Ask the Experts- Just.Lovely.Things

The last day of "Ask the Experts" has arrived! (If you need to catch up, do that here!) I'm so honored to have Heather here today! Heather is the owner of Just.Lovely.Things and the co-owner of Fawn & Flora, so she is a busy lady, and her interview is PACKED with information and tips for running a business and blog! Make sure you have a nice chunk of time to take it all in!

What led you to open your shop & how long have you been in business?
I've actually been self employed since 2006 and have owned a few salons (was also a stylist) and a photography business, both of which I quit doing last year to focus on my blog and shop full time. I've tried so many different things, I guess I'm a dip your feet in the water kind of girl. Lets just say I've done a lot of dipping over here- from starting out with business courses in college for metalsmithing and art, to lots of side jobs including retail, management, barista, bartender, marketing, jewelry making... seriously, you name it. There are a few things I've realized about myself over the years:
I get bored and I'm not afraid to try new things.

In late 2008 - early 2009 while planning my own wedding on a budget, I discovered the world of wedding and handmade blogs, and I've been hooked ever since. In the summer of 2010, I started becoming unhappy as a hairdresser and owning a salon. By winter I had put together a local event called The Indie Crafters Market featuring other artisans, and I decided to sell some little hair goodies I made. The response to them was great, and by January 2011, I opened my shop. It took a lot for me to decide if I could put all my energy into it, but one morning last year I woke up and realized that doing hair and taking pictures for my clients... not for me. With the support of my husband, family, and friends, I quit it all and I've never been so happy! 

Do you ever deal with discouragement when running your business?

All.the.time. Ok, I want to clarify this. I can get discouraged easily, and I don't know if it's the scorpio in me that makes me crazy or something, but one moment I can be completely confident in what I'm doing and the next minute totally down in the dumps. Weird, right? I think comparison comes with the business I have chosen which placed me into a community of bloggers and handmade shop owners who, in reality, are all trying to make it. Yes, I want to do what I love, but I also want to be successful. I want my business to grow, and I have huge dreams for it. That's not to say that when I see someone else doing something better or making a snide remark (because sadly, it happens), or when I feel pressured about deadlines, or ask myself "what in the heck are you doing?," or when I don't have something to blog about, that I don't get upset.

What I always have to remember is that at the end of the day, I'm truly lucky because I get to be me and do what I love. In just over the course of a year, I have seen my shop and blog go places that I didn't think were possible. That is so incredibly humbling, so in any sort of discouragement I get, I have to be grateful of where I am because others might be discouraged by me... Does that make sense without sounding snotty? I mean, I get the cutest comments from people (readers and customers) that make me feel like I'm on top of the world and that they are looking up to me, but what I don't think they realize is that I'm looking up to others, too. We all inspire one another and on that note, I think it's our responsibility to ENcourage each other so that the DIScouragement can stop.

I think it's also great to just step away from it all and reflect on what really makes you happy, which for me, is bonding with others who have similar interests and being able to create. Stepping away to do this actually started another business for me! I became friends with Dana from Wonder Forest, and the connection was quick- so quick and strong we actually started a company together called Fawn & Flora. Basically, my love for creating pretty things allows me to stay inspired and not get discouraged. If something from one of my shops isn't working out right, I can easily step away, re-focus, and do something with the other shop. Plus, having that friendship with Dana is great. We can't get on each other's nerves since we aren't around each other, and we are there to encourage one another no matter the situation! Seek friends when you feel discouraged, and I promise it helps.

How important is social media (facebook, twitter, blogging, etc.) in growing your business?
I think there are pros and cons to social media. It's obviously a huge part of what has made my business become fruitful in many ways, and I have made new friends, networked with other businesses, and built a strong blog following and customer base. It's completely vital to how successful my business is or will become. Looking back at the previous question though, it's also where a lot of discouragement can stem from. That's where you need to find the right balance in using the internet and not getting so completely consumed with what others are doing (yet still trying to support them) that: (a) you lose hours in your day that you could be using for yourself or your business and (b) you let it affect the way you feel about what you are doing.

Think about all the businesses that don't use social media or those that started before it existed. Those businesses are still around and doing just fine because they know how to build customer relationships. The art of business is based off of good communication, reliable products, and stellar customer service. If you can achieve those things, you will be successful. Thankfully social media is another stepping stone to that success. I honestly love it so much and use it to its full advantage (facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest, blogging), but I don't neglect personal interactions that can be just as beneficial.

Are there any indie biz owners or bloggers that you look up to & admire?
This question is hard because I want to sit and list all my friends and their shops and blogs. I've been lucky enough to make some really great connections since I started doing this. How about I switch it up and share with you what inspires me?

I'm drawn to the pretty stuff- the designer and photographer element of a lot of things. Here are the places I go when I need a lift, a new perspective, or honestly, just a break from my own thing...
Bri from Design Love Fest has an eye for killer style and is usually the trendsetter in links you see floating around on other blogs (since she somehow manages to always find things first).
I love the consistency that Moorea from Moorea-Seal brings to her brand. She has a certain vibe with colors and shapes that you see in her shop, blog... even the stuff she pins. (Yep, I'm a pinterest stalker.)
Other favorites who are a breath of fresh air are Making it Lovely, PoppyTalk, Hula Seventy, and The Flowerchild Dwelling. I could seriously go on and on. The blog world is inspiring and ever changing. Don't you just love that there is something for all of us?

What have you found to be the most successful way to grow your blog?
I'm still learning! I have a great business series going on this month on my blog called Love Your Business, and I have a feeling that the direction I want my blog to go may change each time I read one of the contributor's articles. Blogging is different for everyone.
Do you want to write for you?
Is blogging an outlet?
Do you want to create/write to share with others?
See, my blog is a reflection of the person behind the business, so of course, I want to share all of the things that interest me while sharing a little bit about myself. I'm still searching for that right balance of being a real girl and being a business owner. Both the business and blog are full-time and both make income, so I can't neglect either one, which I think is the most imporant part of my journey- balance. Finding the time to make my blog a place not only I want others to visit, but where I want to be. Sure, I've had slumps and that's when I stepped away, slowed down on posting, and only wrote when I felt the need. Then I have crazy days where I want to post like 5 things at once. In the end, you have to realize that it's your blog, so take it where you want it and the followers just fall into place. Seek loyal traffic by being true to yourself.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out with a handmade biz, what would it be?
Please, please, please don't do something just because everyone else is doing it. Don't go browse pinterest or etsy and think "hey, I could do that." It's really not made for everyone, so don't do it unless it's your passion. I say that because not only do you over-saturate an already saturated market and take away from others who do have a real passion, but if you don't succeed it's possible discouragement and time wasted. HOWEVER, if you do have a passion, really think you could be happy, can take the responsibility (because believe me, there is a lot of responsibility in owning a business), and have the support behind you and the confidence in yourself, then go at it 110%! Do it because you love it, you want to follow your dreams, and you know you can, and don't stop because you never know where it will take you! If you put yourself into it with confidence and a vision, you will achieve something.

And just for fun... If you could have a day to put your work on hold and do ANYTHING you wanted, what would you do?
Honestly, I've been thinking about this and I might consider seeing if it's possible, but I would LOVE to go hang out with little kids, like maybe elementary school-aged, and teach them crafts! I mentioned in a post over on Revolutionize Her (a blog I contribute to) that I thought I was going to be a teacher when I grew up, but my dreams led me elsewhere. I just love sharing, and really kids are innocent and fun, and I think they would make me enjoy it and see things in a new way. So that's what I would do... go hang out with kids for an arts and crafts day. Of course, maybe I would have to go get a massage and pedi afterwords, so how about a crafty-spa day?? :)

♥ So much great advice, right?! Seriously, I think I need to take notes on this. I think it's so important to remember to do what you love because why would you want to do something for the rest of your life that you didn't enjoy?

BIG THANKS to Gussy, Jessica, Casey, & Heather for sharing their advice here with us this week!!! You ladies rock!