Christopher Hammond and Sarah Henderson have many irons in the fire with their three up and coming businesses. From IT services to real estate investing to artisanal handmade goods, Christopher and Sarah want to build a strong family business that their son Abel can be a part of.
“I started my own business and chose to partner with my soon to be wife, one because I love working for myself being able to exercise my own ideas of how things should be done. But also to start somethings that we could build as a family and that I could leave to my children. I am looking to build legacy wealth and be able to give back to the communities in the process.”
Read on as Christopher explains what he and his family do, why they do it, and what they see for the future.
Tell us about your business!
My business is Stairway Investments LLC. It is comprised of 3 sub companies; iCON Media Solutions, Hippie Howie, and iCON Exports. The companies are structured as a partnership with my soon to be wife, Sarah Henderson, and our son Abel is also a major part of things.
Stairway Investments deals with real estate investments and contracts. I am trying to branch out into the ‘house flipping’ arena and have been learning lots about the financing aspects of this field. Right now I am focusing on wholesaling of properties as I build a larger financial portfolio. Stairway Investments is also a proud member of the LegalShield team. As associates we are able to help families protect and empower themselves, and consult with businesses to help them grow and prosper. Bringing their business to new heights and provide legal advice to protect them.
iCON Media Solutions is an up and coming IT services business, which strives to provide custom answers that meet all small business owners’ technology needs. As iCON begins to grow, I am looking to develop professional relationships within local communities that will further the goals of all businesses involved. Naturally, product mix varies and every IT professional has their own preferences. The difference in experience comes from the quality of service. That’s certainly the difference you’ll experience with iCON Media Solutions. I provide quality IT services that are fast, flexible, and professional.
Hippie Howie strives to promote local artistry and to nurture the communities where it’s found. My fiance, Sarah, also has a line of hand-made aromatherapy and temperature therapy products called ‘Feel-Better-Bags’. As well as custom ordered jewelry and many more products coming soon. If you would like to promote your own artistic flare on our social media pages or be put in contact with other venues for similar things, please give either of us a call at the contact info listed below.
iCON Exports is going to be a retail platform starting online and hopefully branching into physical locations. The focus is going to be bringing quality goods from cultures all around the world. This part of the company is still a massive work in progress, so any support to the other above listed companies would be greatly appreciated to help expedite my plans to get this project operational.
What motivated you to get started?
I started my own business and chose to partner with my soon to be wife, one because I love working for myself being able to exercise my own ideas of how things should be done. But also to start somethings that we could build as a family and that I could leave to my children. I am looking to build legacy wealth and be able to give back to the communities in the process.
Who would benefit from the services you provide?
For Stairway Investments, individuals or businesses who are interested in empowering themselves or their business are my ideal customers. People who are looking to grow and reach greater potentials.
For iCON Media Solutions, I am looking for small business owners who want that local IT professional that is willing to get up at 2am just to help them solve their issues. A customer who wants or needs someone who can come up with solutions to a wide range of IT problems.
For Hippie Howie, we are looking for that person who is into local artistry and hand-crafted and quality items. Those that are into aromatherapy and expanding the way they look at life. Or on the other side, someone that we can help to do the same thing we are doing, getting their creation out there so it can benefit someone else.
What obstacles have you faced and how are you tackling them?
The biggest obstacle at the moment is financing. During the learning process we built a little bit of debt and have had to work hard to overcome that. It is still a work in progress. I have taken on a part-time job in an effort to facilitate getting that paid down so that we can move forward with the building of our future.
I feel like this is a problem that many small businesses end up fighting. Building something with or from nothing can be a daunting task. But don’t give up… I have noticed that a lot of the small businesses I have dealt with get frustrated and quit before they have really given it a chance, either because they have run out of money or for unexpected expenses. Keep working hard even if you have to get another job to help support yourself, but don’t give up on your ideas. On the other side of that, you have to learn when to let an idea go that isn’t capable of success, but always move on to the next one.
What do you see for the future of Stairway Investments?
We are hoping that all our hard work will pay off and that our companies will continue to grow to the point that we can start to hire people, giving jobs to those in our communities that have trouble finding work due to things in their past. People who need a second chance. People who have given up on working because they don’t think they are good enough.
In five years, I see our company having a manufacturer for our products in the Hippie Howie lines, iCON Media Solutions having its first physical location, Stairway Investments flipping it first property, and iCON Exports finally starting to gain ground and build inventory.
Why did you choose to work at Surge South Tacoma?
I chose Surge South Tacoma because my friend and business partner in LegalShield, Mr. Patrick Flowin Kendrick, has an office space here and I came to attend an event at his invitation. I absolutely loved the idea of a shared work space and didn’t even know they existed.
After touring the building and meeting the Community Manager Alice for the first time (Alice is great by the way, she has been wonderful), it was a no-brainer. This space just seemed to fit and it’s fairly close to my home. I have not regretted my decision either, this space is awesome. It has large conference rooms, a cafe-style meeting space and kitchen. FREE coffee, friendly people, and did I mention that the Community Manager, Alice, is always a pleasure to be around.
I would absolutely recommend Surge South Tacoma to anyone in need of an office space or even just a place to come and do work in the cafe. It has a professional, friendly, and comfortable vibe and has been a great place to make the home of our business.
How can we support your business or get more information about your services?
If you are interested in any of the services that we provide or would like to support our local business please feel free to get in touch with us.
Christopher Hammond
talk/text: (253) 446-2132 or (360) 261-3531
email: stairwayinvestmentsllc@gmail.com or iconmediasoltuions18@gmail.com
web: www.stairwayinvestmentsllc.com (sorry about the site it’s a work in progress)
Sarah Henderson
talk/text: (520) 448-7636
email: sarah@hippiehowie.com