There appears to be this collective relief out there as we say goodbye to February 2010. For a short month, it seemed so long didn’t it?

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

After announcing last week I was going to rebuild some foundations over here, Silvia of Silvia Reitsma Creative Photography asked some questions that got me thinking:

“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

You know, I think I jinxed myself bitching about February because she’s dealing more crap to me. The latest happenings over here is a bedroom carpet* ripped up along with some baseboards courtesy of Riley. Yah, the cute boy down below. Looks like butter wouldn’t melt huh?

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)

You know, it’s funny, when I used to work in an office, the distinction between the work week and the weekend was clearly defined. That TGIF (though more likely TFIF) feeling was always buzzing through me. Truth be told, in terms of social activity, I took part in it regardless of the day and I’ve gone into work hungover more times than I care to admit, so plans on the weekend were not necessarily the source of my weekend anticipation. There is something so comforting in knowing that the weekend is just around the corner. Whether your weekend was jam-packed with commitments or destined to be enjoyed in your PJs at home, it was the weekend and that’s all that mattered.

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

As I gear up to close my shop on Sunday, I’m thinking ahead and looking at how I can make that closure as productive as possible. The more I think about it and assess what needs to be done, the more I realize I’ll likely need to take the whole month to do it.

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. ;)

So, I’ve been debating whether to close up my shop up for a few weeks. There are so many other things I need to attend to – finalizing new products I have on the back burner, setting up some admin documents, that darned wholesale stuff, finishing up my .com…seriously, the list just goes on and on.

These days, it seems I just have no spare time or the focus to get it done. Obviously, getting orders out to customers in a timely fashion is my first priority, and some days, that’s a whole days worth of work. So, hunkering down at night to attend to the other to-do’s in my day simply isn’t happening. The reality is, this just adds to the stress and lack of focus because in the back of your mind, that mental to-do list is just eating away at you. I think in part, this explains some of the reasons I’m feeling burnt out too.

Of course, the major kicker to closing up for a wee bit is missing out on potential sales, especially when they are steadily coming in. Then there’s the fact that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I had a pretty good success rate for a new shop last year. It makes me wonder if I’d be bonkers to close at the peak of a possible sales surge.

As always, there’s a flip side. Opting to temporarily lose sales will actually allow me to generate more down the line as I’ll finally have my wholesale up and running as well as my wedding line launched. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. I’m just going around in circles and circles about this decision. Where’s the answer fairy when you need one?

Have you ever been faced with this decision? If so, what did you do?

Image Credit: bluecinderella

We all have our comfort zones in life and let’s face it, they can be nice places to reside, but what about in business? Do comfort zones have a place in business? Or do they simply hinder our professional growth?

Comfort Zone
Definition: an environment or situation in which a person feels secure or at ease; also figuratively, an established lifestyle in which a person feels comfortable as long as there is no drastic change
Dictionary.com

After living in my professional comfort zones last year for longer than I care to admit, for the most part, I believe they are a hindrance. Some might argue that a comfort zone in business is finding your niche, sticking with that niche and not exploring others. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Depends on your business goals and other factors. However, for today, I’m just going to talk about comfort zones that you need to run beyond. The ones holding you back.

The reality is, when you step outside of your comfort zone once, you’ll find yourself wanting to take more steps down new and exciting paths. Essentially, your expanding your comfort zone and causing a ripple effect. Here’s how…

For me, the first step outside of my comfort zone will be getting my wholesale division up and running. In 2009, I approached this project intermittently, often putting it down after a day or two. There were many reasons but the main one was fear. Would retailers buy my projects? Was my line-sheet and catalogue professional enough? Did I have enough products? Would I be able to handle the orders? How would I handle invoicing? The questions where endless and perhaps if I’m honest with myself, just served as great excuses to stick where I was – in my comfort zone.

The matter of the fact is, I won’t know until I try. I can’t leave my business in the hands of the “what ifs”. It’s my job to steer it. Of course, I’m not saying that one should jump right in to things with the blinders on and hope for the best. Some planning has to be done and certain structures put in place. However, sometimes you have to leave things to the unknown because you won’t find the answers until you truly ask the question and that can mean taking a walk to the other side.

Funnily enough, I was chatting with Jan DiCintio of Daisy Janie yesterday regarding wholesaling and here’s some advice she gave me…

“Try not to get too hung up on the precedent-setting nature of how you handle your first forays into wholesale – if you do, you’ll miss out! I know I did – I got so worked up about everything being just so that I often missed the window of opportunity.”

This mindset can be applied to many areas in business (and life!) and here’s what she went on to say later that is equally relevant…

“So many times we feel our presentation to the world has to be so perfect and impressive that we waste valuable time getting ourselves out there. Like… my logo’s not good enough, my website isn’t right, my photography looks horrible… and while it definitely is a good idea to have these things look good and properly branded, sometimes we set the bar so high for ourselves that we never get over it!”

This advice was just what I needed. Sometimes you need to reach out to others and simply learn from their experiences. Often, you may hear what you already know, but sometimes you don’t truly hear it until someone else says it. Again, this can mean stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Now, here’s where I think the ripple effect comes in. Deep down, I’m confident retailers will respond to my product offering positively. If I wasn’t, then really, what the hell am I doing here? Do I believe that once I see a “return” on my wholesale adventure I’ll have the confidence to expand my product line? Yes! Do I believe order fulfillment will eventually lead to production outsourcing? Yes! Do I believe the increased revenue will allow me to explore other business ideas outside of paper goods? Yes!

Guess what? All these answers mean I’m successfully adhering to my business plan. My goals. My hopes for modernemotive. And all I had to do was step outside of my comfort zone. Of course, I don’t expect it to be easy. I’m sure I’ll be stepping on the “roller-coaster” of business many times. But this time, this year, I’m going to sit back, let my hair blow in the wind and scream in excitement. I’m ready for the ride.

Now, my question to you is… what are you going to do to step outside of your comfort zone this year?