I’m super excited to be hosting a Q’n’A with a wholesaling pro (her products are in 100s of stores all over the world) on my blog very soon. I have actually spoken with her on the phone before and can tell you she has a wealth of knowledge in this area. So, I’m super excited she accepted my invitation. I’m keeping quiet on who it is for now but all will be revealed soon.

As my next big venture is wholesaling, I have a lot of questions myself, but I wanted to invite you to ask your own. Obviously, she won’t be able to answer every single one, but if there’s a way for me to merge questions I will. And if all don’t get answered, I will most certainly find another guest that can.

So, if you’re considering wholesaling your product line soon, get your questions in. Kindly put them in the comments below rather than tweet them to me so that I can easily aggregate them. Cheers me dears!

Photo Credit: amortize

Holy crud, it’s June 2010! Where did the year go? We’re half way through 2010 already… seriously, are you kidding me? Being at the half-way point in the year, it’s certainly a bit of a wake up call for me to get my arse in gear. We all know my “break” was slightly longer than I expected, so it’s time to get things moving.

June is going to be a busy month for me. My products are going to print later this week (we are full steam ahead on Plan A and I was able to go off-set – wahoo!) and I’m filled with excitement, nerves and everything in between. This month, I need to focus. I need a plan. We all know launching new products comes with a whole set of mini to-do’s (i.e. photography, product descriptions, crunching pricing and shipping numbers blah blah blah). So, I’m going to keep my list small and add stuff if time and resources become available. I already know I’ve forgotten some stuff as is. Yep, June 2010 is going to to be jam packed. But bring it on!

1. Launch new products
   • Proof/doing final edits
   • Shoot products
   • Write descriptions
   • Figure out pricing
   • Figure out shipping
   • Create a press release
   • Create freebie to coincide with launch
2. Get Big Cartel shop up and running
3. Launch my main website (already designed/coded – just needs copy/images)
   • In meantime, launch new splash page
4. Get the ball rolling on new collection release
   • Get quotes from printer
   • Design at least 5 pieces
5. Put the “yah or nay” on a new project idea I have
   • If yah, get the wheels in motion
   • If nay, enjoy the spare time ;)

How’s that for June’s goals? Am I nuts? Is it doable? We shall see. We shall see.

What about you? What are your goals for this month? Feel free to post them on your blog and share a link here in the comments. I’d love to see what you’ve got up your sleeves. Perhaps we can make this a monthly thing? What do you think?

Photo Credit: Jon Ovington

So, about those new products. While technically I could go ahead with them, I’m having a hard time navigating the pros and cons of going ahead now vs waiting. If I go ahead and print them digitally, I CAN’T wholesale them, BUT I can test them. If I go ahead with off-set printing so I CAN wholesale, I run the risk of having a large inventory that I CAN’T move at a reasonable rate. Of course, they aren’t the only pros and cons, but they are the ones weighing most heavily on my mind.

My biggest goal here is to set myself up for wholesaling. Realistically, I can’t justify running modernemotive another year without it. This isn’t just for financial reasons but also a need for me to justify why the heck I’m here. I feel as though I’m losing that vision with each week that passes.

While some may argue I’ve already seen some success, I can’t sustain myself or my business at the rate I’m going. I say some because in the grand scale of things guys, let’s face it, it’s minimal. In part, this is my fault. I’ve been in and out of my business since January 2009 for personal reasons and I need to either commit to it 110% now or quite frankly, get out.

While I am looking at a Plan B, I invested so much time and energy into these new products I can’t see it. Did someone turn the lights out? I was already nervous about introducing these new products and this spanner in the works is allowing the self-doubt to take on a stronger hold. I’ve barely done a thing in the last few weeks. My tip of the day – this isn’t how you move a business forward.

Ugh, it’s days like today that I regret being so honest about the “behind the scenes” of modernemotive. I feel as though I’ve built such a “buzz” around my relaunch and I’m not sure how to move forward. I stepped away in January promising “big things” and 4 months later I’m at a complete standstill. I’m none the wiser than I was back then. Ugh, there I go being honest again.

When you’re at a standstill, how do you get yourself moving again and keep yourself looking forward?

Photo Credit: B Tal

Despite it’s up and downs, February taught me a lot. I don’t know about you, but whenever things aren’t going so great, I always need to find a positive in there in order for me to move forward.

Now that March is upon us it’s time to start setting up my goals for this month. If I were to look at what was achieved in February in terms of tangible goals, I could easily feel as though I failed. Yet I now realize I didn’t.

February may of driven me to some personal lows but it also forced me to take an honest and hard look at what the hell was going on. As a result, I came out stronger and happier than ever. That my friends was the best thing I could ever of done for my company.

So as I set up my goals to grow modernemotive this month, I’m going to make sure I nurture myself too. Sure, I want my company to be running at it’s best but I need to make sure I am too so that we bloom together.

Hello March. I’m ready for you!

Are you ready? What are your goals this month?

Photo Credit: StevenBrisson

“When you say you have to do some foundation work, what do you mean exactly with that? What do you consider the foundation for your business, in a practical way? Do you have any idea, plans? How to start building the base?”

Truth be told, these questions left me stumped for a few days but eventually the answers started to reveal themselves. Bare with me as I try and show you how they are all intertwined.

“The foundation of modernemotive is my creativity.”

Pretty simple declaration huh? So why did Silvia’s questions leave me stumped? The answer to that is simple too – I stopped being creative and lost sight of everything. I truly think this is why I have been so unfocused and disoriented lately.

Creativity fuels me and allows me to keep going. So, as sales increased and orders began taking all day to process, there was no longer any room for creativity and I ran out of steam. In essence, this shook my foundation and cracked it. That’s why it is in need of some work.

How am I going to fix it? I only have one choice and that’s to make “creativity” the driving force behind modernemotive again. Not sales, not delivering product lines because they are working for others nor worrying about (and sometimes envying) my competition. With creativity back in the driving seat, those sales will come, I’ll deliver product lines true to me and one day I’ll be able to share the same successes as those I admire in the stationery world. I just need to believe in my creativity, my foundation.

So, how do I start building my base? By listening to myself. Yesterday, Michelle of Holley & Gill asked this simple question of me:

“What at this point in your life would you be the most happiest doing on a daily basis?”

Again I was initially stumped and my response was scattered. But now that I’ve redefined my foundation – my creativity – I’m able to respond with a more clear and defined answer.

If my answer to this is to simply be creative as much as possible, I need to eliminate anything stunting that creativity. Here’s what I’m currently considering:

1. Outsourcing printing and production – not only will this allow me to expand my line beyond greeting cards, but it will also expedite order fulfillment as everything will be ready to ship.
2. Discontinuing personalized stationery as it stands today – more on this another time.
3. Focusing on wholesaling my product line rather than being the direct point of sale myself - As much as I love working with my customers, as one person, the effort needed to make those sales can be a full time job in itself. While I am truly honored with every sale I get, in order to take modernemotive where I want it to go, I need to generate revenue that allows growth at a faster pace than it’s at today. Therefore I need to focus on moving 100s of product units at a time rather than securing a sale of one card. Make sense? This doesn’t mean I won’t sell direct to the customer too, just that my primary focus needs to shift.

Of course, all of the above requires more thinking and will not happen overnight. For example, I know I’m not in a place right now where I can outsource my whole product line. However, with small, deliberate steps it all seems achievable. I just need to keep leaning on that foundation whenever I have any doubts.

As many of you commented that you too were going through an identity crisis with your businesses, I hope sharing my thought process over the past few days helps you redefine your foundations too. To end, I’d like to share some advice inspired by one of my favorite quotes:

“We cannot direct the winds, but we can adjust our sails.”
Author Unknown

Think of your business as a sailing boat out at sea. Elements are going to come along that will unexpectedly take you off course. You have a few options. You could turn the boat around, return to the habor where it’s safe and go nowhere. Or you could trust in your sailing boat (your foundation), adjust your sails (to compensate for the elements rocking your foundation) and keep going towards your destination. Once reached, you’ll have the confidence to get back out there and keep sailing to new destinations.

Photo Credit: S@ilor

I’m sure it’s evident from my posts lately that I’m going through a bit of an identity crisis with my company and perhaps if I’m honest, with myself too. Previously I’ve attributed this to the usual culprits such as confidence, life’s ups and downs, lack of motivation… we’ve all been there and some of that holds true. However, after sharing this post, once again, Jan of Daisy Janie threw some words of wisdom at me that made me dig a little deeper:

“You said you’ll just rip the carpet up to reveal the concrete…the foundation of your home, your life. Well, why can’t you do the same with modernemotive? Rip the surface layer off and get to the foundation. What’s down there? What do you see? How can you make it functional? What will it take to build on it?”

It took a while for the “light bulb” to turn on, but when it did it hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m not struggling because my vision isn’t there, nor my passion or drive. I’m struggling because I’m standing on top of a foundation that was rushed and not given time to set. A foundation I’m not confident can withstand the load if I keep building. There are too many cracks that need filling with long-term solutions and goals, not just temporary fixes. Some of that foundation is me and hey, I need a little repair too.

You might think I’m over-analyzing this, but recently I was presented with a few opportunities that would of taken my attention away from modernemotive indefinitely. The fact that I seriously considered them reinforced my belief that the foundation of my company needed some work. They both fell through within 24 hours of each other and the relief I felt made me realize modernemotive is still my home and I’m not ready to up and leave.

So, if I’m going to stay in these digs, it’s time to do some foundation work. Going forward, I need to be able to build on top of what I have with confidence and strength, so it’s time to rediscover and redefine things. Once my foundation is set, I’ll start to brick this goddamn house. After-all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Photo Credit: mauresque

Seems he got himself locked in there while we was out yesterday and was determined to eat his way through the wall. WTF? He ain’t a puppy, don’t only puppies do stuff like this? Of course, I can’t be angry at him, he’s cute and shit happens, but still, February, seriously, can you not reserve some of your challenges for March, April, May… ?

Anyway, rather than bitch some more, I wanted to talk about drive. You know the motivational kind. For me, it’s been slightly lacking this month. Even though we’re only 8 days in, I’ve done eff all in terms of what I had planned. Let’s just say my motivation and optimism has taken a trip elsewhere. I’ve even looked at my business as a whole and debated throwing in the towel. Yah, it’s gotten that bad at times.

But see there’s a problem. I have this drive I can’t ignore. I didn’t quit my job, invest money and talk the talk to later walk away due to a few bumps in the road. Yah, I might be driving under the speed limit right now, but let’s face it, all I need to do is put my foot firmly down and step it up a notch.  And hey, if I need to pull of to the side to refuel that’s okay too. That final destination isn’t going anywhere, it’ll still be there whether I arrive tomorrow, next month or even next year.

I’m curious, what drives you to keep going? These roads we are taking, whether personal or professional are rarely smooth, so what gives you the drive to keep at it?

* After 30 minutes of thinking my place is a shambles, I saw the bright side of things. I’ve always hated that carpet. Besides latching on to every bit of dirt that comes its way, I just hate carpet period. So, screw it, I’m ripping it up and exposing the concrete. I already have exposed concrete in my condo so I think it’ll work. I’ll keep you posted.

Photo Credit (bottom): Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)

When I started to work for myself, that distinction became very fuzzy if not invisible. Not a weekend went by (other than one camping trip weekend) that I didn’t work in some capacity. In essence, I pretty much worked every day for a full year, for 365 days straight!

Of course, sometimes it was necessary and that’s a pill you simply have to swallow when working for yourself. However, there’s a difference between working out of pure necessity (i.e. to get on top of orders, a great idea you just want to work on) verses working out of self-imposed, unrealistic expectations. Seriously, would a potential customer feel any less of me if I didn’t answer a question at 11pm on a Saturday night? Heck, on any day even? Would a customer feel any less of me if the item they bought on Friday night shipped Monday morning rather than Sunday? My guess is no, they wouldn’t.

It’s not unusual for a bricks and mortar store to have 1 or 2 days of closure per week, so why do we put this pressure on ourselves to be available 24/7? Obviously, much of that pressure comes from the fact our primary presence is online. That alone brings expectations of instant results and constant accessibility. However, there’s a fine line and it’s up to you to keep in visible at all times.

I let it disappear in the beginning and I succumbed to the pressure only to later burn myself out. So, I’m drawing myself a new line. In a big fat marker. I’m taking back my weekends. My business will still be there on Monday, as will the customers, and more importantly, so will I, refreshed and raring to go thanks to two precious days off.

Who owns your weekend? You or your business?

Happy Weekend All!

Photo Credit: *Zara

After a performance review with 2010, we both request you have a pep talk with your team. We need to get all projects back on track so it is imperative that all printers and creative juices are working at full capacity. They are the core of this project and we will fail without them.

I understand and appreciate your team is feeling rather broken and burnt out as of late, so we have stocked the supply cupboards with some band-aids that we advise be used immediately. We hope this will help remedy any issues they are facing.

Your cooperation is much appreciated in this matter.

Regards,
Adele

Photo Credit: bombrepeatbomb!1954

So, come February 1st, I want to have a plan in order. I’m very proficient at whittling away time online, and as much as I love to twitter with friends and do other social activities, if I’m honest with myself, I often drain away a little too much time. If I don’t put certain restrictions on myself, I know I’ll end up going around in circles.

So, in an effort to make February an awesome month of productivity, here are some of things I have planned so far:

1. Getting up as if I’m actually leaving to go to work
   By this I mean showering first thing (yet to strike that off my to-do list), putting on clothes (not that I work naked or anything but the PJ days need to go) and making myself look more presentable (even if it’s just for an audience of one). 

I truly think that by adopting a more professional state of mind, which lets face it can be influenced by our outer presentation, it’ll drive my focus better.
2. Working offsite 2 to 3 times a week
   I’ve been talking about working outside of my condo for too long. So, as I won’t need to stick close to home to process orders, I think now is a great time to get this particular working pattern in motion. 

On the odd occasion I have worked offsite, the elevation in productivity and inspiration is very noticeable. So, why I haven’t latched onto this realization and made it a ritual is beyond me. Coffee shops here I come!
3. Breaking tasks out by the day
   While I’m a pretty good multi-tasker in general, there are some activities I need to do undisturbed such as designing and – blegh – admin. Right now I’m not sure how I’ll break the week up but I suspect to start it’ll be 2 days of product development, 3 days of admin and business planning. I’ll then switch this up as items get scratched off the to-do list in their entirety.
4. Set some work hours
   I know self-employment comes with long hours and in part I have to accept that, however, I also know that I can’t keep going at the rate I’m going. As much as I love my business, if I’m not taking care of myself, how on earth can I run it? 

So, the goal is to stop working at 6pm every night and actually take the weekends off. Of course, there will be times when I’m on a roll (I think most designers can identify with this one) and it’ll go beyond 6pm, but I’m going to try and limit that. I have a life outside of this company and I need to be living it a wee bit more!

This is what I have so far. What do you think? I’m sure they’ll be more planning and I foresee many lists in my future.

I’d love to hear what you do to make your day as productive as possible. Do you set yourself schedules for certain things? Break work out by the hour? The day?

P.S. Yes, that photo is of my kitchen bowls. I was searching and searching for a suitable photo on Flickr and then realized I was spending too much time searching (told you I can whittle away precious time). So, as I wrote “circles” in the paragraph above it, I naturally had a Eureka! moment and used my kitchen bowls. Work with me here folks. Ms. Productivity will thank you for helping me battle her whittling time away tendencies. ;)