blog posts

I have to say, it’s been kinda fun. THREADS, the new *conversation* app from Meta that blew into our social world on July 5th, has been fun to explore. Now, I’m someone who admittedly ISN’T on the cusp of all that is new and techy. The fact that I got onto it on the first […]

Sometimes, to grow your business, you need to take a step back… As business owners, we easily get caught up in those mundane tasks we need to do to keep our business working. But when you’re in the trenches of your business, day after day, it can be hard to see the bigger picture. But […]

So, what exactly is procrastination paralysis? It’s usually when you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious about starting/finishing tasks, that often results in delays (or even avoidance) of taking any action. It can affect your overall productivity/progress, and even lead to missed opportunities. And yes, increased levels of stress, frustration and guilt are usually included. Sound familiar? […]

The Rested Entrepreneur. Is it a mystical creature or does it actually exist in real life?! Haha, yup they really do exist! I know I’ve been talking about rest a lot lately and for a good reason – when you’ve been in business for as long as I have (30+ years!) I’ve learned a thing […]

It’s not you… Has this ever happened to you – a customer comes into your store or booth, looks around for a while and then when you ask them if they have any questions, they say “no thanks” or even a “there’s nothing here for me”?! Ugh. Customer rejection can feel like a gut punch […]

Every year, for 4 years in a row, I would faint at work. It was always the second week of December, usually on a busy Saturday. And every year, the firemen would come to resuscitate me. The third time the firemen came, a couple of them recognized me from the year before. Didn’t this happen […]

REST for entrepreneurs. Is that even a thing? I think rest gets a bad rap from us entrepreneurs – we seem to see it as a sign of weakness or some sort of luxury that we simply can’t afford. Do you find that small business life gets to be a bit much some days and […]

A lightbulb customer is someone who gives you a moment of sudden inspiration or realization. In the early years of Essential Packaging, circa 1995, all of our packaging products came in cases of various quantities. For our first Christmas, we brought in this line of matching gift bags and boxes in assorted holiday patterns. But they […]

Ah yes, the early days when you started your small business… For some of you it might’ve been during the pandemic. For others, it’s been a long time, even years. No matter the timeline, think about when you FIRST started… It was pretty exciting, right? Maybe it started as a hobby and then family/friends started […]

Real world small business experience is pure gold. Back when my husband and I started our first company, Essential Packaging, small business wasn’t ANYTHING like what it is today. We simply didn’t have the same support and resources that are now easily available almost anywhere. When we started in 1995, you couldn’t Google marketing strategies, […]