After over a decade working in operations and project management for other brands, I decided to start my own jewelry company and it has been exhilarating and scary and well, alot. In my early twenties I definitely burnt myself out on business ideas way too fast and I don’t want to repeat those same mistakes so here are five ways I am coping during the exciting, overwhelming, madness that is starting a new business:
Track Your Progress
When you’re just beginning it can feel like your days are bleeding together. I am someone who hyperfixates and totally loses a sense of place or time while I’m working. What this means is that my mind will say “Oh my god, I’ve been working on Pinterest growth for months and I only have 3,000 impressions - I’m failing”. When in reality - it’s been five days. Five days of concentrated effort. So track your timelines and your progress - when did you open your accounts, how much time have you really poured into them, and what are reasonable expectations for growth?
Go Outside - No really. Take a break
So the thing about hyperfixation is that my impulse is to not eat or sleep or leave my house. This is bad for obvious reasons, right? Right.
Running a business is about longevity and problem solving - both of which are greatly hindered if you don’t take care of yourself.
Have a financial cushion
Having a financial cushion is important for the obvious practical reasons (food, shelter, being able to invest in the business) but also from a mindset perspective. I think the best creativity comes from a place of authenticity and flow - not from desperation. When I feel that anxious desperate energy rearing up, I try to take a step back, look at my numbers, and remind myself that I have time to focus on doing this the right way, not the fastest way.
Resist the shiny ideas
This one is difficult. One of the most exciting aspects of business is how there is so much you can do. There are so many levers, so many options, so many exciting ideas to execute. It is a creative person’s dream. However, practically speaking, the worst thing a business owner can do is to constantly jump from task to task and idea to idea. To avoid this, I suggest documenting your initial strategy, prioritizing what’s most important, and returning to your plan daily to stay on track. This is truly easier said than done but one thing that helps me is storing all of those extra shiny ideas in a folder and knowing I can return to them.
Celebrate the wins
Even the little ones - really. Did your page views go up by 10 - not ten thousand - just ten? Great - take a moment to smile about it. Did you get a positive review? Fantastic - celebrate it, don’t ignore it just because you haven’t had a sale in two days. Believe that the big wins are coming and that in order to have the stamina to get there, you have to keep yourself motivated. Sometimes the win is simply that you showed up - don’t dismiss your efforts. Pay attention to what you're doing right, even if in the beginning it’s just staying committed. And honestly, in the grand scheme of things, the commitment piece really is the most important one.
Prosebud is not my first rodeo. Beyond my startup & freelancing experience, I have dabbled in my own ecommerce projects before. Ten years ago, I made 90 sales in just a few months on Etsy but gave it up because I didn’t believe I could go farther. I have made thousands of dollars reselling on eBay only to be pulled away by a job offer. I’ve allowed myself to burn out, get cynical, and give up. But all of that experience has led me to this point - which is a point of real dedication. I believe in this business more than the others in part because I spent a long time really thinking about what I was trying to do and who I was trying to do that for.
Weaving art and literature into adornment, consciously sourcing beautiful items, giving myself creative freedom in photography and marketing - these are all so much more aligned with who I am than those previous projects.
The foundation of Prosebud is stronger than my past business attempts and I want to make sure I am stronger too. That’s why focusing on my mental and physical health through this journey - even in the beginning when all I want to do is work - is so important. I hope this blog post gave you some insight into Prosebud’s beginnings and some food for thought while you’re chasing after your own ambitions.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this behind-the-scenes business blog post. I’d love to hear your experience when it comes to coping through the early stages of your creative project - feel free to email me at hello@prosebudjewelry.com. And remember - stay focused; stay grounded; take a breath.