn’t just the growth.

It’s how she got there.

No fancy website. No perfect branding. No big team. Just a willingness to keep showing up, serve her audience, and take messy action along the way.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “ready” to launch your subscription box, this episode is one you need to hear.

How a Cancer Diagnosis Changed Everything

Before Minutes of Zen became a subscription box business, it started as something much more personal.

Kelli spent 25 years as an elementary school teacher, balancing work, family life, and all the responsibilities that come with both. But after a breast cancer diagnosis forced her to slow down and reevaluate what mattered most, she began leaning into creativity and calming activities that helped her heal and reconnect with herself.

That journey eventually led her to become certified in the Zentangle Method, a meditative style of drawing designed to promote relaxation and mindfulness.

Then came COVID.

Like so many people during that time, Kelli started sharing what she loved online. She taught calming drawing sessions virtually, created YouTube videos at her audience’s request, and slowly built a community of people who connected with both her creativity and her calming presence.

At first, she wasn’t trying to build a business.

She was simply serving people.

And that’s exactly where so many successful subscription box businesses begin.

The “Accidental” Business That Wasn’t Really an Accident

As Kelli’s audience grew, people started asking questions:

• What pens are you using?
• Where can I buy that paper?
• Can you create themed kits?
• Can we get more designs?

So Kelli began putting together small seasonal kits a few times a year, selling 20 or 30 at a time to her growing audience.

What she thought was a fun little side project was actually something much bigger:

Proof of demand.

Without realizing it, Kelli was already doing one of the most important things subscription box owners can do. She was listening to her audience and creating offers based on what they were already asking for.

The Moment Everything Shifted

Then Kelli discovered Launch Your Box.

After listening to this podcast, reading my book, One Box at a Time, and attending Subscription Box Week, Kelli started asking herself a question she’d never seriously considered before:

What if this could become more than a side hustle?

At the time, Kelli was still teaching part-time and trying to balance family responsibilities while slowly growing her business.

But she kept learning.

She kept planning.

And she kept showing up.

Eventually, after filling notebooks with ideas, plans, and “should I or shouldn’t I?” moments, Kelli made the decision to fully commit. With support from her husband, she decided to take a year and truly treat Minutes of Zen like a business instead of a hobby.

That shift changed everything.

Why “Do It Messy” Matters

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is Kelli’s honesty about how imperfect everything still is.

• She still uses stickers on her boxes.
• She doesn’t love her website.
• She doesn’t have a strong Instagram presence.
• She’s still figuring things out as she goes.

And yet, she has over 425 subscribers.

That’s the reminder so many aspiring subscription box owners need.

You do not have to have everything perfectly figured out before you launch.

Kelli embraced the “do it messy” mindset, focused on serving her audience, and allowed herself to learn as she went. Instead of waiting until everything felt polished, she launched anyway.

And it worked.

Building a Subscription Box Around Experience

One of the things that makes Minutes of Zen unique is that the box isn’t just about products.

It’s about experience.

Subscribers receive physical drawing supplies and materials, but they also get accompanying tutorial videos that guide them through the creative process.

Kelli intentionally wanted the box to feel calming, supportive, and immersive, not just like another box of “stuff.”

That experience-first mindset helped her create something subscribers genuinely connect with.

It’s also a great reminder that your subscription box doesn’t have to be complicated to be valuable.

Sometimes the simplest ideas become the most meaningful.

The Power of Starting Simple

Another major lesson from Kelli’s journey?

Simple scales.

When Kelli first started planning her subscription, my advice about creating a “one-item-of-the-month” style box gave her permission to stop overcomplicating things.

Instead of trying to launch with a huge, overwhelming product lineup, she focused on creating an accessible, manageable experience.

That simplicity helped her get moving.

And once momentum started building, she naturally expanded and improved over time.

Her First Launch Brought in 300 Subscribers

Kelli originally hoped for 100 subscribers during her first launch.

She ended up with 300.

What’s even more impressive is how she made it happen.

She didn’t rely on complicated ad funnels or expensive marketing strategies.

Instead, she focused on:

• Building an email list
• Growing a waitlist
• Showing up consistently
• Talking about the box repeatedly
• Serving her audience long before selling to them

And perhaps most importantly, she stopped worrying about “bothering” people by talking about her offer too much.

People often need to hear about something many times before they take action.

Consistency matters.

YouTube Became Her Secret Weapon

One of the most interesting parts of Kelli’s story is that her primary growth platform has been YouTube.

She has built an audience of around 50,000 YouTube subscribers by simply posting calming drawing videos consistently every Friday.

Not every video went viral. Not every post exploded. But the consistency built trust.

People began expecting her videos every Friday. They became part of their routines. And over time, that consistency created a deeply connected audience that was excited to support her subscription box when she launched.

It’s such a valuable reminder that growth often comes from steady consistency, not overnight success.

A Business That’s Changing Her Life

Kelli shared that her early side-hustle income paid for an Alaskan cruise for her and her husband’s 30th anniversary.

Now, her business is helping support her family even more.

She’s helping a son through dental school, supporting a daughter in college, renting office space for fulfillment, and hiring her very first employee, her daughter.

And perhaps most importantly, she’s created something that gives her freedom.

Freedom over her schedule. Freedom over her creativity. And freedom to build something meaningful on her own terms.

The Advice Every Aspiring Subscription Box Owner Needs to Hear

At the end of the episode, Kelli shares the advice she would give anyone feeling stuck or afraid to start:

“Show up. And then show up again.”

That consistency is what changed everything for her.

Not perfection, expensive tools, or having it all figured out.

Just continuing to show up, serve people, and keep going.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally start your subscription box, this is it.

Kelli’s story is proof that you don’t need a perfect website, perfect branding, or perfect confidence to begin.

You just need the willingness to start.

Listen to this week’s episode of the Launch Your Box podcast and get inspired by Kelli’s incredible journey from teacher to thriving subscription box owner.

Where to find Kelli: 

• Minutes of Zen on Facebook
• Inventory Genius on Instagram
• Minutes of Zen Website
• Minutes of Zen on YouTube