You guys blew me away with the Montana Agate collection launch! I am completely floored by the support that I got in kind words, purchases, and shares. I went into it saying to a friend "well, if I sell one or two pieces that's great; but it will be a great head start for market season with whatever is left."
I have never had more than one or two orders at a time (outside of markets), so seeing ten orders come in throughout the weekend has been absolutely mind blowing. I know not all drops will be like this, there are some hits and some misses and on top of that I'm aware that my pieces are an investment and times are tough these days; but I'll be floating on this for a while.
I started daydreaming about this business last January, and I wrote down my plan in a notebook. I would take a metalsmithing class, then have my first drop, then continue to build up my business throughout the rest of the year. Those who have heard the story about my metalsmithing class know that the plan derailed almost immediately. Last year was great, but it was definitely a slow start. I know it's the same for all businesses - you have to make, fail, make, fail, make before really getting a solid start. That can be hard to reconcile in the world of social media and seeing many successes, though!
In the beginning, I was too shy to even show many people my work or tell friends that I had started selling my jewelry. Over time I eventually did and of course it was well-received, but it's SO hard for me to put myself out there like this and I never in a million years would have guessed that I would be doing this today (broadcasting my art to the world and selling it). It's been such an evolution of myself and my business over the last year, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it grows in the following years. If you too are chasing some difficult dreams, just remember that perseverance can go a long way, and I'm rooting for you! Nothing happens overnight, but consistency and practice and learning will eventually lead ya where ya wanna go.