If It Doesn't Scare you. It's Not Big Enough.

This has been my mantra for the last 5 months. Last year left me feeling like I was hit by a truck. I grew my business over 20% during a pandemic. It was amazing and exhausting all at the same time.

However, after the dust settled I realized that yes, I grew my client base but not really my income. You see, I am a chronic people pleaser and I have a really hard time saying no.  All of my business is word of mouth and I am always honored when recommended to a retailer or when someone reaches through IG.  So much so, that I have said yes to some jobs that we’re not very profitable. Saying ‘yes’ to a retailer that took me almost 2 hours to get to, only to have it completed in 4 hours ( remember…I came out of Anthro, and we are quick!) and now I am back on the road for another 2+ hour commute home.

The combination of loving what I do and not wanting to let someone down had proven itself to be a bad business combination and I was paying for it. I had to take a hard look at how I was doing things and how I was working. Was I working harder or smarter? Clearly harder. I also had to take a hard look at my age and how long I realistically would be able to continue to be doing things like overnight Christmas installations for Bristol Farms.

Could I continue working from 1 am till 5 am at Bristol Farms and then head to another job like Stephen Young's showroom after that with only 4 hours of sleep on me?

Could I continue to work for 45 plus straight days without a day off?

Could I continue to basically live in Las Vegas while doing gift show set ups?

The questions were endless but I knew the answer. I needed to start focusing on what was going to push my business to the next level. I needed to look at what life would look like in 5 years. I'm 56, in 5 years I will be 61. WTF, how did that happen?

People have told me for years that I should be teaching merchandising, teaching workshops, speaking at shows on merchandising & sharing what I have spent a lifetime doing. I always blew it off. It seemed too daunting, too big and way out of my job scope. I was more afraid of it than I was driven by it.

Well, that was then and this is now. I have stopped saying yes to everything and have strategically walked away from some jobs. I am currently running full speed into my fear, into the unknown. 100% knowing this is what I NEED to do in order to grow my business and grow myself.

In February, I signed on Web Studios West to design and build my subscription based platform to teach retailers how to merchandise, set floors and do displays. I will be teaching what I have learned and put into practice for over the last 40+ years of my career.

I am scared shitless.

I have hired a virtual assistant, an editor and a cameraman, I have been filming and I am finally putting my SBA loan to work. Most of all, I am getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Thank you to my husband, Heidi from Rock Scissor Paper, my bestie Elisa and so many of you who have supported me, cheered me on and told me "you just need to do it".

I am excited to introduce you to MC Design Academy. Class begins Spring 2023!

Cheers

Michelle

P.S. I'll be sharing the journey here and on my IG stories so you can follow along.

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