Mom’s Side Hustle Started in Garage, Makes $5 Million a Year

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Carinne “Cali” Meyrignac, 45, of Los Angeles, California. Meyrignac is the founder of Cali’s Books, a certified minority- and woman-owned children’s publishing house projected to reach $5 million in revenue this year. Meyrignac launched the company from her garage in 2016, and nearly a decade later, Cali’s Books has grown into a global, family-run business with more than 50 titles selling over 500,000 copies worldwide. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Cali’s Books. Carinne Meyrignac.}

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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I began my career in finance in Singapore, then worked in Paris before moving to New York for a role in banking. When my husband relocated to Los Angeles, I decided to join him and interviewed at Disney. They asked me which vertical I’d like to join, and as an avid reader, I chose publishing — without realizing at the time that, a few years later, I’d launch my own publishing company. After Disney, I moved into risk management at Mitsubishi, and that’s where I was working when I started Cali’s Books.

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When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started in 2016, shortly after my daughter was born. I wanted her to love reading, but like most babies just a few months old, it was hard for her to focus. During my maternity leave in France, I discovered musical books — they were magical in the way they captured her attention and made reading feel fun.

When I came back to Los Angeles, I couldn’t find anything like that. The only options were bulky plastic books with buttons on the side, and they didn’t have the same charm. That’s when I realized there was an opportunity to create something beautiful and engaging for children and parents like us.

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
The very first step was designing the books. I wanted something interactive and joyful that would make children excited to read. To bring the idea to life, I traveled to China to meet manufacturers and placed my first order of 6,000 books, which was about a $30,000 investment.

I kept things scrappy — working with freelancers I found on Fiverr and asking friends and family to help whenever they could. Looking back, it was a big leap, but I knew there was something special in these musical books.

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Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
In the beginning, I relied a lot on freelancers I found through Fiverr, and I was lucky to have friends and family who were eager to help. I also created what I call my “imaginary mentor board” — a group of people I’ve never met but who inspire me in different ways. For example, Gwyneth Paltrow for her sense of glamour, Yvon Chouinard for his ethics and Serena Williams for her strength. Thinking of them helped me stay focused and reminded me that building something meaningful was possible.

If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
In the early days, I invested a lot of energy into selling through physical stores. It was exciting to see the books on shelves, but the margins were low, the payment terms were difficult, and most importantly, I missed being able to talk directly with parents and grandparents. What I love most is helping families discover how books can become part of their children’s daily lives — and that direct connection was only possible through selling online. Looking back, I would have gone straight to direct-to-consumer. That’s where everything unlocked: We could share our story, listen to feedback and support families in making reading fun and engaging.

Now, with more experience and stronger foundations, I’ve been able to start selling again in retail stores like Nordstrom. I love building the same kind of relationship with my retailers too — their feedback is always so valuable and helps us keep improving.

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When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
I was surprised by how emotional children’s books are for families — parents often tell me how our books became part of bedtime routines or how a musical book was the first thing that kept their baby engaged. That creates a big responsibility, and when there’s an issue, we need to fix it fast. At the beginning, I took every customer service call myself, and it was fascinating to hear directly from families. Their feedback shaped the business, and it’s why the first person I ever hired was for customer service — because earning and keeping that trust was my priority.

Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it?
When we printed one of our Jewish books, the text in Hebrew came out mirrored. Because our quality control agents didn’t speak Hebrew, it passed our checks and made it into production. As soon as we realized the mistake, we decided to recall and destroy all of the books. It was difficult, but it was the right thing to do to protect the trust of our customers. Since then, we’ve put new systems in place, including quality control agents who can review content in multiple languages. It was a tough lesson, but it made our processes stronger and our commitment to families even clearer.

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How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
It took about three years to see consistent monthly revenue. At first, every sale felt like a small victory, and growth was unpredictable. The real shift happened when I focused on direct-to-consumer. Building that direct connection with parents and grandparents gave us the feedback and trust we needed to grow. From there, the business found its rhythm, and in 2020, we crossed $1 million in revenue. Since then, we’ve kept growing with steady, double-digit momentum.

What does growth and revenue look like now?
We’ve sold around 700,000 books in the U.S. alone, which shows just how much parents are looking for ways to engage their children in reading. In 2024, we reached $5 million in revenue and continue to grow at a strong double-digit pace. The numbers are exciting, but what matters most is what they represent: In the middle of a literacy crisis, families want tools that make reading fun, and we’re here to help.

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
I love the flexibility it gives me. I work a lot, but I can spend summers in Europe with my family. The time difference means I’m working crazy hours, but I’m grateful to give my kids that experience. The mission began with my own children: I wanted them to love reading, then to love learning and discovering new cultures. Now we get to share that with so many other families, and feeling that impact is one of the parts I love most about my job.

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What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Read, listen to podcasts and keep learning. Books like The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz or Build by Tony Fadell have shaped how I think about challenges and creativity. I also listen to podcasts like Aspire with Emma Grede and How I Built This with Guy Raz — they remind me there’s always something new to learn from other entrepreneurs’ journeys.

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Carinne “Cali” Meyrignac, 45, of Los Angeles, California. Meyrignac is the founder of Cali’s Books, a certified minority- and woman-owned children’s publishing house projected to reach $5 million in revenue this year. Meyrignac launched the company from her garage in 2016, and nearly a decade later, Cali’s Books has grown into a global, family-run business with more than 50 titles selling over 500,000 copies worldwide. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.