ANOTHER FEAR-Not quite conquered, but faced

 WOW.
It has been almost a month since I last posted anything.
I knew I had been busier this month, but just did not realize how busy.
Last month, I found, was a Fluke. A convergence of negative energies, and poor choices. All of which resulted in insecurities and poor sales.
I am learning that I can deal with the poor sales better than the insecurities.

I have never been the type to ask for help, but once I put out that I needed a little help-and without realizing that I had.  Help arrived.
Friends and Family rallied around me,  just reminding me, well, of who I am.

I just needed to know that people still believed in my Dream as much as I did to reinvigorate my Passion.

One of the Lessons that I am learning being a Business Owner is that...
No one person can do everything on their own.
Always believing that I can do it better on my own. That my way is the Best way, if not the ONLY way.  Well, that bubble has been burst. I do need help from time to time-Everyone does.

That does not  mean that I don’t still want to know how to do everything. That I won’t try to do it on my own, but I am not as afraid to ask for help. I am sure that there quite a few things that I am doing that may be done better. Or things that I am just missing out on, and when I find them I will not hesitate to ask.

Peridot Pendant by  DeAndreaDesigns

Another outcome of all of this?
While trying to control everything, I have been able to adapt one of my wrapping techniques to accommodate much smaller Stones. Ones that I thought I would just have sitting around looking pretty. Now there is one less thing that I feel that I cannot handle.

The Rent is Paid for Another Month

July was a rough month.

6ct Peridot with FineSilver Bezel

I was always told that July and August were the 2 slowest months of the year.  

With Families wanting to spend time together before the kids head bak to school, and so many outdoor activities, it is little wonder. And, even though, I have worked retail for more years than I care to recall, I somehow forgot JUST HOW SLOW it can be.

Pair that with a failed PT job that cut into the hours I had available to be in the Store, is it little wonder that I laid awake in bed many nights just wondering how the bills were going to be paid?

I started to question whether I should really be trying to do this right now.
The Economy-or lack of one-being on the News every night only helped to reinforce the idea that the timing was not right.

I have no back-up plan.
I have no resources to fall back on if I don’t sell enough.
I really am taking a Leap of Faith.

Those nights in bed just lying there awake can be cruel. I questioned everything.

But during the light of day, while I was in the Store-oftentimes all alone-I KNEW this was the Right Thing to be doing, and at the Right Time.
Family and Best Friends rallied around me-without realizing they were. They are truly my Angels.

I decided to ignore those voices that were keeping me awake at night.

Lo and behold, I found my strength again. My Faith.
I went back to a former employer, got a job waiting tables that, while I am going to be exhausted, will not cut into Store hours at all.
I followed up on a sales prospect that I thought was dead-not dead just lost.
I have been adding more and more items to my Website, DeAndreaDesigns.com.

While August is looking up-definitely better than July-there is still a long way to go.
But the Rent is paid for another month.