Audrey Hagenes-Gerlach

Why this persona fits the audience

She runs a one-person home decor shop from Brooklyn, creating Etsy listings, Instagram posts, and seasonal email banners between packing orders and customer service. She mostly uses free design tools, phone photos, and saved mockups, and has never subscribed to a paid image generator.

• Age: 26
• Location: Brooklyn, New York, US
• Occupation: Founder, home decor e-commerce shop
• Income: $35k-$50k
• Education: Some college
• Company size: 1
• Years in role: 2

“It's all about finding that perfect balance between making something beautiful and making it work for people's homes – and, you know, making it work for my rent, too.”

Audrey Hagenes-Gerlach, 26, is the sole force behind 'Hagenes Home Goods,' a burgeoning online shop specializing in artisanal home decor items, primarily sold through Etsy. Raised in a modest household upstate, she developed an early appreciation for handmade crafts and the satisfaction of creating something tangible with her own hands. After a year of general studies at a local community college, she realized her passion lay in the tactile world of design and decor, leading her to Brooklyn with a vision to build her own brand. She established Hagenes Home Goods two years ago, driven by a desire for independence and a deep-seated belief in the power of aesthetics to enhance everyday life. Her business operates entirely from her one-bedroom apartment in Greenpoint, a space that serves as her design studio, workshop, and fulfillment center. Audrey’s approach is characterized by extreme resourcefulness; she leverages her smartphone for all product photography, utilizes free graphic design tools like Canva for marketing materials, and meticulously crafts each Etsy listing and Instagram post herself. She has never invested in paid image generation software, preferring to rely on her eye for composition and natural lighting. Her income fluctuates between $35k-$50k annually, a figure she manages with careful frugality, reinvesting profits strategically back into her business, prioritizing quality materials over personal luxuries. Recently, Audrey decided to focus her product development on a new line of hand-poured soy candles with unique scent profiles, a move that required significant research into sustainable sourcing and testing. She also implemented a more structured email newsletter system, moving away from sporadic updates to a bi-weekly cadence to better engage her customer base. This decision stemmed from observing that direct email communication yielded higher engagement than social media alone. Her current challenge is scaling her production without compromising the handmade quality that defines her brand, a constant negotiation between her artistic ideals and the practical demands of a growing e-commerce venture.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Audrey's typical weekday begins around 7:30 AM with coffee and a quick check of her Etsy dashboard and Instagram notifications. By 9 AM, she's in her workspace, often her dining table, meticulously photographing a new batch of hand-poured soy candles. She spends the late morning crafting Etsy listings, optimizing keywords, and scheduling Instagram posts for the afternoon. Lunch is usually a quick, healthy meal prepared at home. The afternoon is dedicated to customer service emails and packing any orders that have come in. If time permits, she might experiment with a new glaze technique or sketch out ideas for future product lines. She aims to wrap up 'work' by 6 PM, though often finds herself checking messages later in the evening.

Lifestyle

Audrey lives in a cozy, art-filled one-bedroom apartment in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which doubles as her studio and fulfillment center. Her days are a carefully managed juggle between creative work and operational tasks. She prioritizes her morning routine: a strong pour-over coffee, a quick scan of design blogs, and then diving into her to-do list. Weekends often involve sourcing unique materials from local flea markets or visiting craft fairs for inspiration. She's mindful of her budget, preferring to invest in quality materials for her products rather than extraneous personal expenses. Socially, she enjoys intimate gatherings with a small circle of creative friends, often sharing DIY tips and business challenges.

Work life

As the sole proprietor of 'Hagenes Home Goods,' Audrey's work life is intensely hands-on and self-directed. Her Brooklyn apartment is her office, workshop, and shipping station. She spends her workdays designing new pieces, photographing them with her smartphone against carefully curated backdrops, writing compelling Etsy descriptions, and managing her Instagram presence with a mix of product shots and behind-the-scenes glimpses. Customer service is a significant part of her role, responding to inquiries and resolving issues with a personal touch. She relies heavily on free tools like Canva for graphics and her phone's native camera, meticulously organizing her inventory and shipping supplies in her limited living space. The pressure comes from the constant need to generate new content and products while keeping up with orders.

Relationships

Audrey's closest relationships are with her small group of artist friends in Brooklyn, with whom she shares advice and commiserates about the freelance life. Her parents, who live upstate, are supportive but don't fully grasp the nuances of e-commerce. She values the feedback from her loyal Etsy customers, seeing them as collaborators in her brand's journey.

How they decide

Audrey tends to be a thoughtful decision-maker, weighing options carefully, especially when it involves spending money. She'll research extensively, often seeking advice from online communities or trusted peers before committing to a new tool or strategy. She's not impulsive but will act decisively once she's confident in her research and believes a choice aligns with her values of frugality and aesthetic integrity.

How they sound

Audrey speaks with a warm, approachable tone, often using slightly more descriptive language than strictly necessary. Her cadence is generally steady, but she can become more animated when discussing her creative process or a particularly satisfying customer interaction. She avoids overly technical jargon and prefers straightforward, honest communication. She might use mild slang like 'super' or 'totally' but keeps her professional persona polished. She's careful not to sound overly salesy, focusing instead on the craft and care behind her products.