How Dylan Jahrus Turned Etsy into a $1.5M Profit Powerhouse

Background

When Dylan Jahrus found herself as a military spouse and moving every few months, she struggled to keep a stable corporate role. After trying dog walking and house sitting, she made a throwaway Etsy listing and sold it two months later. Panic set in at the thought of manufacturing and shipping her first order, but her background in corporate e-commerce kicked in, and she quickly turned that sale into a thriving side hustle.

Early Growth and Strategy

Between her second and fourth month on Etsy, Dylan was already earning $10,000 per month. She combined professional research methods, trending blogs, Pinterest boards, TikTok hashtags, with Etsy search data. Her secret: a balanced product mix of low-priced items to build reviews and higher-ticket offerings that drove profit.

Winning in Search

On Etsy, ranking is all about two things: a strong thumbnail photo and a compelling price. Dylan shot clear, branded photos and tested prices aggressively until her listings climbed the search results. She used long-tail keywords (e.g., “handmade leather dog collar for large breeds”) in titles and descriptions to target specific buyers and boost conversions.

Scaling with Power Listings

Dylan introduced power listings, each offering multiple variations, basic, installation included, premium customization, to capture different budgets in one page. This increased average order value and kept customers on her shop longer, exploring related options.

Marketing Beyond Etsy

Relying solely on Etsy ads felt limiting. Instead, Dylan turned to Facebook groups and lookalike audiences, joining communities relevant to her products, like golden doodle owner groups, to share new items. This direct outreach drove a steady stream of qualified traffic and built loyal customers.

Long-Term Vision

While Etsy launched her brand, Dylan plans a standalone website to control branding and customer data. She’ll keep Etsy active as a discovery channel but use her own site for exclusive bundles and direct email campaigns, ensuring a diversified sales funnel.