Celebrating Mistakes in My Etsy Shop

{Papercut image from Super Cool Spy Club}

Lately, I've been doing lots of thinking. Lots. Probably the combination of spring cleaning, being pregnant, working on my book, making improvements to my shop, considering some changes, and yes, being really pregnant. Anyhow, all this thinking has led to lots of introspection - in all areas of life- but especially my whole Etsy shop experience up to this point.  


Really, I am proud of myself (saying that with lots of humility & a little shoulder shrug :) but I do see where I made some poor decisions along the way. Since I'm not the person to hold onto regret, let's call them lessons learned- and plow forward.  But, I do hope sharing these mistakes might be helpful to others along their creative business journey so here they are in all their guts & glory -


Top 5 Mistakes Running My Etsy shop: 


1. Jumped in Blind -   Didn't do a stitch of research and sort of figured out Etsy and everything else along the way. This led to a lot of technical errors, frantic moments, and lost income. 
2. Lacked Vision - I hoped to just sell what I made. I didn't really think through my concept or brand. Thankfully it developed over time, but it would've saved me lots of heartache to think it through in advance. 
3. Confused Brand - I didn't know who I was or what I wanted to make. Luckily, I found my niche but a little bit of discretion and restraint could have helped me arrive to this point a whole lot sooner. 
4. Focused on the Small - Sure, details are essential- but in the grand scheme of things planning out when to answer message, follow up on inquiries, comment on blogs and such should've been better prioritized for efficiency. Oh, the time I lost....
5. Lone Dogged It - Maybe it was just my comfort zone, maybe it was cluelessness - I'm not sure but I know I waited way to long to start connecting- authentic connections- to collaborate, team-up, guest post, and share ideas.  


The best part of reflecting and realizing mistakes is celebrating all that has been achieved and worked through. So hooray for mistakes....and learning from them! 


If you're up for baring your soul, I'd love to hear any mistakes you've made in your journey!


{ps. if you're up for more creative business advice, check out my Business Bits page and also look for my e-book coming soon!}