It’s been just short of a year since I decided, rather last minute, to open up a new t-shirt shop. Another hectic holiday season was coming to an end when I received a random message from a stranger claiming my shop was the “biggest copy shop” they’d ever seen. I was already feeling burnt-out on my designs that felt a bit overdone, but my intentions had never been to copy (you can read a little more about why I started a new shop in the History of My Shop).
The Dreaming Daisy was a bit of an experiment for me. I’d never been present on Instagram for my business before and would only occasionally hop on to post a photo that was shared with me through an Etsy review or a tag or direct message. I had never scheduled posts and pre-planned content or “launches” before, but I followed several small shops on my personal page and it seemed to be the thing they were all doing. I figured I’d give this method a shot, but I didn’t want to change anything about Wild Blooms because it was a well-oiled machine and we relied on it to support us financially. I was scared to make any major changes because, as they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I dove headfirst into the small shop community and realized what I’d been missing all those years of running Wild Blooms without managing an online presence. I’ve gotten to know some of the greatest women in fellow shop owners and just as many small shop supporters.
But while I realized how much good can come from an Instagram community, I also realized it’s not enough – at least it hasn’t been for me. I have many followers who have been around since the beginning and frequently engage with my posts and stories who have never made a purchase. And while building a community is amazing and important, this is what I have chosen to do for a living, and I can’t buy groceries with likes and comments.
This is my personal experience. I have friends I’ve met through the gram who, after one year, are selling hundreds of shirts within minutes of launch time. That’s just not how it worked out for me. And at first, the comparison game was HARD. But I’ve come to accept that it’s different for everyone and the fact my shop didn’t grow into the tens of thousands within my first year does not make me less than. Juggling two shops meant I wasn’t able to give my all to The Dreaming Daisy OR Wild Blooms. And as a result, neither had the year I had hoped for.
So I’m back where I started, although a lot has changed – especially my mindset. I’m just as excited and relieved to be able to share more about myself and my business as I am anxious and scared. I’ll be retiring or re-doing designs from Wild Blooms that don’t feel like “me” and adding designs that do. I’ll also be venturing into helping other small businesses by means of screen printing, t-shirt dyeing, and more. I hope you’ll follow along with the process!
Thanks for being a part of my community and supporting my family. I’d hug ya if I could.
Hannah
