03/15/2026
I’m still here guys, I’ve just shifted gears. 🤙🏼
Here’s the update you didn’t ask for, that I definitely feel like I owe you, and I’ll try and condense it the best I can. 👇🏼
Long story short, this was freaking amazing and ridiculous in the best way, until it wasn’t. And then an opportunity fell in my lap when I was at a serious mental crossroads with how to continue what I’ve been doing, sustainably…and I really dug deep into my, “ahh what the hell, why not?” mindset and I took a new job in December…and I’ve been deep in it ever since. I’ve kept this floating in the background, not quite sure where it’s going yet.
The drive got siphoned out of me for my business in so many ways the last few years and it’s been a rollecoaster of adapting, surviving, and as a maker, trying to hold on to as much authenticity as I possibly could. Here’s where it started to crumble…
• Joann’s closing. Yes there are other options, but not much when you are particular, specific, and a small volume hand crafter with no intention of being massive. Keeping consistent sourcing and costs down between other suppliers taking advantage of the market gap, tarrifs, and order minimums that did not match my current business structure was a trifecta that forced me into some hard thoughts of the effort being worth the outcome.
• I burnt out. Somewhere in the middle of this 5+ year ride, I mentally detached from even being drawn to social media and that’s a problem for a social media based maker with no marketing department.
• Authenticity complex. The short and not so sweet explanation…year after year going out of my way to design and create versions that were not out there because it was an exploding market and they were popping up everywhere, with every brand, and on Amazon for $10. If it didn’t come from my own sketches, brainstorms and maddening prototyping sessions I didn’t want my name on it - from marketing to the creative side I’ve been copied and then targeted and harassed being accused of copying. I’m to old for that s**t you guys.
Continued in the comments. 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
