Interesting Times

I am a member of Team Sassy.  This is a team of Etsy Sellers who offer assistance to each other and members of Etsy Sellers.  It has occurred to me that in these interesting times, there may be other people starting fresh due to job loss, altered retirement plans and just plain wanting to do something fresh with their lives.

Recently I have had an increase in those who want advice on getting more sales and I thought I might share some of the things I've told them based on my experience.  This will be the extended version.

When I was a newbie in a job as a lifelong learning consultant for a small liberal arts college in the midwest, it was my job to drive 90 miles, in the evening to Madison, Wisconsin once a week to recruit new nontraditional (read older) students to our evening B. A. Program.

As the single mother of a 4 and 5 year old, recent graduate at age 32, recently divorced recovering from atypical primary pneumonia (in July), I thought to myself, how am I going to make this trip in the middle of winter in a blizzard.  And then a wise voice entered my head and replied, you will know the road by then, you will be stronger by then, just drive.  That was in 1979.  

Skip ahead to the end of the day spent solely in creating my very first Sandra's Satchel.  As I lay in my bed I thought, "what makes me think I can make enough of these to make a living".  The response came "you just have to make the next one".  That was in 2000.

This reminds me of the question:  "How do you eat an elephant?" -- Answer:  "One bite at a time."

Here I am in 2010 and basically that simple lesson, has carried me, one step at a time through almost 10 years in business.  Believe me it wasn't and still isn't a straight line, but the gift of doing what I love has been so worth the bumps and bruises along the way.  I can honestly say that it is becoming more and more the journey, not the destination that matters.  In fact, I can put that another way:  The journey IS the destination.

I share this with the thought that it might be helpful to someone somewhere along the path of new discoveries and challenges.

As I told one of my Etsy friends who is going through some big challenges, "Do what you must to feed your body and do that about which you are passionate to feed your soul."

Many good wishes go with you along the way.

Sincerely,

Sandra

Labor Day Update

Busy, busy summer!!! Thank you each and every one who has visited us at Pike Place Market and those who have shopped on our website, http://sandrassatchels.etsy.com.

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