Year One In The Books

To commemorate my first year in business, I decided to write about it.

It's unusual for me to share about myself or my business but I thought it would be nice for you to know how it's been going. Many of you have been following me from the start and are maybe wondering "How is Patricia doing?", well hopefully you will find your answer here.

First off, Thank You!

Last year, when I decided to go ahead with my dream of doing woodworking full time, I was so scared! But many of you sent encouraging words and it truly made a world of a difference. Having people that see the potential in yourself when you don't fully, it just gave me the extra energy that I needed.

Looking Back

One year ago when I worked my last day at my corporate job, I was an emotional wreck. It was just such a bitter sweet moment, I was leaving a job that had given me so much stability for the past 8 years to go jump off a cliff into who knows what. I had never started a business, no idea how to market myself and no idea if I would even be profitable.

To be honest, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to running a business, it's probably the biggest challenge for me at this time. Marketing myself and my business is not second nature to me, this is the aspect of owning a business which I was not prepared for. Especially in the day and age of social media, your online presence is expected if you have any chance of surviving.

The first six months of being in business were slow. I was struggling with chronic stress, migraines every week that would last 24h-48h and my anxiety was at it's peak! I had a lot of self healing to do before I could be 100% present for my business. During that time I discovered the power of meditation, of journaling and of reading. I have been using these tools everyday ever since and it's been a remarkable journey.

But even while working on myself, I was able to start meeting more clients and potential customers while selling my items at Public Markets during the summer months. This was my first time interacting with people about my art and it gave me once again a boost of confidence which I was lacking. I used the knowledge I gained during the summer months to prepare myself for the Christmas Markets.

From September to December, I started to get a better sense of what I wanted to offer my customers, I understood their needs a little better. This helped a lot when it came to the Holiday Season, I could prepare items that I knew would sell well and be profitable. I was pleasantly surprised by the results of the Christmas Markets which left me thinking "I can do this". Until that point, I wasn't sure if I would continue on for another year.

In January, with my wife's continuous support, I doubled down and decided I would continue working full time on my woodworking business. I started learning more about online presence and I have been trying to implement some changes to my website and other platforms. Progress and results are slow, but they are visible. I am still trying to find my niche, but I have a feeling that I'm closing in on it.

I'm excited for what's to come and I hope that you will continue to follow my journey through the years!

If ever you are looking for that special gift for someone or maybe a lovely wood item to warm up your decor, check out my site!