I feel like I only post my wins on social media, so today I wanted to share some of my flops after seeing these posts everywhere, I felt like it was refreshing to see the vulnerability and so relatable. I also don’t want this to be discouraging but more of a reality check and hopefully an encouraging one because without the flops, there are no wins. Here are a few of mine and what I learned from each of them.

The pop ups where I sold nothing

I've done pop ups and craft shows where I sold absolutely nothing. It was sad in the moment but it always turns into a teaching moment. I learned that people aren't usually willing to spend a lot of money in the moment at a pop up or craft show so I needed smaller, quicker sell items instead of big arrangements or expensive pieces, I brought the bigger pieces to show rather than expect to sell. I was scared to do another pop up after that but I found my way back in by only doing pop-ups that didn't charge a table fee and there are plenty out there if you look. I still got to share my work with people who'd never seen it before, met other artists and vendors, and get new followers along the way. It’s also the perfect time to take plenty of photos of all the work you gather to fill up your table, nothing pushes you more than a craft show to prepare for. It's also still one of the best ways to get yourself out there when you're starting out.

My first big contract Made NO MONEY

My first contract with a huge company, I charged $5 per flower that was barely enough to cover the box I shipped it in. I remember signing that contract and reading through a 200-page manual on shipping and labeling rules. It was a wholesale, bulk order, so I felt pressure to give a bulk discount price but I hadn't accounted for the cost of packaging each one separately. Honestly, I was just excited for the opportunity so no regrets but definitely a lesson learned. Always charge for shipping, box included, and don't forget transaction fees. On a big order, that 3% can add up to a lot more than you'd think.

The workshop with 3 students (one was my friend)

I've had workshops with great turnout and workshops with bad turnout. I had one with only 3 seats sold and one of them was my friend (love you Chrystal). I didn't cancel and I'm glad I didn't. It barely covered my gas that day but I got to teach in a quiet, low-stress environment instead of managing a room of 20 people at different skill levels. Smaller classes really are better for learning, it's just that the business side of things pushes you to pack the room to make it worth your time. I would say there’s never a bad turn out as long as there is one.

Getting paid 10% my rate to redo the whole project

I said yes to a collaboration at 10% of my usual rate because it was a slow month, let me rephrase that, I gave a 90% discount on this project. It should've been a simple short-form video but the company came back asking me to redo the entire thing with a list of new requirements. There was no contract in place to say otherwise, which is also my mistake. I found a way to salvage the project without starting completely over and it got approved. But the lesson was, always have a contract that outlines no revisions, especially when a client is already negotiating your rate down. This could sound nice and simple like and email that says, my rate is usually $this but I'll work with your budget because I love your product, just know there are no revisions though… this will make sure to set the expectations up front.

Starting a business for freedom BUT never clocking out

Don’t we all think let’s start a business or be a content creator to have more freedom but funny I have so many days it feels like I never stop working. As a content creator, it's hard to just live in a moment without reaching for my phone. I've caught myself recording entire family trips instead of being present. What's helped is realizing I don't need a full minute of footage, 15 seconds here and there is plenty, and it saves me from wasting memory space on boring, uneventful clips. I still think about work constantly and that's the reality of running a business. There's a Mark Cuban quote that says work like someone is working 24 hours a day to take it from you, this sounds exhausting because it kind of is. The months I take real vacation, my sales dip because I've stopped posting, stopped showing up, and I take longer to respond to inquiries. This is inevitable. I still give myself permission to clock out but that's the trade off and it's real.

100+ unposted videos WITH a full hard drive

I have over 100 videos sitting on my computer, unedited, unposted, and I'm running out of space on my 4TB computer. It's hard to keep up and honestly, once videos sits too long, it's hard to even remember what I was thinking when I filmed it. If you want to be a content creator, staying on top of editing and posting is non-negotiable,or it piles up fast. I don’t know the solution to this, let me know how you are doing it.

Still wondering if I'm good enough

I still put so much pressure on myself to post more, achieve more, make more money and I don't think anyone judges me as harshly as I judge myself. It creeps up most when I doomscroll and start comparing myself to everyone else's highlight reel. What helps is coming back to my why and my purpose. I’m actually taking a workshop on this to clarify my purpose with Catherine Lash so I’ll report back with my purpose I find but for now, I genuinely love creating. Not the followers, not the money, even though it's easy to let it turn into that. I just like making things and sharing about it whether it’s through a tutorial or just gifting and making a business out of it is the hard part but I want to focus on the fact that I get to create and do this and I'm grateful for it.

It's not always pretty and that's okay

I try to keep things pretty and polished but the reality of running a business and making art isn't always pretty. I still love my flops as much as my wins because there wouldn't be any wins without them. I've seen a lot of people sharing their flops lately and I have plenty more where these came from. I actually shared a few of these stories recently at my Paper Talk Mastermind retreat I love sharing these along so other artists don't make the same mistakes while it also keeps me accountable too. 💕 If you've got a flop of your own, I'd love to hear it, drop it in the comments below.

Here are Some of My Flops