For the past 5 years I've thrifted, picked, hunted, liquidated, painted, up cycled and sold out of my little shop. I've enjoyed every single second of it, but something has changed! My desire hasn't changed, my world has changed, THE world has changed!
About 9 months ago I developed a spine injury, diagnosed with degenerative disc disorder at 38 years old. Throw in a global pandemic and voila, recipe for small business disaster! Well, I'm stubborn, I'm stubborn and driven and come Hell or High Water I'm determined for my small business to survive this. Its been my only source of income for 5 years, this has to work....I cant go wait tables or be a cashier and mop floors at someone else's business, not with shattered spinal discs and this chronic pain and the 2 surgeries I'm facing to put myself back together again! I am still able to do the things I've always done, it just takes me a week now to do what I used to do in a day or 2, things have just changed! But I'm also extremely blessed! I can still walk and stand, I have a great team of doctors that have made the pain manageable and are currently creating my treatment plan for my first surgery. I was also able to acquire health insurance this year, My spouse, my 22 year old daughter, my mom and my entire family and my friends are helping me, I AM BLESSED! I am facing surgery #1 soon, their going to go in and remove the broken spinal disc fragments that are tapping on my nerves and causing the pain and my inability to move in certain ways. After this first surgery the hope is I will be out of pain and will be able to start loosing this weight so surgery #2 can be performed, and I'm a chunky monkey, need to loose a 100 pounds, won't be easy, but must be done! Back to business, what's next? I realized that after 5-6 years I have acquired some skills, learned techniques for painting and creating beautiful things, making undesirable objects desirable and valuable again. I spent the entire pandemic teaching myself to sell online, photograph, stage, and securely pack and ship items. I've been taken out of my comfort zone, but its working! I've paid the rent on my store and kept the lights on through all of this, God is good, he has provided! He has provided me with strength and the ability to do things (even with my broken spine), he has sent me customers! As I prepare for this surgery and the many weeks even months of recovery how do I continue to pay the rent, keep the lights on? I have no employees to run this for me, do all the things I must do, I have no savings or capital, what I did have the pandemic or spine injury took away over time!
CLASSES!!!! I can teach classes! I can teach classes on sign making, furniture refinishing, heck I can even teach classes on selling on Ebay or Etsy, how to properly take the photos and the packing and shipping process! I have knowledge, I'm a Dixie Belle Chalk Paint retailer and have access to the greatest paint and other products needed for success, I have the space for classes...I have everything I need to make this work! I can sit at a table and teach while I recover from my surgery, pay my bills and keep moving forward! This is it Ya'll, I'm Starting a New Adventure! I will continue too acquire new inventory, paint my furniture and do what I've always done, the things I love to do, but I'll also be teaching classes. I love each and every one of you and thank you for your support and business all these years and pray for many more to come! XOXO-Tiffany