How To Get Unstuck In Your Creative Biz

On this episode of She's Crafted to Thrive, our guest is Rachel. She is a jewelry maker and designer based out of San Diego, California. And ladies, this conversation is so, so true for me. I think if you guys listen to my last episode with Krystalyn, you'll hear that I hate the feeling of being stuck, but stuck happens. And in this episode, that's what we're talking about. Rachel will share her own experience with feeling stuck and how she's moving through it, how she's flourish through it, and also some steps along the way of how to grow your jewelry business or any type of business, creative or handmade, and working with boutiques as well. And there's so many other good goodies in this little episode, so stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive. I'm your host Nikita Williams, and this show is for all the ladies who are making and creating things that they love. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and harmony. As women, we have the skill of getting things done, but sometimes we get in our own way. It's here where you'll see that you're not alone. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection. Fear and negative thoughts and challenges are all a part of the journey. And on this podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business that thrives. I'm so excited to have Rachel on today, you guys.. And I was so happy to meet Ms. Rachel and I'm so excited for you guys to hear a little bit about her story. And I'm going to let her tell us a little bit about herself.

Thank you so much, Nikita Williams. So yeah, we connected over on Instagram through Jasmine Starr's live video, which was awesome. And I'm so glad we connected. I love meeting other women that are in business and creative fields, and I'm really excited to get to chat with you today.

Yeah, I am too. It's like you had a similar experience like a couple of weeks later with her. And that was kind of like, for me, I was like, oh, I got to have her on the show because first of all, I mean, like, not everybody gets on with Jasmine Starr. And second, I just loved how open and honest you were on the question that you were asking. And I just feel like that's kind of like my whole thing with She's Crafted to Thrive, really just women feeling free and sharing their fears, but also like, keep going, like, don't stop, but keep going. And so I feel like that kind of encompasses a little bit about you and your story. So first, tell us how you came to be where you are, what you currently are doing right now.

Yeah, definitely. So I have a jewelry business. It's called Rachel Kepler Designs, and I've been doing this for about 5 years now. I started in college, and I can tell you a little bit how I started. So I wanted to create a piece of jewelry for my cousin who had passed away. He was blind and we used to write each other letters and he would write me letters in Braille and his teacher would translate them for me. So those were really special to me and he passed away later on while I was in college. I wanted to kind of make a piece that would remind me of him and remind me of what I wanted to focus on, which was the the word joyful. So I found the word joyful in Braille and got all the tools I needed from Ace Hardware and punched out in Braille a piece of metal and made it into a necklace. And then I kind of just fell in love with making jewelry after that. So I discovered Hobby Lobby, I discovered all the jewelry supplies in the world and kept on going from there. And it turned into this business because I made a few pieces and brought them into a local boutique and she said she would sell them. And I loved the idea of being able to sell what I was creating. So now fast forward 5 years later, that's what I'm doing full-time is my jewelry business. And I love being able to create pieces for people that are special and unique just to them. I love making custom pieces and just having that freedom to be creative is awesome.

What I love so much about creative entrepreneurs is just the fact that you guys create these beautiful things that mean so much to you and then other people buy it because they're attached to it or they like it. But I love when an artist is able to share why they began, why they started it and that piece is so meaningful to them. So you were saying before that you lost your cousin and you started creating Braille, was the jewelry you started to sell Braille or did it like, did it kind of just like morph into being more of something else?

No, yes, that was the only— I only made two Braille pieces, one for me to wear and then one that I kind of mounted onto this painting, this picture frame of a painting of my cousin and I gave it to my aunt and uncle. So those were the only Braille pieces I made, but it sparked that whole creativity into making more jewelry. So after that, I just started making— actually, I did letter stamping. So I would write words like hope and joy and love. And that was the very beginning of my business, was letter stamping. And then it moved into more fun accessorizing and just little design pieces that were more of just a fashion statement and beautiful pieces to wear. Every day.

That is pretty cool. That, like, I mean, it's just cool. Like, you know, you started to do something that was just really to help you kind of grieve. I'm assuming to help you kind of grieve through what you were going through. And then it's like, hey, I like doing this. You were in school, weren't you, when you started doing the— when you started creating jewelry?

Yeah. So I was in my dorm room. It was just this tiny 10-foot by 10-foot room that I shared with my roommate. And I would just spread out all my stuff on the floor and create things. And she was an artist as well, so she was super supportive. And it was, it was a great space to get away from school and just kind of clear my mind and create. So yeah, I started it, I think it was, I don't know, my sophomore year of college. Yes.

Were you in school for jewelry making or were you doing something else? Or—

I was in school for journalism. I wanted to do broadcast journalism. And once I started making jewelry, I discovered you could go to school for jewelry. So hey, why not? My journalism teachers sat us all down one day in the auditorium and they were like, hey, heads up, journalism is dying. And you guys need to know that if you want to be in journalism, you're only going to, you know, you're going to be making next to nothing. And it was kind of just this like, 'Are you in it because you love it, or do you want to do something else?' Oh wow. I was like, 'Okay.' So, um, I was like, 'First of all, they say the same thing about artists, so might as well.' Exactly, exactly. Yeah, so I switched over to studio art, and they had a jewelry program, and I learned metalworking and stone setting and all sorts of fun things once I was in the jewelry program. And I finished up my college degree in metals and jewelry.

That's so cool. I didn't know you can go to school for jewelry making either. I just, I always feel like most jewelry makers, like, they just kind of like, like you said, they started off for a reason, like just kind of a hobby or a release from whatever they were going through. And then it grew to being like something else that not so many people go to school for, like jewelry making. So that's kind of cool.

Yeah, it was awesome. I was super excited when I found out about the program. I think I was one of the only people that had that as my sole major. Most people had a second major and I was just one of the only people who's like just metals and jewelry, just going for it.

Oh wow.

Yeah.

So while you've been doing this, you've been doing this for 5 years. So first of all, congratulations because most creative entrepreneurs get to year 2 or 3 and they're like, what the heck am I doing? I'm done.

Goodbye.

Like, like, you know, they really do get to that place where they just feel like I can't, I can't do this anymore. So what has helped you kind of so far? What has helped you to get to 3 years? I mean, 5 years.

So yeah, I know that feeling. I think having my family and my husband support me 100% in that creative field is, is really, that's really been the biggest thing because you do need a lot of support, um, whether it's from your friends or your family or your significant other. Because it's, it's a lot of, there's a lot of alone time. There's a lot of just relying on yourself to be self-motivated and to do all the right things to get your business successful. I think you don't realize how much you have to figure out on your own. So having that support system has been really helpful for me. And then also just being open and honest about where I'm at. Like if I'm struggling, if I'm in a rut, if I am feeling not creative, I usually tell people because that's where the help starts. You know, people are always able to help build me up and give me some piece of advice or some type of support to just help me get going again.

Yeah, I think that's so wonderful to accept like where you are and to tell people, look, I'm not there. Like, I'm just not in that spot right now. So I need some help or I need some inspiration or Or I just need time, you know, to get to where you're going.

Yeah. And I think what I have been learning the most right now is when you're feeling stuck, just keep moving forward to some type of goal in the end. And whether it has to do with your business or your creative field or not, just to keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward towards something. And eventually I think the inspiration comes back from places you didn't expect. So for example, volunteering, that's something that I think is really important. And that's something that I'm kind of moving towards right now because I'm in this, this weird feeling of like, okay, I've been doing this for 5 years. Like I need, I need like fresh air, like new inspiration, motivation. And I need to get out of my head. I need to get out of myself and just thinking about what's gonna help me and what's good for me. And it's like, I need to get out of that mindset and move towards other people. And I think that that's been really good for me is to move towards that direction.

Have you ever felt stuck before? Like now, like I know when we were talking prior to the show, you were a few weeks ago, you were saying kind of feeling stuck. Have you ever felt like this prior to this moment in time, and what were some of the things that helped you kind of get through those times?

I feel like this has been the longest period of time that I have felt stuck, so I think that's been scary for me because usually it'll go for a week and I know that, you know, I'm gonna get that upswing right back the next week. So for right now, I've had a few things that have been helping me like continue to move through it. And for me, that is, I like to play worship music to get those words flowing through my head throughout the day. I like to also, I've been going to therapy and that's been really helpful to get my thoughts out, to start healing from other grief that I've been dealing with and loss. And I think grief and loss can put you in a this mindset that you think you'll never get out of, this feeling of stuck. Just doing those two things even have been really helpful. And then focusing on what I'm going to be doing for other people. So volunteering. So I think I can't, I can't even speak for what I've done in the past because it's never been for this long of a period of time.

Okay.

I'm almost kind of like figuring that out right now. And those things have actually made a difference in that.

Well, it's interesting you said something, and there's a quote, and I don't remember who says it or who said it. It could be unknown, it could be somebody really famous, but just know that I didn't make up this quote, you know, "You have to heal yourself before you can heal others." And I think it's kind of the same way with like creative space. Like, you have to like heal yourself so that you can create something, right? Like, you have to like—

if—

I mean, I think at some— at times grief and pain can birth something amazing. But then after that, what happens? You know, like, well, after that, what happens? So you have to move from the pain to the joy. So you have to move from that place of where you are to this new place of being okay with what has happened or what is affecting you and, and, you know, flourish from that place. And, um, I think it's great that you're starting— like, first you start with yourself, and I think spiritually that's a great place start. Like, that's just me personally. And I think, you know, then going to that piece of like, you know, let me get right with my mind and with my who I am and what's going on with me. And then helping, like then going out and being like, hey, I want to volunteer and help other people. And, you know, that will create a whole new place for your mind and creative juices to kind of feel free to let loose and kind of see things through someone else's eyes in a sense, I guess.

Yeah, exactly. And I think I have been having to almost look at it as like a sabbatical. I haven't— I've barely made any new, like, you know, huge advances, I guess, in my creativity in the past couple of months. And I think seeing that as, okay, well, this is my time to rest and this is my time to rebuild that energy inside of me and that just take a break. And I think just accepting that and being okay with that is really hard because it's my livelihood. I need my creative brain to be thriving and, you know, spewing out ideas. And I think it's really hard for someone who's creative to actually rest and actually take a break because your mind is always running in all sorts of directions. Everywhere. So I think that's been a huge lesson, and it's only making you stronger. And I think, I think the most beautiful things can come out of these types of trials and like these types of ruts and hardships, because if you really are, you really persevere and you really get through that, you become stronger and you have something beautiful to show in the end that you've made it through to the other side.

Yeah, totally agree with that. I totally agree with that. So you kind of touched on a question that I asked everyone is like, what kind of fears do they struggle with? And I can only imagine with your creative, like creativity, it's kind of like, I feel like, what was I watching the other day? I was watching Shark Tank with my husband at night. We were watching Shark Tank. I love that show. And there was this artist guy on there and he was like, we're watching like way earlier time. Like we're not watching anything up to date. Anyway, so there's this guy and he's like creating these pieces of jewelry, like this one-of-a-kind jewelry and stuff like this. And stupid crazy man, Mr. Wonderful, was like, well, what happens if you get hit by a bus? And I was like, oh my gosh, it's so horrible. Why would you say that? He's like, well, I'm just saying, like, what happens? Because then I don't have anything to sell. I don't have anything to whatever. So kind of to your point where you're saying like, yeah, it's my livelihood and I can't create right now. Like, that must be a hard thing, but you still have what you have done. Like, I still feel like as a creative person, you still— I mean, it's not like your jewelry that you did in the past is no good, by the way. It's gorgeous. Um, so how do you kind of feel about that? Like, how do you feel about like all the different things that go in your head? Good times, bad times. How do you deal with that?

So, well, first of all, to answer Mr. Wonderful, let me tell you Every single artist that has so-called gotten hit by a— not every single one, but like all the successful and most popular ones that we study in art history became famous after they died.

Right, exactly. I thought the same.

Well, let me tell you, Mr. Wonderful, your investment would go up. Okay, the value would go up. So I think, yeah, right now I really am relying on my past pieces. I'm selling what I already have created, and I've I'm selling, I have a ton of jewelry still in my collection that's available and ready to be sold. And I think that's kind of where I can fall back on is like, okay, maybe I don't need to have a new collection for the spring. Maybe I take a break and maybe I wait till the summer and I just kind of keep selling what I have because it is beautiful and it's finished. And moving forward, kind of, okay, I can take this time to just take a break and think about what I'm going to do for the summer or I mean, I don't think as far ahead as the fall and the winter, but, but, um, I think like for my mind to just like be, to get it back into that healthy mindset where I can be creative, make something, kind of get into that routine again of the business where it's like I can sell it again. I need to take that time for myself and I need to, whether it's go to therapy or figure out what I need to be investing my time into. I need to take that time for myself before I start back up again. Does that make sense? I feel like I just rambled a lot, but—

No, no, no, that makes sense. I think again, it's just to your point, like you were saying earlier, you have to take care of yourself. You have to, in order to keep creating something, you have to just— I mean, I think about it in a very like, so like Nikita way. I'm just going to be real. So I think about it like as like as women, we literally create life. And so, I mean, yeah, after you have a baby, you can't have a baby like tomorrow, the next day, like it's done. Like your body needs time to rest. Like your body needs however long that period is. I'm not really sure technically, but I know there's a scientific period of time where you can't be having another baby between when you just had it. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, like when you're creating something like that and you're constantly creating, you have to take that time to replenish yourself. And then it's a, you know, It's, um, it's also kind of a spiritual principle too, where it's like, you know, you can only give if you can only give so much until you replenish yourself. Like you can't just keep giving and giving, giving, because then you run out of fuel. Like, just like a car, you can put so much gas in the car, it gets to the end, it gets you to where you need to go. And then you got to put more gas in the tank like that. It's just principles of life. Right. So I do think that's to your point, it's really important to take this time to be stuck and then get unstuck, work through it. So I think that's a good point.

Yeah, I think it's okay to be stuck for a moment because you can't be 100% all the time. Just like you said, you got to take that time to refill your tank. And I totally feel that. My battery level, that's what I think in my head every day. What's my battery level today?

Yeah, exactly.

If I'm at 5%, I'm good for nothing right now. I need to just rest. I need to take a nap. And then come back to it because there's the— I have so much more potential than when I'm at 5%.

Exactly.

When I'm at, you know, when I'm at 90%, like, that's all I need. I just, you know, I can do so much more when I'm at my A-game. So, and that's what I want. I think, like, I want to be at that level when I'm creating. Otherwise, it's just— it becomes a chore, and that's That kind of ruins it. You don't want it to be a chore. May not be the best business practice. I am a very feelings-based person, but because of that, that's how I have to take care of myself.

Yeah, I love that. I love that. You said a lot of good stuff right there. Good stuff right there. So speaking of what you have currently out right now, like with your jewelry line, what is your process like when you start to design? Okay, first of all, I just learned this from someone who's another— she's a jewelry designer. I think I got this right. And she was telling me she like sketches out the specs and all that kind of stuff and she sends it off to wherever it's going to get like to get made. She doesn't physically make it. She sends it off, but she designed all the specs and all that kind of stuff and she sends it off. So are you a designer or are you like a designer and a maker and all of those things?

A little bit of both. So what I love to do is I find bits and pieces from all sorts of different places and I put them together. So I like to make pieces that I can assemble myself. Okay, but I may not be creating from the raw product, like the, the raw metal product, you know what I mean? Starting from the raw metal, but I am starting from like these different pieces that can be connected and created into one piece. Only my mind can, you know, be putting together. So I love that part because it's kind of like playing dress-up almost. Like, I don't know, as a kid I loved like Polly Pockets and Barbie and putting all the tiny little outfits together and like, you know, it's creating like this little ensemble. So For me, it's like getting all these bits and pieces and creating this final product that I came up with in my head. So I'm very— sometimes I'll plan, sometimes I will print out pictures and put them on a board with like this piece, this piece, and this piece are all going to go together once I get them. Sometimes I just order a bunch of stuff and see what happens once it gets here.

That's so cool. That's awesome. That sounds fun. Sounds like, um, it sounds like paint with numbers, you know, like when you have like the paint with numbers where you have to decide, like you have all these, it's already a beautiful composition and you have to pick the color to pick and you're like, oh, this looks so pretty. It sounds a little bit like that in my mind because I don't make jewelry, but I'm, I'm, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, it is. It's fun. I, um, I make another type of jewelry with pressed flowers that is super fun. That's kind of where like a lot of the custom pieces come into play. So I love doing these because you press flowers, whether, you know, people will send them to me from their wedding already pressed or from their grandma's garden. I had someone from Liverpool send me all these flowers from her grandmother's garden who had passed away, and we created 7 pieces for her family. So I put together these little compositions of flowers almost like bouquet-like compositions and then sealed them with resin inside of a pendant. And it's like frozen in time, these flowers. And those, those are really fun. So those are kind of more of like this involved process of like the resin is really sometimes difficult to work with, popping the bubbles, making sure there's no hairs in them and no dust, and just making this— making sure it's crystal clear. And then holding the composition of the flowers, the layout that I create in there. Sometimes they float around, and then the resin dries, and it's almost like this glass, like it's frozen inside of the resin. So those are my favorite pieces.

I think I saw you post, um, some pictures of those on Instagram, and I was like, those are so cool. I do think resin jewelry and art, it's just like beautiful, like it's gorgeous.

Yeah, yeah, those are so much fun. And the custom part of it is like the most meaningful because Having those keepsakes, like she, she was able to give to her cousins and her aunts and her mom and keep one or two for herself. I think it's really special to have that.

So in your jewelry business, have, have you, so did you start off doing like, like your planned launches and then you were, then you started to get asked to do like, um, commissioned work, or is this like something that you market separately?

Yeah, I kind of, I started making these ones when I lived in Chicago and I had some pressed flowers in a book from, from Montenegro. So they were from this far away place and I was like, I could just create something with these flowers and oh, he's so cool to do custom pieces. So I kind of started out with both, like right off the bat, like here are pieces that I've already made that you can buy and also you can purchase a custom piece and I'll make it with your flowers. And I think because I started out with my own flowers and I knew that they were special, that kind of sparked the idea of like, okay, this could be something that people could send me and I could make for them. So yeah, I started that a couple years ago and I've been making— I've made lots of custom pieces since then. I haven't counted, so I don't know how many, but lots of them.

How cool it is that it kind of started off, that kind of custom piece started off with you. Again, another piece of you designing something or creating something for your business started from something that you wanted. And I think that's kind of cool, which makes sense. Again, going back to what we were talking about before, why it's so important that you take the time to replenish yourself because you really do create from things that connect to you.

Yeah, definitely. I think You're making that connection for me. Like, I love that. I've never really thought of it that way. That's awesome.

So tell me a little bit about like how you've been marketing your business, like online, because I know a lot of people who make, you know, make jewelry or things like that. And first of all, let me say one of the coolest things that I think is when jewelry that you make ends up in other people's stores, because that's hard to do. I know sometimes like you have friends and family, you know, you kind of get the in, but how have you've been able to kind of branch out your business from just being like online and how do you market it online and how do you market it like offline?

Yeah, so for me, Instagram has been huge with marketing it online for my own website and then marketing it towards other boutiques and other businesses to sell. So a lot of the boutiques that I've sold my jewelry in, I've connected with through Instagram and either they found me or I found them and reached out and kind of created that relationship online first and then met in person. Um, or I met them in person first and showed them my Instagram because that's one of the easiest ways to get a visual of what my pieces look like. So Instagram has been huge for that. And then having a beautifully designed website, that was something that I invested in Earlier this year, well, actually it was over Thanksgiving, so I invested in a brand new website and that was the first time that I paid big bucks for somebody to do my website. Before that I was doing it, which is what you gotta do. Sometimes you gotta do it on your own and eventually pay someone to do it once you can.

That's how you stay in business for 5 years.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of things started out with me doing them or designing or creating whatever it is, whether it's the logo and the business cards, all that stuff, and then moving forward to having someone else design them. So that's been really fun to be able to pay someone to create something better than what I can do.

So I want to dig into a little bit deeper about what you were just saying about you, especially online, because I think most creative entrepreneurs don't really know how to do this well. And that's create those relationships with people on Instagram without meeting them physically and then create developing that relationship online and then meeting them in person and then they become a client or a customer or whatever. How, what is your process with that? How do you do that in your business?

Well, there's not really a specific process besides just going for it. A lot of times I will not reach out to a boutique because I think that they— there's no chance. And so by not reaching out to them, there is absolutely no chance. But, um, exactly. I've learned that a lot of times there's just— there's another person on the other side of it just like me who is running that account and whether it's emailing them or messaging them on Instagram. I think it's just that initial reaching out and being like, hey, I'd love to meet you in person and show you my stuff. And I love your boutique and kind of just being real, just being a human.

Yeah. I think it's not very formal.

No, I personally think it's better to not be formal when I'm as a creative person and reaching out to somebody else. I know that they're just another person like me. And so I don't need to be like, dear so-and-so, sincerely. I don't know. I'm a little bit more casual about it.

You know, that's a good point. I guess I never thought about— I cannot say this word— boutiques, and I will not edit that out on purpose. I never thought about it that way because they are more like, you know, they work with smaller size businesses in the creative entrepreneur space. So kind of like that corporate kind of approach is weird if you're coming to like share something with them about your jewelry all very corporatey and then you're like, I'm really just, you know, I'm a one-woman show and this is who I am. So I think it's— I like that because for me that's how I approach my business. Like in general, I'm very— I'm not too formal. There are some situations where I think you need to be formal about some things, but when you're getting to know someone or getting to kind of get your foot in the door, especially nowadays with Instagram and Facebook and Snapchat and Facebook and all these other things, you know, people kind of want to be like, are you a real person? You're not a robot. So I think that, I think I like so many automated. Yeah. Yeah. So I think it's so good that you're saying that. Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. It's like they want the person behind it. They don't want to copy and paste an automated message that's like, you know, it's not written specifically for them. So yeah, 100%. I think like you're right. Like if it was more of a corporate situation, like reaching out to a large company, there's a time and a place to be formal and professional to that level. But I think when it comes to small boutiques, my sister owns a boutique. I know how she relates to people and A lot of times, the more real and personal you can be, the better, because it feels just more relaxed and it feels like, oh yeah, like, I want to support this person.

So I have a question for you. Have you ever sent like your jewelry to like a boutique that you really would like to be in to someone and like, just like in hopes that they would like be interested?

No, I haven't. Somebody recommended that I do that. And I was like, I never even thought of that before. That's a good idea. I just never thought of it before.

Yeah, I think, I think, and you know why? I think I'm seeing that more often, like from influencers, like on Instagram and stuff like that. So it's like, it makes sense to me, like more because it's like, hey, I mean, how much, you know, you send them a line of whatever and hey, if they love it, great. If they don't, still great because you did something you weren't ready for or you thought you weren't ready for, but A lot of times people are really interested in what you send them, or even if it's just so that you can have that connection to that person, it's another connection to someone else and they might share it with someone else. You just never know. And so I think that's the new way of online networking. Like, if you are too scared to pick up the phone or send a message, just send them something. Just send them a little something and be like, hey, here you go. I hope you like it.

That's a great idea. I think that and a handwritten note can go a long way.

Yes, yes, for sure. So what are some tools that you're using in your business or that you've used in your business to help you get to like where you are? So like you said, you create your own logo and your own website and like, do you use anything particularly to run your shop online? Like what are some things like if, if someone is thinking of starting a jewelry business, what are some of the tools that have helped you in yours?

Yeah, so I started out using Squarespace and that was great for me in the beginning. Um, and I switched over to Shopify when I decided to pay somebody to create my website. And I've seen an increase in sales just by doing that switch. So I recommend that for sure. Um, and then I think what's also been really helpful is Tailwind for Pinterest. That's a great way to automate your Pinterest, um, get my stuff out there as well as other people's stuff out there and do it all at once and set up your Pinterest, you know, for the next 10, 20, 30 days to keep it active. And that's been really helpful for me. Another tool, well, I use like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for kind of my graphics more, it's a little more complicated, but an easier tool for people that aren't as experienced in Adobe would be Canva. So you can create graphics for your Instagram stories, for your Pinterest, your website, whatever that may be on Canva. And it's just like an easy graphic design tool that I love to use.

I love Canva. I'm like, when Canva came into my life, I think I was jumping for joy because I—

Yeah, it's so, it's so easier.

Yeah, I think when it came out, I was like thinking about getting my graphic design, like a certificate or something. And then Canva came out and it's like, why do I need to do that? Canva's here. Like, I love Canva.

Yeah, it's awesome. Love using Canva. And then for the business side of things, I use QuickBooks. And I hire an accountant for the rest of it, but I keep track of all my stuff in QuickBooks and then I can just export my profit and loss sheet, send it over to the accountant when I need to. But it's really a nice way to see all the financial stuff laid out easily. You can connect it to your bank account and it'll kind of automatically do it.

Awesome. So I have one last question for you.

What is—

I wouldn't say what is— what have been or what are some of the advice that you've gotten through this journey of 5 years of running a business? What are some of the things that you wish someone had told you sooner or you are just so thankful that they did tell you?

Yeah. So I think there's a couple of things. One, it can be lonely being an entrepreneur. Especially in a business where it's just me. So making sure to schedule that social time into your life because throughout the day, you know, I could go a whole day just being alone and that for me isn't healthy. So taking those coffee breaks or lunch breaks to spend with other people is really important and for me, it's, it's, it's not a waste of my time. It's, it's like building that energy back into me again. So that is really important. And then number 2, I think somebody told me that courage is not the lack of fear. Courage is moving through the fear. And so it's okay to have fear, but it's, are you gonna let that stop you or are you gonna walk through it and move through it one step at a time. And I think that's been huge for me because I always thought, oh, I'm not confident, or I'm not this or that. And it's like letting the fear of not being confident, you know, stop me from approaching a boutique or talking to somebody that I want to be friends with, or any simple things like that. It's like, no, you can have that fear, but you need to move forward and walk through it. And that's what it takes to be courageous. So I think those two things.

Those are two awesome things. Those are two awesome things. Especially the second one. Last year I went to a Bible convention and we talked about that was kind of the theme. Like, courage does not mean that there is no fear. Courage means you do something in spite of fear, like you do something in spite of it and you have the faith and you have the foundation to believe that whatever you do from that fear, if you keep moving through it, that good things will happen. Like you will grow. Or if we're going to talk, we're going to bring it to business. You can, if you're afraid to call somebody that's going to be a boutique or something, then guess what? If you call that person, you've moved through the fear of I'm not going to sell anything today. You've made an accomplishment. You've done something you've never done before. So that's a win. Like if they say yes or no, it's still a win because you just conquered that fear. So I think, you know, that's awesome advice. Awesome advice. Tell us how we can find you online, obviously, like your Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, all that jazz. And if you have anything, like if you have any specials going on you would like the audience to know or check out, or if you want some You know, I was thinking about saying this like a couple of times ago, but now I think I'm going to start saying this. If you have anything you would like to hear back from listeners, if they were going to reach out to you and ask you a question or show you some love, where should they send that to?

So you can find me @rachelkeplerdesigns on Instagram and my website is rachelkeplerdesigns.com. So I definitely message me on Instagram. I check those, and you can always email me or text me. There's always those buttons on your— on my Instagram, like, profile where it says email or text. So any of those. But, um, yeah, definitely, I'd love to hear from you guys. I'd love to hear, you know, ways that you related to anything I said, or, or any advice you guys have.

I'd love to hear it.

So feel free to reach out for sure.

Well, I'm so glad you came on, and thank you, thank you, thank you so much.

Yeah, I'm so glad you Thank you so much. I'm glad we connected and this has been a lot of fun. So, and this is also something I was scared of doing. So moving through the fear.

All right, ladies, thank you for listening and I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to subscribe and tell a friend. That's it on this episode. And yes, you are crafted to thrive.