Updates | The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Hello!

Thank you for stopping by! It has been a busy year and I will get right to it and no one likes to read too much. Below, I did bullet points to try to make it a quick read.

  • The Good:
    • New Mini Location! I am renting a booth from The Elevated Market at 955 Godfrey Ave SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Many of my items will be at Booth 344. Additionally, we will have seasonal and holiday items, some vintage-ish items, and a craft corner to purchase supplies like paints and colored pencils. The Elevated Market is handling all of the checkout and staffing. So, I will not be there full-time, just for restocks and vibes. In the future, I plan on holding workshops and/or events, but for now, it is just a cutesy, little shop!
    • It has been really fun, but with a busy year, it is not quite where I want it to be, but I am working on it!
  • The Bad:
    • 2024 was a tough year and 2025 has gotten worse for small businesses overall. I have been feeling burnt out. So, I have scaled back my shows while working on the Christkindl Markt and other opportunities like the mini shop! Since I am pivoting tactics a little bit and also focusing on more personal time, I am trying to be available and post on social media, but it is hard.
    • Focusing on time with friends, family, and fun projects is what is keeping me grounded. I love our new garden and have been spending A LOT of time outside, which is my happy place.
  • The Ugly:
    • The last few months, I have had a lot of bot activity on my website, fake accounts, and even fraudulent charges. The last few days to weeks, it has significantly increased, from 60 visits per day to hundreds and once over 1,000. At this point, I am not quite sure what the next steps are because the only options available cost a lot of money. However, I am working on creative solutions and looking into other options that aren't as expensive.
    • Currently, I will be reducing my online stock and accessibility of some popular items, BUT I do have most of them in-stock for purchase or can make them quickly. The website will primarily act as a catalog for customers for the time-being.
  • Final Thoughts:
    • It is a wild time right now and we are all feeling the pressure whether it is financially, socially, politically, emotionally, etc. The best things to do right now is to connect with your community, dance more frequently, and be creative! 
    • How do I look at these challenges? I look at them as building blocks. These bots attacks and other issues are helping me build a stronger foundation AND I am learning, which will help me, help others experiencing similar struggles in the future. Either way you look at it, it will be a positive!

Thanks for stopping by here and I always look forward to seeing you at our shows! Have a great summer!

PS: I apologize for any poor grammar and mistakes. I rapidly typed this up this morning!

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