Running a small business is a wild ride! Between balancing a full-time job, creating handmade products, managing finances (let’s not talk about that part), keeping the website updated, and maintaining a healthy spiritual life, it often feels like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle through a tornado.
But don’t worry—chaos is my middle name. I’m here to to give you a glimpse behind the curtain. Spoiler: It's mostly mayhem with a sprinkle of good intentions.
The Full-Time Job – The Thing That Pays Bills (Sometimes)
Ah, the full-time job. The stable source of income. It’s like the parent in a family of wild, entrepreneurial children. It supports you but also gives you *just enough* structure to make you feel like your life is a well-oiled machine. Until you try to do *anything else* in your spare time, that is.
You wake up at the crack of dawn (after hitting snooze six times), work all day, and then you look at the clock and think, “Wait… I’m supposed to do something else now? Oh right, my side hustle!” And then you grab your second coffee of the day (because why not?) and dive into the endless chaos of crafting, packaging, and... pretending your finances are in order.
Making Products – The Fun Part (But Also the Exhausting Part)
Making the actual products is the fun part, right? Right? You get to be creative, play with scents, textures, and all the magical ingredients that make your products feel like tiny bursts of joy in a bottle. Except, of course, when your favorite ingredient is out of stock for the 19th time this month, and you have to get creative with substitutions that leave you wondering if you’re creating a masterpiece or a disaster.
The best part of this stage? When you take a step back to admire your work and realize you’ve spent the entire afternoon making just *two* products. Well, time flies when you’re having fun, right?
Finances – A.k.a. The “What’s My Account Balance Again?” Game
I don’t know about you, but I’m convinced my finances are just a wild guess at this point. The goal is to balance the money coming in with the money going out, but honestly, I spend more time wondering where the money *went* than managing it properly.
Quick tip: When you’re handling the finances poorly (but we don’t need to admit that, right?), use colorful spreadsheets. At least the charts look pretty. Sure, the numbers may not add up, but at least I can pretend I’m on top of things while sipping my third (or was it my fourth?) coffee of the day.
No worries, I'll just get my husband to help me out. Maybe. He's the kind of guy who likes his dollars to all face the same direction so he'd definitely be good at it. He even said he'd do it, I just haven't handed over the keys to the kingdom yet. I might have control issues but I think that's a different blog post.
The Website – Oh, You Mean I Actually Have to Update That?
Maintaining a website? It sounds so easy, right? Just update a few products, change some text, add a cute picture… Simple! Until you spend five hours trying to get the homepage to stop looking like a five-year-old built it during recess. And don’t get me started on “SEO,” which feels like a foreign language written by robots who have never been to a website in their life.
So, you log in, you make a few changes, and then you close the browser. You know, because updating the website *isn’t* on your priority list right now... even though it really should be.
Spiritual Health – The Part That Gets Left Behind (Sometimes)
Now, let’s talk about maintaining your spiritual well-being. I’ll be honest—this is the part that always seems to slip through the cracks. You’re working full-time, crafting products, and juggling finances that might as well be written in hieroglyphics. How in the world are you supposed to nurture your soul amidst all the chaos?
The answer? Sometimes you don’t. And that’s okay.
But, when you can, take a breath. Literally. Breathe. Pray, meditate, or do whatever fills your cup, even if it's just five minutes of stillness before bed. I like to remind myself that I’m doing my best (even if it feels like my best is “barely making it”). A healthy soul makes for a much more creative, happy business owner. One who isn't as likely to throw her hands in the air and scream "SCREW IT". If you're a friend of Bill, you know what I'm talking about here...
Conclusion: Stay in the Moment & Live One Day at a Time
So, there you have it. Balancing a full-time job, crafting products, pretending to do finances, maintaining a website, and staying spiritually grounded is a lot, especially after my heart surgery. Fortunately for me, I don't have to do it all perfectly. My support system reminds me to pause, breathe, meditate, attend meetings, enjoy time with friends, and just savor the moments life offers. OMG, I'M SO CHEESY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!