5 YEARS IN REVIEW: TOP 5 LESSONS

In celebration of year 5, here are 5 business lessons i have learned in the last couple of years.

1. HAVE A CONTRACT - and do not a thing until it is signed. This is straight forward and needs no further explanation :). 

2. SET BOUNDARIES - I have learned this is a business! And as much as it requires genuine personal relationships it is still important to clock out and clock in. It is not OK for business to consume every part of your life. There should be family time, off time, personal time, and any other time you want to create. It can be hard to turn your brain off when you own your own business. But what happens when you burn out? Everything suffers, and that is not worth it.

3. OUTSOURCE - I wrote in my previous blog post about buying a printer and doing every single thing at home. It is not sustainable. I believe in doing what I do best and hiring others to do what they do best. It results in less stress and more happy :)

4. OWN UP AND APOLOGIZE - This is a handmade business. Things happen. Orders get lost, errors get overlooked, clients are under deadlines and are stressed and so many other crazy things happen. Always be solution-minded and always choose the high road. in the words of Michelle Obama, "even if they go low, ALWAYS go high."

5. DON'T HATE -  I could have said this in a nicer way, but this is the bottom line. comparison is the thief of joy. Unfortunately, it is human to compare and what was meant as admiration can quickly turn to comparison. I am speaking from experience. Hating on another person's blessings only makes you look awful, petty, spiteful and does not dull their shine. I have learned to focus on my work and appreciate the work of others and then get back to mine. Because there is an unhealthy spiral that takes place when you take your eyes off your work and start to dissect the favor and blessings and hard work of others.

Of course I have way more but these stand out at the moment. Looking forward to the lessons that awaits in the next five years.