Diary of a Handmade Business Owner – Entry One

Welcome to a new kind of Wild Minder blog post—something a little more personal.

This space is for sharing the emotional side of starting a handmade business. And let me tell you… there are a lot of emotions. Highs, lows, doubts, and dreams. But right now, my main feeling is excitement.

Running my own business has been a dream of mine—being my own boss, building something that’s completely mine. I truly love Wild Minder. Every piece I create is made with passion, whether it’s a social media post or a new denim jacket. I pour a little bit of myself into it all.

That said, I’ve been officially live for four months now, and I’ve only sold to friends and family so far. It’s hard not to let that dampen my spirits. But I also know I’m still building—my shop isn’t perfect yet, and I’ve only just started growing my audience. Right now, my biggest challenge is marketing. People simply don’t know Wild Minder exists yet.

Still, there’s progress. Since launching, I’ve more than doubled my Instagram followers—from around 30 to over 70. I’ve also booked my first craft fair, and I’m really hoping it brings more eyes (and hearts) to Wild Minder.

And I need to give myself credit. A year ago, this was all just an idea. Now I have:

• A brand I truly care about
• A website
• An Etsy shop
• A handful of sales (yes, mostly to loved ones—but they count!)
• A craft fair lined up
• A consistent presence on social media (which is huge for me—I hadn’t used social media at all for over two years)

My hope going forward is to prepare well for my first craft fair and use it to connect with new people who care about nature, slow fashion, and handmade things that mean something.

🌿 If you’re local to Bury St Edmunds, come say hello at Elmsfest on 6th September!

Thanks for reading—and for being part of the journey.

Until next time,

Lucy

Founder of Wild Minder 💚