If you had told me 3 years ago that I would be running multiple separate online projects including 2 e-commerce shops on two different platforms, a self-built WordPress blog site, a coaching website, writing consistently for Medium, building a web app with an AI powered assistant for single mothers, steadily doing graphic design and building two very well organized and thought out brands, I would have probably laughed you out of the room.
When I had started down this road to build a better life for myself and my kids, I hardly knew much more than how to Google something, use maps for GPS and had a pitiful Facebook page that I used strictly for people I knew personally. TikTok was not something I used at all and YouTube was only on my devices so my kids could watch cartoons while I shopped at the grocery store or did laundry. I had no idea what a following was for on social media, had never even attempted to use Instagram and building a website was the equivalent to rebuilding a Hemi-motor blindfolded.
I had spent years of my life getting up early, leaving my home while my kids slept and coming home some 15+ hours later to them back asleep again. Rinse and Repeat day after endless day. I was working to take care of the people I loved the most but missing every single important moment of their lives and never getting to tell them how much I missed them most days. I just could not continue this life any longer. I made a vow to start making changes towards a better life for them.
One night, I had gotten home just before my 2 year old daughters eyes started to get heavy and close for the night and while I laid there with her basking in the few moments I had to snuggle her up before sleep, I made her a promise. I told her just how much I truly missed her and I was so sorry I was missing everything with her. I whispered to her as her eyes took their final few blinks that I was going to find a way to make us rich. I know, I know. Kinda far fetched and unlikely but I wanted to at least make us comfortable and give us more time together doing things that we all enjoyed. I wanted to be able to work from home or wherever we were travelling and show my kids the places in this world that I would never be able to, working a normal 9-5.
I wanted to not ever have to worry again about how to feed them or where I would get the money to buy them clothes for school. I wanted to be able to afford to give them everything I felt they deserved because up to that point I barely kept our power on and hardly kept enough food in the house. I felt like a total failure despite working 12-15 hour days and being completely exhausted most days. I honestly didn't even think she had heard me when I told her my promise that night but to my surprise she did. I had told my whole family my plan along the way and the only one who still to this day has faith in me, is her.
My daughter has been steadfast in her belief that I am going to make us rich and that mom is going to change our lives. She has been my rock, my cheerleader and my biggest driving force for all the things I've taught myself in the last 3 years. I am really no closer in terms of my bank balances to being rich today than I was then but I have learned an unbelievable amount of information that I know is getting me closer to my goal. I have two strong brands going live online selling my hand designed products in my Etsy shop Earthly Odditees and a very curated collection of plant products in my Shopify store Grim Bloom. Not to mention a strong TikTok page and Instagram following and blog website the Unearthly Apothecary that carries the plant wisdom from my products at the Earthly Odditees shop into articles I write from time to time. These are only a few of the online projects that I maintain everyday in my attempt to keep my promise to her.
I keep learning new things every single day and try new ventures all the time hoping that one of them will eventually take off and I will be able to meet her when she gets off her bus one day to say, "Guess what sissy, Mom finally did it!" I would sure hate to let her down but if nothing else I've taught her what persistence and perseverance can do and when you have a dream that nothing can stop you from making it come true. If you like plants, botanical products, tarot with a witchy apothecary twist or are just a big garden lover, check out my shops on shopify at Grim Bloom or the Earthly Odditees store on Etsy and see if there's something there you cant live without. Maybe you'll be the one that gets our shop out there and makes our dream life come true. Either way your support would mean the world to us.
Nothing is impossible when we put in motion our ability to believe in ourselves and just take the first step forward