How a Struggling New Dad Unlocked a Goldmine with Squarespace Plugins

Monthly Expansion Designer Series Interview

This interview with Omari Harebin has been incredibly inspiring and I can’t wait for you to dive in. If you look up the definition of resilience, Omari’s name appears!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as a designer/developer/creator of SQSP Themes

I started my Squarespace journey almost a decade ago. I was on paternity leave and knew there was no way I was going back to my previous job. To be the kind of father I wanted to be, I had to pursue my dreams. I couldn't just let them sit there, waiting.  I needed to set an example for my son – to show him that it's possible to live a life you're proud of.

Naturally, I needed to make money, right? But I didn't have a startup plan. My goal was simply to live and create, which some might see as irresponsible.  I'd just had a son, had a young family, and I was leaving a perfectly good job… It was a leap of faith, but I believed it had to work out.

In the beginning, I offered photography and videography services, with tutoring and web design at the bottom of the list. I wasn't fully convinced people would pay me for Squarespace websites, but I quickly learned I could add that as another offering. After a few websites, I got listed on the Squarespace specialist directory, which led to clients seeking development services.

It turned out, I didn't have the development skills needed for some projects. It wasn't a simple matter of copying and pasting code. I wasn't able to fully deliver and gave up for a little while. But the next spring, I committed to fully learning Squarespace development and applying my marketing skills to a Squarespace-based project. And that's how SQSP Themes was born. It became a sandbox for me to experiment with everything I was learning – different business models, digital products, and service offerings.

Your business offerings have evolved over time. Can you describe how you transitioned from a freelancer which included design/development services to your current focus on Squarespace plugins and template directory?

Initially, my goal was to sell Squarespace templates, but I wasn't satisfied with what I was designing – it was hard to convince anyone else they were a good product! So I quickly pivoted to what I called "Squarespace tweaks" – just custom CSS and JavaScript. A couple of years in, I was lucky to find a developer on Upwork who shared my values and was easy to work with.  This allowed me to focus on the marketing side. I knew there were multiple product opportunities here because I could read the market; I understood firsthand what people needed.  With this new developer on board, we were finally able to offer those products, and that's how our plugin shop emerged.

A year into selling plugins, I realized that the only exit as a freelancer is to get a really good, autonomous job – basically becoming someone's employee again or get good at selling digital products. So in 2018,  I abandoned all client work and focused exclusively on the product side of things – which at the time was plugins. That focus also allowed me to shift into affiliate marketing, which finally fulfilled that early dream of selling Squarespace templates. Designers didn't need convincing anymore! So I could focus on what I enjoyed: marketing.

That's how I transitioned from being a freelancer to focusing on the skills I felt would grow the business.

You've spoken about the challenges of your early days – long hours and stress with little to show for it. How did you stay motivated and find the strength to keep going?

Honestly, I didn't have another choice. There was no backup plan. I had to feed my family. It was about surviving day to day - could I bring home enough for food?  The motivation boiled down to this was part of my story, and this too would pass.  It was an endurance game: 'Okay, if not now, at some point. What do I need to focus on today to get to that next point?'

This practice of focusing on the present rather than uncertainties is something I still do. You can get distracted by not knowing when that next client or sale will come from. The key is to focus on what's right in front of you.

Many freelance designers/developers, especially in the current market, might resonate with that feeling of burnout and ready to call it quits. What advice would you give to someone struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel?

Remember, your energy isn't constant. There are times to rest and times to push. Burnout isn't necessarily bad if you've planned for rest.  Just like in working out, if you don't bring your muscles to exhaustion, you won't see as much gain. The same applies to business. Accept burnout, and with that acceptance, plan for rest.  Trust that with rest, you'll return better and stronger.

As someone who persevered through challenges. How did you distinguish between “it’s not working, but keep going because it will change” vs. “it’s not working, time to pivot, adapt, let it go?”. 

“It’’s not working but keeping going it will change” 

This is what you do when you KNOW something is inevitable and it’s just a matter of time. For example, I knew demand for 3rd party templates would happen one day as long as I stuck around.

“It’s not working, time to pivot, adapt, let it go”

This is more about what to do when something isn’t working for YOU. 

So in a way, both of these can be true at the same time.

You mentioned when you first started your goal was 10K/mo, how long did it take to achieve? What were the main marketing strategies that helped you achieve that?

I started in 2014 and wrote  '$10,000 a month target' on my wall. It wasn't until 2018 that I hit that goal. My main strategy was content marketing and SEO – creating searchable content that people were already looking for. I was basically laying out breadcrumbs based on my own experience searching for things I couldn’t find..

You offer a directory of Squarespace templates. What made you decide on a directory approach rather than just building your own collection? 

Initially, I wanted my own collection. But I wasn't happy with anything I designed, and I had trouble convincing other designers that Squarespace templates were worth their time.  Fortunately, things changed, and more designers started seeing the opportunity. Just like the Squarespace specialist directory had helped me, I envisioned the template directory helping others in the same way.

Do affiliate programs play a significant role in your business, and if so, roughly what percentage of your income would you attribute to them (if you don’t mind sharing)?

Yes, absolutely. As both an affiliate for other designers and SaaS companies, plus having our own internal affiliate program, they make up maybe 20-30% of the income on both sides of the business.  Beyond the income, there are additional benefits – more brand recognition in the market, and it stimulates referral-based activity in general.

Building your personal brand seems to have gone hand-in-hand with the growth of SQSP Themes. Has that been a conscious effort, or did it evolve organically?

It was definitely a mix of both. I've always thought my personal brand was something I'd get to later. But I also committed to being myself when I started this business. I couldn't imagine building something while pretending to be someone I wasn't. So yes, there's been some intentionality in that, but a lot has also been a natural byproduct.

Many people struggle with the idea of showing their true selves online for fear of judgment. You've been open about this in the past. Can you walk us through your process of unlearning that fear and finding the confidence to be authentically you?

Start by recognizing the fear and being honest about what you're afraid of – is it the judgment of specific people? Has their judgment hurt you in the past?  Next, create a safe space for yourself, a place where you can be you without that external judgment. And finally consider WHO are you showing up for? You get to decide.

How did embracing authenticity impact your personal well-being and your business growth?

Whenever I made a commitment to myself based on a personal truth, business growth followed.  Be it committing to learning the difficult parts of Squarespace,  or just admitting that I liked building Squarespace websites – it created a sense of purpose, and growth was a natural result.

What advice would you have for someone longing to show up online as their true selves but feeling hesitant?

Create that safe space for yourself and for others like you. As you grow in that space, it will expand, and eventually, you'll break out of that contained shell.

Where can people connect with you, learn more about your personal brand, and explore SQSP Themes?

Join my newsletter at OmariHarebin.com where I talk about all this.

Or unlock your Squarespace potential with the resources at SQSPThemes.com