We are just about two weeks into the new year, and I've been sitting on this list of "things I learned in 2017" for a while. I've been dwelling on all the things I did wrong, and all the things I wish I had done differently, and all the things that I wish I had known before quitting my job to launch my business full time. And in the end, I had this laundry list of debbie downers and found myself coping with it all by curling up in a ball and looking at fried food recipes on Pinterest.

The pain and lonliness has to happen because when you are in the deep depths of depression with no self worth, bleeding cash, and wondering if what you make is good enough, and if quitting your job was about the worst idea you've ever had....wellp, the only place to go is up.  

Here are my top 3 things I learned in 2017 (in random order). If you want to see the long list, let's grab a drink and some nachos and we can go all night!

• Grit is Everything- If you don't have this...just pack your bags and get out. Owning a business means working longer hours, for way way WAY less money (or no money at all if you are like me, investing every cent back into it). It's like running on treadmill for days on end- you are moving at suicide pace, but the scenery never changes. The biggest thing to building your grit is to work hard, AND work smart. Having passion isn't enough and I'm learning this very harsh lesson.
• You don't know what you don't know- Sounds simple right? But despite how much planning I did on any one project, I came across every hurdle imaginable, big and small, foreseeable and not. But stay focused (see first bullet point) and roll with the punches because I can already tell that thigns don't get easier, the problems are just more complex.  
• Self-Care is everything-  For me, self-care and my own personal therapy comes in the form of having and creating experiences that are meaningful to me. I took more vacations and logged more travel hours this year than ever. And it's not because im flushed with cash, but it's because I fucking needed it. Vacations aren't just about doing fun shit, spending money, and being waited on hand and foot. On the contrary. For me, it's about stripping down from the luxuries of real life, reconnecting with my husband, friends, and loved ones. It's about rolling around in the dirt with my dogs. But above all else, it's about reconnecting with myself. It pays off for the business not just in my own sanity, but in how it inspires me and directly impacts my product, my collections and my artwork. Just like my manifesto says...

What does 2018 hold for me and for bobo? We'll just have to wait and see!  

Hugs and High Fives!