STEPPING OUT OF THE CUBICLE

Well just last week I introduced the new series "Stepping out of 
the Cubicle".  This I suppose, is my first REAL post about the business and my life. This post is dedicated to time.  Time is such a big thing in my life right now. It is something I rarely have enough of, and what I do have I have to carefully spread amongst my many commitments.

I am working on learning how to balance life and work. Especially having a home studio, it's so easy to be constantly checking in with work. I read a post somewhere about people that own creative businesses.  They constantly feel guilty. Guilty when they are working that they are not spending time with their family and guilty when they are with their family that they aren't working on the business.

Unfortunately right now, since the jewelry is my second job, I can't carry a regular schedule with it.  I am hoping that come next year, I can work out some sort of schedule that gives me enough time to work on the business each day, and then put it away after I pick up my son from school.

My current schedule:

3 am to 5 am - Wake up, time varies depending on work load
Check email, Facebook posts, renew listings for the next hour or so
5 am to 8 am - Finish any orders/packaging while balancing getting Kaleb and myself ready for the day, feeding the pets, making lunches <--- this is usually my hardest time of the day. I am a maniac trying to get out the door and get enough work done.
8 am to 9 am - Drop off Kaleb at school/ get to work, drop off orders at the post office
9 am to lunch - work at my first job
lunch - check jewelry emails, do any photoshop editing that I can fit in here (there is always something to do in  photoshop - have a creative business, learn photoshop basics!)
lunch to 5 - work at my first job
5 - 6 - pick up Kaleb from school, go home
6 - 7 - check jewelry emails, work on metal and orders for the next day
7 - 7:30 - Find Kaleb some dinner, possibly eat myself depending on the day.
7:30 - 10 or 11 - Finish working on as many orders/items I can get done before crashing.

This is just a typical day, I have a little more flexibility with work on Mondays and Fridays, but I'm also spending 98% of my weekend devoted to the jewelry business!  Currently there is zero time for other things!

My hopeful schedule in a year:

3 am - Wake up <--- this is my ideal work time! It's a crazy thing to know about yourself, and I know most people would dread this, but I can get SO much done at this time!
3 am to 7 am - Answer emails
7 am to 8:30 am - Get ready, real sit down breakfast with Kaleb, get him off to school, drop off orders at the post office
8:30 am - 3 pm - jewelry work, orders, any misc things that may need to get done.
3 pm to 5 pm - something great with Kaleb, after school activities, rock climbing, park, homework
5 pm - 7 pm - sit down, family dinner time. I have always said that I think it's very important to eat as a family at least one time a day. Dave's schedule varies greatly as he is also in the process of following his dreams, but eating together is on our priority list.  I can't say we do the best job of this right now, but we are trying, and hopefully by the time our lives settle down we'll be able to work something in.
7 pm - 9 pm - clean up the house, family time, Kaleb bed time
9 pm - 10 pm - check a few emails for the evening
10 pm on bed time or resting

SHOW MARKETING TOOLS

Recently I completed a catalouge for my shows to help convey how versitile my charm jewelry is.  You can really do ANYTHING you want with them! At the Fremont Fair this past weekend, the catalouges were fabulous! They were so great that everyone wanted to take them home!  When I printed them initially I foresaw this as being a slight issue, but honestly I have a marketing budget of approximately $0 so there is just no way for me to be able to give away the catalogues. However, I don't believe just handing out cards at shows is enough for people to remember to visit the website. Also, I want something people can carry around and share with their friends and family. 

So instead I have created a trifold pamphlet for you! It's a great way to share my great products and hopefully draw people in to check out the website! We all know once you get to http://www.j4jcharms.etsy.com/ and see how many great one-of-a-kind things you can create there, you'll never leave!

Here it is! I'll be giving these out at my shows! Feel free to print them at home on 8 1/2 x 11 paper! Enjoy!

Cover Pages



Inside Pages



FRIDAY FAVORITES

Fabulous Finds on Etsy

I have a looming birthday! So although you might have seen some of this before I figured I'd make this Friday Favorites the Birthday Wish List Edition! Not to be greedy but just in case you were wondering what I would love to get! Oh... and of coarse some more air plants and few jewelry tools that you can't find on Etsy! ;)

1. Lots of stacking friendship bracelet's like these fabulous ones
2. Mirror Bunting the small and medium please! ;)
3.Gold Succulent Sculpture because as much as I love these plants, I kill them when they live indoors!
4. Have I mentioned that I am on the serious hunt for some fabulous Vintage Cow Girl Boots
5. My decor would be seriously more stunning with this Painted Antler
6. Tear Drop Terrarium for all my air plants!
7. LOVE! This Painted Dinosaur Planter
8. Pretty much my favorite thing ever! This  Recycled Glass Diamond is open on the top and you can keep air plants in it!
9. These Vintage Glove Molds have been on my wish list for ages! I love items that can look great around my house, double as a great way to display items and triple as an item I can picture my jewelry on!

STEPPING OUT OF THE CUBICLE

Well this is the introduction to a new blog series I am starting called "Stepping Out of the Cubicle" to chronicle my journey over the next year as I move away from "regular" jobs and into jewelry as my full time creative business.

Throughout my life I have always aspired to find a career that I truely loved.  I frequently talk about how life is too short to spend it at a job we aren't comfortable in.  I want to be able to say that I am passionate about my work. I want to have something that not only supports my financial stability, but also my mental health.  I had a wide range of jobs over the past 10 years. Some of which were to follow my dreams, some of which were to pay bills. None of them could fullfill both of my needs.

I have quite a bit planned for the next year, and am hoping that all goes as planned; however, we all know that there are bound to be some bumps in the road. I am very optimistic that it will all work out, but either way these obstacles are sure to make a good story along the way.

I am hoping these stories are inspiring, will give you a better look at how a creative business is grown, some tips to have a successful business, and most of all share the ups and downs.  Starting your creative business is not all roses! Although most people are quite jealous of my hopefully soon to be situation, it's taken a lot of work just to get to this point, and will take so much more before I can ever say I do it full time.

My goal is to post about 2 - 4 times a month with just a brief update regarding not only how the business is going, but how I am feeling about everything as we approach such a big milestone in my life. So stay tuned!

A LITTLE ADVENTURE...

Several months back I had mentioned to my friend, Natalie, that I was feeling like life was getting a little monotonous.  I am working so hard on getting the business up and running that I am rarely making time for myself.  When I feel like things are getting tough, sometimes instead of pushing harder, it's better to take a step back, re-evaluate, or just spend some time doing something else.  It often leaves me refreshed and reenergized! 

Anyways, I learned my lesson about telling something like that to Natalie... she took it to heart and purchased us tickets to a trapeze class at Emerald City Trapeze Arts!!!!!!!!!  When making the appointment they had mentioned that they highly encourage us to dress up and just have fun with it!  So we did!  Lots of bright make up, glitter, and some seriously cool outfits including mismatched neon socks! 

I was doing just fine when we were on the ground practicing, but once I started to climb the ladder my nerves just went crazy! I am seriously afraid of heights, and took so much for me to even get on the platform, then I had to jump off! 

We were all practicing to hang from our knees and hang upside down so we could eventually be caught by someone on the other swing! This seemed like a lot for our very first class, but it was very exciting too! 

Anyways, on my first attempt, I didn't really jump off the platform, but instead barely slid off (hey, no judging it's HIGH!)  I got a good scream out, and then was in such a daze couldn't listen to the instructor to do much more than anything but get down! 

My second attempt was a little better, I did jump, which gave me enough momentum to get my legs up and hang upside down! I was pretty proud of myself for getting this far! Again, mostly my nerves got in the way! Swinging upside down and hanging on by only the backs of my knees is honestly one of the scariest things I've ever done!

It was great to get outside my comfort zone a little, even if it was just a baby step! I definitely feel excited about life again!  Ready to push forward and take all life has to offer!  I don't think the circus is what my life has in store, so who knows if I'll go back to trapeze class again, but trying something new is so refreshing! 

What have you done lately to keep life exiting?