I know, I know. Blog posts are supposed to be fun and uplifting.
But here's the thing: if I can learn from someone else's f*ck-ups, I'm gonna. And since I made some pretty big mistakes, I thought I'd give you the opportunity to NOT repeat them.
I mean, yes, you learn more from doing than from reading (ahem, this blog included). So maybe don't spend all your time reading my blog, and go take some action, mmmkay?
Here are the five mistakes I wasted a ton of time on, and how you can be better:
1. I assumed my ideal customer would be similar to me
This one came as the biggest shock, and honestly, I'm kinda embarrassed that I didn't have more foresite. I got into the quilting industry thinking that because I'm young and hippie-ish, that my ideal customer would be, too. It's what I was aiming for.
Imagine my surprise when 70% of my followers/customers are over 55!
Who could have seen that coming!?
Ummmm....the entire creative industry, that's who.
If I'd done ANY research on the quilting industry, I'd have seen that the average first-time quilter is in her 50s, and most age out around 70. It's a high-investment hobby, meaning it requires a lot of time and money to get started, which most people in their 30s don't have (and the ones that do are probably monetizing their hobby, so they aren't going to buy from me anyway).
After realizing this, I had two choices: pivot my content drastically to appeal to younger quilters, or just roll with it. I chose to just roll with it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
2. I tried to build a brand around who I wish I was, not who I actually am
This one hurt.
I launched my first business, Happy Hippie Studio, at the beginning of 2023. I grew it for a full year before I burned all the way out.
Why did I burn out so fast?
Well, I was operating a business as a persona that wasn't fully authentic, which means it was SOOOOO much effort to show up and do marketing.
I'm not always happy. And I'm not as much of a hippie as I thought I was.
I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find clothes, props, and marketing materials that matched the hippie vibes I was hoping to portray.
I started a business hoping it would force me to become my ideal self, but instead I burned out trying to be someone I'm not.
So in January of 2024, I rebranded to "just" my name. It was like a huge weight lifted off my chest. I could now show up as myself: no fancy clothes, no special jargon, just me. It was the most liberating experience of my life, but it also KILLED my sales.
Which brings me to the next mistake:
3. I was too wishy washy with how I showed up, and I lost the trust of my audience.
FIrst I was the Happy Hippie.
Then I was "just" Amy.
Then I was unhinged Amy.
Then I was back to being kinda-professional Amy.
Then I was the woo-woo crafter Amy.
I started losing followers and my sales tanked.
I leaned too hard into each of my personalities, and each time I changed my approach, I treated it like it was the end-all-be-all of my brand.
If you want to build a brand based on your personality, you need to do it from the beginning.
4. I said "yes" to EVERYTHING
Three magazine quilts in three months? Sure
Three lookbook quilts in six months? SIgn me UP! (they come with free fabric, after all)
A new free quilt block every month? Seems reasonable.
I also took on brand deals from a bunch of companies that gave me free product in exchange for content (don't get me started on why this isn't a good idea).
And at the end of the year, I'd gotten a ton of free merchandise and some publicity, but none of it had equated to sales. Ya'll, I can't pay my bills with free fabric.
I learned SO much from my year of saying "yes" to everything. I also learned the power of saying "no" to protect my brand (and my sanity).
I learned what works and what doesn't for my business. I learned which companies I love to work with, and which ones aren't in alignment with my goals. I learned what type of content I enjoy making (spoiler, it's blogging and Instagram posts) and what content makes me want to pull my hair out (ahem, YouTube).
Ultimately, my year of saying "yes" lead me to having a rather public meltdown on Instagram and telling the entire industry where to stick it. That was awkward, but it was also a turning point: I realized that I needed to stick to doing the things I love, so that I can do them on repeat without burning out.
Now, I say no to anything that doesn't set my soul on fire.
I learned the hard way that if I'm not passionate about my content, my audience won't be either, and they won't trust me if they feel like they're being "sold" to.
5. I tried to build my business based on how other successful people built theirs.
I figured I'd be super smart and just mimic my favorite content creators' business models. I mean, clearly it's working for them, right?
Well, kinda.
Most of the people I was trying to emulate had started their businesses 10+ years ago, in the beginning of the content creator economy. They were the first in their niche, and had a captive audience because they didn't have any competition. They then took that competition with them to new platforms, which fed the algorithms to make them even more popular.
I can't compete with that.
The creator economy is now HUGE, and you can't do all. the. things.
Alex Hermosi said it best:
When you start a new business, you need to pick ONE ideal customer, ONE product, and ONE platform to promote on.
Once I let go of the FOMO of trying to be like other successful business owners, I was able to find a workflow that is peaceful for me. And peaceful means repeatable. And repeatable means profitable. If showing up consistently is stressful, you just won't do it. You HAVE to be consistent the be successful.
6. I focused too much on social media growth, and not enough on being social.
Remember when I said I accidentally attracted an audience that wasn't ideal for me?
Well, before I embraced them, I made the mistake of hiding from them.
I felt like I had little in common with the women who were following me and buying my products, so I didn't interact as much as I should have. Looking back, I feel like a bit of a narcissist for that. It took a full year for me to realize that what I had was a community of women older than me who have SO much to teach me about life, and in exchange I get to help them with their favorite hobby.
Ya'll, it takes empathy to know what your audience really wants and needs from you. That means you have to TALK to them. Ask them what bothers them, what makes them happy, and what you can do to help. Having the letter "K" in your Insta following is cool, but it doesn't mean a damn thing if those thousands of people don't feel seen.
Everything changed when I started reaching out to my followers and asking them what they really want and need...and delivering on it.
The takeaway: almost all of my mistakes were from lack of understanding of two things: my audience, and my own capacity to show up. Once I identified my blocks in these areas, I was able to business that I love, and that loves me back.
And by loves me back, I mean it provides me with an income without draining my soul.
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