Behind the scenes...
The messy world of my home based business and what I am grateful for.
Yesterday I launched my etsy shop. I am so excited with the positive response I have received to my products!
What most of your don't know is I spent the wee hours of Wednesday morning haunched over the toilet, curled in a ball on my bed, and pacing up and down my hall from excruciating stomach pain. Launch day and I had the flu! It was bound to happen, my little girl spent the weekend ill. I was just hoping to keep my immune system fighting hard until I had everything up and ready to go. No such luck. I succumbed.
How was I supposed to look at the computer screen from my curled in a ball position? Let alone put the final touches on the photo edits and product descriptions?
It would be ideal if overall I had been ready last week, everything in perfect order and all I had to do was activate my listings. The reality is, like so many of us, I am juggling; family, a job and my new business. I am paying bills, doing laundry and snuggling my little one in between colourful Instagram posts, email replies, supply orders, washing, dying, carding, spinning, designing new products and preparing for an exhibition opening.
The bottom line... Things get done when they really need to be...when the deadline looms!
So back to yesterday morning, in between waves of nausea I hatched a plan. A plan to ask for help. At 8:22 am I sent my mum a message, "I have the flu/stomach ache can you type product descriptions for me? Can you ask dad if he has time to edit photos?"
It seems ridiculous. I am a fully grown adult. I get out of bed and get to work on my own, look after my daughter and run my own business. Seriously, did I really just text my parents for help? It feels weird, awkward and embarrassing.
But I did it, and they helped. The second my mum replied I felt a small lessening of my stress. I would not have to put off my launch for a second time. I could make this happen.
I spent time with my dad figuring out the fastest way to upload photos so he could grab them from the cloud. Right, I don't think I mentioned, my parents live across the country. Then a photo capture of my product description notes for my mum. A short while later and I am on the phone to my mum while I soak in a bath of healing essential oils (fennel, peppermint, rosemary and lemongrass to the rescue) I talk through product descriptions and my mum transcribes.
As silly as it feels to have asked my parents for help. I am incredibly grateful they were able to set aside their to do list for a few hours and come to my aid. I don't want to forget the physically closer help I received as well. My husband looked after me and my daughter before he left for work and my brother who made delicious soup that I sipped away at during the day and babysat when my husband left for work so I could rest.
Sometimes I feel like in order to fully own it, I have to do it all. I feel like I should be completely responsible all by myself. That it is not right to have help, that help = failure. Gradually I am moving away from those feelings and recognizing that having a family and a community of support is the way to creating something sustainable. Something I won't burn out from, something customers can rely on, something that I can be proud of.
I am grateful for all the help and support I have received and continue to receive along my journey. My family, friends, acquaintances, followers, customers, naysayers, and the community at large. I feel incredible gratitude to be able to reach out for assistance when it is needed.
Thank you.
Do you have people who support you? What have they done for you lately? What are you grateful for?
