Mike O’Dell, a 50-year-old nurse anesthetist from Oklahoma City, has set new standards for side hustles. With a full-time job working in hospital operating rooms, he started Legit Kits, a quilting kit business now earning $117,000 per month. Remarkably, he dedicates only one day of the week to this business, demonstrating that passion and creative strategy can bring stupendous returns without jeopardizing career security.
From star wars quilts to a million-dollar venture
O’Dell started in 2018 on a hobby project: making a Star Wars quilt for his sons through foundation paper piecing, a sewing technique of fabric onto printed paper patterns. A new quilter, he found the process easy and saw its commercial potential. In 2020, he launched Legit Kits, collaborating with graphic designers to make licensed reproductions of landscapes, animals, and pop culture characters.
The business took off quickly. In 2024, Legit Kits generated $1.25 million in sales via Shopify online and an additional $150,000 in in-store partnerships with Joann Fabrics before the retailer’s bankruptcy. O’Dell attributes this success to his new idea: deconstructing intricate designs into kits for beginners. “I wasn’t a quilter, but being inexperienced benefited me. I asked basic questions that experts might overlook,” he explains.
Balancing nursing and entrepreneurship
Despite Legit Kits’ profitability, O’Dell retains his $240,000/year nursing career. He regards his hospital career as a financial safety net, so he is free to bring profit back to the business without jeopardizing his personal funds. “The anesthesia pay is hard to walk away from, especially with three children who are going to college,” he states.
His weeklong routine is precisely planned. Friday is when he moves from hospital shifts into working as Legit Kits’ CEO and creative director. During this one workday, he devotes time to social media marketing, designer collaborations, and strategic networking—efforts for which he landed a spot on ABC’s Shark Tank in early 2025. The next six days are reserved for family and downtime, a regime that he keeps to ensure against burnout. “Legit Kits is my safe space for creativity. It actually reduces stress from nursing,” he says.
Operational efficiency and scaling strategies
Legit Kits has a lean staff base: seven full-time workers manage production and shipping, and four independent contract makers work on pattern-making. That way, O’Dell can recede without micromanaging. It rents a 4,500-square-foot warehouse facility for $4,500 a month as the factory.
It broke even in 2024 after it covered inventory, payroll, and facility costs. O’Dell anticipates bringing home a $50,000 wage in 2025 and investing the rest in growth. Priority projects are:
- Diversifying products: Priced at $99 “mini kits” to attract infrequent crafters in hard economic times.
- Marketing expansion: Spends $10,000 a month on Facebook ads that target non-conventional quilters such as younger hobbyists.
- Steering clear of tariff risks: Since inputs are coming from Indonesia and Vietnam, U.S. trade policy tariffs pose threats to margins. O’Dell delays pre-July 2025 clarity on hiring.
Overcoming challenges in a competitive market
Legit Kits operates within the $5 billion crafting industry, competing against established brands. Tariff uncertainties loom largest; proposed hikes could increase import costs by 46%, squeezing profitability. O’Dell remains pragmatic: “We’re holding off on major decisions until July. For now, the 10% temporary rate is manageable”.
He also has the challenge of balancing growth with affordability. “I don’t want to put people out of a hobby,” he stresses, so the emphasis on affordable mini kits. Not only does that expand his customer base but serves also as protection against lean economic times.
Vision for “World Quilt Domination”
O’Dell’s aspirations are grand. On a five-foot banner above his office hang the words “World Quilt Domination,” his vision of building Legit Kits to $10 million a year before he ever ditches his day job. He is crossing into custom order and wholesale deal country, looking to mainstream quilting as a hobby.
But he is not lost to reality. “Revenue is not equal to wealth. Much of it is reinvested,” he confesses, reliving his naivety watching glued business owners on Shark Tank. His two-career approach is the best of both worlds at present: stability from nursing and inventiveness from Legit Kits.
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