A New Biz Perspective | vintage whites market weekend.

by dubayfamily

Trying to begin this blog post with serious Mom/Holiday Brain is like trying to start a fire after a snowstorm… but here goes! 🙂  – Warning.. it’s LONG.

First of all, I just want to give a HUGE thank youuuuuu to all my local friends/followers for your continued support. Our little family is currently trying to pay 100% out of pocket (because our bill sharing marked it as “pre-existing”)  for my knee surgery on Thursday, and every little bit helps… so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I cannot truly express how much it meant to see old friends, new faces, and loving souls on Saturday.

HEART. FULL.

Oh and just FYI, I gave out so many big hugs around the neck that I cannot for the life of me, lift my left arm above my shoulder. I literally cry… thanks rotator cuff tendonitis. #awesome #butawfultiming Local friends, think Flathead Orthopedics will give me a 2 for 1 on Thursday?! LOL! but not funny…. *insert smirked smiley face here*

Okay… now down to the raw post:

In the previous two years, the weeks leading up to Vintage Whites Market was absolute insanity. Marketing, prep, production, and shipping/tagging + booth prep, decorations, signage, and contracts…  all completed by one person: ME (and well if we give credit where credit is truly due, my husband is always long for the ride too).  It was exhausting to say the least, and the sleepless nights leading up to the market left me wondering why I even put myself through this in the first place.

I think I speak for a lot of my business-owning friends when I say this exact statement pops up during all the chaotic, hurtful, under serious pressure moments. Moments where you’re literally biting the bullet 24/7 to make everyone happy. Those moments where one little text from a well-meaning friend can send you over the edge to answer. Moments where you pretend your unsupervised child isn’t destroying in the other room, just so you can work a *little* bit longer.

WAHM (work at home mom) PRO TIP: Picking up the mess later is ALWAYS worth it.

Although, this year I was pleasantly surprised to find myself going to bed at 9PM two days before market… all because I chose to put my full trust in another person.

In January of 2016, after being burned by family, I hired a beautiful woman who works her hiney off to sew all these beautiful leggings you see. She’s a mother of FIVE and wife to one. A friend worth admiring, because her homemaking skills are far beyond measure… and a true inspiration to ME.

This person is Heather Thompson aka The Goat Lady Soap.

An INCREDIBLE asset to the Alpine Baby Co. team and my one… true business “partner” and only paid employee. She has lifted immeasurable weight off of my shoulders, while offering support while my family went through some incredibly shitty personal circumstances. This woman, my seamstress, has completely restored my faith in “help”

… a word I’ve struggled SO hard with in life.

I’ve always been an independent woman. Strong as nails, with a “do it myself” attitude. A gal who would rather support herself and starve, than rely on others.

Now can I give you all some advice?! I’m starting to realize (the hard way) that life isn’t about “doing it on your own” or “self-made success”…

I constantly tell others that it takes a tribe; however, I have had a VERY hard time being vulnerable enough to believe those words, until I’m on my knees in tears wondering what on Earth is wrong with me. It’s not me, it’s my willingness to fall on others.

To rely on my hard-earned tribe when I need an extra hand. To give that friend a call and see if they can stop by, or bring dinner. Let me be the first to tell you… being self-reliant is overrated, and totally 10 years ago.

 

NOW REVERSE ROLES:

 

Looking at my schedule at this moment, there is NO time for being THAT friend. That person who has an open schedule for helping others, for being a “slow” mom or attentive friend. I’ve been literally dictating texts because I’m too tired to type them out… if that’s not a wake up call for 2017… I don’t know what is.

So here I am, refining my life again because all the sudden (aka three breakdowns in one week) I realized I need to do some pruning. Some prioritizing + some saying “No” to every opportunity available so I can be a better human, friend, wife, and mother.

Standing in the middle of the Vintage Whites rush, giving truly heartfelt hugs to friends I’ve been (with best intentions) trying + failing miserably to get together with for months made me realize where my true joy in life comes from… helping others.

Yes, creating is great – and running a small business has been a wildly fulfilling ride, but going forward I want to make time for others…

• For nurturing my marriage with Ryan and leaving him energy/happiness after returning home from work, instead of saying “don’t touch me I’m so tired of everyone wanting something from me”.
• For taking time with my children, and reading bedtime books instead of turning on the TV and literally just locking the door behind me without prayers or kisses.
• For self-care and health, and for showering more than 2-3 times a week… shout out to all the moms who wear hats + dry shampoo on the daily because showering is like wayyy too much work.
• For friends who need that extra hand, or returning the favors they’ve done for me when I was at my breaking point.

This, this woman right above, is who I WANT to be more than anything. And I’ve already decided that 2017 is MY year.

My year to take back my schedule. Take back my sanity, and appearance. To take back my confidence, and sincerity. Take back that 16-year old dream of what a “Mother” looks like… HAH!

With all that being said, I’ll do one thing… and do it VERY well.

Here’s my commitment to STOP trying to add. You will not see anything in my shop besides leggings + tee shirts. My booth at markets may become less complicated, so my husband doesn’t want to kill me after setting it up. I’ll be outsourcing (to a local friend) all my shirt printing needs instead of trying to do it myself. Less giveaways, collaborations, and spending time on things that really DON’T matter…

S I M P L I F Y   –   with a side of intention.

That’s my 2017 … because the most important things in life are propelling friendships, and supportive family ties.

Like going on Sunday drives without feeling guilty…

                                             … what’s yours?!