When a great week feels a bit meh

Why is it sometimes hard to celebrate the wins?

This past week has all the makings of a great week. I’ve been on QVC with legend, Alison Young, I’ve been listed as one of the ‘Who’s who of natural beauty 2023’ alongside people and brands that are at the top of their game (and I admire), I was interviewed by a great beauty journalist for her new podcast, and Stress Faace has been shortlisted for a Beauty Design Award. But, things still feel a bit meh. Why is that? Don’t scream at me ‘you ungrateful idiot’. You might be thinking that and I can understand if you are. But what you maybe can’t understand is the amount of rubbish I have to wade through every week to keep things afloat, which somehow takes the shine off these amazing accolades.

Don’t get me wrong, the little wins do give me a lift and also, at the very least give me reassurance that I am not completely deluded and that the business is worth fighting for. But it certainly feels like a battle rather than a party most of the time.

A few other things I have been thinking about lately…

Why is it hard to admit when things aren’t going so well?

The amount of support I’ve had for this Substack has blown me away. The messages I’ve been getting have brought me more joy than anything else I can remember (work wise), for a long time. But, what I have found really interesting is that despite the amount of support, the comments aren’t posted publicly. That might just be because it’s a ball-ache to sign up for an account, but it got me thinking, maybe we are afraid or ashamed to say when things aren’t going so well? And if that’s the case, why is that?

There could be practical reasons of course. You want retailers to think you are a brand that’s going to create buzz for them, or you want potential investors to think you could be a lucrative option, or, is it just hard on an emotional level to admit when things aren’t going your way, and you want them to be. You really, really want them to be. I don’t know, and I don’t blame people either. I would have been the same for the last few years. But for some reason, it feels good to be open right now.

Is it a lack of budget, or are my products just not sticking?

How do you know if your product’s (or business idea) are going to stick? How do you actually know if you have a good enough idea there, or not? How do you know whether or not you need an ever expanding collection, or, should you be trying to lean into something more niche or create a hero product? Answers on a postcard please.

Do I need another career option?

I went to QVC last week and was extremely pleasantly surprised to find out that Alison Young was my show presenter. I love Alison. I’m intrigued by her - she is a beauty legend - someone who I only know in passing but am always in awe of. I’m really enjoying presenting on TV and secretly hoping I might be able to live my childhood dreams of being a TV presenter if everything goes completely shit with the business (one and two). I think Alison is safe for now though.  

Do I need a mentor?

I keep thinking I would benefit from having a mentor, but how does that even work? It’s the weirdest idea to me. Rocking up to someone and being like, you’ve cracked it, I want to be your friend because you’ve done what I want to do, so give up your time for me, even though you’re probably really busy. I get mentoring as a concept. I often meet with other business founders and we enter into mentoring territory. Sometimes them to me, sometimes me to them, but I haven’t quite figured out who, or how I can get someone officially onboard with me. It feels like when a bigger kid looks out for you at school. Someone makes that relationship happen. So how do you go about that yourself? Answers also on the postcard please.

Are you thinking about any of these things too? Please reach out to me (privately is all good), as I would love to know.