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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 · · 1297 words · By Gili Malinsky; Tasia Jensen
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_checkFact-Check Results

19 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 9
verified Verified By Reference 4
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
verified
“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.
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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
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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
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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
info
“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/
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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
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“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
verified
“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.
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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
verified
“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.
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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
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paola Tedesco (born 28 March 1952) is an Italian actress, voice actress and singer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Tedesco
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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
verified
“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.
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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 — 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
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
info
“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…
info
“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/
help
“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.
help
“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
“In 2025, the two brought in about $209,000 combined.”
PENDING
schedule
“their 22-month-old son Caspian”
PENDING
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“Merrill and Garing spent around $260,000 on the bookstore between the purchase price and costs for initial improvements.”
PENDING
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“In 2025, Trail's End Bookstore saw a net income of nearly $29,000.”
PENDING
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“The couple bought their 1,400 square foot home for about $405,000 in 2022 from Garing's parents”
PENDING
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“with a down payment of around $80,000”
PENDING
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“As of March, they have about $380,760 put away between retirement savings, investments and an education fund for their son.”
PENDING
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“The couple also has about $40,000 in an emergency savings account”
PENDING
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“including a $24,500 deposit Merrill made in February from her independent book sales on Etsy.”
PENDING
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.