Handmade Business Obstacle #1:Wanting to please EVERYONE!

I know if you are reading this, you probably know me...whether your a family member, friend, old classmate...and many of you who know me well, know that I love when people love me and I fret when people don't. For some reason I've had this crazy idea that my life mission to make everyone happy. I aim to please...and this desire to be liked and make people smile started early on in my life. There are stories of my dad  pushing me through the store in a grocery cart while he worked. As he finished ordering or pricing or whatever the task was, I became the unofficial customer greeter- I made sure to say hi to everyone that walked by. Maybe it goes back to my mom's "kill'em with kindness" method. Sugar-coat it, add sprinkles, and poor on the sweetness...it'll make anyone come around. Trust me, I've been perfecting this technique for years...make that decades!

By day, I'm customer service for a high end fabric showroom...I get paid to make people happy (and if they have an issue with an order- that can be waayyyyyy harder to do than it sounds!). By night, I work on building my Sunshine Shop brand by working on a new design for my blog, a new logo, new products...I dream up and plan out new items to add to my shop and work on current projects...I try to stop in and say hi to my Facebook fans, post fun photos, blogs, status updates....and why?!? So people like my brand!

I can openly and honestly admit it...I am a people pleaser. I have made some improvement- not everyone needs to like me...just almost everyone....just kidding (kinda of). I have grown though. I don't take things as personally as I used to. I'm learning that I can't take things too personally...especially if I want to have a successful handmade business. The truth is, some people will like my stuff and some will not...and much to my own surprise- I'm ok with that.

Here's an example- I had my first official 'unlike' on my Savannah's Sunshine Shop fan page...for a split second, I was a little hurt but then I remembered, it takes all kinds of people to make this big old world go 'round and not all of them are going to love colorful scarves, handwoven rag rugs, funky potholders, etc. I'm sure I've 'unliked' a page or two just because I forgot what it was! No matter what the reason, I really surprised myself by how quickly I brushed it off...Who knows who it was and really who cares...I'm ok with it!

There are so many styles, tastes, opinions out there that there is no possible way I can please everyone. I'm giving it up- at least when it comes to my Sunshine Shop. I'm never going to please everyone and I won't become successful trying. From what I've read- finding the perfect niche market is key. It almost feels like a weight off my shoulders...I'm here to follow my own creative eye and makes things that fit my personal design asthetic- and with that I'll be able to build an honest brand.

And you know what they say...if you build it, they will come.