350 Little Reasons to Keep Going

Today, I shipped my 350th Etsy order.

When I saw that little number sitting there — 350 Etsy sales — I had one of those moments where I just stopped and thought about how far this little business has come.

And that's only one piece of the story. Over the years, there have also been orders through my website, TikTok, in-person sales and other little avenues Spirited Crafts has grown into. But today, Etsy gave me a number I could stop and celebrate: 350.

Because 350 isn't some enormous number in the world of online businesses. There are shops with thousands and tens of thousands of sales. But I'm learning not to measure my journey against someone else's.

For me, 350 means something.

It means 350 times someone found something I created on Etsy and decided they wanted it.

It means hundreds of packages packed at my kitchen table, labels printed, tissue paper folded, little thank-you cards tucked inside.

It means learning photography, websites, SEO, social media, packaging, shipping, product descriptions and about a thousand other things I had absolutely no idea I would need to learn when I started Spirited Crafts.

And, maybe more importantly, it represents a whole lot of personal growth that I never expected to find while building a business.

When Growth Doesn't Look Like Growth

This year has been slower than last year.

There. I said it.

And sometimes that's scary.

When you own a small business, it's really easy to watch numbers too closely. Sales. Views.

Website traffic. Social media engagement. Favorites. Followers.

When those numbers aren't moving the way you want them to, your brain can very quickly start telling you a story.

Maybe this isn't working.

Maybe people don't want what I'm making anymore.

Maybe I should be doing something different.

And, on more than one occasion over the years, I've even wondered whether I should keep Spirited Crafts going at all.

But one of the biggest lessons I've learned — not just in business, but through a lot of healing and growth in my own life — is that where I focus my energy changes what I notice around me.

Think about buying a red car.

Suddenly, you see red cars everywhere.

Obviously, thousands of red cars didn't magically appear the day you bought yours. They were already there.

You're just noticing them now.

I've realized negativity can work the same way.

If I spend my time looking for evidence that things aren't going well, I can find plenty of it.

Sales are slower.

That post didn't get much engagement.

That product hasn't sold.

Someone else seems to be growing faster.

Before long, it can feel like everything is going wrong.

But I can also choose to look for something else.

What If I Look for the Wins?

If I change what I'm looking for, I start noticing different things.

I see that someone favorited something I made.

I see a customer come back and purchase again.

I read a kind review from someone who genuinely loves something I created.

I notice more people finding my website.

I realize I've learned something this year that I didn't know how to do last year.

I look around and realize that this business I once only imagined actually exists.

And today?

I see 350 Etsy sales.

The slower season didn't disappear. I'm not pretending it isn't happening.

I'm just choosing not to let it be the only thing I see.

In fact, I've started looking at this season differently.

Maybe slower doesn't have to mean failing.

Maybe slower can mean I have room to learn.

Room to experiment.

Room to create without constantly trying to keep up.

Room to figure out what I want Spirited Crafts to become next.

Maybe this isn't just a slow season. Maybe it's a growing season.

I Had No Idea This Business Would Change Me

When I started Spirited Crafts, I knew I wanted to create things.

What I didn't know was how much creating this business would help create a different version of me.

I've learned patience — sometimes reluctantly. 😂

I've learned new skills because there was nobody else standing there to do it for me.

I've learned that not every idea works, and that doesn't automatically make it a failure.

I've learned to celebrate tiny wins instead of waiting for some huge milestone to give myself permission to be proud.

I've learned that I can change direction without giving up.

I've learned to trust myself a little more.

And I've learned that sometimes you have to keep going long enough to see where something is trying to take you.

There is still something special about hearing that little notification that I've made a sale. I don't care if it's a large order or one little item — or which platform it came through.

Someone chose something I made.

That still makes me happy.

And the messages, reviews and feedback I've received from customers over the years have meant more to me than I could probably ever explain.

Those things remind me why I started.

350 Isn't the Destination

I have some pretty big dreams for Spirited Crafts.

Some of them I've shared. Some are still floating around in my head waiting for the right time.

And I have absolutely no idea exactly where all of this will eventually lead.

But big dreams don't happen without small beginnings.

They don't happen without the first product.

The first listing.

The first awkward social media post.

The first sale.

And then the decision to keep showing up for sale number two.

And three.

And fifty.

And one hundred.

Until one random Wednesday morning, you're blending a fresh batch of Calming essential oil because someone purchased the last one...

...and you realize you're about to ship Etsy order number 350.

So today, I'm choosing to notice that.

Not what's missing.

Not how much farther I want to go.

Not whether this year looks as successful on paper as the year before.

Today I'm looking at the red cars.

I'm looking at the wins.

And I'm reminding myself that every one of those 350 Etsy orders — along with every order that has found me somewhere else — represents a tiny step toward the dreams I had when I started this.

There are still a whole lot of steps ahead of me.

And I'm excited to see where they lead.

Thank you for spending a few minutes in my little corner of the world. And to every single person who has purchased something, shared a post, left a review, told a friend, or simply encouraged me along the way — thank you for being part of all those little reasons to keep going.

Until next time...

💛 Find Your Spirit,

Kim