Six weeks in, and the honest ledger is a mix: small wins, stubborn platforms, and an unreasonable number of cats.
I listened to a podcast episode this week about dopamine — the mechanics of why finishing a hard task feels so good — and it tracks. The satisfaction isn't in the plan; it's in the fixed thing. I've started noticing that I crave those small "done" moments, and on weeks like this one, they're what keeps the wheels turning.
The product-photography experiment lands in the misses column. I tried automating lifestyle shots for the shop, and the results came back more sci-fi than shop-ready. So I fell back on stock mockup templates, which are fine — fine the way a sweater from the wrong size rack is fine. Every route leads to the same conclusion: nothing substitutes for the real thing. Samples need to arrive. A photoshoot needs to happen. Neither will happen before Cyber Weekend, and I've decided that's okay. I think.
One clean win: gift cards are live. The ultimate "I didn't know what to get you, but I wanted you to feel special" answer — and one less thing to stress about, for shoppers and for me.
Google Ads, meanwhile, is testing my patience on schedule. Fresh from an hour of fine-tuning on the phone, the account is paused again, and I have no idea why. It sits on the list of soul-draining tasks that will feel wonderful to conquer. Eventually.
And through all of it: cats. So many cats. The new artwork has turned out to be its own kind of stress relief — distracting, adorable, exactly the right amount of chaos. Six weeks ago this was a dog shop. I may be turning into a cat person, and I'm not even mad about it.
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