I wrote this yesterday while while sitting on the deck...
I won't say I've figured out work life balance, but I will say I'm in a better place with it!
It's all about balance and priorities, and about not feeling bad, guilty, etc. for not being everything to everyone. Regarding the latter, that’s hard for me... guilt is something that was ingrained in me from childhood. I'm working on it!
So, what does this mean for our business? Our store hours won't change much over the summer. Wednesdays and Sundays will still not be regular days; they will be by appointment, chance, or announced in advance. Mondays and Tuesdays are non-store days so we can focus on shipping online orders, things like grocery shopping, and for me jewelry making. The hours of 12 to 4 are here to stay as well, although most days the flag is out before 12 and customers are still in the store after 4. It also means that some weeks there might be 2 live events not 3.
Personal touch is a huge part of Seaside Stones so there is very little we can outsource. Chris packs everything (some of you can tell he played Tetris... you should see the SUV and the trailer when we go to shows!), customers talk to a fairly well versed rockhound/jewelry maker at the store, etc. We cannot imagine running our business differently. We are hoping that the help we will be getting with picture taking will be one step and might lead to others where we can make them.
Our goal for Seaside Stones is keeping the balance between online and the store and shows when they restart in September. Our goal for us personally is enjoying life, keeping up with a healthy lifestyle, etc. COVID-19 and being home together spoiled us. Long hours aren't bad when we are working the business together and enjoying life!
All of this to say thank you for being part of our journey, putting up with our evolution, and your understanding that having a life is just as important as making a living!
Pictures: Most morning start off with us walking for exercise and then a few minutes enjoying the deck, most evenings include us chatting about our day on the deck. The pics are highlights of life (use hanging out on our deck and us during one of our recent hikes), not cabs, jewelry, or cool rocks!
Cheers,
Theresa
