Getting Past the "Ish"

Some people may be under the false assumption that I breezily started Vivian Rose online, and everything fell swiftly and easily into place to open our brick and mortar store. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. I had to deal with a lot of "ish" to get where I am today.

I think we can all agree that obstacles suck, but I am going to say something wild. We need them. Without the struggle, we don't find our strength and confidence. I am going to share some of my "ish" moments below, and why I am NOW thankful for them. (I wasn't so thankful for them at first.)

"We want someone who will succeed"

When I first began looking at spaces for our physical store, I was very, very scared. Would I be able to fill a store with enough inventory? Would people come? Would they like my merchandise? Would I be able to pay all of my bills?

I found a space that I was excited about. It was in my ideal location and price range. The landlord even told me that once my paperwork was all in, we would be set. Seeing as how I knew there would be no problems there, I even brought my family to the address for a surprise unveiling...

Well, you can imagine my surprise when just days later the landlord told me that they decided to go with another tenant. They didn't feel that it was a good idea for them to rent to a new business, and they even said, "We want someone who will succeed and be here long term". Ouch.

You know this has a happy ending because right after that I called the managers of the Depot and pitched my idea for a boutique in a space that has never, ever had retail. They loved the idea! I moved in right away, and I now I am so grateful for that dude who didn't believe in me. I sure showed him! (Some saltiness still remains inside me, but oh well.) After only 7 months in business, I am only growing and see no signs of stopping!

A Bad Review

Let me tell you about the day I discovered a bad review. First, I hope it's the only one I ever receive. However, I live in the real world, so I am prepared for the eventuality of this happening again.

This customer wrote that while the space was cute and the selection great (yeah), that the person working didn't acknowledge her when she entered the store, and she felt that created an atmosphere that was cold and unwelcoming. (Now, this may not seem like that big of a deal to you, but as an owner who prides herself on people feeling great in her space, I felt like it was a punch in the gut.

When I read this, I was crushed. It was so devastating to hear that someone didn't feel great in my store and that I had something to do with it. Did all of my customers feel this way? What exactly did I do? Will people ever shop here again? All of these were running through my mind. So, I did what any sane person would do. I Googled "How to overcome a bad review".

It took me a few days to move past this, but now I am thankful for the bad review. Crazy, right? Well, I had to hear that maybe I was slipping when things got busy, or that sometimes my distractions took me away from the most important thing to my store -all of YOU! This push has made me extra aware of greeting all of you with a welcome and a smile. (Hey, I'm human. Still, it's a great lesson that I had to learn.)

When People You Respect Don't Believe in Your Dream

I learned the hard way that not everyone is going to understand your dreams or your journey - that's okay. I am not going to say that it doesn't hurt or feel like a blow, because it does. It will smart for a while. I like to think that I turned that sadness into an even greater motivator to succeed. (Don't believe in me? I'll show you!!!)

You can spend time trying to prove to people that you have what it takes. But, I learned that it's more important for YOU to believe in YOU. For me, I know that at the end of the day, If there is anyone i would bank on, it's myself. I know my drive and work ethic. I like to think that will win the day in the end.

What I hope you gather from this humble blog post is that obstacles can ruin us, or they can help us grow. You are allowed to wallow a couple of days, but beyond that, challenge yourself to look at roadblocks as an opportunity for growth or to look at something a new way.

Cheers,

s