I Stand Alone Today

Well, not fully alone...I'm still heavily supported by eBay, but I'm working on that. Someday I can cut that umbilical cord for good.

But for the most part, as of today, I stand alone. One small girl with an armada of sewing machines and new online store. While I love the idea of it, the reality is that it's freaking the shit out of me...hahah. What's funny is when I started this business almost two years ago, the thought of listing on eBay freaked the shit out of me. I'm such a total nut...Before I started listing on eBay, I made like I don't know how many corsets, and sent them to like I don't know how many friends, and begged them to tell me if my work was good enough for someone to actually spend hard-earned money on. Because I'd never sewn professionally before, just for myself and family. Sewing professionally is a WHOLE other ballgame, because people come in every shape and size, and they expect when they give a professional seamstress their measurements, the final product will fit, and will be comfortable, and will hang right...and will be PERFECT. And I desperately needed validation from others that my skills were up to that challenge. Yeah, I was a little freaked out, so everyone I knew got free corsets ;)

In the beginning, eBay was the perfect venue to show my work, and it has gone suprisingly well. I've been blessed with an awesome client base and a fairly successful run ~ this is my 16th month as a powerseller ~ and I really can't ask for more, although I often do...

Well, times change, and I've come to the realization that listing full time on eBay has really outlived its usefulness. I have very specific goals and objectives for aNGrYGiRL Gear, and simply auctioning off premade items on eBay and hoping for bids is no longer helping me to attain those goals. In fact, listing on eBay full time has almost become a handicap to achieving the goals and dreams I have for aNGrYGiRL Gear. I've been nursing this powerseller status...not wanting to let go of it like its some rare treasure or some sort of symbolism of the worth and value of my work...and all the time I've devoted to working to keep that status has kept me from exploring other opportunities ~ because keeping powerseller status is a FULL TIME JOB. I haven't had time to explore new design ideas (oh and I HAVE them....tons of them...some really really good ones....) or work on promoting my *Design Your Own* concept, or even something as painfully simple as offering straight jackets and hoodies for men, because all I have time to do is create and list more items for eBay...

Feeding the machine. Its a vicious circle...a catch 22...

And that is why I stand alone today. It's time to reduce my presence on eBay, and start to work towards achieving those goals and objectives. Yeah, I still have to rely on eBay for advertising; thus I will still be listing a few items, but only in support of my new online store. My intention is to auction 1 or 2 items a week on eBay, list any other items I have time to make in my online store for immediate purchase, and start to concentrate on what I find to be the most interesting and challenging aspect of this business: customer commissioned pieces. Some of the ideas y'all come up with just blow my mind away...and are technically challenging too, which is great because I need to be challenged constantly. Also, I find nothing is as gratifying as bringing a client's vision to reality. When "Hey, I have an idea for a jacket..." turns into "OMFG this jacket is unbelievable"....THAT makes my day. That makes me want to come home at night after a fucking LONG day of work and sew some more.

I know this change of direction won't bring overnight success with it (but wouldn't that be nice if it did?). I have a lot of work to do in the next 6 months to develop an advertising plan, get my name and my work out there, and begin to establish a client base that extends beyond the bounds of eBay. And I know I can do that. It just won't happen overnight and I can accept that. But there's nothing that says I can't be freaked to shit about it nonetheless ;)

Thanks to everyone for your continued support. I promise I won't disappoint :)