Managing Mental Health as a Business Owner

Welcome to the September special edition magazine issue! We’ve been working on this magazine issue for months and we’re so excited to share it with you because it’s focus is on a topic that isn’t talked about enough: mental health. As business owners, it’s easy to get slammed with feelings like anxiety, depression, or impostor syndrome. So, this month we have three ladies who have very generously agreed to share their stories with you about the challenges they’ve faced through their own mental health journeys. It’s real stories like these that help us all keep a healthy perspective on business ownership and life.

Here’s a peek at what’s inside this month’s magazine!

Read about the unexpected doubts and challenges Meg has had to face while growing her stationery business into a brick & mortar storefront.

 

Meg Suttun —

“That first show we wrote around $15,000 in orders and I was ecstatic until I did the math and realized I needed to spend $20,000 to create all the inventory to fill those orders. It was crushing. I certainly learned very early on that you have to know your numbers, but also realized that business is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ve got to be looking at the big picture, and pace yourself, knowing each step ahead of you.”

– Meg from Belle & Union Co.

Many of us started out with grand visions of what it will be like to own a business only to discover that the journey is not as seamless or glamorous as it’s depicted on social media. Meg’s story is honest, raw, and she’s openly sharing how she’s handled the struggles and mental strain that she’s faced while growing her company.

   

Read Mary Kate’s story about having to close down her business overnight after a mental health crisis.

 

Mary Kate Dixon —

“Overnight, I closed everything down. Today, Wicked Calm Candles are not available at any given moment online or in stores, but released in collections at my own pace and discretion. I now turn double the gross profit in just a few hours with each collection and virtually no overhead. Yes, you read that right. I doubled my profit.”

– Mary Kate Dixon from Wicked Calm Candles

Sometimes our businesses start to run us instead of the other way around. Mary Kate was forced to shut down her business overnight and focus on her health, but little did she know that the time off would completely transform how she looked her brand. After months away, she brought the company back and ended up doubling her profit with less inventory, less work, and only one selling platform. 

Read Kelly’s advice for learning how to work with your mind and body.

 

Kelly Parker Smith —

“Anxiety can be a b****. Mix that with a chronic illness and you could have a recipe for depression, withdrawal, and a complete and utter lack of motivation. Some days I have all of the above and it’s hard to even get out of bed. And honestly, some days I do get up and some days I don’t. How do I function as a human, let alone a podcaster and self-employed business owner of not one, but two businesses? Well, I can tell you that I do not have radioactive blood or superhuman strength.”

-Kelly Parker Smith from Hello Paper World Co. and the Biz Rebellion Podcast

Kelly owns two businesses, has a chronic illness, and has to deal with anxiety on a regular basis. As a long-time business owner, she’s sharing how she was able to structure her life and business in a way that suits her needs and lessens the mental and physical strain.

Are you ready to invest in paid ads?

 

Deborah Engelmaher —

“I have often found that paying for ads, whether it be on Facebook, Etsy, Google, Pinterest, or anywhere else, is usually one of three things: a strategic marketing move, a desperate marketing move, or a stab-in-the-dark marketing move.

Sometimes it is a mix of B and C which is not a great combination. This isn’t to say that there isn’t a time and a place for paid advertising in your handmade shop’s marketing plan (there is), but we most definitely need to make sure that you are always falling in the first category and that it’s a strategic, well-thought-out decision. So, how do you know if you are ready for it? Should you use paid ads to grow your handmade shop?”

– Deborah Engelmajer from Tizzit

Learn how to grow your artisan Instagram account for free.

This is the last article in our series about growing your Instagram account for free as an artisan entrepreneur. In this month’s magazine we tackle the topic of engaging with people, building relationships, and ultimately gaining new followers.

Get updated on the latest industry news, shopping trends, social media changes, marketing tips, and more!

You get access to relevant news for your business in each magazine issue. Find out which Etsy trends are booming, stay on top of social media updates, access consumer statistics, learn about innovative marketing tactics, and much more!