After five years in business š¾Ā there's a lot that's changed since day 1. But we take notes on our mistakes, celebrate our wins, and stay open to any and all ideas. It's easy to get set in our ways and start to feel stagnant, so here are five takeaways from our last five years in business.
But first, someĀ MAJOR highlights:
- moving into our brand new 1800 sq ft studio
- being able to help people send so much love throughout the pandemic when they couldn't be there in person
- making it through a mf'n pandemic
- getting past the 3 year small biz hump (look ma, we made it!)
Things I've learned:
I still feel strongly about everything I mentioned in my year one post. But also:
- Hire people that you enjoy working with and that compliment you, meaning they excel in areas that you do not. And then, LET THEM DO THEIR JOB. When someone onĀ my team is given a task or projectĀ that I know they're excited about, I do my best to step aside and give them full reign. I think we inherently feel that our way is the best way or right way to do something and while that is true in many cases when it comes to our own lives, I always try to separate that from business.
- Get over your fear. Don't be afraid to take a risk and try something different. I am all for setting boundaries, but from a creative perspective, I think it's important to keep an open mind about things when opportunitiesĀ or inspiration come your way. Take notes and you may find that it wasn't something you want to try again, but every time you do, you and your team learn something new and that experience sets you apart from your competitors.
- It willĀ NEVER be perfect. Let go of that crippling need for perfection. It's difficult to make decisions from this viewpoint, and even harder to move forward. Nobody will ever know it wasn't as perfect as your vision. Just let go and launch it!Ā
- Reel it in. We can't be all the things to all theĀ people. This is a very personal one for me and one that I am constantly working on. There are so many amazing brands and products out there and my head is constantly flooded with ideas.
- DO YOUR PART TO REDUCE WASTE!Ā Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, buy more sustainable products, ask companies to omit certain types of packaging that is wasteful or unnecessary. We reuse every bit of packing paper that enters our studio and we also pass along all the biodegradable packing peanuts that come our way to our makers. For every wooden box that is handmade for us, a tree is planted.Ā