Thu, July 22, 2010 - 2:17:41

Jay Shafer and the Tiny House that Launched a Big Career

According to Deloitte’s 2010 American Pantry Study, there’s been a dramatic culture shift in America from a society of spenders, to a society of savers. And 55% of those surveyed said they were cutting back not because of a reduction in income, but simply because they felt they “should be.” Clearly, big cars, big McMansions, and big debts are becoming a thing of the past, while “living small” has become much more main stream.

And it’s something Jay Shafer decided to do in the extreme, when he built his very own—and very small—house in 1997.  But, that hand-built, 85 square-foot home (yes, you read that right!) didn’t just dramatically change his lifestyle; it transformed his whole life.

As, the one-time grocery-clerk turned CEO explains in this video we discovered on Yahoo!, “My whole life changed when I started living small.”

After discovering the benefits of his “tiny house,” Shaffer started The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, filling a need few thought existed: do-it-yourself building plans for space and energy efficient homes ranging from 65 to 837 square feet. A little over a decade later, not only is his company is selling plans and pre-fabricated homes, he’s considered the authority on the growing “small living” trend and has been featured everywhere from Oprah to the Wall Street Journal for his breakthrough ideas.

Obviously, Shafer didn’t invent the house, but he reinvented the idea of what a house could be and created a viable business by following his passions, finding magic in an overlooked idea, and starting small—literally. So, the next time you discount the thing you spend hours doing as a silly hobby, look a little closer. After all, if a tiny house could take Jay Shafer from the back of the stockroom to the head of the boardroom, imagine what could happen to you if you start thinking small.

 

Posted by Linda and Robin