The Dog of the Day posts are scheduled out now — automated, lined up on the calendar, running without me having to post by hand every morning. A small win in the batching department.
The bigger move was harder. Today I paused all ad spend. Ninety percent of my sales come from people who already know me. That was not an easy sentence to face, but it's the reality check I needed: with everyone else there's a trust gap, and trust isn't something more ad budget can buy. The marketing balancing act I wrote about on Day 29 tipped — the money stops until the root problem is addressed.
In its place, I filled out the collaborations page. Partnerships feel more authentic than interruptions, and I'd rather build with people who actually get what IsLoved is about.
Between tasks I've been reading up on marketing strategy — eye-opening, and a little draining. Underneath it runs a twinge of guilt: every hour spent on marketing is an hour not spent designing, which is the thing I actually love. Marketing is the chore that will make or break this store. That thought has weight.
Which is the real reason this journal exists. A solopreneur gets no feedback from a boss, no team huddles, no quarterly review — some days you can't see the forest for the trees. Writing here keeps me honest, especially on the days the couch and a long night of streaming are making their case. These entries are notes to my future self: proof of motion on the days it doesn't feel like moving.
Today had none of the creative spark I'd rather run on. It had the other kind of work instead. That was the job.
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