Archives for "Life"
Yes. this is the week.
I am terrified
I am excited.
I am not ready.
I AM READY.
There are still little tedious things to do, like fold brochures and pack products, and update my Ikea shopping list for the 32nd time. But all of the major things are done, all of the plans are finalized, and the culmination is here.
I have no expectations, honestly if I make my costs back (~$5k) then I would be the happiest person in the world. I could coast for a few months on that and hopefully not have to go back on the job hunt.
Stay tuned.
Planning for the New Year
My calendar overfloweth.
In planning for 2012, I’ve been spending most of my time not sleeping. The insomnia has become increasingly stronger and stronger as I think about all of the details of the upcoming months. I’m nervously awaiting my photographer friend to send me back the images for the products so I can get the catalogs and postcards printed for the show. On top of that I’m launching some new products at the NYIGF so I’m ordering supplies and packaging for those. Plus I need to figure out transportation, Ikea price list, and coordinate the times when people will be helping me at the show. I’ve also got to send products that were selected for an eco-friendly display that must be sent out soon.
PLUS I’ve got to begin planning out my trunk show at Henri Bendels in late February. They were generous enough to give me a whole week in February for the show, but this means I need staff. I have reached the point in my life where a straight week of standing on my feet without eating or bathroom breaks is tantamount to torture, and I will have to hire someone to assist me during this time.
Also looking for an intern to assist me with marketing and such.
And theres my laundry list of insanity 
A season full of MEH and some exciting news.
This years holiday season was a series of new shows and, ultimately, bad choices for myself. Even the few good shows that I clung to for dear life ended up being disappointments. Many of them seemed to be a combination of poor marketing, new organizers, and an overall lack of effort. I made enough to sustain myself for January, but my stretch goal of having my bills paid for February is not going to happen this month.
In any case, it’s given me more time to work on my e-book. YES! This was the big news I had mentioned in a prior post.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I know/do well. Frankly, it isn’t much. That said, I have had almost 8 years of experience in the world of craft shows and so many have asked me for guidance at shows…where to find them, where to get this display or that table…that I realized I DO have a vast knowledge of this. As I transition out of the world of shows and into more wholesale, I want to pass on the tips and tricks I’ve had to learn the hard way, to spare some of you those financial mistakes!
The book will be released on this blog in early 2012, so please keep an eye out for it.
Things and stuff, stuff and things
Yes, there is much to discuss. I am now 100% self-employed again. It’s terrifying and exciting…mostly terrifying. The sudden crash of financial stability is not something to be taken lightly. But I still would not take back my old job for any amount of money in the world.
The firm that I worked for was crashing at an almost amazing speed. There were often promises of being bought out, bringing in new financial resources, etc. But the pace at which they demanded from their employees was incredible. Two people in the firm had nervous breakdowns and had to take leaves of absence to “rest up.” As for myself, my drinking was getting very much out of hand and I found myself crying most days from the mixture of stress, depression, and guilt.
It finally came to a head when they gave me the most problematic account “because you aren’t doing much work anyhow.” The site, poor thing, was a hot mess and there was no way to tackle it. We had no resources, no money, no time, and I had never worked on the account before. But I knew the expectation was to make it run perfectly using developers who were stretched thin as it were, and a budget that was negligible as it was. That’s when I finally said “no.” I would not take responsibility for that quagmire and I would save my own sanity. I gave them a months notice so that they had ample time to replace me, or to have me train another person.
As of now, my manager is doing all of my work. They do not have the money to replace me.
So that is the story of my departure from the corporate regime. My alcohol consumption has significantly decreased, I get to spend time with my husband that doesn’t involve crying on his shoulder, and I do feel happier, over all. The money stuff will not be pleasant to deal with, but hopefully holiday sales will let me coast until February when the payments from NYIGF will come in (hopefully!).
There is also some exciting new project that I have begun to work on, but that will be for another post shortly.
blog envy
despite my lack of posting, this blog is always in my head. “What do I want to say?” “What am I contributing?” and from there is goes into a downward spiral of apathy, of things I wish I could post about.
To motivate YOU to also accept envy you may have for others (embrace it, friends!), here is my list of things I desperately envy from other bloggers.
I wish I could blog about:
Fashion (its fun, but i know nothing about it)
Makeup (same)
Comics (I want to be hyperbole and a half when I grow up)
Anyone who is able to REMOTELY keep to a schedule.
oh and also *cough* iresignedfrommyjobandmylastdayisNovember30 *cough*
we’ll discuss soon.
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