Reflect and Grow: May

Happy Friday, everyone!

Here we are at the end of another month, and it’s been a special one for me since I also celebrated a birthday in May. Entering a new year of life always excites me because it gives me a chance to reflect on the year I’m leaving behind and think about what’s ahead. This month was no different, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve been up to lately, so let’s get into it.

Reflecting on May

This month, I definitely found myself questioning why I started this journey and where I want it to lead. I started this year determined to lean more into social media because I’ve always known it was an area with room for growth for me. The truth is, it’s still something I struggle with.

Over the last four months, I’ve gotten better about posting semi-consistently, so the challenge is no longer simply hitting “post.” Now it’s trying to understand how the algorithm works — which feels like a universal struggle for content creators and small business owners everywhere. Trying to navigate that while also creating meaningful content has added another layer of stress to the process.

Alongside the social media challenges, I’ve also been spending a lot of time prospecting these last couple of months. It has definitely forced me to build resilience in ways I never had to before. There’s really nothing more humbling than reaching out to other small business owners and community leaders only to be ignored or ghosted completely. I’m still trying to find the balance between being persistent and being annoying, which can feel like a very fine line.

Growing Into June

Even though this month had me in my head quite a bit about the future of my business, there have also been some really beautiful moments pushing me to grow in new ways.

I mentioned last month that I had been in conversations with a potential prospect about creating notebooks for a well-known Arizona community, and those conversations are still ongoing. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lean into creating products for a community-centered space.

I’m also in the early stages of another opportunity with a local bookstore to create custom notebooks as merchandise for their shop. I don’t want to share too much while everything is still developing, but I’m hopeful that the fruition of these opportunities will bring renewed energy and excitement into this journey as a business owner.

Conclusion

Another month in the books, filled with stressful moments, lessons in resilience, and small glimmers of hope.

As always, I appreciate y’all being here with me on this journey, and I’m looking forward to catching up again in June.

Xx,
Annie