The Real Q1 Update: Wins, Fails & What’s Coming Next

There are 32 days left in this quarter (time feels elusive at this point in life), which gives me one more month to hit the finish line for all goals.

At the start of the year, I set five main goals for January, February and March 2025.

Buckle up - this update ended up being much longer than expected, so here it goes:

1. Complete Exceptional Valentine’s Day Product Launch - Complete

Overall, I was proud of how my Valentine’s collection came together. And even though nothing went according to plan (for real tho), I learned so much and really did love the products and the intention behind them. My two main product strategies were as follows:

The Forever Love Note

This idea came together so last minute that I’m honestly surprised I pulled it off. I debated between about ten other products (heart rings, heart necklaces, a locket, engraved whiskey glasses, engraved golf markers, etc.) before actually pulling the trigger. My best friend kept encouraging me to pick something that I wholeheartedly loved and believed in, so as cute as a heart necklace is... I knew I wanted something unique.

Learning to engrave a handwritten note on a material was also no joke. Even trying to decide what I wanted to engrave on was a battle. And even though sales were not amazing, I’m convinced this idea will work in the long run, I just need to adjust my strategy. This idea is not going away, and I’m excited to share it in a new way very soon...

The “Love You Always” Bouquet

Collaborating with Jane at J Flowers was amazing. This strategy was a home run, and both Jane and I are excited to keep it going.

For each bouquet, I created a hand-stamped flower charm that could be kept as a keepsake long after the flower’s faded. We ended up selling out multiple times and had to restock charms five different times.

The only bummer about this strategy was being sick in bed on the days I planned to engrave in person at her shop. I beat myself up about this enough already and have finally let it go, knowing that there will be so many opportunities like this in the future.

This collaboration worked so well because J Flowers is a well-loved staple in the South Bay of LA. Jane’s creations are truly next-level, and this experience has sparked new ideas about teaming up with other creatives.

Jane and I already have Mother’s Day on our radar and she is currently selling my bracelets and my mom’s plant sticks, so many fun things coming soon.

2. Complete Rebranding - On Track for Completion

I’m optimistic that I will complete this goal, even though it’s been quite neglected over the past few weeks. To get back on track, I recently mapped out a clear pathway to completion:

• Confirm business values, mission and vision

• Debate whether I should change the business name

• Get feedback on changing the name

• Create and confirm new elevator pitch

• Create and confirm new business tagline

• Make final decision on name

• Create new logo

• Confirm color palette and typography

• Define brand voice

• Update website with all the above

• Update additional social media platforms with the above

• Share branding update newsletter (this is the finish line)

  
  

This might give you a glimpse into how I keep my goal setting on track. Having a clear finish line is so important because the last thing you want is for the deadline to hit and to be unsure if the goal was actually accomplished.

Little shout-out to my fav Laney LA team for drilling this into me ;)  

3. Post One Video Per Week - Off-Track

This goal is by far the most off-track. The hard reality is that I’ve only posted five videos this year (lol). But that’s okay, I’m revamping and going to try to finish this one strong.

The biggest challenge is pre-planning what and why I’m posting. Since my video skills are still a work in progress, creating content takes time, and my vision often changes along the way. I’m also not naturally good at “recording” everything I do, so I need to shift my mindset with this as well to be on the lookout for more opportunities.

Moving forward, I want to:

• Care less about making everything perfect

• Show my face on Instagram (ha I really don’t love this one but know it needs to happen)

• Embrace the learning curve and try different video styles

4. Create Big Picture Product Plan - Complete

This goal was simple but so valuable. It’s all about being strategic when releasing collections and products instead of choosing things purely on a creative whim (as I usually do).

The plan for the year is basic and will likely evolve, but I now have a clear roadmap for launching new collections and products. This will help me be more intentional and pre-plan strategies around each release.

5. Hit $5.5K in Revenue - Off Track

Ah, this goal is tough and uncomfortable. I will probably always get nervous about sharing the financial state of the company so publicly. But from the beginning, I wanted to be open about the behind-the-scenes journey of You’ve Got The Love—even when sales are low—so that when the business does take off one day, we can all look back at how far it’s come.

Alright - that’s my little disclaimer. Here’s where we are at.

This goal is off track and to date, I’ve sold around $2K since the start of the year so $3.5K left to go.

The good news is March is quite jam-packed with opportunities to hit this goal.

I’m attending 3 different markets (Orange County, Venice, and Redondo Beach) and am hopeful for all. My mom is also coming down to visit and join me at these markets (she has her own little business too) so I know they will be amazing regardless.

I also know that 2 shops I sell to have already asked to restock in March, so again, another win.

I’m also experimenting with a new strategy, which has been reaching out to different influencers to see if they first, like my stuff, and second want to share it with their community. And I’ve had the opportunity to connect with someone who wants to share my stuff, hopefully soon :)

And lastly, I’m launching a new collection in March that I cannot wait to share. Stay tuned!

Well, that’s a wrap on this week’s update. This has helped me reset and get clear and motivated to have a great final month of this quarter, so thank you for listening!

Love always,

Madison