How A Midwestern Mom Found Freedom Through Digital Products

TL;DR

Carissa, a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur, was overwhelmed by how complex it was to launch her own digital products. Once she started using Stan Store, she was able to overcome self-doubt, achieve a truly passive income, and unlock financial freedom for her husband to resign from his job. Find out how.

Carissa DeVries is a wife, mom of two boys, and online entrepreneur from South Dakota who’s on a mission to help everyday women earn extra income through Amazon Reviews.

After years of hustling in network marketing and becoming a mom, she found herself craving something more—more flexibility, more fulfillment, and more time with her family. What started as a simple desire to earn a little extra income from home grew into a digital business that completely transformed her family’s life.

Discover how Carissa built a streamlined business with Stan Store that lets her balance motherhood with her mission, giving her a level of freedom that she never imagined was possible.

The Challenge: Building a Business as a Busy Mom

Grit and hard work have been ingrained in Carissa since childhood. As the first of her seven siblings to attend college, she juggled a full-time nannying job with her studies to support herself. After graduation, she began a doctorate in occupational therapy, but left after discovering the income potential of network marketing.

Network marketing opened her eyes to the possibilities of earning online with greater income opportunity and flexibility than a traditional 9-5 job.

Facing Tech Hurdles and Self-Doubt

When Carissa became a mom, her priorities shifted. She no longer wanted the weekly calls or schedule her network marketing role demanded. What she needed was a way to continue to earn while gaining more time with her family.

That’s when she began pursuing passive income streams. First, she created Amazon product reviews—simple, helpful videos that earned her commission whenever someone purchased a product she featured. Her videos quickly took off, and soon her friends were asking how she did it.

Their questions and encouragement gave her a second passive income idea: digital products.

She leaned into her seven years of mentorship experience from network marketing and created an online course, the Amazon Product Review Starter Kit, to teach others how to do the same.

But that’s where things got tricky.

“When I was first getting started with digital products, I was doubting if I could actually do this.”

Carissa describes herself as “negative 50% tech savvy,” which made setting up multiple tools, integrations, and landing pages completely overwhelming. Every Creator tool felt overly complicated, and she started to question whether she was really capable of this.

The Solution: A User-Friendly Way to Diversify Income

Then she found Stan Store—the simple, all-in-one platform she’d been desperately searching for. Overnight, the tech overwhelm lifted. Carissa no longer had to juggle multiple apps or worry about disjointed integrations—she could focus on what she does best: creating, teaching, and showing up authentically.

“What I love about Stan is it’s literally everything in one. I can literally put up my Stan store as my link in bio. And I can also sell my products on there. Everything that I need is all in one spot. It’s so simple to use.”

She especially loves that she can record her course videos and upload them directly to her Stan Store without needing third-party tools.

Beyond the platform itself, Carissa says Stan’s Creator-first focus and support team is what truly sets it apart.

“The team supports me in my journey as an online Creator. I know they always have my back,” she shares candidly.

Now, instead of solely relying on Amazon commissions, Carissa earns a consistent income from her digital products. And by regularly showing up online with the utmost authenticity—often filming in biker shorts and a ponytail that reflects her busy reality as a mom—she has built a community of over 237,000 Instagram followers. Many are moms who see themselves in her: hardworking, honest, and ready to build something of their own.

“Moms work so hard, and they give everything to their children. Being able to help fill the everyday mom’s cup a little bit with her own thing just brings me so much joy.”

The Result: More Freedom & Fulfillment Than Imagined

Today, Carissa’s business has given her what she once thought was impossible—time, freedom, and peace of mind. Her digital products continue to generate income even on her busiest days, allowing her family to become debt-free.

“As a mom of two boys and two dogs, our life is crazy busy. It is go-go-go all the time. It’s so awesome to have something on those crazy busy days selling in the background, making passive income for our family so that we truly can be present and enjoy those simple moments.”

Carissa launched her business just hoping to stop living paycheck to paycheck. But now, she and her family are enjoying a level of financial freedom they never expected.

Splurging on simple luxuries like getting her nails done. Buying new instead of secondhand. Or allowing her husband to resign from his job so he can spend more time with their kids and pursue his passions.

But the most meaningful reward? The messages she gets from other moms who’ve built their own success stories because of her.

“My job is fulfilling to me because I get to literally bring hope back into people’s life. The number of times I’ve gotten a DM saying this is the first thing that they’ve tried in the online space that actually works, and that they’re able to start making extra income online—it’s just so fulfilling and rewarding.”

Carissa’s Advice to Entrepreneurs Like You

Helping other women find their footing online has become more than a passion—it’s Carissa’s purpose. Through every course, post, and conversation, she reminds her community of one simple truth: success doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from persistence.

“There’s really nothing special about this Midwest mom besides her determination to show up day in and day out and get the job done,” she says.

She emphasizes the importance of mindset and is a fierce advocate of daily affirmations, creating actionable checklists with achievable goals, and practicing gratitude journaling. Her most emphatic advice is simply “don’t quit,” explaining that most people give up right before their breakthrough moment.

“Just take quitting off the table and say, I’m going to go all in. I’m going to give it my best. I’m going to show up authentically in my own way. I’m going to do the thing that I feel called to do that’s in alignment with me and don’t freaking quit.”.

Thinking about starting your own side hustle or going all-in on entrepreneurship? Building an online business takes upfront effort before you see results—but Carissa assures you the freedom on the other side is worth it.

Her journey is proof that when you keep showing up, believe in yourself, and use the right tools, you can build more than a business—you can build a life that feels fully aligned.

Ready to build a business doing what you love? Stan Store is the easiest way to start. Try it free and see why Creators love streamlining their business with Stan.