Let's talk goals, or new years resolutions if that's what you call them!
Do you make them? Set them? Stick to them?
I've never been one to set them and certainly not stick to them, however, earlier this year, I had a one-day retreat with my sweet childhood friend and business bestie, Heather of Prince Design, and I wrote out a list of 2019 goals for The Painted Pearl.
As we close the chapter on this year, I'm looking back over the list and realizing that some goals were met with a solid yes, others with a "not right now" and some a hard no.
So I'm highlighting some below in total transparency as a way for me to look back down the road and remember this season and this year and all that was accomplished!
1) Private Parties - Oh how I have a love/hate relationship with private parties. I love getting to meet new people and do what I love but it's hard when they take me away from home and the boys, especially at night. However in February of this year, I had the pleasure of teaching hand-lettering to two groups of ladies and both just happened to be set in million dollar mansions. Sometimes it's still a bit surreal where this sweet business of mine takes me!
So what's on tap for private parties in 2020? The jury is still out but the interest is there for more hand lettering classes so look for details to come in the new year about private parties in my home! Win-win!
2) One New Retailer - Ok! I'm gonna get real and raw here and tell you that fear of rejection, especially from potential retailers, holds me back more than you'll ever know. So the goal of landing just one new retailer was big for me. I had a local store in mind, The Local Squirrel, that was my ideal new retailer and it turned out to be a one-sided relationship where I reached out, several times, and gifted my signature acorn earrings and heard absolutely nothing back. I was deflated. At the very least, a resounding "no" would have been better than crickets. Perhaps I went about it all wrong and I've learned a lot about pitching to retailers ever since. So rather than dwell on what wasn't meant to be, I reached out to another potential retail partner in Elon, Simply Oak Boutique, and got my yes! And a few months later, I had coffee with Kiesha of Simply Anchored Gifts and got my second yes. Sometimes, the no gets us closer to the yes that was meant to be.
"Believe you can and you're half way there!"
3) Increase Instagram Followers to $1K - Talk about a vanity goal! Why in the world was I stuck on reaching for this one little number? I remember having a coaching call with Em Sexton several months ago and had that light bulb moment where she called me out on obsessing over this arbitrary number all the while I was neglecting the followers I already had. It was just the swift kick in the virtual pants that I needed. When I stopped obsessing over this number and started serving the friends and followers that were already showing up for me, the follower count began to organically grow and I found myself less interested in what the current count was which allowed me to be genuinely excited for that one new person to serve. I've not only reached that goal, but surpassed it and interacting with my followers on a daily basis keeps me fired up! So continue to comment and message me because I can't wait to reply!
4th and final) Styled Photos on Models - I've never felt comfortable in front of the camera, so the idea of styling my earrings on models for professional photos was my work-around. And then I joined The Locality - a co-working space in the Warehouse District of Raleigh specifically for female entrepreneurs. There, I met Jen Bauldree of Jen Bauldree Photography and she quickly shut down every excuse I offered for not being the model IN the photos. So one hot summer morning, we met at this sweet outdoor labyrinth at her church. For an hour she snapped photo after photo of me wearing my own creations and not once did I feel insecure about myself. As a result, I've put my own face out there more and more so that you, my tribe, know who you're supporting when you shop my sweet business.
So what's on tap for 2020? Well, I have a few things mulling around in my mind and some, I'm not quite ready to put out in to the universe just yet. But I can honestly say that The Painted Pearl has grown by leaps and bounds in 2019 and I am forever grateful and eager to see what's in store for 2020!
