The evening of December 31st I opened a fortune cookie.
What is strangely coincidental was 1 hour prior to opening that cookie the Mr. and I officially sold our vintage shop The Old Flamingo.
You may have noticed that this blog has been pretty quiet for the past year. Turns out, running your own business takes you off the map.
Let me recap: May of 2016 my husband and I turned our hobby of flipping furniture in a full fledged business by purchasing The Old Flamingo vintage shop. The Flamingo was an existing shop that opened 2011 and was started by different owners who retired in 2016. We took it over and attempted to put our stamp on it. Picking was like treasure hunting for home decor gold for me. There was a thrill in the hunt. I liked to think of it as rescuing pieces that needed a new life in someone else’s home. Staging those pieces was like “playing house” for other people. Putting vignette’s together…it was all play. An hour felt like a minute and I loved it.
What I thought was going to be my career…well it just wasn’t.
(For now at least).
65% of owning the shop was pure fun. The other 35% nearly did me in.
Owning your own business it tough.
Not just tough, it’s dang hard.
I knew it would be a challenge but I could never achieve balance and became spread thin. You don’t realize how life changing owning a business is until you do it. Things in my life started to suffer…my family, my health, my spirituality, my psyche, my relationships, my sleep, my world. Trying to juggle store ownership with a husband who still had a full time other job, raising a family, managing a household, trying to take care of myself, trying to attend to the needs of everyone else, etc. always left me 10 steps behind. I felt like I was constantly trying to play catch up. Being open 7 days a week took a toll. Even when I wasn’t at the shop it took up mental space in my brain that never turned off.
You don’t own the business. The business owns you.
After 1 yr, 9 mo+ we just couldn’t continue on at that pace and knew we needed to let go.
Do I have regret?
I’ve decided that not all ventures end with you being soul mates. In the end I learned valuable lessons. Lessons I could have only learned from taking the leap.
Yes, I’m a hot mess coming out of it but I’m also a different person. Stronger. More focused on where my path lies.
If we didn’t do the business I would’ve have always wondered. I’m really good at would-a, could-a, should-a. But the lessons…you just can’t put a price tag on those. No doubt, I feel a twinge of anxiety looking back on the past almost 2 years and there will always be mixed emotions, mistakes, lessons, joy, friendships, creative exploration but in the end…
So, what’s next?
For now I need to do some yoga. Mediate. Take myself to an afternoon movie. Eat a salad. Clean my house. Pray. Re-group. Re-center. Plan my next move.
A step back is needed right now but I know myself.
My need to create is just as strong as my need for air. I want to get back to beautifying my world. I want to be a present mother. I want to cook healthy meals for my family. I want my home to be organized. I want to make my bed in the morning. I want to create beautiful and unique spaces. I want to be proactive and not reactive. I want a successful and financially rewarding career to work in unison with our lives not against it.
I took a detour. Made a huge leap. Got an education. Learned some lessons. Made some friends.
Got in touch with what I don’t want so I can hopefully be more in touch with what I do want.
I’m back.
Stay tuned.
“When one door closes, another one opens…”
Here we go.
Take two.
The great news is that The Old Flamingo still lives on. New owners took over (one also named Michelle) who will make it even better. So continue to support small business. Enjoy the gem of Millcreek. Thank you to all who supported my husband and I while we were there. It was a fun and wild ride.
Hey there! I’m Michelle; I’m an Passionate DIY’er and in constant pursuit of how to bring beauty to my house full of men (3 boys + 1 hubby). Stick around and see what I’ve got up my hard-working sleaves!
You are amazing Michelle!
Thank you Heidi. I really appreciate that. Much love to you and your family. xoxo
I’m so happy for you, that you had the courage to turn around. I ran a small business for one summer (took it over for a friend who had moved and was hoping to sell the business to me, but I wanted a trial run first). I came out of it feeling exactly as you described, and my stint was only about five months. I’m looking forward to seeing where your path leads!
You don’t realize how life changing on every level running a business is until you do it. You were smart to do a “trial run” before fully committing. Smart cookie. Here’s to moving on with experience under our belts to new paths!
My Dad owned several businesses and my husband and I worked for him. After seeing all that was involved, we determined that we never wanted to own a business – we were more suited to work 9 to 5 at something we (pretty much) enjoyed, and then live our lives the rest of the time. It took great courage for you to make the leap and as you said, the lessons learned and the experience gained will be helpful in the next steps of your life. Enjoy a time of “smelling the roses.”
Thanks Dyan for your support. Owning a business is work for sure. I’m so grateful for the experiences and lessons but had to come to terms with it just not being the right season. Off to smell the roses and do some soul searching. 🙂
Well said Michelle. I am excited to see what’s next for you. You are such a talent!
Thank you Jane. I appreciate your words of encouragement!
You can be so proud you took the chance. It’s ok to let go and move forward, to take time to refresh yourself. Selfishly, I’m glad. I’ve missed you and your blog!
Thank you Cecilia! Change is scary but good. I’m looking forward to getting back to blogging! It’s been a while! 🙂
During your tenure as owner, I bought several pieces at the Old Flamingo. I will continue to shop there! Best of luck in your new beginnings!
Thank you for your support! Appreciate you and your best wishes.
🙂
MIchelle-
SO glad you were able to experience owning a very demanding business AND make the hard decision that it was not the best fit for your family. Selfishly- I am super happy you will be back to blogging more and sharing your incredible talent with the rest of the web. Anxious to see what GOD brings to your next chapter.
A fan IN Oregon.
Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer. I appreciate your support. I’m anxious to open the next door! 🙂
Oh, how I’ve missed you!! I’m sorry that this took its toll on you. I know you will regroup and be back to YOU soon and I am looking forward to it!
Thank you Susie. It will be good to be back. Looking forward to getting back to making some beautiful spaces once again! XOXO
I stumbled on this, much like your fortune cookie. I have “retired” (meaning left a day job) to fully run a hobby, my soap business. I can say it was so much more fun as a hobby and now I keep looking for the joy. When it becomes a business, more than a few fun words get swept in the bin. Your words touched my heart. Thank you for your honesty and I hope you get your joy back!
Thanks Cyd. Right now I need to take inventory of my health, family, self. It’s been feeling good to take a time out to re-calibrate. Get my life organized so I’m prepared for the next door to open. Thank you for your kind words.
Best, Michelle 🙂