Hey guys,
First of all, thank you for taking time to read our blogposts every week. To be honest with you, both Huda and I are not natural writers or speakers (we rather draw!) but we realise the importance of penning down our thoughts as a documentation of our journey. We now feel comfortable sharing our highs and lows and our real sides on what goes behind the brand (not just fancy photos on instagram).
Speaking of which, in today's blogpost, I'm gonna get REAL and I'd like to talk about the realities of running an online business (Lully Selb) while being a stay home mom. (with NO helper).
To many working/moms - this is IDEAL. I can get to dictate my own time, be home with my kid(s) and get a side income. I can get up whenever I want, work whenever I can and basically Not be answerable to anyone. To a certain extent, yes you're right. But the struggles are VERY real and different from working moms.
Let me break it down for you;
1) I can't get up anytime - I have to be up early to do all the housework and cooking, before getting into my work.
2) Though I am with Iman at home, sometimes I don't feel present. She is watching TV while I'm doing work or just roaming around.
3) And when I want to spend time with her, I just can't do much work. To make things worse, she isn't a good sleeper/napper. So when I don't get work (think of new ideas, create content, reply emails), no sales come in. NO sales means no income. Good? I don't think so.
Despite all the frustrations and feeling exhausted every single day, I am thankful that 2018 was the most profitable year for Lully Selb, Alhamdulillah! I just closed the accounts and guess what, we reached our sales target and our goals of reaching 100 VIPs. Super super proud of ourselves for pulling though. It was tough, rough and some days I cried so badly, feeling like I shouldn't have started all these.
Did a little reflection of the year and I realised how important is it to have a GOAL, a PLAN and stick through it NO matter what happens, HOW your body is going nuts and keep reminding yourself WHY you are doing this.
In early 2018, we had about 35 Vips, and we set a stretched goal for ourselves - 100. I wrote it down, visualised it and every month, we did a check. There were some months we had 0 and was so disheartened, but we kept trying other strategies and kept going.
We did 9 pop ups, plus 1 Fashion Show. We also had an art exhibition with our BE art collective. And I had to bring Iman along at most of the events. It was so TIRING, DRAINING, but I kept telling myself to be strong and that I will make it at the end of the day.
Here are some shots that I managed to capture.
BTS Eid Collection - The Modern Malay Women
Meeting with Sarah and Nour Tagouri - my first time bringing Iman out alone! Coz I wanted to meet them so badly!
During holiday, I have to make sure I pack my new launches and take some good shots for our content. And here with Iman, always.
At pop ups, in between talking to friends, customers and carrying Iman.
On top of that, I also started another business - Rainbow Box Art. Doing work and producing the video at home. Thank god for supportive team. (This is my other passion, my believe in children going through art in their early years.)
If I were to describe 2018 it was INSANE. But I never regretted anything, mistakes I learnt and the small wins I celebrated (like finishing 4 out of 5 tasks) for that day.
Wouldn't be possible without a partner like Huda aka Lully. She is so flexible in our working style as first year of motherhood was very demanding. She would carry Iman in between our meetings and always ready for a discussion when an idea popped up.
Of course, having a SUPER SUPPORTIVE spouse tops it up!
My husband is totally supportive and allows me to use our home to do all my crazy photoshoots, gatherings, meet ups, etc. He'll be the one I share ideas with, cheer me on when I'm down and get me back on track when I'm lost. Though he thought getting 100 subscribers was quite impossible, I kinda made it a point to prove him wrong! Heheeh, Love you Mr husband!
And if there's 1 take away from last year - its PERSEVERANCE. I persevered so much because I set specific goals for myself. I still remember writing in my planner 'To reach 100 subscribers.' and often looked month to month, making sure I was on track.
And even in my Instagram, I actually had a mantra word which was FOCUS. Coz I told myself, whatever it is I wanna FOCUS on reaching my goal.
You may think its a trivial to write down your goal, but for me it set the tone for the whole year. We often set targets in our head but if you do not pen down your goals on paper, your brain will not have the discipline to follow through. It is the power of writing. Otherwise, along the way we tend to wonder off due to distractions or simple being unmotivated.
Let's make this year meaningful and productive.
Do you have a burning desire to achieve something this year? Come on, challenge yourself and make this year COUNT.
I'd like to invite you to our first workshop where you'll meet my good friend Dr Fatema who is a doctor, dietian and health coach. Being a master of habits and routines, you'll learn how to goal set and other useful actionable tips to start the year right.
After the hard (lots of thinking) part, we're going through a creative process. Learn some wax cracking effect and best part is you're going to write/draw your mantra.
This is mine and Huda's collectively for Lully Selb this year. NO CHANGE NO GROWTH.
We have 2 more spots left! Pls whatsapp me at 93852142 if you're keen.
Thank you and I really look forward to seeing you!
Love,
Selb
Leave a comment