The Building of A Brand

Welcome to my blog! I thought it was time that I start sharing my experiences and my testimony a little every week as my family and I go about turning Sophie Grace Maui into something that we can leave to the next generation. I will post new designs and future events of course. But what I hope this blog accomplishes is something a little more personal for those who read it. This is my story of being a Mom, a wife, a business owner and failing to do it all but learning and loving along the way.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Priorities

Today is hopefully a turning point for me. As of today I will no longer be working weekends. This was never important before as Greg never had a Monday thru Friday kind of job before. But he does now and if I ever want to see him or be together as a family at the same time then this was something that I needed to do. My goal is to begin taking myself off of the schedule completely. I would like to run this company from a management position. Meaning that I would spend a few hours in each store during week days. But that I would have time to do things that I can't do when I'm required to open and close a shop everyday. Like finish our website, or sit down with our graphic designer to work on some much needed advertising pieces. Or better yet, make jewelry.

I'm hoping that my new schedule will begin to better me as a Mom and Wife first but also as a designer as well. I'm hoping that in the long run it will be a smart move from a financial perspective too. But right now I know it's going to hurt. Hiring a full time staff means doubling my payroll. Which means that it's time to start sacrificing certain spending habits. It means possibly moving into a smaller home and it means being more responsible with our money.

It's times like these I'm thankful that I don't own a home. I wouldn't have the freedom that I do now to make choices that benefit our company. Like cutting our rent in half. I'm also thankful that I have a husband that though he has his own career he is still very much a part of our family business. I'm thankful that he too is willing to go without a fancy car and home-owning so that we can build something bigger for our family. I'm also thankful that I have a Mom who was willing to jump into this boat with us. Without her I wouldn't be able to step away as I'm trying to do now. And lastly I'm thankful that the Lord has filled my life with very qualified people to assist me. I used to always have a really difficult time finding a staff. Even just one person. Now I have them coming out my ears. All in the Lords timing I guess.

I know that God gave me this little business. And I also know that he doesn't want me to continue working as I have been. I don't think I was making bad choices in the past. It's just part of it. But all the signs are there that it's time rearrange my priorities. So I have faith that my efforts will be blessed. But I'm also confident that just because it's God's will doesn't mean it will be entirely easy. So maybe keep us in your prayers anyways.

Friday, January 28, 2011

EMBARRASING!



I'm a little bit frustrated with facebook. I'm not a junkie by any means. I rarely go on my personal page and when I do it's to post photos of Sophie for her grandparents to see. It's my business one that has me a bit conflicted. I was late to the facebook game. I thought it was evil and I wanted nothing to do with it. But my very smart social networking genius of a brother in law convinced me otherwise. So I thought that I would try it. I had been collecting email addresses for years from my various locations and didn't really do all that much with them. So I set up my facebook page. Or rather I had one of my employees do it for me since I was so clueless. She did and ran all my collected email address through the friend finder. Lots accepted my friend request so I was happy.

The thing is though that these email address were collected over several years. So some people who hadn't heard from me in a really long time or who didn't remember me denied my friend requests. Which is fine. BUT as far as I know facebook doesn't allow you to track that or delete those people. So every time I enter another book of email addresses that people willingly write down in my guest book I run another friend finder. And again, people from years ago decline my offer because I can't figure out how to separate those from the new ones unless I search them one by one. Which I guess is what I will have to do now in the free time I don't really have because facebook just put me on friend restriction!

I'm not sure if that's happened to any of you before. Probably not, or at least I hope not. The whole thing is kind of embarrassing. First facebook scolded me. Seriously! And then it made me read an agreement saying I wouldn't send friend requests to people I didn't know and THEN at the bottom it made me click a button with the words "I understand". I'm humiliated as I write this.

When I retold this story everybody thought it was hysterical and laughed at me. But I was really really offended. I went to bed angry and hurt! At facebook! Most people would roll their eyes and stop using facebook. But it's actually a really big part of my business. It pays the rent during slow months. So I can't do that. And I understand why they have these rules in place. And I'm glad they do. But I'm really not a creep! Oh well. I guess that I will have to get over it. But it honestly felt like JR High when the boy you like breaks up with you! It's a feeling that never really leaves you.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Read This Blog




I blogged about my graphic artist a few months ago. A friend from high school that I reconnected with via facebook. She redid my logo and all of my packaging and marketing material. I love her work! Anyway, my friend Amanda has started a new blog that's worth reading. It's called, "My Year of Faith". She started it because she felt called to do so after her husband was laid off. On it she blogs EVERYDAY about having faith. Her husband is going on 53 days now without work and still she blogs each day about her faith in the matter. It's inspiring, and kind of addicting too. I find myself wondering each day about their situation and reminding myself to check the blog to see if their prayers have been answered yet. She also posts other people's stories of faith. I would encourage anybody who might need some inspiration to check out this blog. You will immediately feel connected to her and her situation. And if you know of anybody hiring in Southern California for a sales job then let her know! Check out the blog

www.myyearoffaith.blogspot.com

Friday, January 21, 2011

Relax

Lately life has been a bit stressful. I've been going back and forth between two stores and my schedule has been less than ideal. I've been working almost everyday and not spending enough time with my family. On top of that Greg's job is taking up more time as well which has been hard to balance as he tries to finish things around the store. The bathroom still isn't working, the landscaping isn't finished, more lighting needs to be put up and the signs need to be hung. Every morning I would wake up just feeling this immense amount of pressure to get it all perfect. And then God reminded me that I have to relax. Which is funny because it's not like I found some quiet time in order to hear that. I've been pretty bad at that lately and I think God got tired of waiting for me to ask what he thought. But he loved me enough to tell me anyway. Relax. I'm new to Paia and I want our business to do well and to fit in too. I want to be accepted by the community of course. But I didn't build this store to impress the neighborhood. I did it in order to take care of my family. To do something with my Mom. To grow as an artist. To teach my children about life and faith. To provide. To enjoy what God has given me. If I forget to do all of that because I'm so worried of failing and what others think then what on earth was the point? So this is me trying to relax and enjoy the process of it all. Today I'm OK.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

My Handy Man


Here's to my husband. He drives me crazy sometimes but I know for a fact that I drive him nuts too. Especially when I ask him to build me a table for the new store ASAP. What boggles my mind is that he actually turns around and does it. And he does it with style. He didn't just build a table, he stained it, painted it, pickled it and distressed it for me in one afternoon. Thanks honey. It's the prettiest table ever.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Her First

Maybe I'm paranoid but I feel like I need to address this now. Before anything else I'm a Mom to the world's most precious child. So if she is running a fever and I have nobody to work for me then yes, I will probably close for the day. If I miss her and need a Sophie day then I will probably bring her to work with me. And if on a day like today when the island is storming I will take my time getting her to preschool, open the store late and close early. And if you think that's unprofessional on my part then maybe your right. But then I really don't want your business anyway.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

For Me?


I have the most amazing customers. It's almost absurd to me how loyal and kind they are. The most loyal and kind ones are the ones that I met my first six months in that kiosk in Kaanapali. There must have been something pretty endearing about me, scared out of my mind trying to make my dreams come true! I'm still scared out of my mind. That hasn't changed. But I am a little bit more aware of how odd it is that these people keep in touch with me. For example, my friend Shriley. This lady bought a few starfish bracelets three years ago when I first opened. Those bracelets have reappeared in my life several times needing repairs. Once by mail, and the other time through some friends of hers on vacation. Both times I happily repaired them because that's my job, but kindly reminded her that maybe it wasn't a good idea to wear them EVERYDAY. Do you know what she did? She knitted me this scarf. Or crotchet? I'm not sure. But it took her 9 hours! And then she held on to it for a year until she was able to make it out to Maui again! I almost cried when she showed up in our Paia shop and handed it to me. I have more stories like this, especially once Sophie was born. And it just blows me away. So I just wanted to say thank you. I believe that God purposely puts customers like you in my life to reassure me that I'm not crazy. I think that he did it very often early on because I was an emotional wreck all of the time and needed the encouragement of strangers who would later become friends. So again, thank you. You know who you are.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

A Day Off




Today is the first full day that I have had off in over a month (with the exception of Christmas of course). Managing two stores is overwhelming. I know that it will get easier as business picks up and we have a regular staff in place. But for now it's overwhelming. If I'm not in Wailea then I'm in Paia and if I'm not in either place then it's night time and I'm in my office making jewelry. Thanks to my assistant I was blessed with a full day at home with my little girl. And let me tell you it was much needed. We haven't had one of these 'just the two of us' days in awhile and we really didn't have anywhere to be. So we did something that I always want to do but never can because Saturday is normally a work day. We went garage sale hopping. Maui is a pretty great place for garage sales. People either have generations of family here so they have a lot of really great old stuff, or they were only here temporarily and are now leaving the island so they have a lot of really great new stuff. I know that garage sale hopping with a toddler probably doesn't sound like fun to most. But with a child like Sophie who instantly bonds with every stranger she meets it can actually be a lot of fun. And since all the garage sales are in my neighborhood it was pretty convenient too. I didn't find anything for me but Sophie definitely scored. The pieces are old and will need a bit of fixing and granted Sophie doesn't have a doll house yet. But we can find or build that later.
It's been an amazing day. I will go to bed tonight at peace and reminded that next to her none of it matters.