Thursday, December 30, 2010

2010 from beginning to end, or Gratitude, part II

This has been one long, crazy year!  I almost wouldn't believe everything that happened, but since I lived through it, I kind of have to believe it.  These are just some things I've felt this year....

Scared
       Awestruck                            Strong                                                       Grateful
Failure
Supported                              Lucky                                                                     Crazy
   Stress                                                            Fear
Proud                                                                      Creative                                     Alone
                                                  Falling down down down
Excited                                         Dreamy
                Independent                                                                         Needy
                                       Shaky                                              Obsessed
Loved


But today.. after taking a few days "off" (working was optional, but I couldn't help myself!), I'm feeling a surge of gratitude.. everything has settled, and before it gets all crazy again I'm letting thankfulness engulf me.

I'd like to say thank you to (in no particular order)...

Chris & Brenda at Front Street Coffeehouse... there's a reason why you guys have such loyal customers, and why none of us employees ever want to leave.. there has been so many days that I've gone into work in bad mood and work cheered me up.. not many people get to say that.. FSC is where I met my husband and most of my friends.. you've given me a meeting point, a beginning in Salem (it's also where I was when my first apartment back here fell upon me.. I knew that hanging out at FSC would find me a place to live!), a job when I needed it, and now where you've given Wunder Budder an outlet to start and grow.. I'm grateful not only for what you've done for Wunder Budder this year, but for all of those things and just for being who you are.

Not only to Chris and Brenda, but everyone that works at Front Street and everyone that goes there who had and has a part in Wunder Budder's growth.. everyone behind the counter who told people that Wunder Budder was awesome and that they should try it.. everyone who put the logo stickers on their phones, iPods, bikes, books.. Elise and Deirdre.. I joke that you guys keep me in business, but I'm not completely joking.. thank you for everything you've tried, everything you've given to other people, and for just being awesomely supportive..

And an additional thank you for the Front Street studio days.. to Chris and Brenda for letting me set up, and to everyone that did their Christmas shopping at my table!  December was the best month ever for Wunder Budder.. if I could keep it up, I might even be able to pay myself this coming year!

My husband who has been even more amazing this year.. picking up my slack everywhere he can and being supportive on every possible level.. I feel so amazingly lucky every day with you Mikey!

My family.. my awesome mom, brother, cousin, aunt, parents-in-law.. you've all helped me in different ways this year, and I'm grateful for every thing you've done.. all the help you've given me, the shows you've come to.. I don't want to list everything, just know that I love you, appreciate your support, and realize how lucky I am to have you as my family.

Midge at Green Clean for being so encouraging and doing things like bringing me hammers when I need them and spreading the Wunder Budder love through gifts to her clients.. I don't think you always know how awesome you are!

Jane.. you came over and washed dishes when I was freaking out.. dishes!  Along with everything else you've done this year, I'm so grateful for that dish day!

All of Wunder Budder's Facebook fans.. thank you for liking Wunder Budder, for wanting to keep up with what's going on, for your comments, for sharing.. You've grown to almost 1000 in this first year.. you're the best!

Everyone that purchased Wunder Budder this year, or had any part at all in our growth.. thank you, thank you, thank you.  You're helping me live my dream.

Wunder Budder is having a birthday/thank you sale on January 1st, with 20% off your entire online purchase no matter how big or how small.  I've also decided to offer free standard shipping (regular shipping restrictions apply) for this day because 20% off just didn't seem like thank you enough.  If you're running out of or have been been eyeing something, this is a good time to pick it up!

Use code Celebrate2010 at checkout
and
click FREE Standard Shipping 01/01/11


Talk to you next year!
XoXo,
Lisa

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Big Confession...

I've written blogs over the past couple months, and then deleted them without posting.

I felt like I was complaining and I don't want to seem like I don't love Wunder Budder or that I'm not grateful for how everything has gone in this first year of business.

But then a friend reminded me that this blog was meant to be about my first year (and beyond...) in business, including the bad things.

So here's my big confession...

Starting a business is hard!

Like, really hard!

And, it's not that I didn't know it going in.. I just didn't know it, know it. 

I've discovered that it's really hard to stop working.  When I'm not making stuff, I'm researching, or improving the website, or experimenting, or ordering.. I'm the formulator, the accountant, the sales rep, the advertising and marketing team, the designer, the delivery person, the customer service, etc.. It can sometimes be overwhelming but, almost as bad, addictive!

When I start to feel overworked, I'll take a day off.. but then all that work needs to be made up.  If I take two days off.. disaster! 

So, usually I decide just to work through it until I'm so overworked, underslept and non-home-cooked-mealed out, I end up getting sick. Then I go into emergency mode and have to take days off at my "day job" so I can get work done and still try to heal.. then my paycheck decreases, more stress piles on and on and on until I start having doubts that I can make it and start to think everythingisfallingapart and I'mgoingtofail!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

And then everything comes together again.

Luckily, I can look into mistakes and take something from them.. I'm really good at it.. no regrets because everything is a learning experience and learning is part of growing and growing is one of my favorite things about being alive. 

This January will be all about change.. behind the scenes... reorganizing my studio, business stuff and mind... working on wholesale and spreading (hey, spreading!) Wunder Budder further away from home... finding ways to work regular hours while still getting done what needs to get done... taking everything I've learned this year, and doing a bunch of stuff with it, all at once.  Fixing what's broken and getting ready to make a bunch of new mistakes.

I'm ok with that.

XoXo,
Lisa

Wunder Budder
Natural skincare & aromatherapy,
handcrafted with love