I believe in YOU

I am struggling to find the words for this post. I have started it many times and always find myself coming back to finish. I am frustrated. I am a mom and a wife. I have been blessed with 2 of the sweetest kiddos, and a husband who has always supported me through everything. I am an Army wife and prior service Army myself. When our daughter was born my husband and I decided that financially it made more sense for me to stay at home with her until she goes off to school. I wanted to feel like I contributed to our family finances some how. I decided to start a small business from my home. I named this business Lola Wraps. I opened my shop on Etsy and started a Facebook page. I remember being so excited when I started to see the number of fans on my page rise. I slowly started bringing in money to help support my family. The feeling of accomplishing my goal felt great. I never set out to make millions. Just enough to feel like I can contribute from home.

I never thought that Lola Wraps would have over 10,000 fans on Facebook in less than 2 years. It has been a tough road getting to this point. I am not the only one to sell fabric headbands, and I wont be the last. I have struggled with being bullied in the fabric headband community. It breaks my heart that in 2012 a WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR is bullied by other women. I am not out to bring a bad name or reputation to anyone and let me emphasize that this post is not meant to bring negative attention to anyone.

I feel like I am in constant competition. It is exhausting and frankly causing me to feel discouraged about the future. I have days where I am really motivated until I try to achieve a goal or dream I have for Lola Wraps, and end the day being turned down and rejected. I will admit that I am tired of putting myself out there to try and take my business in the next direction and feeling humiliated when I get an email or comment back that my products are too much like someone else's or any of the other responses I have received. This leaves me feeling like a failure, like the last year and a half have been worthless. Honestly it is unfair. I want to know why people in the handmade community feel the need to tear each other apart to get to the top? Is there really not enough room on this planet for us all? Should we all not get the chance to be creative and support our families. Who has the right to make someone feel like I have been made to feel over the last several months?

I have found no other solution to my frustration than to turn it in to something positive. I am here to tell all you WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS that YOU can do ANYTHING you set your mind out to do. Don't let those bullies get in your way of supporting your family and being creative. We need to band together and support one another. Make the world of handmade goods a better place for people to shop. Support those who work along side you. Become a handmade business YOU would want to shop at. Go above and beyond to be polite to your colleagues they may turn in to some of your businesses greatest assets and some of your greatest friends.

Go out today and do something positive for a business you love. Tell then how their products make you feel. Share some businesses you know could use a little love on your page. Make a new friend in the handmade community.

Don't ever let someone make you feel like you cant achieve your goals. Write them down, hold your head high, and go out and achieve them! I believe in YOU!

XO,
Britny
Lola Wraps