When She Couldn't Stand, She Sat Down and Built a Business: Carrissa's Story

Business Snapshot

• First-Quarter Revenue: $14,000 in sales.
• Equipment Path: xTool D1 → xTool P2.
• Family Impact: Sole income for a family of six during husband's layoff.

Carrissa was sitting in her basement workshop, a laser engraver humming behind her, rows of personalized tumblers lined up on the table. She was calm, smiling, talking about her kids. And then she said something that stopped everything: "When I realized I couldn't feel my legs anymore, it scared me — because I have four kids."

What you're about to read is the story of how a car accident, a rare spinal condition, and a secondhand laser engraver became the starting point for a laser engraving business that hit $14,000 in its first quarter, carried a family of six through a layoff, and gave one woman back the ability to provide.

If you've ever thought about starting a creative business from home — or if you're going through something hard right now and wondering what's possible — keep reading. This one's for you.

How it all started

Carrissa is 33 years old. She lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband and four kids. Before everything changed, she worked in sales — a physical job that kept her on her feet all day. She was good at it. She'd built the kind of life you build through sheer work ethic, and she was proud of that.

In 2020, she was in a car accident that caused a herniated disc. At first, it seemed manageable. But the physical demands of her job made it worse. Over time, the disc herniated further and further until it severed her cauda equina nerves — the final bundle of nerves in the spinal canal that sends signals to the legs, bladder, and bowels.

The condition is called Cauda Equina Syndrome. It affects roughly 1 in 100,000 people.

Seven surgeries followed. Endless rounds of physical therapy. Pain management that became part of daily life. And through all of it, one question that wouldn't go away:

Her kids were young — the oldest was eight, the youngest just two. They knew Mom couldn't get on the floor to play with them anymore. They knew Mom had limitations. But they also knew something else.

From a basement to a $14,000 first quarter

The turning point came from her mother. Carrissa's mom had an xTool D1 laser engraver that she wasn't using, and she offered it to her daughter. Carrissa set it up in her basement and started experimenting — figuring out what kinds of crafts to sell, learning the machine, testing materials.

She started with laser-engraved tumblers, which were a big seller at the time. Then wallets. Cutting boards. Car charms. Keychains. Every product was a personalized, laser engraved product that customers couldn't find at a big-box store — and that's exactly what made them sell.

She launched a Facebook page and started going live to sell her items directly. That decision changed everything.

In her first quarter, Carrissa's laser engraving business did $14,000 in sales. One single order reached $1,200 — a customer who bought a complete collection of cups, car charms, keychains, and more. This wasn't a side project anymore. This was real income, built one engraved tumbler at a time, from a basement in Nebraska, by a woman who couldn't stand for more than a few minutes.

Upgrading her equipment — and what it meant for the family

By 2023, sales were consistent enough that Carrissa needed to scale. The D1 had been her entry point, but she needed something faster, more precise, and capable of handling the complex designs her customers were requesting. She researched the best laser engraver for small business use and invested in the xTool P2.

The upgrade came at exactly the right moment. Shortly after her injury, her husband got laid off. For a family of six, that could have been catastrophic. Instead, Carrissa's business carried them through.

I want to pause on that word: normalcy. That's what Carrissa kept coming back to in our conversation. Not luxury. Not wealth. Just the ability to give her kids a normal Christmas, pay the bills on time, and keep food on the table — all from her P2 running in the basement while she managed orders from a chair.

Her business ran successfully throughout 2023 and 2024, with the P2 supporting the family 100% for stretches at a time. For anyone looking at the economics of starting a laser engraving business from home, Carrissa's path — from a gifted D1 to a paid-for P2 — is about as real and proven as it gets.

"Edward Laser Hands"

There's one detail from our conversation that I can't stop thinking about. Carrissa has named her P2.

His name is Edward Laser Hands, after the Johnny Depp movie Edward Scissorhands. And the way she talks about it tells you everything about what this machine means to her.

After years of surgeries and therapy, Carrissa eventually felt well enough to return to an office job. But her body carries permanent reminders. She has no feeling from her hip to her knee on her left side — ever. She has chronic pain. She falls frequently. Certain physical activities are simply off the table.

Her laser engraving business isn't her full-time income anymore. But it's something arguably more important — it's her safety net. Her fallback. The thing she knows she can always turn to.

What Carrissa wants other people to know

I asked Carrissa what she'd say to someone who's in a dark place right now — maybe dealing with an injury, a job loss, a feeling of helplessness — and wondering if there's anything they can do about it. She didn't hesitate.

What strikes me most about Carrissa's story is how un-flashy it is. There's no overnight success, no viral moment, no investor pitch. Just a woman who physically couldn't go back to the career she'd built, who was handed a laser engraver by her mom, and who sat down in a basement and figured it out — one tumbler, one keychain, one Facebook Live at a time.

She built a real business around crafts to sell from home. She found a way to support her family when every other door had closed. And she did it while raising four kids through a period of her life that most of us can't even imagine.

If you're thinking about starting something of your own — whether it's a laser engraving business or any kind of creative side hustle — Carrissa's story is proof that you don't need perfect conditions. You need a tool, a table, and the decision not to quit.

Continue the Journey

Interested in starting your own laser engraving business? Explore the xTool P2 — the same machine Carrissa uses to support her family.

Still have questions? Book a Free 1-on-1 Demo