Coming into 2019, I had 3 main goals for the year: host my first giveaway, sell in person more, and successfully do 10 unassisted pull-ups in a row. We aren’t going to discuss #3 of those goals (lol…), but I hosted my first giveaway as a celebration for my shop’s two year anniversary at the end of July, not only was a vendor for one market during the summer, I managed to squeeze in another market and two pop-ups after that! Those of you who do markets know how nerve-wracking standing in front of strangers with all of your creations can be, but it’s so much fun being among other small businesses and getting to tell people all about my process.

In 2020, I have some personal goals for myself of course (that I will get to in a moment), but here are my top 3 goals for Daydreamer Customs.

1. PARTICIPATE IN MARKETS MORE OFTEN. Considering that I still work full-time outside of this business, getting myself out there in person 3 times this year seems like a lot. Now that I know how much time I need to prep and the most efficient way to keep myself organized, I’d like to get out to markets at least once every quarter. Markets are a blast! I love getting to meet potential customers face to face, and with my wood art, I think it’s a different experience for people to get to touch the wood as opposed to just looking at detail shots in a photograph.
2. START SELLING WHOLESALE. This is another one of those ‘this is slightly terrifying’ things. There are some kinks I need to work out and some doubt I need to overcome, but I know taking the wholesale plunge could really take my business to the next level. I’m not the type of person who jumps into things without doing the proper research, so I still have some decisions to make in regards to offering my items (mainly jewelry) wholesale, but that’s definitely something I would like to get my feet wet in next year.
3. ‘SHOW UP’ MORE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Social media, primarily Instagram, is a bit of a battle as a biz owner. Algorithm aside, there’s so many factors to consider: high-quality photos, engaging captions, being relatable, posting often, utilizing Stories, interacting with other people, the list goes on. And honestly, sometimes I just don’t want to deal with it LOL there have been times where an entire month has passed and I only posted 6 times on my Instagram account. Next year, I want to show up more on Instagram and actually put forth real effort into connecting with my audience. I plan to do this by A) posting a lot more frequently than I did this year (so six times in one month ain’t it, girl) B) sharing more of MYSELF and not JUST my products C) utilizing IGTV a tad more to show my process, modeling jewelry, what a wood piece would look like displayed in your home, etc. I’d like to see social media as a fun tool to grow my business instead of a chore.

As for goals for myself, I tend to focus on one thing I know I struggle with or a character flaw I don’t like and try to become a better version of myself than I was the previous year. One year it was my goal to learn how to stand up for myself. While I still detest confrontation, I don’t let people walk all over me as much. Some things just aren’t to be tolerated, y’all.

In 2019, I made a conscious effort to take control over my emotions and learn stress management. When I tell you that this has made a very noticeable impact on my mental health, I mean it. Being in a situation where you could react negatively and deciding you are not is HUGE. Am I a walking ball of sunshine and glitter? Absolutely not. But this year, I’ve felt a sense on zen I know for certain I didn’t feel in 2018, and that’s a massive accomplishment for me.

In 2020, my biggest goal and challenge to myself is to GET. ORGANIZED. I’m not a naturally super tidy person, and it’s a trait about myself I’ve disliked majority of my life. I’ve figured out some methods that truly work for my personality when it comes to keeping my craft space and home orderly, so this year I need to work on being disciplined, keeping up with those methods, and breaking bad habits. I feel SO much better when my stuff isn’t everywhere! So before I promise myself to go to the gym 4 times a week (even though I DO need to get more active again and maybe revisit that pull-up thing I touched on), I need to get my life in order until more good habits are formed. It’s a process, but I’m ready for it.

These are my main goals moving into the new year. Of course, there will be other things I’d like to accomplish throughout the year, but it’s good to start somewhere! I'm excited for what's to come in the new year for both myself and my shop, and I'm totally ready to take on all the challenges that come with being a business owner. Have you started thinking of some things on your 2020 To-Do List yet?