Happy New Year friends and family! January 1st always brings a day to write down New Year’s Resolutions, such as “This year I am going to [insert something you have been putting off the past 365 days.] I choose to start my year with a different approach. So what’s in store for 2024?
Instead of writing down everything I plan on doing or saying yes to, I want to take a moment to reflect on what I’m NOT going to do and what I’m NOT bringing forward from 2023. Before I get started on that, I want to take a moment to reflect on 2023.
A Reflection of 2023 at Flippin’ Fabulous
2023 was a year of triumph, tests, trials and errors for me as I navigated my 2nd (yet first full year) of owning and operating a brick and mortar storefront. January and February were a bit of a struggle, as sales were much slower than I had anticipated. The days were cold, long, and slow. My patience was running very thin.
In March, I was awarded the 2023 “New Business Of The Year” Award from the City of Waukesha Chamber Of Commerce. This came as a complete shock to me, as my mindset was fairly negative and I was stuck in self-doubt. I kept thinking to myself “no one really knows about my business here in Waukesha yet. I’m still fairly new. I’m not that big of a deal.” To say the award helped boost my confidence and help push me through my doubts is an understatement. Business picked up in March but slowed down until June, before Friday Night Lives started.
The fall months were cold and bleak. I began to look into other options, such as closing my storefront and focusing more on my online store.I often thought about not renewing my lease. I let what another business owner was telling me get in my head and get the best of me. I decided that I had to focus on why I started, so I picked up every last piece of doubt and signed my renewal lease in hopes of a brighter and better year end. The last quarter of 2023 brought much success and renewed my spirit.
A Time To Speak Up
A few months back I went live on my business Facebook page to talk about the importance of community over competition, and expressed my feeling on the need to pivot my business. That live video sparked a lot of conversation and interest.
A few weeks later, I posted another live discussing a few things that were weighing heavy on my mind. During that live, I spoke about being bullied, threatened, and belittled by a fellow business owner. I again stressed the importance of supporting others, whether it be friends, neighbors, small businesses, etc.
I also spoke about my increasing need and desire to pivot my business. Fast forward to the last week of 2023, when I went live and announced that I would be closing temporarily for 3 weeks to reset the store, prepare for classes & workshops, and organize pop-up events at my store. This. is. the. pivot.
My 2024 Word of the Year
Every year since 2019, I have picked a “Word of the year” for my business. Last year’s word of the year was “patience.” I wanted to focus more on being patient with myself, patient with others, and learn to patiently wait and let things happen naturally.
I have always been a go-getter, often staying up late and working longer and harder than I had originally anticipated, in hopes that I see results faster and easier. That doesn’t necessarily work, nor does it work wonders, as I learned throughout my experiences in 2023.
Learning how to be patient and trust the process was key to staying focused and resetting my mindset to that of a positive one. I made the tough decision to reduce my store hours significantly right before the start of the busiest season of the year in retail and only be open 3 days a week during the holidays. What was I thinking?!?! Well, it doesn’t matter because IT WORKED! It helped reduce my stress and anxiety tremendously, and worked wonders for my business.
My 2024 word of the year is “freedom.” What does this mean to me? As I said earlier, I would like to be able to remember my why and focus more on what I am NOT going to do and not going to tolerate.
I want to be free of negativity, doubt, and other self-sabotaging behavior. I want to be an inspiration to other aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. I want to be able to continue to give back to the community as much as I can.
Setting Boundaries For Myself And My Business In 2024
Here is what I am NOT going to do in 2024 as part of my goals and to stay in alignment with my word of the year. There are 7 things listed as my “lucky 7”:
- I am NOT going to tolerate bullying from anyone on any level. This is 2024- I don’t have time for that bs!
- I am NOT going to focus on what I didn’t achieve in the past, but rather what I need to do in order to stay consistent and reach my goals.
- I am NOT going to say yes to every opportunity that arises, in hopes that I become more selective of choosing paths that will help me get closer to my goals.
- I am NOT going to say yes to every request for a custom order, and only accept orders at a time when I will be able to fulfill them in a timely manner and provide the best customer service possible.
- I am NOT going to restrict every single food category, but rather focus on a healthy balance of food from ALL food groups.
- I am NOT going to stay up extremely late trying to do something for “5 more minutes” (which turns into 55 + more minutes), but rather select tasks in order of importance and allow a set time to work on each task.
- I am NOT going to continue to compare myself to other businessowners or other local businesses as a measurement of success, but rather stay in my lane and MIND MY OWN SMALL BUSINESS. Comparison truly is the thief of joy!
So what’s in store for 2024 at Flippin’ Fabulous?
I will be offering furniture painting classes, drop-in classes, special events such as temporary vendor (pop-up) shopping events, and so much more! To see a full list of current & past events or to view upcoming class information, visit www.flippinfabulousllc.com/classes-and-events
I know I sound cliche when I say “new year, new beginnings”. While running a brick & mortar store is not new to me anymore, I will continue to pivot when I feel a need and focus on growing my business so that I can have financial freedom, freedom from anxiety, freedom from depression, freedom from bullying and toxic behavior exemplified by others, and freedom to do what I want within my storefront as I see fit. I encourage others to take the “no” approach and find their freedom. Now, LET’S DO THIS!!!!
Stay fabulous,
Jessica Smith