One Year of Fruit and Flower!

September has come and gone in a flash and with it the year anniversary of Fruit and Flower Shop. Twelve full months of all of the ups and downs of building a business: successes big and small, sleepless nights, the joys of unexpected sales and the fears of whether or not I’m doing it all “right”. 

Though I began my endeavor with years of experience in the field, I can admit that I also began with a heavy dose of naiveté. The sharp corners of expectation have been softened with reality; building a business is a thousand times harder than it looks, and I admire anyone who undertakes the crazy decision to give it a go. 

Navigating the world of marketing has been the biggest hurdle- the words google analytics will forever put a knot in my stomach. When customers find Fruit and Flower organically through their own search, it feels like a major success. The universe of the world wide web is truly daunting and building a searchable brand from scratch is a mystery I’m trying to crack everyday. It’s a maze; taking the DIY approach without paying a marketing firm, an influencer, or investing thousands upon thousands into advertising makes for a difficult challenge. 

The tough parts have been woven in alongside the joyful parts; working for myself and enjoying free rein of my schedule is something I’m grateful for everyday. I rounded out my year with more sales than I anticipated; my accountant commended me on a remarkably successful first year! I participated in several markets, at which I felt showered in compliments on my work. I feel like I’m getting into the groove of what I see Fruit and Flower being; I’m finding my stride. 

I have high expectations for this holiday season, though I have learned to temper those and to enjoy whatever level of success I find; a TED talk on burnout that recently (mysteriously) appeared in my feed taught me this lesson. With more success, we cannot allow the bar at which we feel success to always be out of reach.

I’m sending my deepest gratitude to all of you who have played a foundational role in building this dream- if you’ve read this far, I cannot thank you enough for taking an interest. This milestone is a badge of honor, and I sent my deepest thanks to all who have played a part.

August 2021