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What does it look like to build a business that is colorful, handmade, empowering, funny, and completely true to who you are?
In this episode of the podcast, I sat down with Tori King, the artist, maker, and owner behind Tori Tornado, a bold paper goods and gift brand based in Skagit Valley. Tori Tornado is known for bright colors, handmade details, empowering messages, and, yes, a few perfectly placed swear words.
But behind the humor and color is a deeper story about creative identity, small business growth, motherhood, full-time work, wholesale, markets, and learning how to build a brand that does not need to be for everyone.
And honestly? That might be the magic.
Tori’s work inspires what she calls “badassery” through cards, magnets, calendars, stickers, and gifts. Her products make people laugh, pause, connect, and sometimes say, “Wait, did that really say what I think it said?”
The answer is usually yes.
In our conversation, Tori shared how a nickname from her bartending days became the name of her business, how she shifted from graphic design into handmade products, what it is really like to run a creative business alongside a full-time job and motherhood, and why using your own voice is one of the most important things you can do as a maker.
Connect with Tori
Website: https://www.toritornado.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toritornadocreative
Where the Name Tori Tornado Came From
Before Tori Tornado was a business name, it was a nickname.
Tori shared that she was given the name while working as a bartender at a busy sports bar with a long, winding bar. She would zip back and forth behind the bar, moving quickly and constantly, and someone on the staff started calling her Tori Tornado.
At first, it was mostly a nickname among the bar staff. Almost like a little inside joke.
But over time, the name stuck.
And now, it's the perfect name for her brand: energetic, bold, memorable, and full of personality.
There is something special about a business name that already carries a story. Tori Tornado is not just memorable. It gives you a sense of who Tori is before you even see her work.
What “Badassery” Means to Tori
Tori Tornado’s mission is to inspire badassery through paper goods and gifts.
So naturally, I had to ask her what “badassery” actually means to her.
Her answer was simple and powerful:
“Badassery is your own badass life. It’s your choice, your life - not what someone thinks you should do.”
That really captures the heart of Tori’s brand.
Her products are not just funny for the sake of being funny. They are a reminder that you get to live your own life, make your own choices, and embrace the parts of yourself that might not fit into someone else’s expectations.
Tori’s work often creates a very specific customer reaction. People are drawn in by the color, the art, and the beauty of the products. Then they read the words. There is a pause, a laugh, a spark of recognition.
That combination of beauty, humor, honesty, and surprise is what makes her work so memorable.
From Graphic Design to Handmade Paper Goods
Before building Tori Tornado, Tori worked as a graphic designer for 10 years.
She loved design, but after spending so much time on the computer, she started craving a more hands-on creative outlet. She missed the art-making part of her life... the paper, the pencil, the paint, the process, and the messiness of creating something by hand.
That pull led her toward classes, local art events, and eventually her first market.
In 2019, she did her first Valley Made Market with a half booth, and she fell in love with it.
She loved the people and energy.
She loved the in-person connection and seeing how people reacted to her work in real time.
For a lot of creative business owners, that first market is a defining moment. It is one thing to make something alone in your home or studio. It is another thing entirely to watch a stranger pick it up, smile, laugh, and decide to take it home.
That is when the work starts to feel bigger than you.
Building a Brand That Is Not for Everyone
One of my favorite threads in this conversation was Tori’s comfort with not being for everyone.
Because when your brand includes swear words, humor, and a strong point of view, not everyone will get it.
And Tori is okay with that.
In fact, she said:
“I’m not for everybody, and I’m okay with that.”
That is such a strong business lesson.
When you are building a handmade business, a product-based business, or any creative brand, it can be tempting to make your work broad enough that no one is offended, confused, or turned off.
But the danger is that when you try to speak to everyone, you often connect deeply with no one.
Tori knows who her people are. Her people laugh, get the joke, and connect with the honesty. Her people see the bright colors, read the sweary message, and know exactly who they are buying it for.
That clarity matters.
What Happens When People React to Sweary Art
Because Tori’s work includes swear words, she has had plenty of memorable reactions.
Some people love it instantly. Some people laugh and start telling stories. Some people buy products for friends because a certain phrase feels perfect for someone they love.
And then, of course, some people don't get it...at all!
Tori shared a story about a man at a market who looked at her work and asked, “You call this art?”
Her response?
Yes, she does.
The moment could have been discouraging, but Tori has learned to let comments like that roll off. In fact, she said those kinds of reactions often give her more inspiration.
“I get a lot of inspiration from people like that. I’m going to use it to my benefit.”
That is such a great reminder.
You can let someone’s criticism shut you down, or you can use it as confirmation that your work is doing something. It is making people feel something. It is creating a reaction.
And for the right people, that reaction is connection.
Choosing the Right Markets, Events, and Opportunities
Tori has done many in-person markets over the years, but she is now much more intentional about where she shows up.
This year, she shared that she is only doing a few non-holiday events and focusing more on holiday markets, because her products make great gifts.
That kind of clarity often comes with experience.
When you are newer in business, it can feel like you need to say yes to everything:
- Every market
- Every pop-up
- Every event
- Every collaboration
- Every opportunity to get your products in front of people
But over time, you start learning which opportunities actually make sense for your business, your energy, your products, and your life.
For Tori, holiday markets are a strong fit because people are already shopping for gifts. Her cards, calendars, magnets, and paper goods work beautifully in that environment.
She still values in-person events because they give her direct feedback from customers. They remind her what people are connecting with and whether people still want sweary, funny, empowering products.
Spoiler: they do.
The Pop-Up Shop Season
Tori and I also talked about a pop-up shop experience we had with a few other maker friends. You can read about it here →
A group of us opened a pop-up shop together for a few months, and it was such a fun experiment. We each brought our own products, set up our spaces, and created a beautiful boutique-style shop almost overnight.
It was one of those moments where you look around and think, “Wow, we built this.”
But it was also clarifying.
For me, it was a hard no for continuing in that direction. I loved the experience, but I knew it was not the right long-term fit for me.
Tori, however, continued with a physical shop for a season.
She had her own small retail space for two and a half years. She described it as a sanctuary - a place where people could find her, where she could display more of her art, and where she could have a physical presence beyond markets and online sales.
But recently, she let the shop go.
Not because she did not love it. But because the season had shifted.
She no longer had the time to be there the way she wanted to be, and she did not want to hire someone to run it. So when another maker had the opportunity to step into the space, Tori felt excited and ready to pass it on.
That part of the conversation felt so important.
Sometimes letting go of something is not a loss. Sometimes it is growth.
You can love something and still know it is time to release it.
Creative Businesses Are Allowed to Change
One of the biggest themes in this episode was change.
Tori’s business has shifted many times:
- From markets to wholesale
- From online sales to a physical shop
- From a physical shop back into more flexible ways of selling
- From doing many events to choosing fewer, more intentional ones
Creative businesses are not static. They evolve as your life changes, your energy changes, your family changes, your goals change, and your products change.
Tori is currently leaning more into wholesale, online sales, and strategic markets. She loves that wholesale allows her to work from home, fill orders, and grow the business in a way that fits her life.
That is one of the most important questions any small business owner can ask:
Does this version of the business still fit my life?
Growing a Handmade Brand Through Wholesale
Wholesale has become an important part of Tori Tornado.
Tori shared that her first real experience with wholesale happened around 2020, when an in-person wholesale event moved online. Instead of just listing her products and hoping for the best, she put in the work.
She went through the registry, looked for shops that seemed like the right fit, researched who her customer would be, reached out intentionally, and then, she followed up!
And she got the orders.
Wholesale does not happen just because your products are available. You have to put yourself out there.
Tori also shared that when she travels, she brings samples and cards with her. If she finds a shop that seems aligned with her sweary, positive brand, she will walk in and introduce herself.
And yes, she has gotten orders that way too.
For makers who want to grow through wholesale, this is such a practical takeaway:
- Know which shops are actually a fit
- Bring samples when possible
- Follow up
- Make it easy for buyers to understand your line
- Be okay with hearing no
- Keep showing up
As Tori said, sometimes no is not the end of the story.
Sometimes it just makes you dig in deeper.
Running a Creative Business with a Full-Time Job and Motherhood
One of the most relatable parts of Tori’s story is that Tori Tornado is not her only job.
She also has a full-time job, a family, and a son. So this business is being built in the margins of an already full life.
When I asked what Tori Tornado looks like behind the scenes, Tori was honest: it requires a schedule, lists, and a lot of discipline.
She makes lists for everything, including work tasks, business tasks, errands, family activities, and even things like going to the mail or taking her son to baseball.
She also tries to shut work down around 8 p.m. so she and her husband can have time together, even if that just means watching something simple and relaxing.
That detail matters because it is easy to romanticize creative businesses from the outside. We see the finished product, the beautiful booth, the colorful Instagram feed, the packaged order.
But behind the scenes, there is a lot of folding cards, filling orders, answering emails, updating product photos, applying to markets, managing wholesale, and making decisions about where your energy goes.
Tori’s story is a reminder that a side business still takes real work.
And also that it can be worth it.
The Sweary Calendar That Changed Things
One of the biggest turning points for Tori Tornado came during 2020.
At the time, many events were shut down, but farmers markets were still happening. Tori needed a creative outlet, and she had an idea for a sweary calendar.
Her attitude was basically: I am just going to do it.
If no one bought it, she would be out some money, but she could recover from that.
So she made the calendar.
And it sold out.
Then people started asking if the artwork was available on cards, stickers, and other products.
That was a major moment of validation. It showed Tori that the work that felt most like her - the colorful, funny, sweary, honest work - was exactly what people were responding to.
Sometimes the thing you are nervous to make is the thing your audience has been waiting for.
Planning Ahead as a Product-Based Business
Tori also shared a very practical behind-the-scenes detail about her calendars: she creates them two years at a time.
Why?
Because it helps keep her production costs lower, which allows her to avoid raising prices unnecessarily. Since paper goods do not expire, this makes sense for her business.
She already has future calendars made and ready for wholesale buyers long before the year starts.
This is a great reminder that product-based businesses often require more planning than people realize. Seasonal products need a longer runway than you think.
If you sell holiday gifts, calendars, seasonal cards, or time-sensitive goods, you cannot start thinking about them a week before the holiday and expect them to reach their full potential.
You need time for:
- Product development
- Photography
- Wholesale outreach
- Retail buying timelines
- Website updates
- Email marketing
- Social media promotion
- Customer reminders
- Shipping and fulfillment
Tori’s approach is a good example of how creativity and strategy can work together.
The Business Advice Every Maker Needs to Hear
At the end of the episode, I asked Tori what advice she would give to someone starting a creative business.
Her first answer was a business tip:
“Know the difference between revenue and profit.”
Sounds simple, but it's important.
Revenue is the money coming in.
Profit is what is left after expenses.
And profit is what keeps your business alive.
For product-based business owners especially, this matters. Supplies, printing, packaging, booth fees, website fees, shipping materials, payment processing fees, wholesale pricing, and your time all affect the real profitability of your products.
Lessons from Tori King of Tori Tornado
This conversation with Tori was funny, honest, and full of lessons for creative entrepreneurs, makers, artists, and women in small business.
Here are a few of my favorite takeaways:
- You do not have to be for everyone.
- Your brand voice is stronger when it sounds like you.
- A business can be funny and meaningful at the same time.
- Markets are valuable for customer feedback, not just sales.
- Wholesale requires research, outreach, and follow-up.
- A physical shop can be beautiful for a season and still not be forever.
- Running a business alongside a full-time job takes structure and boundaries.
- Profit matters more than revenue.
- The product that feels most like you might be the one that connects most deeply.
- Creative businesses are allowed to change.
Favorite Quotes from the Episode
“Badassery is your own badass life. It’s your choice, your life — not what someone thinks you should do.”
“I’m not for everybody, and I’m okay with that.”
“Sometimes letting something go makes room for something else.”
Listen to the Full Conversation
If you love hearing real stories from women in small business, this episode is such a fun and honest look at what it means to build a creative brand that is bold, handmade, and true to the person behind it.
Listen to the full episode with Tori King of Tori Tornado on the podcast, and make sure to follow along for more conversations with women makers, artists, shop owners, creative entrepreneurs, and small business owners who are building meaningful businesses in their own way.
Connect with Tori
You can shop Tori’s handmade paper goods, calendars, cards, magnets, and gifts online:
Website: https://www.toritornado.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toritornadocreative
Keep Following Along
If this conversation inspired you, I would love for you to listen to the full episode, subscribe to the podcast → and follow along for more stories from women in small business.
Each episode is created to highlight real women, real businesses, and the lessons we can learn from the creative, brave, messy, and meaningful ways they are building something of their own.
