Dear Self - Don't get ahead of me.

My day job is customer service, and it is taxing, to say the least. (I am convinced that if everyone spent a year in a customer service position, there would be far fewer rude and unreasonable customers.) While the day job often leaves me feeling drained, I find that I always get a little thrill and inspiration from working on the shop or trading ideas for the shop with Mungo. So, of course, I tend to daydream about the possibility of the shop becoming successful enough for me to quit my day job.

Last week's increased success seems to be spreading into this week (knock on wood), so that fuels more daydreams about making the shop my full-time job. I just bought a postal scale (which will become necessary if we're going to have more bulk orders) and am planning to buy a printer (to decrease visits to the post office). While I'm home today with a sick Monkeyboi, I'm searching Etsy's printable stationery offerings for good contenders for my new "Thank You" cards (almost out of my fantastic Shag cards) and reading the "Quit Your Day Job" features from The Storque and daydreaming some more.

The thing that discourages me is that the "Quit Your Day Job" stories I read all have elements that I don't have in my own life. Either they already have a successful business that they've brought to Etsy or they have a working partner to support them or a large savings to fall back on. I'm a single mom with no college degree and no real savings to speak of. I am very fortunate that I have my friend Mungo, who originated the idea for the shop, keeps me in stock and is always encouraging, but he has a partner and a young girl to support.

It can all be a bit overwhelming to think about, but then I get some rah-rah cheerleading from my great friend Amanjo or some happy, glowing feedback from customers, and I am encouraged and inspired all over again. I am reminded that success does not come overnight and that I should temper my daydreams with practicality, patience and perseverance.

If anyone has an inspiring story of a single mom who made a success of this internet commerce thing, I'd love for you to share it.

I think they're beginning to recognize me at the post office...

The Marlowe Co. has had a great week. I went to the post office to mail orders four out of the five weekdays, and I'm almost out of moustache pendants (never fear: we will restock). And just yesterday, four pendants that had been waiting patiently almost since the shop opened got some love from a gentleman in New Jersey.

Note: That is the first order from a male. (Being still somewhat new to this, little firsts like that still tickle me. Yes, I am a dork.)

I'm still trying to discern what is responsible for this new flurry of activity. I felt fortunate to have an order a week up until a week ago. Having the Pi pendant featured in two treasuries back-to-back might have something to do with it, but I don't know if that accounts for the sustaining flow. Have we just hit a watershed that all successful shops reach at some point? Have I just jinxed us by using the word "successful"?

Whatever the explanation, I'm glad for the results and will be even happier if it proves not to be a fluke.

Stuff 'N' Things

Had a sale on the moustache pendant the day after I posted it! Maybe it's because I'm still a greenhorn, but each sale is a little thrill for me. And a sale on the moustache pendant is especially thrilling since it is our first family-designed piece. It's exciting to think that something my family created is travelling across the country to be made into something marvelous by someone we've never met.

I like the fact that two of our customers are also seller/crafters on Etsy. Every time I make a trek through the other shops on Etsy (which I do often because I cannot seem to do any work on the shop without getting distracted by the shinies and pretties), I find something that impresses the bejesus out of me. So many very talented people making amazing things - it makes me happy to see it.