Just in the nick of time before this month wraps (ehm..how is it almost September?!), I am publishing an August blog post. My last post was very timely on July 1st, so I have a lot of ground to cover - eek! This is why it’s good to be more routine with blogging :).

The theme as of late is juggling priorities, especially at the onset of a new season: fall! It’s cliche, but the saying that growing a business is similar to nurturing a plant rings true for me at the moment. The more time and resources I invest, or the more I water it, the more it will grow. This is a lot easier said than done, especially for women who may be raising children, managing home needs, and/or putting efforts towards other revenue streams.

I always feel like I am on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster with Spruce Lane. I have done a good job of maintaining the cadence of having 1 pop up per month, which is very much within my comfort zone in terms of time management and burnout. Leading up to the pop ups, I am climbing the rollercoaster. I’m a bit anxious and I feel guilty saying it, but I’m also resentful about having to pack up all my crap in preparation. The thought of having a brick & mortar where I don’t have to travel to sell things sounds nice in this regard! But hey, there are always parts of a job that you enjoy and parts that you don’t - it’s normal.

The pop up itself is the apex of the rollercoaster. It is exhilarating to see people shop and like what I put together for them. I am invigorated by meeting business owners and customers within the community. I am simultaneously thinking of all the things I can do to grow and sustain the positive energy! Then I come home and unpack, and I’m back at the bottom. I return to life’s daily grind where Spruce Lane is a facet, but it’s not always number one. The momentum I felt at the pop up subsides until the next one.

This is the cycle that I have been stuck in for the past few months and where the cliche of “watering the plant” enters. The more I stay focused and make progress on my goals, the more growth I will achieve. It really can be that simple. On the flip side, I also have learned that time and every step I take inevitably creates perspective. At my July pop up, I ran out of the merchandise because the demand was so strong. That had never happened before and I was clicking my heels with joy! The combination of the venue, the time of year, the audience demographic, and my merchandise all meshed the way it was supposed to. I definitely am taking that nugget of success and using it to tailor my approach with these events going forward. See? Perspective!

*pop up prep at home - it is a lot of work and can be messy :)*

Another topic I have been thinking about is brand identity. This is a repeat topic for my regular readers! :) For those who are new, I started Spruce Lane in 2017 as a blog about boutiques in Philadelphia. When I launched Spruce Lane Shoppe in 2023, I did so with the mindset as if I was opening a brick and mortar shoppe. I bought a slew of merchandise that spoke to me creatively and evoked the brand values that I wanted to convey: small batch, coastal, locally made, community driven. While all of those values are still important to me, I’ve learned that selling online vs. in person are two different realms. Certain things are an easier sell online, while others are better suited when they can be seen, touched, or smelled. Shopping can be a full sensory experience! With that being said, I still have merchandise that I bought when I launched almost a year ago, which isn’t great.

Recently I had an epiphany that I’m still a blogger who now sells things. While I would love to have a physical location down the road, I want to be realistic with my buying decisions and strategize for where I am at today. I’m not a full blown shoppe just yet so I need to tailor my assortment and budget accordingly. Perhaps that means focusing on selling a few things really well, rather than carrying a wide array of things that don’t resonate across both sales channels. In tandem with a new buying approach, I would love to introduce a service element to Spruce Lane in the form of photography. If I’m not buying as much merchandise going forward, I can still support independent makers with their marketing efforts. If you like this idea and want to collaborate, please let me know! As I mentioned before, we have our favorite and not so favorite parts of business. Photography and creative marketing are my favorites.

Ok so that’s a lot of biz talk to digest. Thank you for indulging because I have had a lot on my mind these past few months and it is helpful to put all the thoughts into words here! Now that I’ve done proper reflecting, my next focus will be setting positive intentions for the future. Maybe that will be the topic of next month’s post! Personally, life has been a bit cray-cray, as the kids say! To recap:

My husband and I attended a bunch of weddings in the PA area so were back & forth a lot this summer
I got COVID for the second time - it knocked me out for a solid two weeks
I learned that a 22-lot development was being built directly behind our home
I witnessed the deforestation of nearly 10 acres of land due to said development and cried a lot during that period of time
We adopted a schnoodle (schnauzer-poodle) named Bella who has been a real sweetheart and big sister to Luigi
I continue to manage 2 additional freelance jobs involving wedding planning and social media management and it’s busy season for both
We are preparing to do more house projects this fall, including re-establishing our privacy out back and enclosing our porch space

Up until this year, I would always feel sad about the summer ending because it meant I wouldn’t see the ocean for a long time. Now I am more excited for fall than ever. I get the “local’s summer” idea, where the weather is still gorgeous but crowds dissipate and things start to slow down. I feel really lucky to be close to the water because it is always healing to me, no matter what season it is. Somehow it has already been 1 full year of living here and despite some of the challenges we’ve encountered, I really have loved it. I feel grateful for my surroundings and the community I have been fortunate enough to build! Time is a thief, right? It’s hard to juggle lots of priorities so give yourself grace and enjoy the ride! I like that note to end on for this month. Hopefully I’ll get around to blogging sooner in September.

Until then have a fantastic end to the summer, friends! <3

August - Better Late Than Never!

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