Wednesday, December 24, 2008

New Beginnings, A Reprise and Some Hopefulness



   Many months have passed since I last posted to my blog. Large portions of my world have changed. Private tragedies and opportunities for greater happiness. Etcetera. My husband is no longer with me, and I hope he is able to find a meaningful life. I'm in the process of rebuilding. Currently I'm running Damselle out of a room in the home of my parents, and waiting for Spring. I think my last post is actually a very perfect way to begin again:

The unknown is a frightening thing. In spite of the fact that humans are an amazingly adaptable species we still get very hung up on the uncertainty of what's around the bend. Some people never get over their fear of making changes in their lives, but if you can push yourself out of your comfort zone you may very well learn that you are capable of a lot more than you expected. Running a successful business has a lot to do with change. Are you willing to take calculated risks? How well are you able to adapt your business strategy in an ever-changing marketplace?

Damselle is going well and we'll see how she floats as a sole income with no training wheels.. well... right now. I designed the jewelry for a high profile southern wedding in October, and the wedding and jewelry are expected to be featured in several wedding magazines soon. (not soon enough.. I need to pay off that startup debt!) I'll let you know when I have more info about that. My holiday sales have been decent, but it is becoming apparent that weddings really drive my business, and that needs to be my primary focus. My intention is to move myself and Damselle into a new place in the spring, after spending a little time paying off debt, regrouping, and determining what my income is going to look like. I'll do whatever it takes, to hell with the economy. Anyone want to be roommates with a girl who's home all the time, a jewelry design business that takes up a lot of space, two rowdy cats and a high maintenance goldfish? (I say this with a twinkle in my eye.)

I was thinking of Chris and Haim, and of Etsy when I wrote the last post, but the same is absolutely true for myself as well.

I don't think I'm going anywhere but up. Life is an evolution, and change can be a scary thing. I'm sad that some things I've built have been lost in this transition, but I'm confident in finding new opportunities to really shine and challenge myself.


Oh yeah! I also wanted to share with you this great idea I had. I heard from several Etsians that it was very important to update your profile information because some customers were printing it out to give to their gift recipients along with their purchase. I thought it was really wonderful that our customers care so much about the special uniqueness of their handmade gifts, and the people behind them, so I created a little printable artist's bio to include with every order. I think it's great and my customers have already let me know they really appreciate it!