Here's why a Farmer Turned Bridal Studio Owner is on Her Way to Become a Millionaire

Penny Bowers-Schebal's inspiring journey from farm to bridal gowns

It's easier to switch to a whole new full-time business than to make your side hustle the main source of earnings. But a farmer turned successful bridal outlet owner seems to be out to shatter this perception. 55-year-old farmer Penny Bowers-Schebal lives in Ohio and owns a dairy farm in Austinburg, which is a rural town having a population of less than 600 people. Penny and her husband inherited the 33-acre goat farm from his mother and had made several investments to make the farm functional. Meanwhile, she kept sending pitches to bridal boutiques, and after some responses, Penny invested her savings to open her own bridal outlet called Formality Bridal. After many sleepless nights and consistent hard work and persistence, the store gave Bowers-Schebal a colossal revenue of $10,000 in a week and she felt like a millionaire. As per Bowers-Schebal's estimates with two Formality Bridal store locations, she is on track to earn $1 million in 2024.

Penny Bowers-Schebal side hustle turned thriving venture

Bowers-Schebal and her husband were struggling to manage the goat farm due to the rising costs and the regular maintenance it demands. She sold their wine shop for $158,000 and invested that amount into farm repairs but the situation did not improve. She started reaching out to the boutique owners and her pitch was titled 'don’t throw your out-of-season dresses away, I’ll buy them at a discount.'

Setting up Formality Bridal

Penny and her husband had their own savings and 30 she had started investing in the DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan) which saved $25 per month. She then thought of establishing the office for her new venture. In 2018, she bought a 1200-square-foot office and named it Formality Bridal in Geneva, Ohio, where the brides and customers can have a look at the collection after taking appointments.

How bridal gowns helped Penny Bowers-Schebal reach millionaire status

Bowers-Schebal had no industry experience but she took a chance with her store and within a year, she had a huge customer base who just came to her because of the quality and low prices. She worked on her customer experience closely, and monitored the numbers while focusing on promoting her brand and stores on social media.

The USP of the outlet is that it sells all the gowns whether embellished or plain at a price of $999 or less just to provide relief to the bride on her most special day. Formality Bridal also offers matching veils, jewelry, and alterations which cummulate to the high-end bridal experience that every bride wishes for. As a result of the experience, quality, and mouth publicity by her loyal customers, Bowers-Schebal's business gave her a whopping weekly revenue of $10,000. She then did her research and got to the conclusion that weddings in Pennsylvania are $7000 costlier than those in Ohio. This made her expand her business by opening another outlet in Erie, Pennsylvania. With the revenue from both the outlets, Bowers-Schebal thinks that she can make an immense amount of $1 million which she had never thought of while taking care of the farm.