I was in a junk funk.
Our May sale was not a big success, and the over-analyst in me wanted to know why. But, as is often the case, there were many reasons for its mediocrity and I had a hard time pinpointing what they were.
That uncertainty didn’t sit well with me. Uncertainty never does.
So, I was in a junk funk. I hadn’t had time to complete any new furniture projects. No painting, building, or repurposing had happened. And I hadn’t been picking for much new stuff either. Not a good combination if I wanted to impress customers (and sell stuff!)
I started with the picking – I went to a couple of garage sales, but didn’t find a lot. I just wasn’t in the mood to buy stuff. It all seemed too risky. Will my customers like that? Is it the right style? Is that price too high? Will I be able to make my money back? Does that piece need too much work? Is it worth driving back tomorrow to pick it up?
Too much uncertainty.
I stopped by one of my favorite junky shops (JB Knacker, Gilbert, Iowa) for inspiration. I wandered around and I was inspired, but the uneasy feeling was still there. My mind was racing…Brenda has a lot of silver in here. Maybe I need more silver in The HomeShed. And those little floral teacups. I see those all the time. Maybe I should buy them when I see them? She has a lot here. But when I have had those at the HomeShed, they don’t sell. Maybe I need to paint all my furniture white like Gravy Home Goods. Or black like Broad Street Market?
But then, a moment of clarity came. I remembered something I’d seen online.
I can’t try to be JB Knacker. Or Invintg. Or Broad Street Market. Or Gravy Home Goods. Or Junk Refunkery. My shop is slightly different, and 9 times out of 10, people like it. If I try to be a second rate version of those other shops, I’ll never succeed.
When I buy things that I genuinely love, they sell almost immediately. When I try to guess what others will love, I lose money. Owning a creative business means you must learn to trust your tastes, your style, and your vision. You can not try to conform to another style because you think customers will like it. It will never be genuine. Trust your soul, not your ego.
This has a much broader application in my life than just what I buy for The HomeShed. I am an over-committer. I am a dabbler. I have too many irons in the fire all the time.
When I start dividing those irons into soul-feeding and ego-feeding, the uncertainty disappears.
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