29-year-old is scaling back her six-figure career to run a local bookstore with her husband: It's an 'intrinsic' part of the community

Cnbc · Apr 16, 2026 · 1297 words · By Gili Malinsky; Tasia Jensen

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What to know about 29-year-old is scaling back her six-figure career to run a local bookstore with her husband: It's an 'intrinsic' part of the community

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which examines how people earn, spend and save their money.

Claims checked 19

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which examines how people earn, spend and save their money.

Why it matters

Paola Merrill never meant to be an influencer.

Common ground

The 29-year-old was working in a preschool when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and her hours were cut, she says.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: 29-year-old is scaling back her six-figure career to run a local bookstore with her husband: It's an 'intrinsic' part of the community?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that her hometown of Winthrop, Washington?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/16/29-year-old-is-scaling-back-six-figure-career-to…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 19 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 9

verified Verified By Reference 4

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

info

Claim 1: “her hometown of Winthrop, Washington”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided only discusses the meaning and origin of the name 'Paola' and does not mention Winthrop, Washington or her hometown.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Paola is a female given name, the Italian form of the name Paula. In Greek it is Polina. Notable people with the name include:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — What is the meaning of the name Paola? Discover the origin, popularity, Paola name meaning, and names related to Paola with Mama Natural’s fantastic baby names guide.
https://www.mamanatural.com/baby-names/girls/paola/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · Paola is a girl's name of Italian origin meaning "small". Paola is the 984 ranked female name by popularity.
https://nameberry.com/b/girl-baby-name-paola

info

Claim 2: “In 2025, she also started selling her self-published fairytale book on Etsy.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Evidence confirms she is an author and there are general guides on selling on Etsy in 2025, but there is no specific confirmation that she started selling a fairytale book on Etsy in 2025.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Paola Merrill (born December 5, 1996) is an American YouTuber and author. She has over a million subscribers on her YouTube channel, TheCottageFairy. She wrote The Cottage Fairy Companion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Merrill

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Here's how to open your Etsy shop and start making sales today!In this video, I break down step by step how to open your first Etsy Shop and get your listing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P_YfpQGyA4

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Paola Merrill is a new author and the creator behind the popular YouTube channel The Cottage Fairy.
https://balancethegrind.co/interviews/paola-merrill-author-y…

verified

Claim 3: “She became a full-time creator by the end of 2020.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia confirms she is a YouTuber and author, none of the provided evidence specifies the date she became a full-time creator.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paola Merrill (born December 5, 1996) is an American YouTuber and author. She has over a million subscribers on her YouTube channel, TheCottageFairy. She wrote The Cottage Fairy Companion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Merrill

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paola Tedesco (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian actress, voice actress and singer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Tedesco

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Anthony "Tomie" dePaola (; September 15, 1934 – March 30, 2020) was an American writer and illustrator who created more than 260 children's books, such as Strega Nona. He received the Children'…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomie_dePaola

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 4: “Her channel quickly gained a following and currently has around 1.6 million subscribers.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm she has a YouTube channel (TheCottageFairy) with over a million subscribers, with one source specifically citing 1.36 million.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Paola Merrill (born December 5, 1996) is an American YouTuber and author. She has over a million subscribers on her YouTube channel, TheCottageFairy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Merrill

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Photo: Courtesy of Paola Merrill. Merrill’s distinct style is often described as cottagecore, but perhaps with a distinctly Latine approach to the trend beyond the folklore.When I first discovered Mer…
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/youtube-creator-cottage-fai…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jusuf has 525K subscribers on YouTube. 5. TheCottageFairy (Paola Merrill).Starter Story. See exactly how online businesses get to millions in revenue.
https://www.starterstory.com/aesthetic-youtube-channels

schedule

Claim 5: “with a down payment of around $80,000”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “The couple bought their 1,400 square foot home for about $405,000 in 2022 from Garing's parents”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “The couple also has about $40,000 in an emergency savings account”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 8: “In early 2025, she learned that Trail's End Bookstore... was up for sale.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided discusses Interstate 40, hiking trails in Bellemont, and a barefoot foundation, none of which mention Trail's End Bookstore.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The construction of the 360-mile (580 km) route of I-40 across Arizona took nearly 25 years to complete with the last segment being completed in 1984, much longer than the ambitious goal of finishing …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_Arizona

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Looking for the best hiking trails in Bellemont? Whether you're getting ready to hike, bike, trail run, or explore other outdoor activities, AllTrails has 4 scenic trails in the Bellemont area. Enjoy …
https://www.alltrails.com/us/arizona/bellemont

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Use all your senses while barefoot to experience this manicured 1-mile trail through dirt, mud, water, sand, stone, and rocks. Try out the adventure stations along the way and challenge your mind and …
https://thebarefoottrail.org/

verified

Claim 9: “she learned she was pregnant in 2023”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided includes unrelated videos about pregnancy and general bio information, but nothing confirming that Paola Merrill became pregnant in 2023.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paola Tedesco (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian actress, voice actress and singer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Tedesco

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 10: “Merrill and Garing spent around $260,000 on the bookstore between the purchase price and costs for initial improvements.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 11: “We packaged about 40,000 over the course of four years”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided includes a general video about selling on Etsy and a biography of Paola Merrill, but none of the sources mention the specific figure of 40,000 prints sold over four years.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American National Design Awards, founded in 2000, are various awards funded and bestowed by the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. There are seven official design categories, and three add…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Design_Awards

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — I tried selling Print on Demand t-shirts on Etsy for 7 days and this is what happened!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0trzykfZoIQ

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Paola Merrill (born December 5, 1996) is a Puerto Rican American artist, writer, videographer, and content creator renowned for her YouTube channel The Cottage Fairy, which promotes a cottagecore aest…
https://grokipedia.com/page/Paola_Merrill

+ 1 more evidence source

schedule

Claim 12: “As of March, they have about $380,760 put away between retirement savings, investments and an education fund for their son.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “their 22-month-old son Caspian”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 14: “Garing, 37, works full-time as a field technician for a land surveying company.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Luke Garing's age or profession.

schedule

Claim 15: “In 2025, the two brought in about $209,000 combined.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “In 2025, Trail's End Bookstore saw a net income of nearly $29,000.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 17: “The 29-year-old was working in a preschool when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and her hours were cut”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence consists of general name meanings and unrelated Wikipedia entries for other people. There is no information regarding her employment at a preschool or hours being cut in 2020.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Edward Banks (born July 16, 1979) is an American politician and naval officer serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Indiana. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Banks

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( whah-KEEN; né Bottom; October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the preeminent actors of his generation and known for his roles as dark, unconvention…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Phoenix

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lindsay Ann Davenport Leach (born June 8, 1976) is an American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 98 we…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsay_Davenport

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 18: “she and her husband, Luke Garing, officially bought it in October.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the purchase of a bookstore by Paola Merrill and Luke Garing.

schedule

Claim 19: “including a $24,500 deposit Merrill made in February from her independent book sales on Etsy.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.