Think Big, Start Tiny: Hannah Gustafson’s Journey of Resilience and Reinvention

Hannah Gustafson, Co-Founder of The Tiny Project, has experienced a career trajectory that has been anything but linear. On the civilian side, she has held a wide variety of jobs, including healthcare consulting, bartending, donating plasma, managing rental properties, and most recently, running an Executive Functioning tutoring company before founding The Tiny Project.

“I have always been a hard worker and a hustler, but for most of that time, my energy was pointed squarely at practical, analytical work. Creativity felt like a luxury I hadn't earned yet.” On the military side, she is a Signal Operations Officer, working in technical communications, satellites, radios, and cybersecurity, all requiring a top secret clearance. Over the past year, she served as a Platoon Leader, overseeing more than eighty-five soldiers, planning training sessions, and supporting deployments. Hannah is now preparing to step into a Captain role, where she will be responsible for developing other leaders in her field. “It is a world that has challenged me in every way imaginable, and I am deeply proud of what I have built within it.” She was one of six women at her Signal school and finished first in her class, based on operational proficiency, leadership, and physical fitness—a moment that still holds great significance for her. However, she considers her proudest career moment to be watching The Tiny Project come to life this past year. “It taught me that it is possible to fuse passion and profession, especially when you are willing to start small.”

Hannah grew up in Austin, Texas, as the oldest of three siblings, often acting more as a co-parent than a big sister from a young age. Her childhood was marked by volatility, including multiple divorces and addiction, which led her mother to raise Hannah and her brothers on her own. While her friends enjoyed free Friday nights, Hannah was busy changing diapers and managing bedtime routines while also studying for the SATs. “It was an unglamorous crash course in leadership, and as much as I wished for a different kind of childhood, I took real pride in helping raise my brothers. That time still motivates me more than almost anything else.”

 With no money for college, she made what she describes as the impulsive decision to sign a military contract at seventeen. Not fully grasping the commitment she was making at the time, it would turn out to be the most formative chapter of her life. Nearly a decade later, it has shaped her as a leader, a business owner, and a woman. But more than anything, it deepened her need for self-reliance: “I never want my survival to depend on a contract, a relationship, or anyone else's choices. And from that same place comes a real desire to be generous, because I know firsthand that a safe home and access to education are not privileges. They are things every person deserves.” Despite—or perhaps because of—all of this, Hannah was a deeply creative child. She loved painting and making things, always eager to try something new. However, she also recalls rationing her supplies, terrified of using them up on something she deemed not worth it. This scarcity mindset persisted for years, but she has since worked hard to unlearn it. Now, she refuses to be defined by scarcity, whether that pertains to resources, opportunities, or creativity.  “Reclaiming that part of myself has honestly been one of the most important things I have done.”

While growing up, although Hannah admired some celebrities and public figures, she struggled to find a role model whose path inspired her to think, “That's what I want for myself.” For a long time, this left her feeling like something was missing. Instead, she looked up to her peers, particularly a best friend, who was navigating her own difficult times right alongside Hannah with hope and optimism—qualities that Hannah tried to embody in her own life. She recalls her high school boyfriend, who is now her husband, being so driven and excited about his future that she often drew energy from him on days when she felt depleted. “I remember thinking that if I could just afford my own apartment someday, no matter how small, I would have made it. That was the full extent of my ambition at the time.” The people around her helped expand her perception of what was possible for her future. While she may not have had a singular role model, Hannah was surrounded by people who were also figuring it out, which helped her immensely. This remains important to her in her friendships; she seeks out individuals who are vulnerable enough to share their struggles and how they are working through them. 

Only recently having made peace with her non-linear path, Hannah admits that she often chose what she believed to be the safest, most practical options for much of her adult life. “I wanted to be successful and self-sufficient, and the only path I could see toward that was building technical, marketable, analytical skills. What I didn't really prep for was the burnout.” Eventually, she left her job and started an Executive Functioning tutoring company, something she was genuinely passionate about. This decision marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life; for the first time in years, she felt a sense of breathing room and began to create again. Hannah started sharing her journey on social media, and to her surprise, many people deeply resonated with her story. 

They expressed feeling similarly, as though they weren't allowed to spend time on creativity or that it wasn't a serious or worthwhile pursuit. Their response prompted significant changes in her. This engagement eventually grew into The Tiny Project, which she describes as a little ecosystem of community and creativity.“I never imagined I would build something like this, let alone that it would feel this meaningful. The most pivotal moment of my career wasn't a big breakthrough. It was simply giving myself permission to play and be creative.” The Tiny Project originated as a front-yard jam stand and has since evolved into The Tiny Post, a mail subscription club with over 5,000 subscribers, as well as The Tiny Farmers Market, a monthly farmers market

showcasing local vendors, artisans, and community members in Austin. This initiative is rooted in creativity, connection, and community. They have expanded to include The Tiny Studio Series, a creative event series designed to bring people together to explore new hobbies. Additionally, they provide one-on-one consulting for those also looking to turn a creative passion into income, launch their own mail subscription club, or develop a community-centered event or market in their area.

When asked about obstacles she’s faced along the way, Hannah shared that the biggest ongoing challenge on this journey has been building a civilian career around a military commitment, which does not pause for anyone. She ultimately left her healthcare consulting job because managing client quotas while disappearing for extended training periods proved unsustainable. Then two years ago, she spent six months living in another state, away from her husband and family, effectively putting her civilian life on hold. “At the time, it felt like an inconvenience, like my real life was waiting for me to come home. Looking back, it was one of the most clarifying experiences I have had. Learning to be alone, to do hard things without your support system nearby, to go out to dinner by yourself and be okay with it, that kind of self-reliance has definitely taken practice in my life, but I know now how much it has informed my ability to grow as a person.” Starting her own business has introduced a completely new set of challenges that she is still learning to navigate. “There is no steadiness to it. Every decision I make has a direct and measurable impact, positive or negative, and that kind of accountability can be uncomfortable when you are used to the structure and stability of a corporate career. But it is also the most empowering thing I have ever done. There is something really grounding about building something where the results are entirely your own.”

She has developed effective strategies for herself despite not having external funding or a traditional business background. Her approach prioritizes self-care, seeking feedback, and setting both big and small goals, all of which have helped her overcome these challenges. However, what she credits as having made the biggest difference is making decisions based on her own values, rather than yielding to outside pressure or expectations. “Growth puts a lot of opportunities in front of you, and not all of them are actually a good fit. Something can look great on the surface and still not align with who you are or what you believe in…The more I have trusted that instinct, the better my decisions have gotten,” she explained. Hannah has learned to be honest with herself about that distinction, now recognizing that understanding her own value means being willing to walk away from the wrong opportunities, even when they are appealing.

Here at Glass Staircase, we often discuss personal and professional success, but what Hannah considers her biggest accomplishment is not tied to a title or a milestone. Rather, it was walking away from the version of success that she had spent years chasing and allowing herself to start anew. When she initially left the corporate world, she felt like a failure–having worked so hard to build a safe and respectable career, the decision to walk away from it seemed like throwing all of that away. Although it took her a long time to see it any differently, in retrospect, she realizes that leaving required far more courage than staying. Taking the time and space to reconnect with her creativity after years of neglecting that part of herself was one of the bravest things she feels she has ever done. But what truly makes this accomplishment most significant for her is what came from that decision. The Tiny Project, which began as a personal journey rather than a business initiative, became something she felt compelled to share. Along the way, it developed a community of people who related to her experience—those also seeking permission to slow down, create, and connect. “I am incredibly proud of what it has grown into, but honestly, I am most proud of the moment I decided I was worth more than my 9-5 could give,” Hannah reflected. 

For those aspiring to follow a similar path, Hannah aptly advises to “just start tiny.” This mantra not only reflects her personal philosophy but also underpins everything she has built. She emphasizes that there is incredible power in starting small; everything feels more manageable when you stop waiting for the perfect moment and allow yourself to take one tiny, imperfect step forward. “I used to hesitate to start things because I was afraid of doing them wrong or wasting my resources on the wrong choice. What I have learned is that ten imperfect steps toward your goal will always be better than waiting for the right conditions to achieve perfection. To be honest, those perfect conditions are never going to arrive. So, you must take action imperfectly, and you must do it now!” Success didn’t come to her through grand goals or major investments. Instead, she found it by allowing herself the freedom to fail, to slow down, to prioritize self-care, and to make consistent, small progress. She often reminds herself that if something doesn't work out, it's not a big deal—no one has to know. This perspective has alleviated a lot of pressure and opened up the opportunity to genuinely try. “Give yourself that space. Start where you are, with what you have, even if it feels embarrassingly small. Tiny is how everything worth having begins!”

Hannah has had plenty of practice balancing her personal life with her professional ambitions, primarily out of necessity. After nearly a decade of juggling a military commitment alongside civilian life, she learned a lot about operating under pressure. Nonetheless, she acknowledges that it took her much longer to understand how to actually take care of herself within that framework. “I am honestly pretty new to it. But what I have come to understand is that you cannot sustain a business or a meaningful career without first tending to the person running it.” She’s worked hard to dismantle the idea that what she produces is the most valuable commodity in the room; instead, she recognizes that she herself is the most important. And she has found that when she prioritizes herself that way, her professional ambitions become so much more attainable. “That is not me dismissing drive or ambition. I think being excited about what you are building is a beautiful thing. I just know now that my ambitions cannot exist without me, so I have to show up for myself first. Everything else flows from there,” she asserted.

When it comes to staying motivated, Hannah often reflects on her younger self—the girl who believed that making it meant someday being able to afford a small apartment on her own, the one who rationed her art supplies because she was afraid to waste something she could never get back. Now that she is further along in her life than she ever previously thought possible, dreaming bigger has become a challenge in its own right. “I feel like when you spend so long just trying to get to solid ground, it takes practice to let yourself want more. But I always, always go back to her. I think about how excited she would be, not just about what I have built, but about the fact that I allowed myself to do it at all. That I chose creativity over safety. And realizing they can actually exist at the same time!” Much of what she does, she says, she does for ‘tiny Hannah.’ The Tiny Project and the community she is building, as well as the decision to slow down and create instead of just produce, all serve as a letter back to the child who needed to know that everything would turn out just fine. For her, staying motivated has never been about metrics. It is about ensuring that when she looks back, she sees that she consistently showed up for herself, just as she wished someone had done for her. 

Looking ahead, Hannah’s future seems anything but small. She expressed to us her desire to continue her current work while also exploring new opportunities to connect with people, raise money for her beloved community, and inspire others to start small. This year, goals include launching a stationery line and organizing some exciting creative retreats for women. Ultimately, her journey underscores the importance of embracing one's unique path and reminds us that it is indeed possible to combine passion and profession. To stay updated on the ever-growing world of The Tiny Project, you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or check out their website and Linktree!