So, Are We Going To Talk About The Last Year?

Dear Diary,

Just kidding, but blogs are kind of like diaries, so am I kidding?! It has been over a year since I weighed in on life, business, success, growth, etc.  No better time then the dreaded slow time of year to catch up!  Keep reading for more and maybe a little oversharing because I'm human.

So, are we going to talk about the last year? I want to.  We are living in such a weird time.  We are adjusting back to life without masks and going back to having parties and get togethers, vacations, and so much more.  But what happened during those months?  Well, so much happened in my life and at the store that I would like to share some of those ups and downs with you.

When NC non-essential businesses were required to close last year, I had no idea where that would take me.  Was I going to go out of business? The obvious answer is NO, I'm still here and thriving.  However, like so many others in similar and different situations I spent so much time crying and overthinking yet making moves and telling myself to stay positive.  I turned a bad situation into a better one by staying up all hours of the night completing puzzles and painting.  I spent my days working countless hours at home on my website and marketing.  I literally had no schedule or sense of time for over a month. I had no where to be and everything was closed.  But taking time on those things paid off!  I had the best year I’ve had last year despite the setbacks I faced as a small business owner.  I also had a clear mind going back into the store last Summer, so it was likely a blessing in disguise to get those weeks off even though I didn't want them.

Everything wasn't peachy though.  Just because business was taking an amazing turn didn't mean life was all that amazing.  I was overworked, tired, sometimes even grumpy because with big business comes bigger problems.  I'm going to be real, sometimes you learn a lot about people while working in retail.  Things you don't want to learn.  Things you don't want to face or deal with in customer service.  Some of our clients were just mean over such small hiccups.  The pandemic was testing us all (still does) and I had to remember that.  I am a very emotional person, my feelings do get hurt easily, so I take feedback to heart. I just want everyone to absolutely love what I send them so I am constantly making improvements where needed.

Ok but what about life right? Raise your hand if you lost some friends last year.  Mine is in the air.  Some of those close to me didn't understand what I was going through.  Instead of the old nod ya head and listen kind of thing, I got backlash I wasn't expecting.  It wasn't supportive and it hurt.  But guess what? I made new friends too!  I have gained some amazing relationships through this pandemic.  My circle isn't large at all (I like like two people..😂) but I learned that quality friendships are so much more important.  One sided relationships are exhausting, phew. 

How about school, any parents out there trying to figure out how they became teachers? Luckily, my boys had great teachers this past year and didn't really need my help at all, so I cannot totally relate.  We did have some trouble with completion because fourteen year olds are apparently very social beings and they were stripped of their social life. Overall, we made it through the school year and both of my boys were promoted to the next grade, woohoo!

Over the last year I learned so dang much about myself, business, community, competition, buying habits, and customer service.  I learned to lengthen my patience even further than I already was able to.  I learned to listen and to let go.  But more importantly I have learned that I really love what I do and I love sharing it with everyone!  Send us a message with what you are thankful for from the last year, we'd love to hear it!

xoxo - Kathryn

PS - Completely unrelated but my dog lost some weight because he learned that walking was good for him when the gyms were closed.