I hired a mermaid and buttons didn’t die!
Wow wow wow wow wow…it’s been a super long year since everything first shut down. For the first time since I started making buttons back in 2011, I found myself with zero business for about a month. It was weird and scary. Back in December of 2019, I left my construction job to pursue my passion in button making, I had events booked out through December 2020, my name was on the list of vendors for the Washington State Spring Fair, which was a huge honor….and then boom. March 2020 hit and no more events, no more connections, no more teaching all of my amazing customers how to make buttons.
It was really hard to take. I kept telling myself that it was okay because buttons weren’t important or a necessity, so it made sense that people wouldn’t be ordering. I also didn’t push because I knew there were more important things, like looking after loved ones. But the truth is, I was still crushed. I was grateful that we were in a position to help our family and friends, but super bummed that the future of Becka Makes Buttons was uncertain.
When April approached, I was so disheartened that I almost didn’t renew my business license. When you take a huge leap of faith to quit your stable job and dive into the world of your passions head first. You know there’s a lot that could happen, but I really didn’t see Covid coming, no one did. Then an order came in…
A lovely tattoo artist, named Angel wanted some of her artwork on some 1.75″ buttons. I cried. With all the uncertainty that we were facing globally, hope came to me from an Angel, literally. The next day, I took a deep breath and renewed my license. Another order came…and then another, and another…
This is only a sample of all the orders that have come through in the last year. Thank you all so much for everyone who bought buttons from me. You helped me keep it together through one of the most difficult years in most of our lifetimes.
Unfortunately my dreams of completely dominating the world with my amazing buttons have yet to come true, so I had to go back to a day job…
No longer working in the field as a construction worker, this time I’m working as a safety professional. It’s not where I wanted to be or where I planned to be at this stage in my life, but I’m still grateful for employment. I’m also on a 40 hour/week schedule, as opposed to the 50-60+ hour/weeks I used to maintain when I was a dirt worker, so it grants me a lot of spare time to dedicate to making amazing buttons for all of you wonderful people. It’s nice to have my weekends and not have to leave early so I can punch and press buttons in the parking lot before my shift starts.
How things used to be…
I’m sorry I dropped the blog there for a long while. I dropped a lot of things. It’s been difficult to navigate living through Covid, working, running a business, making art, being a wife and taking care of my family, etc. I decided to focus on my mental health and my physical health and making it a priority(which I highly recommend). I had a major surgery last August, and just graduated from EMDR and CBT therapy. I put myself back into school again this last January. I’m going after another Associates Degree, this time in business. Buttons are very important to me and after making them for 10 years now(YES WE TURNED 10 IN FEBRUARY!!!), I still find myself having to work a day job…so I’m out to solve the missing link and fix it. My ultimate dream would be to make buttons full time and have buttons be my day/night/weekend job for life. I know it’s possible and I’m on the quest to make it so!
So part of doing things differently is coming to terms with the fact that I can not wear all the hats. I missed the cusp of the technological savvy generation, and I still struggle a lot when it comes to navigating social media. I’ve needed help in managing my social media and online store pretty much since I started this business, and after 10 years, it’s time to fold or make a change…and I am not one for giving up easily. My relationship with buttons has outlasted every romantic relationship I’ve ever had, and buttons and I are in it for the long haul.
And yes, I totally love The Princess Bride!!!
So…I decided to take a chance and reached out to see what the world had to offer me in the way of a social media manager. I care a lot about my business, you could call me obsessed and you’d be right. It’s important to me that anyone who represents the business shares a passion for art and is dedicated to the course of what they do. So I went to UpWork, and spent a couple of weeks sorting through responses to the ad I placed. I came across a few good candidates, but it was important to me that I find someone who was passionate about their life, and really fit with the genuine and fun format that is all things Becka Makes Buttons.
So I would like to introduce you all to Tianna, the new Social Media and Online Store Manager of Becka Makes Buttons!
I hired a mermaid!
That’s right boys, girls, alts, and non-descrip….the new manager overseeing all of my social media accounts and running the online store is a mermaid!
The great thing about technology is that you can hire anyone from anywhere. Tianna is originally from the ocean near Ventura, CA, but works remotely for me from her home in LA. With her love for theatre, a natural gift for getting along great with kids, and her go getter attitude, I was immediately sold with her ability to represent my brand in a way that didn’t feel like some weird corporation swooping in to take over. Plus, she’s friends with Super Girl…I mean, how cool is that? I hear they used to hang out a lot together at Six Flags before Covid came along…
So what does she do exactly, and how will this change things around here for everyone?
Tianna is running the scheduled posts for me on my social media accounts. I couldn’t keep up with it, honestly, but I approve everything before it gets launched. She is very talented and due to her background, was already a great match for the fun and exciting world that I like to keep going throughout everything here. She’s got a bachelors in theatre, so telling stories is one of her specialties and after this, she’s going to be taking over the blog for me too.
It’s important to me that everyone who buys their buttons from me gets their chance to shine. That was the point of the button blog to begin with, but my plate is so full that I can’t keep up. I am confident that she will be able to share some great info about all the wonderful folks who utilize my business. It’s an important task, and I feel like it’s in capable hands.
Not only that, but it’s been beyond time to streamline the way people can place orders for their buttons. I have had a really hard time integrating the store into social media, and so I’m handing that over to Tianna as well, making it easier for everyone to purchase the products from me that they love, no matter the platform.
I am still here with you all. I am still responding to your comments, your emails, your Facebook messages, etc. It’s important to me that I don’t lose that connection because I love getting to know you. I’ve made so many great friends through buttons and I don’t want that to go away. I’m a small business and I’m going to stay a small business for years to come, but having Tianna on board is already freeing up a lot of the time I need to focus on my favorite parts of the business, which is making buttons, being creative, and chatting with you guys when you hit me up. I hate the technical side of it all, and she’s great. She’s already been here 3 weeks and I feel years of stress regarding technology leaving me.
So please, everyone, give Tianna a warm welcome as a new member of the team! I told her to let her voice shine in these blogs, because connection is important to me and she does a lot of fun and creative stuff on her own time as well.
I look forward to Covid being a thing of the past and getting back to vending and making new friends with the DIY Button Station. Until then, we’ll be focusing on growing a larger online presence. Love you all so much. Thanks for hanging in there, for the love, the support, the encouragement, and for still choosing me to be your button maker. 10 years is no small feat, and if Covid couldn’t kill it, then I’m gunna keep on plugging along to see this dream through to a reality. I will support myself through buttons 100% and one day leave the suplimental day job behind.
You guys are rad, stay rad, and please come say hi. I’m on Facebook, TikToc, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. You can also shoot me a message here through the website. I’m still the one receiving and responding.
Mad love to you all!
-Becka