Erin and Chad 11: How Does Anyone Sleep?

[rebeccawriter01]

20 hours ago, JDuggs said:

My speculation is that BSB was mostly the concept of Erin’s. She brought in Carlin and Whitney as partners and they started outvoting her. Erin probably wanted to keep the business small and definitely keep the focus on modest clothing only. She wanted to do the work at night for a couple of hours while her kids were asleep. Erin probably had no interest in getting babysitters so she could work or taking business trips to meet with suppliers. Carlin and Whitney saw the potential of BSB being a real career and moneymaker. They were willing to expand the modesty standards to their own, not Erin’s, to grow the business. I think they basically forced her out of her own business because of Erin’s strict modesty standards and her smaller vision for the business. It was definitely a recipe for hurt feelings.

I agree. I think there was probably some drama in regards to "buying her out" of the business. The timing of Erin's pulling away from the business coincides with Carlin and Whitney with their husbands buying new houses and in Carlin's case having a new baby. I don't care how successful or unsuccessful the boutique was at that moment, they neither one probably had the liquidity to purchase 1/3 of the business in the same moment they were purchasing (one for the first time) real estate. 

Erin probably felt rejected by Carlin and Whitney and stuck in a business she didn't even want to do any longer. I think that is when Kelly came into the picture. More than likely they asked other sisters to invest and were told no. Katie was not married yet and spending her money on wedding stuff and she and Travis were getting their first house ready. Josie has her own business and doesn't show any interest in theirs. Tori isn't interested in working outside the home and like Michaela has a lower income overall (Tori's income is low because of number of kids and one working adult). Alyssa is in Florida and not interested. I think the drawn out nature over the divesting of Erin was in part negotiating with Kelly to infuse more funds but not make her a full partner. 

It took months from Erin stopping her appearances as a model and participating to the actual confirmation. Something was going on behind the scenes for that delay. So my bet is that there were arguments over the money. 

I think the men probably had/have some issues too. Chad was shown doing the majority of the work on the shed facility at Zach and Whitney's house. Then he was renovating the rental space.  I doubt he was paid for any of that. Chad could have stepped in and argued that he deserved to be paid or at least reimbursed for time, materials, and such. This is especially true given that Zach and Whitney may have been able to sell their house for more money with an "improved" AU building on their land. I only bring that up because Chad has the same rushed and dismissive tone about Zach that Erin has when she mentions Carlin. 

[Johannah]

In their latest video Erin talks about being in a “valley” emotionally exactly 3 years ago. I’m assuming that was the fallout with the sisters. She and Chad repeat multiple times that they’re cutting back on YouTube bc they want their content to be encouraging and godly only. I think this rift goes beyond money and control. I think there’s massive judgment of Carlin and Whitney and co being worldly and having false idols in the form of fashion and Teslas. 

[Kiki03910]

10 hours ago, Johannah said:

In their latest video Erin talks about being in a “valley” emotionally exactly 3 years ago. I’m assuming that was the fallout with the sisters. She and Chad repeat multiple times that they’re cutting back on YouTube bc they want their content to be encouraging and godly only. I think this rift goes beyond money and control. I think there’s massive judgment of Carlin and Whitney and co being worldly and having false idols in the form of fashion and Teslas. 

That certainly jibes with her holier-than-thou prissiness.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Erin and Chad have said multiple times they are cutting back on social media. It’s ridiculous at this point. 

[Mama Mia]

11 hours ago, Johannah said:

In their latest video Erin talks about being in a “valley” emotionally exactly 3 years ago. I’m assuming that was the fallout with the sisters. She and Chad repeat multiple times that they’re cutting back on YouTube bc they want their content to be encouraging and godly only. I think this rift goes beyond money and control. I think there’s massive judgment of Carlin and Whitney and co being worldly and having false idols in the form of fashion and Teslas. 

I think that’s also around when she was having serious health issues and surgery and thought it unlikely she’d be able to have more kids. Her hormones must have been going haywire. Add to that disagreements about the direction of your business- and the disagreements are with family … that’s a lot. I wonder if the decision to leave the Boutique was mutual - solely hers, or was forced on her? 

[Kiki03910]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Erin and Chad have said multiple times they are cutting back on social media. It’s ridiculous at this point. 

That sweet dopamine hit is hard to give up. I was super active on Twitter for a few years, but the toxicity started overwhelming the positive aspects (and this was a few years before the twisted Muskrat took over). For a couple weeks after I deleted my account, I missed it intensely. But I'm super glad I stayed away. Erin and Chad should just quit all of it. They can do their fucking ministry some other way.

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 hours ago, Kiki03910 said:

That sweet dopamine hit is hard to give up. I was super active on Twitter for a few years, but the toxicity started overwhelming the positive aspects (and this was a few years before the twisted Muskrat took over). For a couple weeks after I deleted my account, I missed it intensely. But I'm super glad I stayed away. Erin and Chad should just quit all of it. They can do their fucking ministry some other way.

They are so boring anyway! Even Michael and Brandon are better in front of the camera than Erin and Chad. Plus Cherin sell godly crap nobody wants. Brandon and Michael sell stuff that people will actually use. Like baby blankets. 

[Kiki03910]

24 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

They are so boring anyway! Even Michael and Brandon are better in front of the camera than Erin and Chad. Plus Cherin sell godly crap nobody wants. Brandon and Michael sell stuff that people will actually use. Like baby blankets. 

Wait, you don't need those "Women of Purpose" cards? Me neither.

/belch

[HereticHick]

3 hours ago, Kiki03910 said:

Wait, you don't need those "Women of Purpose" cards? Me neither.

/belch

Honestly, if Erin wants to make extra income I don't know why she doesn't go back to teaching piano.

[fluffernutter]

12 hours ago, Kiki03910 said:

That sweet dopamine hit is hard to give up. I was super active on Twitter for a few years, but the toxicity started overwhelming the positive aspects (and this was a few years before the twisted Muskrat took over). For a couple weeks after I deleted my account, I missed it intensely. But I'm super glad I stayed away. Erin and Chad should just quit all of it. They can do their fucking ministry some other way.

I found Facebook intolerable after my mother in law discovered it. She stalked me, friended my friends, stalked all the grandkids, made the dumbest comments on every. little. thing. and posted just ridiculous stuff every day all day. Her, plus all of the political stuff made me leave. But holy wow it was hard the first few weeks! 

[SassyPants]

Here’s what I do not understand about the men in this Uber fundie circles. They worship the golden penis and have these very strict and antiquated values that they assign to the sexes, yet few of them want to be the sole and sustained income providers for their families. Sorry, but that just makes no sense. Large families cost money and the women are tasked with pregnancy, joyful availability, child birth, child rearing, homeschooling, housekeeping, cooking, values instilling and what, pray tell, are the MEN tasked with??? From My vantage point, the men are useless beyond procreation.

[Bassett Lady]

58 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

if Erin wants to make extra income I don't know why she doesn't go back to teaching piano.

Teaching  piano requires a tight schedule, consistency, and a separate space. Her piano is currently in the middle of the house and she has a herd of kids. 
 

Running a studio requires advertising, building a client base, scheduling at least one, but usually two, recitals per year. 
 

Piano studios have a schedule; teachers can’t just gallivant around whenever, and they can’t move states on a whim. 
 

My daughter runs a small piano studio out of our home. We have a dedicated music room, separate door, and a half bath accessible to the students. We have to make sure we have space in the driveway for all parents to park. 
 

We have placed a small couch in the music room for parents/guardians to sit on during lessons, and the entire house knows to be quiet while lessons are occurring. 
 

This works at our home because she is the only kid still living at home, and there are no toddlers and preschool kids who need her attention nor making noise. 
 

It has been a great job for her, but she has spent two years advertising and building her studio.
 

When she is ill I teach her classes.
 

We don’t charge her rent, nor utilities. The piano is already paid for, so the overhead is very low. She has managed to save thousands of dollars to buy her first car. When she turns 16 she will purchase a car free and clear. She is now saving for a trip to Europe. 
 

Erin would need to rent a space and/or hire childcare. I don’t see how that would be sustainable in the long run. 
 

Our church pays our pianist and our organist, but I am sure their church views a female’s work as a gift, not needing financial remuneration. 
 

[fluffernutter]

@Bassett Lady I'm sure she appreciates your support! My kids all took private lessons and it was always like you described too. Our middle daughter is a private cello teacher, she will go to the students' homes but it costs them more if they choose that. Most of her families choose that option, I think she only has two kids that come to her house. Erin's house would be too crowded, unless her husband could take the kids out for an evening or two every week, or she could travel to the students like my daughter does. 

[Sk8ter]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

Here’s what I do not understand about the men in this Uber fundie circles. They worship the golden penis and have these very strict and antiquated values that they assign to the sexes, yet few of them want to be the sole and sustained income providers for their families. Sorry, but that just makes no sense. Large families cost money and the women are tasked with pregnancy, joyful availability, child birth, child rearing, homeschooling, housekeeping, cooking, values instilling and what, pray tell, are the MEN tasked with??? From My vantage point, the men are useless beyond procreation.

The fundie adults romanticize the Laura Ingalls era in front of their children. Children grow up believing they don't need much education (ala the 1800s) and that the men will just build a house, do a (mystery) job that supports a family of 10-12, the woman will have babies & grow a little garden that will feed the happy children frolicking barefoot in the fields. 

Then they get married at 17 (ala Laura Ingalls) and discover the real world of 2024 is much different than their romanticized 1868 edition of life. Not only that, if they actually read a book about this time period, they would know how incredibly difficult it was. The reality check has got to be shocking. I assume fundies who are smacked in the face with this reality go one of two ways--become more secular like Carlin, et al opening a boutique to help support their families OR they triple down like Erin who is desperately still trying to create the fantasy of an earlier era that never existed to begin with. 

[LillyP]

3 hours ago, HereticHick said:

Honestly, if Erin wants to make extra income I don't know why she doesn't go back to teaching piano.

Because in all honesty, I don't think Erin wants to do anything that requires her to actually put the work in and take time away from her family. I think the whole music and piano things were a great distraction in her "season of life" prior to marriage and kids...and maybe even the whole lullaby album she did after she first had a baby, but running a business of any kind takes real work and effort to make it profitable and not a waste of your time. I think that's probably 100% of how she got pushed out of BSB. To piggyback on what others talked about - I think she really thought it could be a great little side hobby business they could do in the evenings or in space time. Unfortunately, running a business is SO MUCH WORK. It takes all your time and attention and you have to wear all the hats. 

I think her getting pushed out was a combo of not wanting to devote the time AND not liking the direction it was going style-wise. Carlin and Whitney are both more mainstream, and if you want to be successful you need to sell what people want. You cannot sustain a boutique with ugly jersey-knit maxi dresses that were the style in 1999. Brands like "Called to Surf" are a prime example of how you can have a modest clothing line and still be trendy and sell cute things. Whitney and Carlin very clearly wanted to make a go of the business and turn it into something profitable and legitimate, not a hobby. I think there might have 

[GreenBeans]

On 2/17/2024 at 2:03 AM, rebeccawriter01 said:

Much is made of how exploited Carlin and Evan's two kids are these days, but I would say Erin has trained her within an inch of their lives to be perfect in front of the cameras. They rarely interrupt, never question, and seem the same level of enthusiastic about everything. 

On Easter Sunday, we did an egg hunt at my parents’, with three cousins ages 3, almost 5 and almost 7. Afterwards we tried to take a photo of them with their Easter baskets. We could hardly get a photo with all three of them looking in the right direction, let alone posing and smiling.

I think all these fundie kids must be SO trained, bribed and/or scared of their parents to perform like that. Otherwise you don’t get perfectly posed pictures of little kids on the regular, especially when they are excited about a birthday party or holiday or gifts. Candid, spontaneous shots of individual kids, yes, those work and can be gorgeous because they capture the moment. But perfectly posed photos with several  little kids smiling in front of a perfect backdrop- there’s simply no way with normal kids. 

[AussieKrissy]

On 4/4/2024 at 2:50 AM, HereticHick said:

Honestly, if Erin wants to make extra income I don't know why she doesn't go back to teaching piano.

And add her side of Jesus there. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Erin’s oldest kids participated in a church pinewood derby competition. I’m assuming they attend this church. It’s called Volusia County Baptist Church. It seems like a decent sized church. With actual family events. Hopefully there are plenty of other kids in the church that her kids can become friends with. 

[HereticHick]

On 4/13/2024 at 5:56 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

Erin’s oldest kids participated in a church pinewood derby competition. I’m assuming they attend this church. It’s called Volusia County Baptist Church. It seems like a decent sized church. With actual family events. Hopefully there are plenty of other kids in the church that her kids can become friends with. 

When they moved to Florida, didn't Chad say something about moving there to work with a church? Maybe specifically a church plant?

If so, this church was founded in the 1990s so it isn't a plant!