It’s so exciting to own a small business when everything is clicking and happening on schedule; we gladly post those times on social media. But sometimes things go horribly wrong. Like, devastatingly, horribly, awfully wrong. This is one of those times. Here’s a peek behind the scenes of my small business.

This is the day that I first received the TAP IN journals, December 21st. They were later than expected – hung up in customs for days – but they were finally here. I was SO EXCITED and my daughter captured the whole thing – the truck delivery, my reaction upon opening the first box. And when I saw the journals, WOW, they were beautiful.

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My photographer was on standby. The launch date was January 1st, we could just pull it off. Although my refrigerator broke that morning (full of holiday food) and we couldn’t find an available repair. And we were in the middle of a serious family challenge; I was on the phone all day, juggling all the balls. But still, I could make this happen. January 1st launch. New Year, New You – perfect. 

After transferring all the food to coolers and buying all the ice, I returned to my beautiful journals, still excited. I opened one to see the inside. Beautiful…but no, wait…

THERE ARE NO LINES FOR WRITING!

I flip, flip, flip. No writing lines throughout. I grab another journal and another and they are the same.

PANIC! SCREAMS! TEARS!

After a flurry of phone calls and emails and cc’s to everybody and anybody, I determine that there was an error at the printer. The good news: there will be a rushed reprint on their dime. The bad news: holiday mail log jam and customs yet again. There would be no January 1st launch.  

But you know what? February 1st was a fine launch date and if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t even know what happened. I tell you because I want to pull the curtain behind the wizard and the beautiful Instagram feed. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows and ocean waves over here. There are tears and grit and sometimes things go horribly wrong. But I keep it moving. I keep it moving.

You do the same.