10/22/2026
I know I probably sound like a broken record talking about being overwhelmed, but this is genuinely my reality right now. And I’m going to continue being transparent about it because I think people deserve to understand what’s happening behind the scenes at Handmade Mama.
First and foremost, I am SO incredibly grateful for every single person who chooses to support my business. I don’t ever want that to get lost in all of this.
Since opening the storefront, things have shifted more than I ever could have imagined. The crazy part is that I’m still doing the exact same things I was doing when I worked from home. The difference? Now I have an entire storefront, employees, walk-in customers, more customer service, more orders, more messages, and a million other moving pieces that weren’t part of my daily routine before.
When I worked from home, I could structure my day however I needed to. I could sit down and answer messages for hours, design uninterrupted, or spend an entire day embroidering. Now, my time is constantly being pulled in different directions.
And as much as I LOVE having a team, adding employees means learning an entirely new way of operating. Delegating, training, managing schedules, creating systems, and figuring out where I’m needed most. It’s a GOOD problem to have, but it’s also been a massive adjustment.
The good news? We are FINALLY finding our groove. 🫶🏻
We have been working really hard to establish a routine and schedule that makes sense for everyone, including myself. Figuring out which days I need to physically be at the store, when I need uninterrupted production time, and when I can actually sit down and dedicate my attention to messages, orders, and customer service.
Because the reality is, I cannot continue trying to be everywhere and do everything at once.
And I know that.
My inbox is still overwhelming. There are messages I haven’t gotten to. There are conversations buried under hundreds of new ones coming in every day. I work through them little by little, but sometimes it feels like I’m trying to empty a bucket while someone keeps pouring water into it.
That’s why these new systems are SO important to me.
I don’t want people waiting forever for responses. I don’t want messages getting lost. I don’t want customers wondering what’s happening with their orders. I want things to run smoothly, and I want my team to be equipped to handle this growth without everything constantly falling back on me.
But building those systems while simultaneously running a business that is growing faster than I ever anticipated has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
I’m learning how to run the business I have today, not the business I had six months ago.
And that takes time.
I know I’m not perfect. I know I’ve dropped the ball. I know there are things I could have handled better, and I promise you, nobody is harder on me about those things than I am.
If you’ve had a bad experience with me or Handmade Mama, I genuinely am sorry. That is NEVER my intention. And trust me, there’s a good chance I’ve already lost sleep over it, replayed it in my head a hundred times, or felt absolutely terrible about it.
Because here’s something about me.
When I f**k up, it eats me alive.
I care so much about this business, my customers, my employees, and the reputation I’ve worked so hard to build. Sometimes I care to the point that I completely exhaust myself trying to make everything right.
I’m not sharing this for sympathy or as an excuse. I’m sharing it because this is what growing a business actually looks like sometimes. It’s messy. It’s exhausting. It’s exciting. It’s frustrating. And sometimes you’re literally building the plane while you’re flying it.
I’m in survival mode right now, but I’m also working every single day to make sure survival mode isn’t where I stay.
We are making changes. We are finding our rhythm. We are building better systems. And we are getting our team prepared to finish this season strong.
I just need a little grace while we get there.
Thank you for believing in Handmade Mama, even through the growing pains. I truly appreciate you more than you know.
I’m trying. I’m learning. I’m growing. And I promise I haven’t stopped caring for a single second. 💜
